As pressure to respond to the climate emergency grows, we need more people to use sustainable transport to get into town. Through collaboration, we’re working to help by providing secure cycle parking in central Reading.
In the spring of 2020, following a discussion in a sustainability champions session, we began to look at ways in which cycling could be encouraged in the town.
It became clear that one of the factors that deterred people from cycling in Reading was the fear that their bike might be stolen. That prompted us to investigate the possibility of working in collaboration with other organisations to bring a secure cycle parking solution to Reading. We held a webinar on the topic as part of the 2020 Reading Climate Festival.
The Hub was set up in a retail unit in in Stockton on Tees town centre. It offers free secure bike parking as well a range of active travel information and services.
Bike hubs have been installed at railway stations and other locations where there is a high demand for bike parking. Some of these hubs are open access, such as the one at Newbury Station, while others have smart card access. Several of the latter type have been installed at stations in the West Midlands, such as the one pictured in Selly Oak, Birmingham.
In the autumn of 2020 we began discussing the possibilities with various organisations, including Reading Borough Council (RBC). The consensus was that a staffed hub would be preferable, if the funding could be found.
In August 2021 the council announced that it had been awarded £249,000 from the Department for Transport Capability Fund to support active travel in the town, including setting up a secure bike parking hub.
During the next 12 months we met with council officers and people from Avanti Cycling, Reading Cycle Campaign and Reading Bicycle Kitchen to help develop the plans. After a few false starts, RBC agreed to take on the lease for part of the former Primark store in West Street for the Secure Bike Parking Hub, which is scheduled to open in 2023. We’re delighted that an idea that came out of an Ethical Reading event has led to such an exciting addition to Reading town centre.
Dr Emma Street from the Real Estate and Planning department of the Henley Business School has a special interest in the local economic benefits of such facilities and has been extremely helpful throughout.
With our team’s support, she gained funding for a student researcher to work over the summer, looking at data on bike use in Reading and identifying the key success criteria for the Secure Bike Parking Hub. Using these criteria to monitor and report on how the hub goes should help to support bids for future funding.
We also hope Emma may be able to help us build a compelling business case for creating further bike hubs around town.
If you have ideas to contribute or if your business might be interested in sponsoring the hub to help secure its future, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch at cycling@ethicalreading.org.uk.
Here are some options to consider if you are keen to encourage your staff to get to work by bike:
If you’re based in Reading town centre, you can rent a dedicated section of Q Park on Chatham Place.
If you’re thinking about setting up secure cycle parking on your own premises, here are some suppliers you might find useful:
The Cycle to Work Scheme is a great way to encourage your staff to get to work by bike. It allows them to obtain a commuter bike and cycling accessories, with their employer covering the costs but spread over 12 months and making savings through a tax break.
Several organisations operate the scheme and can provide advice on getting set up:
It’s also worth looking at Business in the Community’s Active Travel Toolkit, which outlines some of the challenges and opportunities as well as examples of best practice from leading responsible businesses.
