Bicycle parking test Raamplein

  • Soort:Onderzoeksrapporten
  • Author:Annemiek Buwalda – Ecorys
  • Uitgever:Gemeente Amsterdam - Stadsdeel Centrum
  • Datum:23-02-2010
The test with 19 different types of bicycle stands on Raamplein in Amsterdam was concluded on December 31, 2009. For six months local district authorities encouraged anyone who was interested to test these bicycle stands regarding design, ease of use and use of inner-city space. Votes could be cast by means of the website. For a majority of the 256 voters the ‘staple’ turns out to be favourite.

  • The Amsterdam district Centrum started a test with various types of bicycle stands in June of 2009. Until December 31 2009 people could report their reactions to the 19 bicycle stands located on Raamplein by e-mail. In addition counts have been conducted and cyclists have been interviewed. The preference for the ‘staple’ (model number 19) was evident among the 256 cyclists who took the trouble to react by e-mail. There was no clear favourite among the cyclists interviewed at the site. The e-mailers feel the staple to be timeless, but do recognise the danger that the staple may cause a chaotic street scene by allowing bicycles to be placed in between the stands. The Dome, a more elegant but slightly less stable type of staple, came second. The Heklucht stand, another type of staple with a built-in bicycle pump, came out third, but with the drawback that the pump is sensitive to vandalism. The fourth choice was the Connect model, a triangle on a bollard, whose narrow design does not accommodate all types of bicycles, according to the users. The interviews with cyclists revealed that users particularly value the possibilities to anchor the bicycle (35%), as well as the facts that the bicycle cannot fall over (17%) and that there is little risk of damage (5%). Spatial requirements or surprising design are not major concerns of the users of bicycle stands. They are mainly governed by ease of use. In actual practice, too, it is clear that users are less critical about a stand’s properties and make a decision about parking a bicycle on the basis of available room as well as the possibility of parking close to the destination. The interviews on Raamplein do not reveal a preference for any particular type of stand. The preference for the staple supports the decision made in 2000 by the district to use this as the norm, the district asserts. The drawback of the staple, however, is that it may take up relatively much room when parking pressures are high; bicycles fan out. On the basis of the study’s results and their own experiences with the stands district authorities will continue discussions with the manufacturers of the Dome and Connect, on the assumption that these narrower stands will have less of a fan effect and may be used where space is limited and/or parking pressures high. Further tests with the Heklucht are also envisioned.

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