A new survey to find out the quality of supermarket bike parking in Galway city and county was launched by Minister of State for Transport Hildegarde Naughton during Bike Week 2020.
The Galway Supermarket Bike Parking Survey aims to highlight areas for improvement and guide supermarket management to invest in upgrading and enhancing their customers’ shopping experience so that shopping by bike at local businesses is made easier for bicycle users of all abilities.
The survey has been developed by the Galway Cycling Campaign and is supported by the Galway Chamber.
The Government advice to walk or cycle where possible is an excellent opportunity for residents and local businesses to work together for sustainable communities.
“We know that many of us are living our lives more locally these days and probably using local supermarkets more often than usual. People cycling want to safely park their bikes close to their destination, and somewhere dry if possible,” said Martina Callanan of the Galway Cycling Campaign.
“Inclusive and accessible bike parking is particularly important for people who use their bicycle as a mobility aid, or use hand trikes or adult tricycles to shop by bike.”
Research indicates that per square metre, cycle parking delivers five times higher retail spend than the same area of a car parking space.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Naughton said that Bike Week is a celebration and promotion of all that’s great about bikes and cycling.
“We know from international research that customers who cycle are local and loyal. Over the last few months the Government has funded local authorities across the country to re-orientate road-space toward pedestrians and cyclists,” commented the Minister. “We’ve seen some fantastic examples of local authorities developing new, improved and segregated cycling facilities, so let’s use Bike Week 2020 as an opportunity to celebrate this new beginning for cycling and active travel in Ireland.”
“Galway City Council is providing new bike parking on municipal grounds to support local businesses in the city centre,” concluded Minister Naughton.
Commenting at the launch, Kenney Deery, CEO of Galway Chamber said, “In line with the Galway Transport Strategy, we in Chamber support and encourage more use of active travel for a sustainable city and communities.”
Mr Deery continued, “Many in industry are calling out for this change, we in the business community have a responsibility to support and embrace these initiatives, even if it involves change to our existing practices”.
The Galway Cycling Campaign also points out that non-standard push-bikes like family cargo bikes or bikes with trailers are becoming more popular and require a different type of secure bike stand.
“We hope to see bike parking racks popping up everywhere like wildflowers. A bike tied to a pole, a tree or a handrail shows the need for convenient and secure bicycle parking. Bicycles should not cause trip hazards,” concluded Ms Callanan.
As well as answering some questions, the online survey asks people to take a photo of the shop exterior including bike racks, if any, and email it to [email protected] or tweet it to @GalwayCycling using the hashtag #ShopByBikeGalway
The online survey will be operating until Halloween and results will be shared later in the autumn. The Galway Supermarket Bike Parking Survey can be found at www.galwaycycling.org/shopbybikegalway
