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People who live in Brighton and Hove are being given the chance to have their say on the installation of 100 new cycle hangars in the city.
The hangars would be used for residents to park their bikes securely near their homes where they don’t currently have space. Residents are being asked for their views through an online survey.
With many people living in shared accommodation, flats or houses where storage space is at a premium, it can be difficult for many people to find space to safely store their bikes. Some hangars would also be able to store cargo and adapted cycles.
The cycle hangars are approximately the size of one parking space and can store six standard sized bicycles. To cover the cost of maintenance and management of the cycle hangars there will be an annual cost of between £50-£70 per year for each space.
£500,000 of funding was allocated to buying, installing, managing and maintaining the hangars during the Budget Council meeting in February and Brighton and Hove City Council is now in the early stages of planning where they should be installed.
The survey will run for six weeks until 14th November, asking people if they would be interested in having a cycle hangar on their street, whether they currently have storage space and what kind of property they live in. It is survey is designed to assess demand for secure on-street cycle parking that will be solely reserved for residents. Requests for hangars at workplaces, education settings and local shopping centres are not being considered at this time.
Assessments will then be made by considering factors such as the suitability of sites, current facilities in the area, levels of reported bike thefts and the level of demand. The cycle hangar scheme will be rolled out in stages following further consultation through a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). This will give all affected residents and businesses a further chance to have their say on the proposals.
Amy Heley, chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee said: “I’m so glad we were able to secure the funding for these cycle hangars and that we’re getting closer to seeing them around the city.
“There are so many cyclists who need safe and secure storage for their bikes and more who would happily cycle more if they had the same. I’d encourage everyone to take part in the survey which will give us a good picture of where they will be needed most. This is a really exciting time for the city. Giving people a good cycling infrastructure is key to encouraging more people to travel actively and sustainably.”
