New buildings in Brno should have parking spaces for bicycles according to new regulations

Brno - New buildings constructed in Brno should include bicycle parking spaces after July 1. This follows the Brno Building Regulations, which were adopted by the city council last week. For example, in residential buildings, there should be at least one parking space for an average apartment of 60 square meters. This was reported by opposition councilor Marek Lahoda (Pirates), who is the chairman of the council's committee for public space, transport safety, and active mobility.

The regulations were prepared by the Office of the Architect of the City of Brno. The proposal to supplement the mandatory number of bicycle parking spaces according to floor area and type of building originated from the city’s transport department and from comments by the Brno on Bike association, which Lahoda also contributed to. "A typical supermarket with a sales area of 2500 square meters should have at least three covered parking spaces for employees and seven outdoor spaces for customers. A school with an area of 6000 square meters for a maximum of 1000 students should have at least 100 bicycle spaces, of which 90 should be covered," Lahoda provided more examples.

The measure aims to promote cycling in Brno. Lahoda believes that the availability of parking spaces will contribute to people using bicycles for their regular everyday transport around the city. However, much work remains to be done on building bike paths, which are essential for the safe and comfortable movement of cyclists in the city, he said.

According to him, the minimum parking requirements for bicycles are pioneering in the Czech Republic. "The minimums will also be introduced by the European directive approved in May. It is to be implemented into the national legislation of member states within two years, so it will take some time before it is processed at the national level," he added.

The issuance of the regulations is enabled by the new building law. For all builders, designers, and authorities involved in the permitting process, these will apply from July 1, in accordance with the new building law. The city's leadership hopes that the document will ensure quality construction and a cultivated public space. One change is also a reduction in the standard for the number of parking spaces for cars. For example, in the tight city center, no parking space may need to be created, which is related to the city’s efforts to eliminate cars there.