Over 1,200 new bike parking spaces are set to be rolled out across Edinburgh over the next two years in response to hundreds of requests from locals desperate for a secure location to lock up their cycles.
Almost 500 people are currently on the waiting list for a slot in a covered on-street bike storage container in the Capital, with council chiefs fielding over a dozen requests for places every week.
The tubular cages, which can be safely installed by the roadside, provide a safe space for bikes to be stored on the street to protect against theft or damage in areas with a high number of tenement blocks.
City transport chiefs have now signed off on operator Cyclehoop installing 100 new mini-garages in 50 locations across the Capital, more than doubling the current capacity of 1,080.
Councillor Lesley Macinnes, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “The demand for bike parking in Edinburgh demonstrates the increasing popularity of cycling, and the positive impact it can have on health, travel costs and the environment.
“I’m delighted that we’re now going to be able to double the secure cycle storage units being installed across the city, subject to funding.
“When this project was first approved, it aimed to resolve issues around theft and the storage of bikes in stairwells, in turn making cycling a more attractive, convenient way to travel.
“Over the past year we’ve seen so many people realising the benefits of cycling, and I hope this decision will encourage even more people to take it up.”
Figures released by Cycling Scotland earlier this month suggested the number of journeys completed by bike during the coronavirus lockdown had near doubled as thousands of Scots got back in the saddle during 2020.
The charity revealed there were 47% more cycling journeys recorded between March 23, 2020 and March 22, 2021 compared with the same period in 2019–2020.
Riders are charged £6 per month to use the parking bays, which are set to be installed in a range of neighbourhoods in the city.
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “We know that living in a flat or small house can be a barrier to owning and storing a bike, which is why we began installing secure cycle storage in 2019.
"The take-up so far has been fantastic, and we’re constantly hearing from people who would like a unit in their neighbourhood.
"So it’s great that we’ll now be able to roll the scheme out further, in a fair and inclusive way.”
