The story of Utrecht's new bike parking garage—with enough space initially for 6,000 bikes—has a surprising twist: local bike advocates don't think it's big enough.
Daniel Boffrey reports:
In any other country, the opening of what will become the world’s largest bicycle parking garage – with space for 6,000 cycles initially, and another 6,500 by the end of next year – would be heralded as a great success [….] Yet such is the intensity of the Dutch love affair with the bike, authorities in the Netherlands are being accused of complacency, rather than praised for their foresight."
Regardless of criticisms, this much is true, according to Boffrey: "The 17,100 sq metre space under Utrecht’s central station will soon knock the current title-holder, under Kasai underground station in Tokyo, off its perch."
The article puts bike ridership in Utrecht as well as the rest of the Netherlands in global context—the country's leading bike ridership share is still growing, leading to the kinds of controversies on display in this prominent example. A new facility in The Hague, expected to open next spring will set a new standard, with enough space for 8,500 bikes.
FULL STORY: World's biggest bike parking garage opens in Utrecht – but Dutch dream of more
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UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
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Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research