Bicycle parking typically requires a degree of security to prevent
theft. The context for bike parking requires proper infrastructure and equipment (
bike racks,
bicycle locks 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.
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 motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except whe ...
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
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 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 interchanges such as
railway,
subway
Subway, Subways, The Subway, or The Subways may refer to:
Transportation
* Subway, a term for underground rapid transit rail systems
* Subway (underpass), a type of walkway that passes underneath an obstacle
* Subway (George Bush Interconti ...
,
tram,
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
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
ports where they may be useful in
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 ...
.
[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's Santa Barbara campus started confiscating bicycles parked at other than official bike racks. Some property owners or municipal authoritie
display signageon 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)
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
See also
*
Outline of cycling
References
External links
Victoria Transportation Policy Institute TDM Encyclopedia - Bike parkingBicycles at RestNon-commercial bike parking resource.
{{cycling
Cycling infrastructure