What’s next for cycle parking?

13 Jan 21

With the increasing trend in cycling as a means of commuter transport, further fuelled by Covid-19 and the new lockdown, do we need to push harder to provide additional or alternative cycle parking at new and existing developments?

The Department for Transport reported in June 2020 that there was a 100% increase in weekday cycling and an increase of 200% at the weekends when compared to pre-Covid levels. The Cycle to Work scheme has also meant that staff have been purchasing tax-free bikes which was extended to cover e-Bikes. We all know for those in flats and offices these need to be stored in secure locations and few like the large cages outside buildings or in car parks.

At present, the two typical types of cycle parking in the UK -Sheffield stands and the hinged double-stack system – provide poor security and don’t look aesthetically pleasing. So if you have purchased an expensive bike or you are concerned about security, would you be willing to leave it within a communal cycle store, or would you wheel it up to your flat / office?

Time to start thinking outside of the cage….?

In 2013 a Japanese engineering firm launched Eco Cycle Stores, an innovative underground cycle storage facility in Tokyo. By using a key card, bikes are automatically parked underground (the system also works the same above ground in a tower). It takes approximately 13 seconds to store or retrieve a bike.

Whilst these Japanese systems have yet to find traction in the UK, the idea of a secure personal storage system seems to be an effective way of addressing security concerns. Moffett Parking Solutions (MPS), for example, are currently trialling an innovative cycle storage solution in the UK that provides up to 5 times more storage than standard double-stack systems and can be accessed via a key card.

Have we at last found the solution? One way or another, something in the UK needs to be done to improve communal cycle parking security.