Bicycle parking is part of the
cycling infrastructure
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of bicycle pedal, pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the ...
of a populated place allowing for the storage of
bicycle
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a ...
s when they are not being used. Parking facilities for bicycles include
racks,
lockers,
parking stations, and covered areas. Bicycle parking infrastructure, in addition to cyclists' equipment such
bicycle locks, offers a degree of security and may prevent
bicycle theft. ''Ad hoc'' bicycle parking alongside
railings, signs, and other
street furniture
Street furniture is a collective term for objects and pieces of equipment installed along streets and roads for various purposes. It includes bench (furniture), benches, traffic barriers, bollards, post boxes, phone boxes, streetlamps, traffic ...
is a common practice and may be recognized through formal legal arrangements.
Bicycle parking is an important consideration for the
cyclability of a locality. Secure bicycle parking is a factor that influences people's decision to cycle. Bicycle parking at
mass transit stations facilitates
mixed-mode commuting. The role of bicycle parking in
urban planning
Urban planning (also called city planning in some contexts) is the process of developing and designing land use and the built environment, including air, water, and the infrastructure passing into and out of urban areas, such as transportatio ...
is studied through the discipline of
bicycle transportation planning and engineering. Provisions for bicycle parking may be included in municipal policies and regulations.
Overview
Bicycle parking is an important part of a municipality's
cycling infrastructure
Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of bicycle pedal, pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the ...
and as such is studied in the discipline of
bicycle transportation engineering. When bicycle parking facilities are scarce or inadequate, nearby trees or parking meters are often used instead.
Sections of existing
car parks can often be retrofitted as cycle parking, offering advantages of location, cover, security, and parking for more people.
In addition to car parking,
town planning policies and regulations increasingly require provisions for bicycle parking in
new developments. Many
mass transit stations include bicycle parking in the form of
bike racks or purpose-built
bicycle parking stations to facilitate
mixed-mode commuting.
Secure bicycle parking is arguably a key factor that influences the decision to cycle. To be considered secure, parking facilities must be of a suitable design; allowing the bicycle to be locked via the frame (see
bicycle parking rack). A readily observable location can also permit so-called
passive security from passers-by. Weather protection is also desirable. As a rule, where cycling is encouraged as an alternative to motoring, efforts should be made to make bicycle parking more convenient and attractive to use than nearby car parking arrangements. This usually means providing a wide distribution of visible, clearly designated parking spots, close to the entrances of destinations being served.
Storage rooms or
bicycle lockers may also be provided. In some cases, large concentrations of bike parking may be more appropriate, sometimes being supervised and sometimes fee-based. Examples include bicycle parking stations at
public transport
Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...
interchanges such as
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
,
subway,
tram
A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
,
bus stations or
ferry
A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
ports where they may be useful in
mixed-mode commuting.
[Bicycle Access to Public Transportation: Learning from Abroad by Michael Replogle, Journal of the Institute for Transportation Engineers, December 1992]
Conversely, where cycling is seen as an unwelcome or inappropriate activity, or there is a lack of knowledge about best practices, bicycle parking may simply not be provided or else placed at awkward, distant, and out-of-sight locations. Cyclists may be expressly forbidden from parking their bicycles at the most convenient locations. In April 2007, the authorities at the
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...
's Santa Barbara campus started confiscating bicycles parked at other than official bike racks. Some property owners or municipal authorities display signage on fencing to discourage bicyclists from locking their bicycles.
Types and equipment
*
Bicycle parking rack - also known as bicycle stand
*
Bicycle parking station
*
Bicycle lock
*
Bicycle locker
*
Cyclability
*
Sucker pole (not recommended for bicycle parking due to high incidents of theft)
Gallery
;Urban planning
Bicycle parking lot.jpg, Multi-storey parking facility
Fisketorvet - Bicycle Parking (15915777652).jpg, Bike parking house at the shopping mall
Bicycle on S-train.jpg, Integrating bicycles with other modes of transportation
Bicycle-holders in S-train.jpg, Bike racks on trains
Half-Arc-by-Bike-Arc.jpg, Bike parking shelters
Biceberg.jpg, Automated underground bicycle storage system (''Biceberg'' in Zaragoza, Spain)Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
.
;Bike racks
Göteborg Plads 05.JPG, Bike racks with a decorative value
Cykelstativ i beton.JPG, Temporary, moveable bike rack in heavy concrete
Jesus Bike by Richard Symonds 02.jpg, Fastened steel poles
Bikeparking (Aarhus) 2.JPG, Up-side down parking saves space
2018 04 Fahrradboxen IMG 0830.jpg, Bicycle shelters with locks
Tachovské náměstí, pumpa a kolo.jpg, Opportunistic parking
St Catherine's College bike store.JPG, Grade I listed bicycle store at St Catherine's College, Oxford, England
Masjid Agung Bicycle Park.jpg, Bike racks located in front of the bus stop entrance
See also
*
Outline of cycling
References
External links
Victoria Transportation Policy Institute TDM Encyclopedia - Bike parkingBicycles at Rest
Non-commercial bike parking resource.
{{cycling
Cycling infrastructure