Amsterdam Unveils Two Giant Bike Parking Lots

The capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, known for its cycling culture, is going all out with two parking facilities housing 11,000 bike spaces!

Next January 26th, cycling enthusiasts will benefit from a very practical solution for their daily life in Amsterdam. We know the passion the Netherlands has for bicycles. It’s not just Vanmoof that has managed to establish itself in cities against cars since the 1970s, but also in sports (notably with the current Mathieu van der Poel, double winner of the Tour of Flanders). But let’s return to city cycling.

Underwater, the bicycle

In the capital, the two-wheeler receives honors at the beginning of 2023, with a gigantic infrastructure. It’s not just one but two new bike parks that the city has built in its heart: Stationsplein and IJboulevard. They complement the bike parking at Amsterdam Central Station on the south and north sides, making a total of four bike parking facilities.

The event is so grand that a celebration is organized this Saturday, January 28th, from noon to 4 p.m., to mark the opening of the first of the two. For us French, this is quite a feat: 7,000 spaces for the first parking and 4,000 for the second, opening on February 14th, totaling 11,000 bike spaces! This far exceeds the existing two parks, which only accommodated 2,850 spots.

The Stationsplein parking is also remarkable for its construction and location. It took 4 years to see the light of day, finally the lights, as it is underground beneath the Open Havenfront canal, which needed partial emptying before covering the building. The structure is not isolated, as it is directly connected to Amsterdam Central Station and the nearby metro station. It is even free for the first 24 hours, then costs €1.35 per day.

Access is straightforward via inclined conveyor belts, a turnstile where you need to scan your bank card or specific badge (free upon request). Navigating inside is also easy, with numbered racks or floors and pillars for orientation.

Why such bike parking facilities?

The municipality explains that this major investment is not primarily for bicycles, but for pedestrians. Almost everyone has a bicycle to get around downtown, and existing parking spaces were saturating public space. These two bike parks are designed to ease congestion on streets and sidewalks, where bike racks are gradually disappearing.

Amsterdam isn’t stopping there and aims to reclaim the atmosphere of its streets from… 1900. The city promises new bike parking facilities of this kind to give even more space to pedestrians. France and its major cities should draw inspiration from this…

Read also: In Lyon, great success for free bike-sharing