Parking mag plugs bikes

Issue 232 of Parking Review features a folded Brompton on the cover and the magazine has three major articles on the resurgence of cycling in Britain.

The magazine says: "Cycling is back in fashion, it would seem. After many years of decline the bicycle seems to be undergoing a renaissance as a mode of transport. A growing number of people are deciding that their cycles are not just a weekend leisure accessory but a viable means of getting to and from work."

When a magazine devoted to the business of storing cars plugs cycling you know the zeitgeist is a-changing.

Parking Review continues: "Reasons for the increase in cycling’s popularity include the impact of traffic congestion on journey times and the rising cost of motoring" and the magazine admits "cycling can often prove to be the quickest way to get to work, with a survey by the Chartered Management Institute finding that the most reliable way of getting to work is by bicycle."

Naturally, the health benefits of cycling are also mentioned but it’s interesting that speed and money-saving are plugged first.

The magazine lists the latest research on the increasing number of city cyclists: "The number of commutes by bicycle in the UK has risen from 57m in 2006 to 73m in 2010, according to a survey conducted by sustainable transport charity Sustrans and transport consultant Mouchel. Cycling in the UK increased by 12% over the last decade, and cyclists now outnumber motorists on some of the UK’s busiest commuter routes during rush hours…On Cheapside, a street in the City of London, bicycles make up more than 50% of the commuter traffic, according to Mouchel/Sustrans data."

Parking Review suggests that employers wishing to encourage healthier, more time-efficient employees might want to invest in "bicycle libraries."

Staff at Unilever and the Daily Telegraph can borrow Bromptons supplied by London bike shop Pearson Cycle Specialists. 

At Unilever, employees can use the Pearson bike library free of charge for both short trips and longer local commutes. This cuts expenditure on rental fees for employees’ car parking spaces. 

The Telegraph Media Group has 10 Bromptons at its offices near Victoria Station, with the bikes available on free loan.

Lorrie Dannecker, service director at Telegraph Media Group, says: “The aim of implementing the library was to give our staff a tangible benefit with a difference. The positive feedback we have had is enormous. Bikes have been in use for trips to meetings, lunchtime jaunts to Hyde Park, and commutes to and from the office."

Brompton has a famous picture of 42 folded bikes taking up the space of one car.