Over 3,000 cyclists waiting for bike hangar space, as council aims to deliver parking infrastructure "suitable for larger bikes and cargo bikes"

There are more than 3,300 Edinburgh cyclists waiting to acquire a parking space for their bikes in the form of a cycle hangar, with the council being urged to deliver hangars that are suitable to store non-standard cycles such as cargo bikes and tricycles, to enable people to keep their cycles safe from the weather and thieves.

As of now, there are more than 2,300 people who are on the waiting list for a bicycle hangar in the city, while an additional 1,066 residents have requested a bike hangar to be installed in their area, reports Edinburgh Live, based on a research from Edward Tissiman.

The hangars were first trialled in 2014 as part of the Council’s Secure On-street Cycle Parking project, which began installing 180 hangars in 2020. Each hangar has storage space for six bikes, meaning at least an additional 560 hangars would need to be installed to meet the demand between the waitlist and the requests.

Cyclists are calling for the bike hangars to deal with the scourge of bike theft in the city, with 4,022 bikes reported stolen between January 2020 and December 2022.

There are also signs that the 180 hangars are scattered all over the city, with some more populated residential areas having just one, or even none at all. For instance, there are 130 people on the waitlist for the hangars on St Stephen Street in Stockbridge - which can house just 12 bikes despite the road hosting hundreds of residential flat units. Other hotspots like Dudley Avenue in Leith see 73 residents queueing for their chance at a hangar space.

> NIMBY… Unless I can paint it a nice colour: Petition launched to let locals decorate controversial “giant ugly” bike hangars outside their homes, after storage units branded “a monstrosity”

West End community councillor Paul Hancock pointed out that the neighbourhood lacks this supporting infrastructure despite the massive CCWEL project introducing a two-mile segregated cycle path that travels through the West End.

He said: “You would’ve thought CCWEL bisecting the community would have provided storage for residents, but it didn't. It seems counterintuitive. We have a need for cycle storage because we’re effectively tenement flats. There is no place to store bikes securely.”

In 2022, the West End community council requested the installation of 22 hangars in 17 different West End locations, but Paul claims that hangars were installed in just the one location on Morrison Circus.

Hancock continued: “You can put bikes in the stairs, but they are vulnerable. Hangars are secure. There is an increased move for people to use electric bikes, but they can’t always be carried up the stairs to a flat because they’re too heavy. And if you want to reduce car use, there needs to be more hangars.”

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson said: "We are committed to increasing secure on-street cycle parking that is accessible and in convenient locations for our residents.

"Bike storage can be a real issue for Edinburgh residents living in accommodation with little space, such as tenements. Providing secure, well-located cycle parking is essential to encourage more people across the capital to cycle around the city for everyday journeys and exercise.

"We are rolling out cycle hangars as part of our Secure On-street Cycle Parking project, and the next stage of the project will also include non-standard hangars suitable for larger bikes and cargo bikes.

"The scheme is being extended across the city, providing even more support for the increasing numbers of residents we’re seeing who choose to cycle and helping us meet our longer-term goal of being a carbon-neutral city.

"We completed Phase 1 in 2023 which saw 180 hangars installed across the city. Phase 2 is currently underway, which will see another 200 hangars installed. These are being installed in two stages: the first began in summer this year, and the second in 2025. Upon completion, Edinburgh will have the largest network of on-street cycle sheds in the UK outside of London.

"We look forward to seeing this scheme rolled out across the city, making it easier and safer for more people to store their bikes and start cycling in the future. Residents wishing their street to be considered for future phases of the project can email cycle.hangars [at] edinburgh.gov.uk ”

> Disabled cyclist says she’s being targeted by thieves after having two trikes stolen due to being unable to store them at city’s bike hangars

Just yesterday, it was reported that a disabled cyclist from Edinburgh had two of her adapted tricycles stolen and that now she’s even being targeted by thieves — because her cycles are too big to fit at the city’s bike hangars.

Caroline Barr, who's had a physical disability since she was 13 which limits her mobility, said that she felt like she was "being discounted and that she was not important enough", and urged the City of Edinburgh Council to install accessible bike hangars after having two of her trikes, each costing aroun £2,000 stolen.

Last year, an Edinburgh councillor expressed her disappointment at the city's cycle parking infrastructure, specifically, the "extremely light" bicycle racks that can be "easily unscrewed" and hoisted up in the air, joining other cyclists to warn that these newly installed racks will see an increase in bike thefts in the area and demanded better infrastructure to provide safe parking, however, the council had told road.cc that the parking space "meets design requirements".