13,175 people on waiting list for secure bicycle parking in Brussels

Brussels has 13,175 people on the waiting list to park their bikes in a secure bike park or box, 701 more than in February of this year, reports the Brussels news site BRUZZ. Parking.brussels has installed new bike boxes here and there over the past months, but the demand for bike parking continues to grow.

In the Brussels Region, 72 new bike boxes have been installed since February of this year, including 12 in Laeken, an average of plus-minus ten per month. This provided 282 additional spaces. Eight new neighborhood parking and public-private partnerships added 212 and 158 spaces, respectively.

More demand than supply

Yet this does not seem enough because the demand for new and specially secured bicycle parking spaces in the Brussels Region appears to exceed the supply: more than 13,000 people are currently on the waiting list.

Many Brussels families cannot park their bicycle(s) at home, and cycling is becoming increasingly popular in Brussels. This is also because work is being done to promote more sustainable mobility by constructing, for example, secured bicycle lanes. Hence, the rising demand.

A bike rack on the street is a good solution for short-term parking, but due to the lack of real (free) security, it is not a suitable solution for long-term parking, especially at night. Moreover, bicycle theft is a critical factor for the bicycle use of the inhabitants of Brussels because, according to Pro Velo, 15% of cyclists stop cycling after a theft.

‘Share your garage with your neighbor’

The 2022-2026 management contract between the Brussels government and parking.brussels states the ambition to create 21,250 new secure bicycle parking spaces during that period. Of these, 10,000 spaces, including bike boxes or shared parking, would be set up on behalf of parking.brussels, as part of the Brussels Master Plan for bicycle parking places.

The railroad company NMBS/SNCB and the Brussels public transport company MIVB/STIB, with the support of parking.brussels, will also commission 7,000 and 4,250 spaces.

According to BRUZZ, however, the regional parking service is also developing sustainable subprojects, such as the ‘Share your garage with your neighbor’ initiative. Anyone who wants can make an unused, closed space available to their cycling neighbors for a fee.

There are currently 5,542 bicycle parking spaces for 6,897 subscribers in the Brussels Region. Most use bike boxes and neighborhood parking lots, while others leave their bikes in large underground car parks and Park & Rides.

The goal of parking.brussels is to increase the supply of secure parking spaces by 30% annually. The catch-up is already massive, as the Brussels Region had only 320 bicycle parking spaces in 2014.