Lime has unveiled a new piece of optical illusion street-art in Camden designed to get Londoners thinking about how the city could reimagine its empty car parking spaces.
Designed by 3D street art pioneers 3D Joe and Max, the temporary art installation sees a non-ULEZ compliant 2007 Peugeot Boxer van with over 150,000 miles on the clock, transform into green space and bike parking as people walk past.
The installation comes after a new report was published by transport consultancy, Steer, and advised on by think-tank, Centre for London: ‘Changing Spaces: How to solve London’s shared e-bike parking’.
The report proposed potential solutions to the insufficient levels of parking locations and inconsistent parking requirements for rental e-bikes across London.
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The major recommendations of the report were:
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Establish clear parking terminology to improve rider education.
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Single “Mandatory Parking Zone” to be established for more-central boroughs.
- “Mandatory Parking Locations” to include underutilised public Cycle Stands.
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Single “Flexible Parking Zone” to be established for less-central boroughs – a consistent approach to be adopted by all less-central boroughs.
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Operators to support the increased implementation of “Mandatory Parking Locations” with trip data and funding.
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London-wide database of parking locations.
In Camden, where the Lime pop-up is located, Lime trip data recorded approximately 200,000 Lime rides per month.
As demand continues to grow, increasing the prevalence of e-mobility options has to be made in tandem with local authorities so that increasing vehicles does not disparage further growth.
The lack of available space currently contributes to a reduction in an estimated 30,000 emission-free journeys that could be made per day from rental e-bike in London, equating to 10m journeys per year.
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Director of policy for UK&I at Lime, Hal Stevenson, said: “Demand for cycling, including Lime e-bikes, has skyrocketed in the last year, with more people opting for emission-free travel.
“This growth has come with unintended challenges, and it’s become clear that lack of parking is leading to overcrowded areas that can become obstructive for pedestrians.
“The report by Steer and Centre for London makes a number of clear recommendations to address this, which Lime is committed to taking.
“We’re encouraging people to reimagine how public space could be used and to take action to make our streets better for people and the planet.”
The news comes as almost half (49%) of Londoners aged 18-34 say they use a rental e-bike at least once a week according to polling in the report.
Insufficient parking density and capacity can cause clutter on-street, with Lime recording a 21% increase in parking locations with exceeded vehicle capacity in Zone 1 on weekdays in the last six months. In response, the business has increased its on street staffing by 40%.
By comparison, London’s on-street car parking takes up space equivalent to 10 Hyde Parks, while 25% of London’s carbon emissions come from transport, and half of the city’s air pollution comes from road traffic, according to Centre for London.
Polling for the report found that almost 1 in 3 London drivers (29%) leave their cars parked in public on-street locations when not in use, and more than a third (35%) use their vehicles for journeys better suited to green and active travel, under 1 mile.
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The report recommends reallocating some of this space to cycle parking to help reduce car dominance and encourage greener travel, while ensuring London’s streets are tidy and free from pavement obstructions.
As part of an initial audit it identified suitable spaces for at least 750+ new bike parking locations across 11 London boroughs, which could add parking capacity for up to 10,500+ additional rental e-bikes.
This included 163 new locations currently reserved for cars on carriageways or other open spaces that could fit 1,916 shared e-bikes.
According to polling from the report, more than half (52%) of 18-34 year olds in London support the creation of more designated cycle parking spaces.
Associate director at Steer Matthew Clark said: “For the first time, this report outlines how much needed clarity and consistency on parking rules and increased parking provision for shared e-bikes can maximise the benefits of shared bikes and address current parking challenges.
“The report identifies where operators and boroughs can work together to improve the provision of parking for shared bikes across London, facilitating better parking by bike share users and transitioning from our car dominated urban realm.
“The report also highlights the opportunity to unlock significant additional demand for cycling across the capital, and the associated benefits this brings.”
Achievements and innovations in micromobility will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector
