Stationsplein of Utrecht.
Like 4.3 football fields, that's how huge the new parking for cyclists built under the city of Utrecht , specifically about Stationsplein , the train station of the capital. And it's no wonder it was here, in the third most bike-friendly city of this 2019 , according to the study of The Copenhagenize Index.
Utrecht has been earning the podium for years with express lanes dedicated to electric bicycles, smart traffic lights Y expanding parking capacity.
The reason is very simple and laudable: wants to double the use of the bicycle before the year 2030 . So they set off...
In 2014 the architecture studio Ector Hoogstad Architecten , with numerous prizes awarded, managed to win a very ambitious project, that of create the largest bicycle parking in the world in the city . Considering that at that time only Tokyo was ahead with one for 9,000 bikes.
It has capacity for more than 12,000 bicycles.
First, a phase for 6,000 places was built and this August the third was completed, completing the structure with capacity for 12,656 bicycles.
The location, under the train station, responds to an intelligent idea that is that anyone who takes public transport can take their bicycle and move around the city. Thus, it is intended decongest downtown Utrecht , while encouraging the use of healthy and more sustainable mobility.
The new bike parking is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week , but only It is free for the first 24 hours.
The building, which measures more than 21,000 m2, is divided into three floors . In the first, there are 1,000 bicycles for public use because this first floor is usually used by those who are going to take public transport. In the rest of the floors, people who work in the area usually park.
Parking is an experience in itself.
The project is part of a remodeling of the area that has cost more than 50 million euros , where there is also a new shopping center.
In this way, from the street you can easily access the parking lot, and once inside, bikes drive by a circular structure (which can be accessed by various inputs) that works with smart colors and markings to guide cyclists to free spaces.
It also has a repair service and a bike rental shop . “Cycling through the garage has become a unique experience ; It's not just another part of everyday life in the city, but almost an attraction in its own right."
Yes indeed the speed is regulated and cannot exceed 15km per hour , obviously for security reasons. The traffic system is unidirectional and there are personnel who monitor at all times that the bicycles are properly parked and not be left parked for more than 28 days.
It is not allowed to drive faster than 15 km per hour.