Utrecht, the Netherlands’ #4 city by population is now the world’s #1 for huge bicycle parking facilities with the opening of an extension to the bike garage at its Central Station. The underground garage can now hold 12,656 bikes.
The previous champion, Tokyo, is far behind with 9,400 spaces. The Utrecht garage has electronic guide signs to the nearest available space and special facilities for cargo and other bikes that don’t fit regular racks. Because it is under the station, it is almost possible to bicycle to the platform area.
The Netherlands’ coalition government has agreed in recent years to €175 million in bicycle road and parking improvements, enabling more and more people to commute at least partway by bicycle.
Amsterdam’s Centraal Station, which has a four-story above-ground facility (above) as well as a cluster of old barges behind the station that are used as parking, still has a bike parking shortage, but that’s schedule to be relieved by new underground facilities as the station itself is upgraded.
