Exploring the elements of effective public cycle parking: A literature review

Abstract

In the field of cycle policy and planning, alongside ambitions to expand segregated cycle networks, there is a push across many countries for increasing the quality and quantity of cycle parking as a critical component of cycling infrastructure. In order to support these measures, planning guides have been developed to guide the expansion and improvement of cycle parking facilities. A common feature of these policies and guides for cycle parking interventions is an absence of dialogue with, or reference to, peer-reviewed research investigating cycle parking and the potential effectiveness of different approaches to cycle parking planning. The use of such research could help to create cycle parking that may be more effective in attracting and providing for people cycling. On this basis, we engage in a literature review of a select body of cycling research whose findings could contribute to more effective cycle parking planning practice. Drawing on our review, we propose a number of tentative ‘elements’ for effective public cycle parking planning practice: visibility, protection, accessibility, proximity, integration, and diversification. These elements could be used in conjunction with local knowledge and context-specific assessment measures to maximise the potential effectiveness of cycle parking planning in different regions, and can be situated as part of a wider struggle to acquire public space for cycling within car-dominant contexts.