The bike storage at Plzeň main train station has been improved

The Paluba Hamburk area itself was acquired by the Plzeň station back in 2021. However, the promised secure bicycle parking option has been plagued by long-term issues since its opening. In addition to the regular covered bike racks, the facility also includes bike boxes, which have been non-functional for a long time.

Problematic bike boxes

According to information from Deník, the issue stemmed from a change in the color of the boxes from the original yellow to black to match the overall design of the area. This caused the doors to expand differently due to temperature variations, rendering the locking mechanism unreliable. As a result, the bike box doors had to be adjusted. However, after their replacement, the city began facing difficulties with the details of the ticketing system, such as how to assist with retrieving a bike in case of a malfunction. All these issues have led to the bike boxes being essentially non-functional since 2021.

However, the city plans to make the bike boxes operational nearly three years after their installation. „We are working on getting the bike boxes up and running. The operational guidelines still need to be approved by the Plzeň City Council, and the financial aspects need to be resolved. We are waiting for feedback from the system’s creator, who is in communication with the banks. This year, we have activated access to the fenced-in part of the bike parking area via card,“ said Radka Žáková, the cycling coordinator from Plzeň City Administration, in an interview with Městem na kole.

New bicycle storage

As the bike boxes could not be made operational for a long time, a minor security enhancement was made to the regular bike racks at the end of 2023. Part of the original racks was newly enclosed with a fence, creating a small bike storage area accessible only after identification with a payment card.

The association Plzeň na kole explained that the improvement was made based on the association’s suggestion: „Thanks to the construction of a cage with seven racks, the improvement was realized relatively quickly following a meeting between members of Plzeň na kole and city officials, including Deputy Mayor for Transport Aleš Tolar, in the spring of 2023, where we conveyed the public’s and our concerns about bike parking security,“ added Dominika Lenthárová from the Plzeň na kole association.

Even the new bike storage facility faced issues with the doors in the spring. Due to vandalism, they were damaged. However, repairs have been made, and the door frame has been reinforced. The doors should now function better.

Parking a bike in the storage facility is free. The payment card is used solely as an identification method for entry. The storage facility contains seven bike racks, providing a total of 14 spaces. An additional seven racks are located right next to it in the original setup, outside the enclosed area but still under a roof. Parking is thus also possible completely anonymously without the need for a payment card.

Additional Parking at the Main Train Station

In the future, the area will be further enhanced with the option to store bikes in private bike boxes.

However, it remains uncertain whether this will mark the end of the development of bike parking at the Plzeň main train station. Dominika Lenthárová assessed the parking situation at the main station for Městem na kole as follows: „Currently, we can see progress, with a greater number of bikes parked at the station throughout the day and into the late evening hours. The area is becoming more trustworthy for bike parking. In the future, the parking capacity may not be sufficient, and the Plzeň na kole association is already considering advocating for an increase in the number of bike parking spaces. Given the pace at which racks are being installed in Plzeň, this needs to be addressed now.“

It is worth noting that the station also offers bike racks in front of the main entrance. However, these are noticeably less popular than the bike storage near Paluba Hamburk, likely due to their poorer accessibility from the busy Ukrajinská Street. Additionally, there are 13 more covered racks available near the bus platform on Šumavská Street.