The provision of bicycle parking facilities represents a crucial measure for the promotion of cycling and its associated health and environmental benefits. However, there are significant gaps in the research on bicycle parking. Many previous studies have used an abstract concept of secured bicycle parking without specifying the required qualities. Additionally, many studies ignored fly parking options, such as locking bicycles to street furniture. Therefore, this thesis analyzes parking behavior considering both formal and informal parking facility types. The thesis focuses on the university context and uses RWTH Aachen University as a case study. It comprises an analysis of a stated preference experiment on bicycle parking behavior, the modeling of bicycle parking demand, and an investigation of the economic benefits of measures to improve bicycle parking. The analyses of e-bike charging behavior and of bicycle parking facilities in building code parking requirements complete the methods used. The methodological background is primarily based on mixed logit modeling and includes the application of logsum analysis. The results show that bicycle parking behavior is a complex phenomenon that is affected by facility-related attributes, such as facility type, facility location, and price, as well as individual-specific attributes, such as the resale value of one’s bicycle or one’s status as a student or employee. Cyclists prefer covered parking with a low theft risk and avoid parking at street furniture and informal parking within buildings. When the resale value of the bicycle is high, the preference for high-quality parking facilities increases substantially, and the reluctance to store bicycles in non-designated facilities within buildings, such as parking in offices, decreases. Cyclists prefer facilities that are in close proximity to their destination, and they are more than twice as sensitive to the walking distance to their destination than to the cycling detour required to reach a facility. A comparison of the bicycle parking demand predicted using a synthetic population with the actual occupancy of parking facilities revealed that cyclists are even more sensitive to walking distances than estimated in the stated preference experiment. However, the study was unable to confirm the influence of cycling detours. The findings suggest that bicycle parking facilities have a reasonable economic value. However, financing bicycle parking improvements solely through user fees is unrealistic, since the costs exceed the consumer surplus of the analyzed measures, such as the construction of bicycle parking stations. Furthermore, it is essential to consider informal parking facilities when analyzing bicycle parking behavior, as this significantly affects the economic profitability of bicycle parking, as demonstrated in the analysis of the measures. In the university context, improving conventional bicycle parking facilities is more economically efficient than the construction of high-quality parking facilities due to their high cost and limited capacity. However, the proliferation of e-bikes may change this, as e-bike users are reluctant to use conventional parking facilities due to the value of their bicycles. Consequently, they benefit disproportionately less from measures concerning conventional parking facilities and more from the construction of bicycle parking stations that are only accessible to registered users, thereby offering a higher level of theft protection. Furthermore, the results indicate that the provision of charging facilities may be less important in supporting e-bike commuting than the provision of secure parking facilities. Bicycle parking requirements in building codes are an important policy to increase bicycle parking supply and promote cycling in the long term. However, cities define parking design standards in disparate ways, such as accessibility standards. Consequently, the required qualities are incomplete in several cities. Furthermore, cities do not adequately reflect local conditions in the number of required bicycle parking facilities. This indicates that the instrument is not being used sufficiently. As the findings indicate that bicycle parking facilities are typically not profitable from a business perspective, it is recommended that proper bicycle parking standards be defined in order to involve building developers in the cost of their construction. This necessitates the consideration of various user groups, the subsequent establishment of quality standards, and the definition of adequate accessibility requirements for parking facilities. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates the complexity of bicycle parking and the necessity for further research in this field. The heterogeneity in the parking behavior of cyclists requires proper attention from planners to promote cycling effectively and from researchers to expand the understanding of parking behavior. Based on the results, it is recommended to provide a differentiated parking supply, with high-quality bicycle parking stations situated further away from destinations and parking facilities such as u racks in closer proximity. This would reflect the diverse preferences among cyclists and circumvent both the congestion of high-quality parking facilities and the occurrence of fly parking behavior. The existing literature on bicycle parking is still deficient in several respects, and further studies are necessary to address this. This is particularly applicable to other location contexts, such as at home or in city centers with different parking conditions and target audiences. Furthermore, the rise of e-bikes challenges the previous under-evaluation of the topic of bicycle parking, both from a research and planning perspective.
Bicycle parking : an analysis of bicycle parking preferences, behaviors, policies, and economics
2025-01-01
1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen pages
Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2025; Aachen : RWTH Aachen University 1 Online-Ressource : Illustrationen (2025). doi:10.18154/RWTH-2025-03000 = Dissertation, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, 2025
Miscellaneous
Electronic Resource
English
BICYCLE PARKING LOCKING APPARATUS AND BICYCLE PARKING SYSTEM
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