The first phase of what will become the world’s largest bicycle parking garage has opened to the public in Utretch, The Netherlands. Currently with a capacity of 6,000 parking spaces, by late 2018 it will have enough space to house 12,500 bicycles – outpacing the current record holder Tokyo’s 9,400-capacity Kasai underground station in Tokyo. When completed, the garage and its surrounding area will contain space as many as 22,000 bikes.
The bicycle garage is part of a large redevelopment of the Stationsplein central railway station, a project designed by Ector Hoogstad Architecten and undertaken by the City of Utrecht, ProRail and NS (Dutch Rail). The 22,000 total spaces will be divided amongst five bicycle-specific lots near station entrances to allow for multi-modal commuting.
Open 24 hours a day, the parking garage utilizes a digital system to help riders find their spots, powered by the chip-embedded card used for the city’s public transportation systems. Cyclists will also have access to a bicycle service station that will repair and maintain bikes and sell parts and accessories.
Parking is divided into three levels: the top and bottommost will be used for day-time storage, while the middle floor will offer longer-term parking. A special area will offer space for unusual bike models, such as tandems or bikes with wider handlebars. To top it all off, parking is free for up to 24 hours.
"It is the ultimate wish to have as many bicycle racks as there are bicycles, so that all cyclists can park their bicycle in a rack," the city proclaimed as their goal in a statement.
News via City of Utrecht.
