Thursday, October 10, 2024, marked a milestone: the very first Amsterdam bike rack was installed. District official Nienke van Rinssen completed the final steps and was the first to park her bike in the brand-new rack. Chris de Groot, Managing Director of VelopA, highlighted in his speech the growing demand for bicycle parking solutions, not only in the Netherlands but internationally. Countries are turning to VelopA and to Amsterdam to see how we address bicycle parking challenges. Finally, Wim Poppinga, from Amsterdam's Directorate of Space and Sustainability, provided an insightful explanation of the project's origins and development process.
The city’s design team, led by Wim Poppinga, started from scratch to create an optimal design with one goal in mind: to make bicycle parking easier and more organized. The result is a sturdy, FietsParKeur-certified bike rack that fits perfectly in busy areas with limited space. Accommodating bike tires up to 7 centimeters wide, it’s suitable for everything from kids' bikes and utility bikes to racing bikes.
At VelopA, we’re proud of our role in this sustainable, modular design. The use of steel has been minimized without compromising quality or functionality. Additionally, we divided the design into a crossbeam and "cluster elements," which allows for easier transport, assembly, and replacement in cases of damage from events like vandalism. This bike rack is poised to become, like the iconic "Amsterdammertje" post, a symbol of the city.
Thousands of new bike parking spots will be added each year.
location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
location type: City centre
customer: The city of Amsterdam
year of placement: 2024
