Intercepting bicycle parking lots appeared in Minsk. Now they are installed in three places - near the metro stations "Malinovka", "Kamennaya Gorka" and "Uruchye".
Experts are convinced that the more secure parking lots there are near metro stations, the more often people will leave their car at home and commute to work by public transport in combination with a bicycle.
Experts are convinced that the more secure parking lots there are near metro stations, the more often people will leave their car at home and commute to work by public transport in combination with a bicycle.
A “souvenir photo” will help protect your bike from theft.
Intercepting bicycle parking lots appeared in Minsk. Now they are installed in three places - near the metro stations "Malinovka", "Kamennaya Gorka" and "Uruchye".
Experts are convinced that the more secure parking lots there are near metro stations, the more often people will leave their car at home and commute to work by public transport in combination with a bicycle.
Experts are convinced that the more secure parking lots there are near metro stations, the more often people will leave their car at home and commute to work by public transport in combination with a bicycle.
Personal example: "My bike paid off in 2 years"
- In the summer I try to get to work by bike, but sometimes the weather / fatigue / plans for the day make me leave my bike in the parking lot, - says the cyclist Anton Gakhovich... - And it is very convenient when this parking lot is located just near the metro station. So I get to the metro by bike, and also save on a ticket for the bus.
Anton lives near the Malinovka metro station and, according to his calculations, his bike paid off in about 2 years. And this is a "super payback period", the bike enthusiast is convinced.
“Of course, it’s scary for a bicycle, but the proximity to the metro gives some protection - it’s too crowded to insolently cut the cable,” Anton thinks. - And such parking lots definitely need more, and it is desirable to install video cameras nearby.
7 minutes - and you're on the subway. Ideal for Novaya Borovaya
- Such parking lots will be useful for people who live in the suburbs and commute to work in Minsk, - says the chairman of the board of the Minsk Cycling Society Pavel Gorbunov... - For example, parking at the Uruchye metro station is just right for residents of Novaya Borovoy. Why stand at a bus stop and wait for a bus if you can get there in 10 minutes from door to door?
Pavel Gorbunov Photo: from the archive of Pavel Gorbunov
The Hi-Tech Park is located on the other side of the avenue. He already has his own bicycle garage. Park employees could also ride a bicycle to work from the metro, if the Uruchye station had a city bike rental point or a bicycle garage, where you could safely leave your bike overnight.
“If 50 people start driving in this way and half of them refuse to travel by private car, then this is a direct benefit for the administration of the Hi-Tech Park - parking spaces are saved,” says Pavel Gorbunov.
Changing the Approach: Bicycles Are Everyday Transport
The expert notes: for people who do not yet have a bicycle, it is enough to buy an inexpensive or used one for such movements.
- To travel up to 5 km, you don't need a super-sophisticated hiker, - Pavel Gorbunov is convinced. - A person who does not do any sports can travel such a distance in about 15 minutes.
The practice of getting to the metro by bicycle can be convenient for all residents of Minsk who live 2-3 km from metro stations - the fastest city transport. The bike + metro combination may be the most successful. This distance can be covered by any person who so far usually travels this distance by car or ground public transport.
Areas where metro stations are accessible by bike within 10 minutes Photo: Pavel Gorbunov
How do they park now?
Many cyclists still use two-wheeled vehicles to get to the metro and leave them in “improvised parking lots”.
- Road signs, railings, fences - anything you like are now used as "parking lots". For example, bicycles are constantly parked near the Borisovskiy Trakt metro station - either students of dormitories or residents of Magistra, a microdistrict located a kilometer from the station, do this, ”notes Pavel Gorbunov. - Imagine how much the number of cycling and public transport trips will increase instead of car trips, if the necessary infrastructure still develops.
Near the metro station "Victory Square". Photo: Svetlana Moroz
Near the Partizanskaya metro station. Photo: Valeria Nikonova
Near the Oktyabrskaya metro station. Photo: Valeria Nikonova
Near the metro station Borisovskiy trakt. Photo: Vasily Zimin
How in the world?
World practice shows: the more bicycle parking lots are located near public transport stops, the more often people use public transport for business trips.
- For example, in Denmark, and in other countries of Western Europe, commuter trains are well developed. And many who work in the city center find it more convenient to get to the nearest station and leave a bicycle near it, and then use electric transport, says Pavel Gorbunov about world practice. - By the way, many cities create paid guarded bicycle garages near railway stations.
Bicycle parking near stops is a common practice in Western Europe. Photo: www.makingspaceforcycling.org
If you are afraid that your bike will be stolen
An expert from the Minsk Cycling Society recommends using U-locks - they cannot be cut with any forceps.
Experts consider such locks to be the most reliable.
Pavel Gorbunov thinks it is not superfluous to insure two-wheeled vehicles: the insurance is not so expensive - the annual fee is only 7-8% of the price of the bike, and in case of theft, the cost of the bike is compensated.
- In general, I advise all cycling enthusiasts: right now, go up and take two photos on your mobile phone - your bike and the number on its frame, - insists Pavel Gorbunov. - I hope it will not come in handy, but otherwise, when contacting the police, you will find them "as you find them."
Source In the morning of your land
The material uses photographs by Pavel Gorbunov, Vasily Zimin, Svetlana Moroz, Valeria Nikonova, www.makingspaceforcycling.org.
The expert work of the staff of the Minsk Cycling Society was supported by the European Union within the framework of the project “Urban Cycling in Belarus”.
