Thursday, January 31, 2013

Bike Corrals - Factors to Keep in Mind While Designing




There are number of practices that have been adopted so far when it comes to constructing bike-parking areas. In fact, one of the major concerns for employers is the arrangement of parking space for bikes that are covered by the cycle to work scheme. A few pointers should be kept in mind while planning for the bike parking space. These include:

Visibility:

A cycle parking area should be easy to locate. It is not a good idea to hide the parking area from open view. Positioning the cycle parking area in a corner of the underground car parking space can lead to the staff remaining unaware of its presence. Instead of publicizing its location, it is better that the same is moved to an open location.

Accessibility:

The area for Bike Corrals should be preferably located at a distance of 20m-30m from the office. Making space for it close to the entrance would definitely have a positive impact on the employees and more and more of them would be encouraged to take up the scheme.

Ensuring Complete Safety and Security:

The parking area should be completely secured. Railings should be installed on one end and the bike wheels and frame should be firmly locked with it. The staff using the parking space should feel that their property is completely safe against any kind of security threats. Installation of a CCTV and additional lighting equipment will serve the purpose.

Easy Maintenance and Management

The stands should be strong enough to provide support for all kinds of bikes and be easy to use. A difficult arrangement may dissuade people from opting for the cycle scheme. The cycle stands should have a robust finish so that there are minimum chances of the bike sustaining damage. If possible, employees should be assigned a cycle locker each. It is necessary to monitor the stands regularly so that arrangements can be made in case the space is exhausted or for the removal of bikes that have been abandoned.

Designing a Covered Parking Space:

Instead of arranging for bike parking corrals in the open, it is advisable to develop a covered parking space. You need to ensure that the bikes are protected against all the external elements.

Attractive Parking Equipments

Using attractive parking equipments would definitely add to the appearance of the parking space. It should be of an appropriate size and the color scheme should complement the surroundings.

Proper Entrance to the Parking Area

Cycle parking should be done in accordance with off-road and on-road cycle network. Difficult road conditions should not end up causing barriers to smooth parking. On the contrary, you should make sure that the entrance to the parking area is well planned for the benefit of the cyclists.

It is necessary to ensure that the arrangement for cycle parking does not get in the way of any other activity. If the parking area is appropriately located, there are minimum chances of this getting in the way of any other activity. Therefore, it is necessary that it is located in full view. At the same time, it should not emerge as an obstruction.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much for posting this important information. This is great.
    secure bike shelters

    ReplyDelete