Bicycle parking Stationsplein Utrecht: largest in the world

Yes, as far as we know, Utrecht's bicycle parking facility 'Stationsplein' is the largest bike parking facility in the world.

The bicycle parking facility 'Stationsplein Utrecht’ was a collaboration between the Municipality of Utrecht, ProRail and NS (Dutch Railways) and it's the third parking facility that will be brought into use as part of the bicycle parking pilot in Utrecht (the first was the 'Jaarbeurspleinstalling', the second was the 'Knoopstalling'). The Municipality of Utrecht is the client for the construction of the parking facility on behalf of the parties and the owner of the largest part of the parking facility. NS owns the former 'Noorderstalling', which is now part of the bicycle parking facility 'Stationsplein Utrecht'. The Municipality, NS and ProRail have clear agreements about who manages and maintains what. NS is responsible for the operation of the parking facility. 50% of this funding is for ProRail and 50% for the municipality.

All the parties (The Municipality of Utrecht, ProRail, NS  the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management) have invested in this parking facility (both in terms of resources and in staff deployment).
Excluding phasing, interfaces and the installation of the bicycle space indication system, the 'Stationspleinstalling' cost more than €30 million. ProRail paid 60% of this, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management paid 20% (through the 'Beter Benutten' programme) and the Municipality of Utrecht paid 20%. In total, these parties contributed more than €50 million to parking facilities in the Station area.

Due to its size, its multiple floors, its public cycle path and the fact that you can cycle in the facility, we could not predict how the facility would work in advance. We therefore investigated how signage and safety could be improved even in the initial phase. After opening the second phase, we will continue with that. In the first year, we will monitor how everything works and how it can be improved. The aim is to learn by doing and to make the parking facility more functional.

In the first part, more than 2,700 were available on the 1st floor and 1,800 were available on the ground floor (for people with subscriptions only – including 40 spaces for cargo bikes). In the basement there were more than 3,300 spaces (272 of which were for irregular model bikes in the former 'Noorderstalling').
In the second part, more than 1,500 have been added per floor.

Smakkelaarshoek 2, Utrecht.

There are two entrances and exits: towards 'Smakkelaarsveld' and towards 'Moreelsepark'.

There are approximately 1,000 public transport bicycles on floor -1 (the basement - the old 'Noorderstalling').

The Municipality of Utrecht, ProRail and NS wanted to ensure an easy-to-get-to and easily accessible station with attractive, safe and better utilised bicycle parking facilities.
The combination of bicycle and train services contributes to sustainable mobility and the city's accessibility. Utrecht has the three busiest cycle paths in the Netherlands and it's the largest public transportation hub in the country.

The 'Stationspleinstalling' was built in an effort to create 22,000 bicycle parking spaces in the Station area by 2020. There will be 12,500 in this facility. In addition to the other, covered bicycle parking facilities, demand has been met for this area. In the longer run, expansion will be needed for 2025. That is being worked on now.

Work is still being done on 'Hoog Catharijne' on both sides. The construction of 'Hoog Catharijne', the cycle path and the pavements will be ready by mid-2020 on the 'Smakkelaarsveld' side. This will be finished in 2021 on the 'Moreelsepark' side. We will install the cycle path on both sides at the final location as soon as there is sufficient space.

A pedestrian crossing on a cycle path does not offer much protection to the crossing pedestrians. Experience has shown that many cyclists ignore this type of street marking. In its completed version, the cycle path will feature a central lane of paving stones instead of red asphalt. The pedestrians can cross to the other side in two phases.
With the opening of the 2nd part, there will also be a 2nd entrance and exit on the 'Moreelsepark' side.

There are spaces for people with subscriptions on the ground floor. A standard annual subscription is 75 euros and an annual subscription for irregular models (cargo bikes) is 150 euros.
The same policy applies to the other parking facilities in the area as for the rest of this parking facility: the first 24 hours are free and, thereafter, it's €1.25 per 24-hour period for standard bikes and €2.50 for irregular models (cargo bikes).

People with subscriptions can park their bikes on the ground floor and do not need to check in and out. If you park your bike on the first floor, or in the basement, check in on the ground floor and check out on the floor on which you parked your bike. Follow the signs to the exit.

All rows have a number on the floor and on the wall so that you can easily find your bike again. There will be clear signage so that you can find your way around the bicycle parking facility. Tip: take a photo of your bike with a reference number to find it later.
After opening, a map will be available online at utrecht.nl/fietsparkeren and at the Bicycle & Service centre on floor 0 (the ground floor). Maps will also be distributed at the opening and during the 'Smakkelaarsveld' and 'Moreelsepark' bicycle removal campaigns in September.

Yes, there are special spaces for bikes with wide handlebars or a crate or slightly irregular bikes. The bike racks are a little further apart so that you can easily park your bike there. You need a subscription to be able to park highly irregular bicycles such as a cargo bikes or tricycles here. At the moment, if you want to park your cargo bike/tricycle for free, you can do so in the 'Sijpesteijnstalling' and the 'Laag Catharijnstalling' parking facilities. You can park your highly irregular bike here for free for the first 24 hours. It is an agreement between the partners that no cargo bikes can be parked for free in the 'Stationspleinstalling'.

After the opening of the 2nd part, a few spaces for slightly irregular bicycles (child's seat/crate) will be added on the ground floor at the 'Stationspleinstalling'. Because there is a lot of demand for spaces for slightly irregular bicycles (crate bicycles + bicycles with child seats), a new solution has been devised at the 'Stationspleinstalling': if OV-fietsen (public transport bicycles) are rented out on floor -1, their spaces will become available for parking slightly irregular bicycles. NS will mark these as 'flexplekken' (flexi spaces) in the parking facility with asphalt tape + communication explaining when these special spaces may be used.
No extra spaces for cargo bikes will be built. There is only room for your cargo bike if you take out a subscription. In the longer term, more space will be considered for highly irregular model bicycles (buitenmodelfietsen, BMF), but it remains a trade-off between capacity and comfort. There are more irregular model locations in the 'Knoop' and 'Sijpesteijn' bicycle parking facilities. The digital reference signs and the 'p-route fiets' (bicycle) app will send you there.

E-bikes fit into the standard racks.

Yes. Monitors ensure that the parking facilities are used correctly, that bicycles are properly in the racks and they ensure that the access to the platforms is maintained. The monitors also ensure that bicycles left in the racks for longer than 28 days are removed and that the other house rules are observed. There are also cameras in the parking facility and someone from the NS (Dutch Railways) is available 24/7.

People who use an electric bicycle, a tandem, a tricycle, a hand bike or another vehicle (not a moped car or car) can park their means of transport on the ground floor of the bicycle parking facility (in the subscription spaces). They can take the lift or escalator to 'Stationsplein' to go to Utrecht Central or 'Hoog Catharijne' from the ground floor parking facility. There are no lifts in the parking facility so people with disabilities will not be able to access the 1st floor or the basement.