Glasgow's cycle storage scheme is expanding, with 720 new secure spaces for bikes scheduled for installation across the city this year.

This expansion involves the delivery of 120 new units, each capable of holding six cycles, marking substantial growth for the programme. Over the next five years, the scheme aims to provide up to 3,000 additional safe and secure storage spaces, primarily benefiting residents in tenement flats.

Following a successful trial in 2021, the residential on-street storage scheme, delivered by Cyclehoop, now offers over 1,400 secure spaces across more than 235 units citywide. Demand for these units has been consistently high, with approximately 97% of spaces occupied and nearly 3,000 residents on a waiting list for a new space.

Convenient and secure on-street cycle storage is a key component of Glasgow's strategy to encourage residents of flats to embrace cycling for everyday journeys. Many people living in older tenement buildings are deterred from regular cycling due to a lack of indoor storage, fire safety regulations preventing storage in stairwells, and concerns about theft from communal areas.

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Cyclehoop secured a five-year contract, valued at up to £2.5m, last year following an open tendering process. The plan involves installing 120 units per year for the first three years of the contract, with the remaining units delivered over the final two years. New locations are determined by factors such as demand, the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, building type, and proximity to existing or planned cycle routes. Already this year, 30 new units have been installed, with a similar number expected over the summer.

Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport, said: "Our on-street cycle storage programme is hugely popular and there is continuing, strong demand for more spaces across the city. Our planned expansion… will help meet that demand and remove an obstacle that we know stops people regularly using their bike." He added that access to safe, secure storage at street level will help make cycling more accessible for flat dwellers.

A space in a shelter costs £84 per year, equivalent to £7 per month, covering the ongoing management and maintenance by Cyclehoop. Short-term, pay-as-you-go cycle storage is also available in the city centre.