By Sarah Goodyear
CityLab
What does truly easy and convenient bicycle parking look like? Well, take a look at this video from Bicycle Dutch (always an excellent source for documentation of prime bike infrastructure in the Netherlands, as well as the rich history of bicycling in that nation):
As part of the construction of a very pleasant new train station in the city of Delft, local authorities constructed a 5,000-space parking garage for bicycles, which opened this past February. Bike parking at the new facility is free for up to 14 days.
As the video shows, the station features seamless entry from the local bike path, two-tier parking (loading a bike onto the top rack is not as tricky as some people make it), electronic signboards that let you know how many free spaces are in each row, train-ticket sales machines, and video monitors that display train departure times. Revolving doors lead you directly into the station, and an escalator takes you down to the platform with commuter trains leaving for the Hague and Rotterdam. There’s even a bike-maintenance shop on the premises, and a bike-share station for those who don’t have their own rides. Upstairs, you’ll find the bus station, and outdoor parking for an additional 3,700 bikes.
Bicycle Dutch’s Mark Wagenbuur notes that Delft’s new bike-parking facility has its problems. Security is lacking; 18 bikes were stolen in the first month of operation, leading to an increase in police patrols and monitoring of surveillance footage. (Dutch bikes come equipped with on-frame locks, but they are a relatively mild deterrent to determined thieves.) And some people who need to leave their bikes at the station for more than two weeks have lobbied for longer-term paid parking facilities.
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