Bike parking matters

Most attention in biking research is on infrastructure for travel routes and increasingly on bike shares, but as a cycle commuter I can tell you that available bike parking makes a big difference on where I’m willing to bike. The security and protection from the elements, as well as walking distance to my destination (because walking in bike shoes is not great) all make a difference to my biking choices. Unfortunately, that means that biking to places like grocery stores and shopping centres is less likely because the bike parking is poor. At work, I have a few choices but the most secure options are further from the gym where I can store my cycling clothes. As a result, I end up parking in a covered space where I can leave two hefty locks on site. So, how do my preferences match research findings?

Kohlrautz and Kuhnimhof (2025) found that facility types, cycling detours, walking distances, and pricing all matter to cyclists, but there is a fair amount of variation in individual preferences. Like me, weather protection and security were the two most common factors and both increased as the value of the bike increased. Walking distance also has a significant impact. In this study they found that an increase of as little as 100 m could reduce the appeal of a facility by 80%. That facility may still be the best facility but walking distance matters.

A factor that the researchers found that I hadn’t listed initially was cycling detours. I thought this was interesting because when I think about it, I’ve done all sorts of detours on my bike. Construction and weather will make me do different detours and they don’t really phase me, unless it’s unexpected and I’m running late. This matched the research findings. Walking distance had a much bigger impact than cycling detours.

The last factor is price. This research found that the willingness to pay was closely associated with the cost of the bike which makes sense. But the other factor was people were more willing to pay for bike parking at train stations than on a university campus.

This mix of factors has different relevance for people depending on individual characteristics such as income. I think it shows that there need to be options for people to choose from but clearly factors like walking distance matter.

If you bike, what factors are most important for you in where you park?