Bicycle parking at Alewife station, August 2001

Bicycle parking typically requires a degree of security to prevent

theft Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for so ...

. The context for bike parking requires proper infrastructure and equipment ( bike racks,

bicycle lock A bicycle lock is a security device used to deter bicycle theft, either by simply locking one of the wheels or by fastening the bicycle to a fixed object, e.g., a bike rack. Quick-release levers, as used on some bicycle wheels and seatpost fast ...

s etc.) for secure and convenient storage. Parking facilities include

lockers A locker is a small, usually narrow storage compartment. They are commonly found in dedicated cabinets, very often in large numbers, in various public places such as locker rooms, workplaces, elementary schools, middle and high schools, trans ...

, racks, manned or unmanned bicycle parking stations including automated facilities, covered areas, and legal arrangements for ''ad hoc'' parking alongside

railing Railing or railings may refer to: * Railings (horse), a racehorse * Guard rail, a structure blocking an area from access ** Cable railings, a type of guard rail * Handrail, a structure designed to provide support on or near a staircase * Grab b ...

s 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 benches, traffic barriers, bollards, post boxes, phone boxes, streetlamps, traffic lights, traff ...

Overview

Bicycle parking is an important part of a municipality's

cycling infrastructure Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by Motor vehicle, motorists are also cycling infrastructu ...

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 park A parking lot (American English) or car park ( British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surfac ...

s 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 Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

policies and regulations increasingly require provisions for bicycle parking in new developments. Many

mass transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

stations include bicycle parking in the form of bike racks or purpose-built bicycle parking stations to facilitate

mixed-mode commuting Intermodal passenger transport, also called mixed-mode commuting, involves using two or more modes of transportation in a journey. Mixed-mode commuting is often used to combine the strengths (and offset the weaknesses) of various transportatio ...

. 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 bicycle parking rack, usually shortened to bike rack and also called a bicycle stand, is a device to which bicycles can be securely attached for parking purposes. A bike rack may be free standing or it may be securely attached to the ground o ...

). 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 locker A bicycle locker or bike box is a locker or box in which up to 2 bicycles can be placed and locked. They are usually provided at places where numerous cyclists need bike parking for extended times (such as during the working day), yet where ...

s 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 transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typic ...

interchanges such as

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...

, subway,

tram A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ...

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

stations or ferry ports where they may be useful in

.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 land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Fran ...

's Santa Barbara campus started confiscating bicycles parked at other than official bike racks. Some property owners or municipal authoritie
display signage
on fencing to discourage bicyclists from locking their bicycles.

Types and equipment

Bicycle parking rack A bicycle parking rack, usually shortened to bike rack and also called a bicycle stand, is a device to which bicycles can be securely attached for parking purposes. A bike rack may be free standing or it may be securely attached to the ground o ...

- also known as bicycle stand * Bicycle parking station *

Bicycle lock A bicycle lock is a security device used to deter bicycle theft, either by simply locking one of the wheels or by fastening the bicycle to a fixed object, e.g., a bike rack. Quick-release levers, as used on some bicycle wheels and seatpost fast ...

Bicycle locker A bicycle locker or bike box is a locker or box in which up to 2 bicycles can be placed and locked. They are usually provided at places where numerous cyclists need bike parking for extended times (such as during the working day), yet where ...

* 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 Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...

) Parking-meter.jpg, Car parking meter with integrated bicycle lock ring (Montreal, Canada) Bicycle parking at Valby.jpg, Multi-level bike racks and storage facilities ;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

References

External links

Victoria Transportation Policy Institute TDM Encyclopedia - Bike parkingBicycles at Rest
Non-commercial bike parking resource. {{cycling Cycling infrastructure

Overview

Types and equipment

Gallery

See also

References

External links