If it were up to Trængselskommissionen, the government-appointed traffic congestion commission, the stacks and clogs of parked bicycles in front of the city’s train and Metro stations would be a thing of the past.
A new Trængselskommissionen report proposes that the government invest 300 million kroner to add 30,000 additional bicycle parking spots by the stations in the capital, at a price of 10,000 kroner per spot.
The commission expects that by 2025 there will be up to 30,000 more travellers who take their bicycle to and from the S-train and regional train stations. The report showed that Copenhagen Central Station and Nørreport Station, in particular, are the two stations that need more bicycle parking.
READ MORE: Cyclists to get a break as Nørreport renovation enters new phase
Bicyclists' association supports the idea
The national bicycle association, Dansk Cyklist Forbund, welcomed the proposal, highlighting congestion issues that have dogged the city's central hub for years.
“The lack of bicycle parking at Central Station is a massive problem," Erik Hjulmand, the head of Dansk Cyklist Forbund’s Copenhagen branch, told DR Nyheder. "For years we have urged DSB to improve conditions for cyclists.”
Hjulmand underlined that there has been more focus on the issue over the past five years, but many stations continue to lack decent parking conditions. Another problem is that the bicycle parking spots are often located far from the train platforms.
“A grotesque example is at Ørestad Station, near the Fields shopping centre, where they placed underground bicycle parking far away from everything," Hjulmand told DR Nyheder. "That resulted in people simply chucking their bikes close to the platform while the parking area remained empty.”
Fisketorvet a model of success
Hjulmand said he was pleased that the renovation of Nørreport Station will cater to bicycles by putting some bicycle parking a half story under the station itself. He recommended that planners could find further inspiration at Copenhagen's Fisketorvet shopping centre.
”It’s a large traffic centre which has brilliantly integrated the bicycle parking in the area. Parking is close to the centre, it’s covered and offers extra facilities to attract people on bike, such as a bicycle pump and tools people can borrow,” Hjulmand explained.
The Trængselskommissionen was established in early 2011 as a way to find alternative solutions to Copenhagen’s traffic problems after the government’s plan to introduce a congestion charge failed to gather political support.
