Cyclists in Hradec Králové will have a bike parking garage

Hradec Králové - Cyclists in Hradec Králové should have access to a bike parking house from the end of September, the first in the Czech Republic. A steel octagonal structure for bike storage is currently being constructed at Rieger Square, near the main train station of Czech Railways and public transportation stops, said City Hall spokeswoman Magdaléna Vlčková today.
      The parking house will have the capacity to store 116 bikes and will be secured by a chip system. An elevator will automatically take the bicycle to a free spot. The bike will be protected from inclement weather and theft. Cyclists will not have to remove any equipment from their bikes, such as bags, and will be able to leave their helmets on them.
      The investor of the parking house is Hradec businessman Rudolf Bernart. He came up with the idea of bike garages during a business trip to Taiwan, where he encountered a bike parking tower. The Hradec tower is also being built by Taiwanese experts. The city provided only a portion of the land for the construction; the rest of the lot is private.
      The city originally considered that the first bike parking house could be built near the shopping center on Brněnská Street. Eventually, Rieger Square was prioritized. "The square is a busy destination and a transfer hub for many people commuting to work and school. It is already difficult to find a free spot for a bike in this area in the morning," Vlčková said. She did not rule out the possibility that after the pilot project at Rieger Square, a similar facility could be built in Brněnská.
      According to Bernart, the parking house could attract cyclists who had previously avoided coming to Hradec out of fear of losing their bikes. "It should also be supported by the fact that expensive bikes can be parked here, which will be insured," Bernart stated. The fee for bike storage is expected to be around five crowns.
      The hundred thousand residents of Hradec Králové rank among the top in the Czech Republic in daily cycling commuting according to mobility surveys. This is also aided by the fact that the city is located in a flat area. There are several dozen kilometers of cycling paths throughout the city.