This is the world’s biggest bike parking garage
Utrecht is serious about bicycles
Approximately 125,000 people, which is a third of the city’s population, ride every day in Utrecht. Not only does the city have an incredible network of dedicated bike paths, roundabouts and other cycling infrastructure, it also has the world’s biggest parking garage for bicycles.
The garage began with capacity for 6,000 parking spaces, then increased to 12,500. That was enough to usurp the current record holder in Tokyo. The Japanese city has a parking garage in the Kasai underground station that houses 9,600 cycles.
The Utrecht station is still growing, however, and when completed, the garage and the surrounding area will house as many as 22,000 bikes.
Ingredients for a livable and sustainable city-centre:
✅ room for pedestrians
✅ seperated bike-lanes
✅ municipal bicycle sheds along the road
✅ public transport only
⛔️ no private cars#Utrecht pic.twitter.com/wc13nUdi0i— De Filmende Fietser (@FilmendeFietser) January 7, 2022
The garage was part of a large redevelopment of the central railway station, and designed by the Ector Hoogstad and the City of Utrecht. The 22,000 total spaces will be divided amongst five bicycle-specific lots near the entrances.
Bike parking is split up between three levels. The top and bottom floors are the top used for day-time storage, and the middle floor is for longer-term parking.
There’s even a special area for unusual bike models, such as tandems or cargo bikes. The best part? The parking is free for up to 24 hours.
Check it out below.
