Case Study Land Transport NZ
Land Transport NZ invests in secure cycle parking
Land Transport NZ is New Zealand's governing road safety body.
Their head office is located in the NZ Post building near Wellington's waterfront. The building also houses NZ Post, IRD, BNZ and Datacom. Many employees of these companies commute to work by bicycle, and park in a large basement garage.
High demand for scarce parking space
Until September 2002, bicycles were parked against a concrete wall and locked to vertical metal posts (see picture right), which support building service pipes. There was space along the wall for about 25 bicycles.
When spring arrives the demand for bicycle parking increases as cyclists come out of hibernation. Sometimes it was a case of the early bird (or cyclist) got the last available parking place.
NZ Post installed a bike stand to increase the capacity, but this did not satisfy demand. Space for bicycle parking is limited since most of the floor space is allocated to car parking.
Space saving solution proves popular
To solve the problem, Land Transport NZ designed and financed the installation of an improved bicycle parking system on a trial basis. This co
nsisted of a 50-mm diameter galvanised pipe bolted horizontally to the metal poles that hold the building's service pipes.
The new pipe had 12 plastic-covered metal hooks mounted along its length. Bicycles were hung vertically on the hooks by their front wheels. The hooks can slide along the horizontal pipe to accommodate the wider handlebars of mountain bikes as well as the narrower ones of road bicycles, and thus allow flexibility in spacing on the rack.
Picture top: The old scenario - bikes secured to metal posts.
Picture bottom: The new solution - close-up view of bicycles hung on plastic coated metal hooks. Bicycles are locked to the horizontal plastic coated stainless steel cable about halfway up.
Bicycle parking space is on a first-come first-served basis and can be used by anyone who works in the building.
The trial arrangement proved popular with cyclists, so Land Transport NZ extended the new bicycle rack the full length of the wall (26 metres). The completed rack can accommodate 40 bicycles.
The advantages of the new bicycle rack are that commuters' bicycles can be parked at no charge in a secure area, under cover, in a compact, efficient arrangement, which minimises the risk of damaging paint and equipment.
Emphasis on security
Security is two-fold. Entry to the basement garage is controlled by the employee's swipe card either from outside the garage entrance or internally from other parts of the building. There is also a 10-mm diameter plastic-covered stainless steel cable bolted to the vertical supports, to which cyclists can lock their bikes.
When cyclists leave the basement they ride over a marked detector wire loop embedded in the floor (just like at traffic lights) and this opens the roller door leading to the outside world.
Complementary facilities
In addition to constructing the new bicycle rack, Land Transport NZ also provides showers, changing rooms and lockers for employees. Other floors in the building are similarly equipped with toilets and showers.
As a road safety organisation, Land Transport NZ encourages its employees to be conspicuous when cycling in commuter traffic, and gives high-visibility orange vests to its staff who cycle. Land Transport NZ also supports staff taking part in events such as the Round Lake Taupo ride.
The cost of the new bicycle rack was $3000, including materials and installation costs. The new rack is possibly the largest secure, covered bicycle rack in Wellington, and Land Transport NZ have fielded inquiries from other organisations about constructing similar bicycle racks where existing space is limited.
Updated | 18 May 2007.
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