A new, secure indoor bike-parking facility is set to open in Cardiff city centre in early 2022.
Cardiff Council has partnered with social enterprise, The Bike Lock Ltd, to bring forward this exciting project using funding from Welsh Government’s Burns Commission Active Travel grant.
The much-needed facilities are set to open on Windsor Place in early 2022 and will include:
- Secure storage for at least 50 bikes;
- Shower, locker and changing facilities; and,
- A remote workspace and coffee bar.
Plans for the Bike Lock to act as a delivery hub for cargo bike delivery in the city centre are also being considered.
Cardiff Council Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: “We are delighted to work with Bike Lock Ltd to bring this exciting new facility to Cardiff. We understand how important it is for cyclists to know that their bikes can be stored safely and securely in the city and we hope that this is just the beginning of a number of similar ventures which will improve options for cyclists.”
As the first facility of its kind in Wales, the Bike Lock will help the Council and partners gain a better understanding of customer demand and requirements helping the future development of other similar and possibly larger facilities elsewhere in Cardiff.
Tom Overton, Founder/Director of the Bike Lock, said: “We can’t wait to get going. Our research shows there is a real desire for this sort of facility. The Bike Lock will offer ‘pay as you go’ options alongside monthly memberships, and we’ll also be working with city centre employers so they can offer the service to their employees to encourage active travel into the city. It’s a really exciting project which has real potential for growth across the city.”
The Deputy Minister for Climate Change with responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters, said: “To get significant increases in levels of walking and cycling we need to get a range of things right. Having safe places to leave your bike when you go to the shops, to work or to catch the train is an important part of the package of measures that we need.”
By providing a fully secure, cycle-parking facility in the heart of Cardiff city centre, the Bike Lock will help to deliver a key Burns Commission report recommendation relating to the provision of cycle storage at public transport interchanges and within urban centres.
Cycling levels in Cardiff increased noticeably during the Covid 19 pandemic and are estimated to be more than 10% higher than they were in 2019. Surveys for the Bike Life Cardiff 2019 report indicated that around three quarters of Cardiff residents support the construction of segregated cycle lanes. Facilities like the Bike Lock will offer cyclists a secure and safe place to leave their bikes when they travel to work or to visit the city centre and are seen as key elements in encouraging people to cycle into Cardiff.
