For all of Copenhagen's badassness as a bicycle city, there remains one thing that the City still completely sucks at. Bicycle parking at train stations. At Copenhagen Central Station there are only about 1000 bike parking spots. Danish State Railways can't even tell us how many spots they have. They're not sure.
Even in Basel they have 800+. In Antwerp they have this. Don't even get me started on the Dutch. 12,500 bike parking spots are on the way in some place called Utrecht. Amsterdam has a multi-story bike parking facility, floating bicycle barges round the back and are planning 7000 more spots underwater.
Even at the nation's busiest train station, Nørreport, the recent and fancy redesign failed miserably in providing parking that is adequate for the demand. Architects once again failing to respond to actual urban needs.
It is time to remedy that. Here is my design for 7550 bike parking spots behind Copenhagen Central Station. Steve C. Montebello is the architect that I worked closely with.
By exploiting the area over the train tracks and using Tietgens Bridge as the transport spine, we have created an iconic bicycle parking facility with ample parking spots at this important transport hub where trains, buses and - in 2019 - the Metro converge in an inter-modal transport orgy.
In our work on the EU project BiTiBi.eu - Bike Train Bike - we have been focused on parking solutions at train stations. It was a natural evolution to use that experience in developing this project.
The structure is supported by columns and utilises the existing platforms below, which dictated the shape that we decided upon.
There are:
- 6880 bike parking spots in double-decker racks. This can be expanded with 1360 more if necessary.
- 30 dedicated cargo bike parking spots featuring.
- 640 secure, indoor bike parking spots in the green roofed building at left (above).
- A bike shop for repairs and maintenence.
- Ticket machines and displays for departures and arrivals of trains and buses.
- At the end of the long point, the belvedere will be the world's premiere, dedicated lookout spot design for trainspotters.
Here is the view of the area as it is today.
There are four on/off ramps from Tietgens Bridge for ease-of-access.
A secure bicycle parking facility will house 640 bikes.
We used 3D models of bike racks courtesy of our colleagues at the Dutch company Falco. They know a thing or two about bike racks.
There will be a space for a bike shop for repairs and maintenence located at the entrance, next to ticket machines and displays featuring departures and arrivals for trains and buses.
The parking with have signs with areas divided up alphabetically, so you can find your bike again.
There is access to the three platforms below by stairs that will, of course, have bike ramps. Duh.
This facility will right so many wrongs and will thrust Copenhagen into the 21st century regarding bicycle parking at train stations. If we are to maintain the momentum of a blossoming bicycle-friendly city, we need to up our game regarding parking.