Plans have been submitted for a 2,850 bike Cycle Point facility to be built at Cambridge railway station. The application includes multi-storey cycle parking, maintenance, bike hire and sales.
The aim of the proposal, made by property development company Brookgate in collaboration with the Department for Transport, is to avoid the current situation – a sea of bikes outside the station parked wherever space can be found.
Network Rail are looking to contribute £500,000 to the parking facilities, and apparently bike parking would be free, with a 'premium option' available to those willing to pay.
The scheme was given a guarded welcome by the Cambridge Cycling Campaign but they also criticised the plans for showing a ban on bikes being ridden inside the facility, and the stairs and ramp access arrangements. 'Ride in, ride out', secure, indoor cycle parking is relatively common in several European places such as Basel, Switzerland (above right).
The £2.5m development would be part of the general station redevelopment plans, which are known as CB1 and would include a six-storey, 230-bedroom hotel. You can watch a video of the proposal here.
If the plans are approved, construction should begin in October 2013, with the multi-storey cycle park opening in December of this year.