Bike hangars: is there enough demand from residents in Guildford?

A quick question for you. Where do you store your bicycle? Some of you may have somewhere safe and secure to do this at home, but I am aware that many - especially those who live in our town centre - just don't have the space.

Of course, we are all being encouraged to get out of our cars and choose greener transport options such as cycling and walking, but the distinct lack of safe convenient parking for cycles does not encourage this shift. It's clear that this needs to be addressed.

Click here to complete our survey on the need for bike storage in Guildford

Blazing the way

Europe has nailed it. There are some great examples including the new one in Holland's Utrecht which opened a modern bicycle parking facility only last month:

Dutch Cycling Embassy - Utrecht's Largest Municipal Bike Parking

Copenhagen and Dublin have other great examples:

European Green Capital (europa.eu)

Closer to home, Lib Dem run Portsmouth City Council introduced a bike hangar pilot in March this year which aims to provide a practical solution for residents who do not have access to secure outside parking for their bikes.

The bike hangars used in the trial are secure, lockable, covered pods which can accommodate between four and six cycles. During their six-month trial, Portsmouth City council installed a variety of hangar types, each specifically chosen for the eight roads participating in the trial, with one hangar installed in each of the roads.

Each hangar takes up between half and one vehicle space on the road. By repurposing a parking space in this way, up to six people are able to travel by bicycle who may not have been able to do so before.

You can read more about this pilot here Bike hangars are a move in the right direction for cycle storage - Portsmouth City Council

So, what's next in Guildford?

In my view, the best solution for cyclists is a complete solution i.e. where cycle parking provision is considered alongside the physical cycle route infrastructure. As part of their Climate Change Strategy Surrey County Council need to be more progressive and forward-thinking with their sustainable movement programme; if they genuinely want us to get out of our cars to walk and cycle more, then providing the right infrastructure is key.

As the County Councillor for Friary & St Nicolas and Onslow wards I will keep pushing Surrey County Council to introduce and invest in these bike hangars and, as one of the Borough Councillors for Friary & St Nicolas, will also work alongside GBC officers and fellow Lib Dem councillors.

How you can help

Key to convincing Surrey County Council's team - who are working on the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) - is showing evidence of local need. This is where you can help.

By completing this quick survey you can help us show that local people want and need secure cycle storage in order to make the positive choice to get out of our cars. I will collate all survey responses and then share the result with Surrey County Council. I will also be sharing it with Guildford Borough Council colleagues so that they can see the enthusiasm for cycling locally and identify ways that we may be able to support this in partnership with Surrey County Council.

Click here to complete the survey now

Please do also share the survey with friends and family in Guildford - the more people who complete it the more evidence we will have to push Surrey County Council to make the right decision on this.

Thank you for your help with this, and if you have any questions on this issue do get in touch at office@guildfordlibdems.org.uk

Angela Goodwin
Surrey County Councillor for Guildford South West

13th December 2021