UCI-branded secure cycle parking hubs now available in Glasgow city centre

Published: 28 September 2023

In a boost for active travel to, from and around Glasgow city centre, on-demand secure cycle parking hubs are now available in the area.

This project will see 12 of these city centre hubs feature the UCI rainbow stripes, in celebration of Glasgow's recent hosting of the 2023 Cycling UCI World Championships. A further eight hubs without the UCI branding can also now be found in the city centre, adding to the network. Similar hubs in residential areas (205 units providing 1230 cycle parking spaces across Glasgow) have already proven to be successful. The operation of the city centre units is straightforward and accessed through a free app - the Cyclehoop app, available on both the App Store and Google Play.  The app will allow users to find vacant spaces, add credit, and book a space in one of the units.

The 20 city centre hubs provide 116 cycle parking spaces, with 19 of these provide six standard parking spaces, and one - at Cowcaddens Road, beside Buchanan Bus Station - providing two spaces for cargo bikes.

It is expected that the availability of this secure on-street cycle parking will encourage more people to travel into the city centre by bike.

The city centre hubs are at street level to be easily accessible, and most of these are placed on the road in accordance with the Scottish Government's 'Designing Streets' policy statement and will displace car parking spaces by approximately half a car length. Where necessary, the hubs are placed on footways but will not impede those walking or wheeling.

The hubs are part of the Avenues Plus project, and are funded through the Places for Everyone programme, an active travel infrastructure programme backed by the Scottish Government and administered by Sustrans Scotland.

More detail on the city centre secure cycle parking hub programme is available here. 

The scheme costs begin at 15p for up to 30 minutes, 30p for up to one hour, and 60p for up to two hours, with some other costs including £3 for up to eight hours, and £5 for up to 24 hours.

Councillor Angus Millar, Convener for Climate, Transport and City Centre Recovery, said: "The new city centre cycle parking units will help support people to cycle in to the city centre for work, study and leisure by providing safe and secure hireable storage.  These units are in addition to our ongoing roll-out of secure on-street cycle storage in residential neighbourhoods across Glasgow, which have proven hugely popular throughout the city.  I am sure these new short-stay units in the city centre will be a similarly successful addition to cycling infrastructure in Glasgow."

Katherine Soane, Grant Manager for Sustrans, said: "By providing convenient and easy-to-access bike storage locations across Glasgow city centre, we hope to see more opportunities than ever for everyday cycling journeys. Not only will this provide ac residents and commuters with the peace of mind they need to go about their day, it will be absolutely transformative in combination with the walking, wheeling, and cycling improvements currently being delivered across the city."

Anthony Lau, Founder and Design Director, Cyclehoop, said: "With the launch of Cyclehoop Trips in Glasgow, we hope to encourage people to choose cycling as their mode of transport into the city centre. By linking up our residential units with these short-term, affordable cycle parking options, we are offering secure bike parking at both ends of the cycle journey. For people with non-standard cycles, the network includes a Cargo Bikehangar option next to Buchanan Bus Station. We will be monitoring the usage of all units to track user requirements and feed into future developments."