When we track the history of bicycle parking, we can see that people used to chain their bikes to any street fence, column or tree using a strong lock so they can go to finish their errands. By the time, bicycle racks started to be implemented as street furniture until the arrival of the bicycle parking facilities. However, all of the above-mentioned evolution of the ways people used to park their bicycles never fully prevented bike theft. Nowadays, technology plays a significant role in bicycle parking spaces especially when it comes to safety and security. We can find bicycle parking that requires electronic identification or a customized pass to gain access. Also, we can see real-time signages installed and connected to AI-based cameras that give accurate information and proper tracking of already-parked bicycles inside the facility, which in turn improves cyclists’ user experience inside the parking.
No Break Through: Automation in bicycle parking made it nearly impossible for bicycle thieves to be able to get inside the parking venue and have the chance to destroy any bicycle lock and steal it. They become aware of the fact that they will be monitored and tracked.
Better Policy Making: When there is better information sharing and more precise data collection for both cyclists and municipalities through real-time signs or the check-in and check-out systems, policymakers can have a regular data circulation and will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of certain IT solutions than others, therefore, they can amend policies accordingly.
Efficient Space Management: ITC solutions such as AI cameras and real-time signages provide valuable data of how bicycle parking has been utilized by cyclists and how many bikes got parked periodically so they can spot orphaned bicycles and see when the facility is full at certain times so they can manage the parking space in a more efficient way.
Positive Community Engagement: Users of bicycle parking rate their experience inside the facility unconsciously. When they find a better-automated solution implemented, they get influenced by it and evaluate its effectiveness in their daily commute. That’s why, it is important to conduct interviews or collect feedback from parking users, so cyclists take part in the positive development process which defines technology as the messenger between providers and users in order to create a smooth user experience inside parking facilities.
