New UK cycle parking standard published

The Bicycle Association and Cycle Rail Working Group have published a new UK quality and security standard for public cycle parking

The Bicycle Association (BA) and Cycle Rail Working Group (CRWG) are pleased to confirm the publication of a new open standard for public cycle parking, as announced by Chris Heaton-Harris MP, the Minister of State for Transport, at the Cycle Rail Showcase earlier this month.

The new standard is available for download free of charge at the BA website:

Visit the Cycle Parking Standard page to download

This standard provides an authoritative reference for people purchasing, installing and managing public cycle parking in the UK to ensure that the installations which they procure are:

• Easy to use, including consideration of disabled people and inclusion more generally
• Safe for users and for their cycles
• Secure
• Long lasting, and
• Fully in compliance with UK legal requirements.

Among the key requirements in the standard which help achieve these objectives are:

• Public cycle parking equipment must either be of proven design (e.g. Sheffield stands) or meet clear criteria.
• Spacing and layout criteria must be met, as must requirements around access, lighting and location
• All public cycle parking installations are required to include spaces for non-standard cycles (such as adapted cycles used by disabled people, or cargo bikes)
• Security of the hardware must be proven to nationally-recognised Secure by Design standards

The BA and CRWG recommend that this standard be adopted immediately for procurement of UK public cycle parking facilities. “Public cycle parking” refers to cycle parking used by the general public, at facilities operated by either the private or public sector.

The standard is written to be widely applicable, and although the current version also includes sector-specific requirements for railway stations, this is not intended to limit its scope. Further sector-specific requirements (for e.g. hospitals or schools) may be added in future editions, subject to interest and funding.

Background

Cycle theft remains a significant brake on cycling growth: a significant number of people give up cycling altogether if their bike is stolen. Others may be put off cycling a particular journey if they are not confident of secure parking.

Even where cycle parking is provided, there can be issues with quality. Too often what is procured is not well designed, inclusive, durable, or correctly installed, making it ineffective both for the purchaser and for users.

These are the main issues which the new standard addresses.

The BA, as the cycle industry trade association, initiated this cycle parking standard project as part of its efforts on behalf of the industry to address cycle theft.

With the participation of stakeholders including DfT, TfL and others, funding was secured via the DfT-funded Cycle Rail Working Group, which is administered by Sustrans, who co-managed this project with the BA.

Following a tendering process the standard was drafted and developed by consultancy PJA, led by Adrian Lord, who also led the development of LTN 1/20, the DfT’s publication for local authorities which sets out design and quality standards for cycle infrastructure.

The completed standard is now available on the BA website for free-of-charge access by any interested party.

About the Cycle Rail Working Group

The CRWG brings together representatives from the Active Travel Alliance, Bicycle Association, British Transport Police, Department for Transport, Network Rail, Transport for London, National Rail train operators and Urban Transport Group. Its aim is to improve access to the rail network for people using bicycles. The Cycle Rail Working Group is supported by Sustrans, who provide secretarial and logistical support. They are funded in this work by the Department for Transport. The CRWG is chaired by Phillip Darnton of the Bicycle Association.

The CRWG organises regular events to recognise excellence in cycle rail provision, most recently a Showcase event on the 9^th June 2021. See https://www.cyclerail.co.uk/ for further details.