Secure bike storage will be installed on dozens of city streets

May 18, 2023 6:10 pm

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Secure bike storage is to be installed on dozens of streets across Edinburgh, more than doubling the number of hangars currently available.

The council has been inundated with requests for the scheme to be brought to more locations with more than 1,500 people on the waiting list for spaces.

Calls to reduce the monthly £6 cost of accessing the units have suggested raising parking permit charges to subsidise those on lower incomes – a move criticised by one councillor as “pitting drivers against cyclists”.

The initial phase of the secure on-street cycle parking project has been underway since 2019 with 108 hangars out of 180 – totalling 1,080 spaces – installed so far.

The council’s Transport and Environment Committee voted on Thursday to proceed to phase two, which will mean that a further 200 units – providing 1,200 spaces – will be installed.

Expansion of the scheme, which is outsourced by the council to specialist company Cyclehoop, has been made possible by an £806,600 grant from Sustrans.

The 101 new locations getting cycle parking are listed below and were chosen based on the volume of requests from residents in different parts of the city – and the council said areas with higher levels of deprivation will be given priority in future phases.

The cost of using the secure hangars is £97 per year, which includes a £25 deposit. Some councillors have been quick to point out this is more expensive than a few 12 month parking permits in Edinburgh, which can cost as little as £34.70.

A report, which the committee considered on Thursday stated: “While a comparison with parking charges is understandable and legitimate, it is worth noting that the cycle hangers require much more intensive management.”

One option for reducing the charges for people on lower incomes would be introducing “slightly higher charges outwith areas of deprivation,” the report added.

Cllr Scott Arthur, Convener of the Transport and Environment Committee, said: “I do think it is right that we look at reducing the cost of the bike hangars, particularly for people on low incomes.

“I’m in two minds about the comparison between bike spaces and parking spaces in terms of cost, because to a certain extent we’re comparing apples and oranges in terms of the service that’s provided – but then I can’t resist myself making the comparison as well.”

The Greens’ Cllr Jule Bandel said: “As a principle bike parking should be cheaper than parking a car, they take up much less public space than a car, they don’t cause any congestion or air pollution.”

She said as the contract with Cyclehoop is due to come to an end at the beginning of 2024 now was the “perfect time to explore alternative options” including the council running the service itself, a move which the Labour administration and SNP group said they would be open to looking into.

Cllr Bandel added: “If for whatever reason in-sourcing isn’t advisable and we need to find money to fund a subsidy, our view is that we should be funding it by raising parking charges, especially on the most polluting vehicles.”

Cllr Christopher Cowdy, Conservatives, said this would be “pitting drivers against cyclists” – which he added would be divisive and should be avoided.

A future meeting of the committee will be updated on how the scheme could be made more affordable for lower earners and what the cost of subsidy to ensure bike parking is cheaper than car parking would be.

The locations where hangars will be installed during phase two, broken down by council ward, are:

Forth

West Ferryfield, Granton Place, Crewe Road North, Annfield

Inverleith

Henderson Row, Buckingham Terrace, Comely Bank Road, Learmonth Grove, Comely Bank Grove, St Stephen Street, Clovenstone Gardens

Sighthill/Gorgie

Stewart Terrace, Downfield Street, MacLeod Street, Caledonian Crescent, Smithfield Street, Orwell Place, Murieston Crescent, Newton Street, Robertson Avenue, Duff Street, Springwell Place, Cathcart Place; Murieston Terrace, Orwell Terrace, Wheatfield Place, Westfield Road, Dumbryden Gardens

Fountainbridge/Craiglockart

Ashley Terrace, West Bryson Road, Bryson Road, Tay Street, Murdoch Terrace, Spey Street

Morningside

Forbes Road, Warrender Park Road, Bruntsfield Terrace, Belhaven Terrace, Temple Park Crescent, Fowler Terrace

City Centre

Douglas Crescent, Barony Street, Gillespie Crescent, Eglinton Crescent, Summer Bank, Scotland Street, Glencairn Crescent, East London Street, Dryden Street

Leith Walk

Brunswick Street, Albion Road, Brunton Place, Murano Place, Bothwell Street, Wellington Street, West Montgomery Place, Bellevue Road, Pilrig Street, South Fort Street, Balfour Street, Sloan Street, Bonnington Road, Dalmeny Street, Easter Road, Iona Street, Springfield, Thorntree Street, Connaught Place, Springfield Lane, Gosford Place, South Sloan Street, Halmyre Street, Stead’s Place

Leith

Yardheads, North Leith Mill, Couper Street, Kirk Street, Couperfield Street, Pirrie Street, Crown Street, Sandport Street, Bangor Road, Burgess Street, Wellington Place, Constitution Street, Sandport Street, Lindsay Road, Water Street, Gladstone Place, John’s Place, Mitchell Street, St Andrew Place, Taylor Gardens

Craigentinny/Duddingston

Sleigh Drive, Piershill Place, Tytler Gardens, Duddingston Mills

Southside/Newington

Mentone Terrace; Dalkeith Road; Grange Loan

Portobello/Craigmillar

Mount Lodge Place

by Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.