Brussels, (Brussels Morning)- In the underground car park at Kunst-Wet, the operator Interparking has increased the number of parking spaces from 14 to almost 900 spaces. This will make it the largest secured bicycle parking in Brussels, and perhaps also the first underground, commercial parking that can accommodate more bikes than cars. The place does raise eyebrows, though. “We have no choice, but are obliged by the Brussels Region.”
Anyone who has left the car in the Wet underground car park in the past days or weeks, near the Kunst-Wet metro station, will have noticed that there are a lot less available parking spaces. Until recently, the car park, which is operated by Interparking, had more than 1,100 spaces for cars. “We have removed 327 of these, leaving 780 parking spaces for cars,” says Nicolas Godon, marketing and communications manager at Interparking.
The parking company – Interparking is one of the largest car park operators in Europe – scrapped the parking spaces for cars to make way for bicycles. Previously, the underground car park had fourteen spaces for bicycles. There is now space for a total of 877 bicycles in two closed, secured areas in the underground car park, although the bicycle parking is not yet operational.
“We are in the final phase,” said Godon. “The technical part of the works is almost complete. We still have to work on the posters – for example, there are no rates yet – and communication.” There is no exact opening date yet, “but it is a matter of a few weeks.”
‘Imposed by Region’
While Interparking naturally charges commercial rates for the car parking spaces – an hour costs 2.50 euros, a day 20 euros and a ‘full-time’ monthly subscription 208 euros – this will not be the case for the bicycle parking. Godon: “We will only work with subscriptions for the bicycle parking. An annual subscription will cost fifty euros, a price agreed with the Brussels Region.”
Godon also points to the Region for the expansion of the number of bicycle parking facilities. With almost 900 places for bicycles, the Wet parking will become the largest secured bicycle parking in the region. According to the company, the fact that Interparking is cutting a third of the number of parking spaces for cars does not mean that the parking was underused. And that that would be the reason for the expansion of the number of bicycle places.
“The expansion of the bicycle parking will be carried out as provided for in the specifications. We implement that,” said Godon. The Region is requesting more bicycle spaces for the further exploitation of this underground car park, is confirmed by the cabinet of Brussels Minister of Mobility Elke Van den Brandt (Green). The rules for this are laid down in the Brussels Code of Air, Climate and Energy Control (BWLKE). “This is a regulation in the Brussels Region that aims to reduce the number of available off-street parking spaces in office buildings,” said the minister’s spokesperson. “But this also fits within our strategy,” Godon adds.
Largest bicycle parking in Brussels
The location of the largest bicycle parking in Brussels – the bicycle parkings under the De Brouckèreplein and the Beursplein have 304 and 634 places respectively – can be called remarkable to say the least. The Wetstraat may be an important axis for cyclists, who also drive in large numbers along the Kleine Ring, but hardly anyone lives around the car park and there are only office spaces.
“That parking is simply where it is, but many of those office buildings already have bicycle parking facilities. It’s not like the bicycle parking at the Beurs, where people go for leisure activities,” said Thomas Deweer, Brussels policy officer at the Fietsersbond. “If there is a location where a bicycle parking is really necessary, that is indeed not the best place.”
At the same time, the Fietsersbond finds it positive that the Region asks parking operators to also take cyclists into account. “The fact that operators have to think about the bicycle is positive and even logical if we want to realize the modal shift . Moreover, the neighborhood is completely tailored to the car. And the car park is huge – it runs from Kunst-Wet to Maalbeek – but is never really full of cars.”
For the time being, it does not immediately look like shared bicycles will be available in the underground bicycle parking at the Kunst-Wet. The Fietsersbond considers this a missed opportunity. “That could be an added value there, for people who only need a bicycle for a short time to travel to the European Quarter, for example.”
Interparking does promise to offer a total package for cyclists who want more than just a safe parking space. “We are going to offer free lockers,” says Nicolas Godon of Interparking, “and two paid services. There will be a ‘velowash’, where bicycles can be cleaned, and a repair point.”
