A new secure bike hub opened in Colchester on Saturday, 29 April.
The Colchester Secure Bike Park, which is located in Portal Precinct, just off Sir Isaac’s Walk, will provide a secure place for people to park their bikes in the city centre, helping to encourage more residents to cycle into the city centre.
Spokesafe, who operate a number of secure hubs across the country, will manage the facility. The hub will be open from 7am to 10pm, seven days a week. There are several membership options available, including pay-as-you-go bookings from £1 a day, as well as cheaper weekly and monthly memberships for regular visitors. Access is available to any member of the community instantly via the Spokesafe app. Photo ID is required for in-person sign-ups or members can sign-up using the Spoke app.
The cost of the secure hub is cheaper than the cost of parking a car for the day and will go some way to making it easier for the 69 per cent of residents who do not currently use active travel to switch to a more sustainable method of transport, for at least some of their journeys.
The volunteer-run Colchester Bike Kitchen will be operating alongside the bike hub, giving residents the confidence and skills to help them maintain their own bikes.
In the coming weeks, the offering will extend to an eCargo bike library, allowing people to hire electric bikes that can be used for transporting bulky and heavy goods and children, rather than using cars or vans.
This new offering is fundamental to Colchester City Council’s commitment to delivering a greener future, and also ties into the many Active Travel schemes that are happening around the city, including the delivery of new walking and cycling routes as part of the £19.6m Town Deal Funding.
Anyone looking to book a space at the bike hub should visit www.spokesafe.com/colchester-secure-bike-park to download the app and create their account.
Spokesafe’s Founder, Max Wilson, said: “We have worked in partnership with the Colchester City Council to help design and manage this new Hub. This is a great example of the public and private sector working in tandem to produce best-in-class active travel facilities for the whole local community, and we can’t get wait to get started.”
A spokesperson for Colchester City Council said: “The opening of the bike hub is a landmark in our commitment to making Colchester a greener city for everyone. Working in partnership with Spokesafe has allowed us to create a much-needed resource for the community. Providing a safe and secure place for people to leave their bikes will encourage more people to cycle into the city, whether that is for work or leisure.”
A spokesperson for Essex County Council (ECC) said: “This exciting development supports ECC’s ambition to make travel in the county safer, greener and healthier. Encouraging more residents to travel sustainably helps to reduce congestion and emissions and improve people’s health. The new bike hub, which we were pleased to contribute to, will be a great option for cyclists visiting the city centre.”
Pictured above: Councillor Steph Nissen opens the secure bike park with Stuart Johnson Chair of Colchester Cycling Campaign
Page last reviewed: 3 May 2023