The number of bicycles parking spots in the Eindhoven city centre must double in the coming decade.
That’s the municipality’s plan. “The city’s growing. If we do nothing, more people will park their bicycles wherever they want,” says a council representative.
At present, the centre has 6,500 bicycle parking spots. That number must be around 13,500 by 2030. The municipality wants to add most – 3,800 – in the next few years.
Station parking not included
This expansion excludes the additional bicycle parking spaces at the train station. According to city councillors, the supply of parking spaces lags behind the growing demand. Extra parking spaces contribute to the quality of life in the city centre too, they say.
Bicycles parked unattended clutter the streets. By adding more bike sheds, accessibility to shops should also improve. “This growing city is really short of parking spaces”, says traffic councillor Monique List.
The Cyclists’ Union also sees a need for these extra bays. “In some places, it’s become a mess, with bicycles parked anywhere. You see this all over the centre,” says Pieter Nuiten of Fietsersbond Eindhoven.
‘Will worsen’
“At the Markt, around the Heuvel, 18 Septemberplein, Kleine Berg, and near the Hooghuis garage. And it’ll get worse if there are no extra parking spaces. That’s because there are many new buildings [being planned] in the city centre.”
There are plans to build thousands of new homes. That’s in Eindhoven’s city centre in the next ten years. That means many more people will be living there.
At the same time, the municipality wants to curb car traffic. They want to provide more space for bicycles and public transport.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Melinda Walraven
