We associate underground parking lots with urban molochs located in close proximity to shopping centers and traffic hotspots. A few years ago, this expensive solution was recommended as a panacea for all urban problems. However, no one thought of it in the context of bicycles.
Varsovians can now use Poland's first automatic underground bicycle parking facility, located in Warsaw's Norblin Factory, which we wrote about on the portal(see here).
It is with great pleasure that we make available to the residents of the capital the first extraordinary bicycle parking in Poland. Warsaw has the longest network of paths in Poland with more than seven hundred kilometers, and this number continues to grow every year. Following the example of our western neighbors, Poles are beginning to make an increasingly clear turn towards more environmentally friendly means of transportation. We, for years, have been promoting sustainable transportation in our investments and meeting the needs of urban cyclists, " informs Kinga Nowakowska, board member and operations director at Capital Park Group.
Poland's first underground bicycle parking is located at the Norblin Factory
© Norblin Factory
simple system
The realization was entrusted to the Spanish company MA-SISTEMAS, which was responsible for creating similar projects around the world. How does the underground bicycle parking work? In the simplest possible way. After turning on the system at the docking station, you have to wait for the cabin to open. You can place your bike inside, along with your helmet, basket or small luggage. After placing our equipment inside, the cabin closes and descends into the automated underground parking. How long does the whole process take? Less than fifteen seconds. The parking lot is able to accommodate ninety-six bicycles with equipment.
instructional video on how to use the underground parking facility
© Norblin Factory
space that is missing
The underground parking lot was located between the historic buildings of the Foundry Hall and the former Metal Science Laboratory. In the immediate vicinity, there will be an opportunity to repair aunicycle at a self-servicebicycle repair station. The hourly parking fee is one zloty, and you can pay directly on the Norblin Factory app. It is worth noting that this is not the only place where you can leave your bicycle on the complex - bicycle parking lots have been created for both employees and visitors.
parking service panel
© Norblin Factory
shooting flies from a cannon
It's hard not to appreciate the pioneering nature of underground bicycle parking. It's a solution that seems very practical in the context of difficult spaces, where every square meter is at a premium as in the case of the Norblin Factory. It is worth watching the interest and possibility of using such a solution at complexes used by hundreds, if not thousands of people.
However, underground bicycle parking facilities should not become, as underground parking for cars did a few years ago, a panacea for all urban problems. Let's not forget how little space bicycles need compared to the space taken up by cars. At least six bicycles can fit in the place of one SUV! Developing infrastructure suitable for unicycles does not require a great deal of money relative to other means of transportation, so it should be developed on the basis of pragmatic, simple solutions.
Small luggage will also fit into the cabin
© Norblin Factory
