In 2018, FTIA conducted a survey on the current state and development areas of bicycle parking at class 1 long-distance railway stations. On the basis of the survey results, FTIA improves bicycle parking at 14 stations jointly with municipalities during 2019. For example, the front wheel racks at Salo Railway Station will be replaced with stands that enable locking through the frame. Other stations whose bicycle parking will be improved include, for example, Riihimäki, Lappeenranta and Tampere.
One of the FTIA survey’s particular aims was to provide citizens with a means to express their wishes concerning the development of bicycle parking at railway stations. In addition, FTIA engages in close collaboration with Finnish Cyclists’ Federation to develop as functional and secure bicycle parking solutions as possible.
“Currently, the most remarkable problems of bicycle parking relate to the poor quality of bicycle parking facilities and the limited number of locking stands. Furthermore, some stands have been located irrationally. On the other hand, there are also stations where locking stands have been placed in a smart fashion, for example the stations of Riihimäki and Lappeenranta. I believe that at the moment, Tikkurila Station has the best bicycle parking facilities in Finland,” says Matti Koistinen, Executive Director at Finnish Cyclists’ Federation.
Tikkurila Station has a bicycle parking hall whose users identify themselves using the HSL travel card. The parking hall is a good example of secure, weather-protected bicycle parking, and the objective is to equip other stations with corresponding solutions. Bicycle parking halls are common in foreign cities with bustling bicycle traffic, for example, in Copenhagen and Utrecht.
At the moment, the state of bicycle parking at Finnish railway stations is regrettably poor, but improvements are underway. By developing bicycle parking, FTIA wishes to encourage Finns to favour environmentally friendly modes of transport as well as to increase the sense of security associated with bicycle parking.