Bicycles and Parking Management in Vitoria Gasteiz
Image from Vitoria Gasteiz
In the European Green Capital of Vitoria Gasteiz, ‘parking management’ has become one of the steering instruments of its Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP).
In recent years, an incredible 2000 on-street parking places have been removed in order to make space for a new tram line. With a city design that accommodates both super blocks and a historical city centre, the restriction of parking has become top priority.
Active transportation modes, specifically walking and cycling, are also encouraged. In the last decade, the cycling share has tripled from 3% to 10%! The installation of bicycle parking facilities – an initiative advocated for by locals – has made cycling an even more accessible and attractive option. An impressive 12,000 on-street cycling racks have been installed.
In 2018, the city introduced a new type of parking facility - ‘bike igloos’. Designed to securely protect bicycles from the elements, the bike igloos are installed in areas connected to the cycling network, but lacking in bicycle parking. The igloos are camera surveyed and accessible by smartphone. Intended to be accessible for all, a monthly subscription is 3 or 6 euros. The number of igloo users has quadrupled since their introduction, amounting to approximately 2800 users!
The CIVITAS project, Park4SUMP, is now undergoing a feasibility study to expand the bicycle parking network and develop cooperative links with private sector stakeholders.
For further information, contact: Isabel Garnika Ortiz - igarnika [at] vitoria-gasteiz [dot] org
To learn more about the Park4SUMP project, contact: Patrick Auwerx - patrick [dot] auwerx [at] mobiel21 [dot] be
