Dutch bike parking facilities – the future?
The Dutch are often referenced as world leaders in cycling. 84% of people in the Netherlands own at least one bicycle and more than one-quarter of all trips made are by pedal power. In relation to bike storage facilities, the Dutch are certainly setting the precedent in terms of the scale of their bike parking numbers.
Mass bike storage in utrecht
Utrecht, a city where over 40% of short journeys are taken by bicycle, has the world’s largest bike ‘garage’ with 12,500 parking spaces – the ultimate in mass bike storage. As a comparison, the UK’s largest bicycle hub has capacity for around 3,000 parking spaces, at Cambridge Railway Station.
Zaandam Style: the best way to store bikes?
Another example of the cycle parking investment found in the Netherlands is seen in the city of Zaandam. A purpose-built ‘Fietsenpakhuis’, or ‘bicycle warehouse’, was developed to further encourage cycling to the city centre by bicycle. The impressive structure houses 700 bicycles and represents best practice in bike storage. Turvec’s partner company, Klaver Fietsparkeren, delivered this project for the city, installing the 2ParkUp two-tier bike rack.
Amsterdam Centraal: ultimate bike parking in the Netherlands?
This facility is found at Amsterdam Centraal Station – a common tourist entry point and one of the most photographed bike parks in the Netherlands. This multi-tiered bike park rises above the canals, and serves the railway station and surrounding area.
What can the UK learn from Netherlands bike parking?
Nationally we are seeing a trend towards Dutch-style, two-tier focused cycle hub facilities, increasing both the capacities and quality of bike storage in the UK. When planning larger bike stores, it is important to consider that UK and Dutch cyclists have different needs, with a greater requirement for security, and a larger variety of bicycle types and sizes being ridden in the UK. These special requirements should always be considered to ensure a fully-functional bike park. Nevertheless, we can learn a great deal from Netherlands bike parking design practices.