New buildings in Brno should have parking spaces for bicycles according to new regulations

Bicycle parking spaces should be included in new buildings constructed in Brno after July 1. This follows from Brno's building regulations, which were adopted by the city council last week. For example, in apartment buildings, at least one parking space should be created for every average apartment of 60 square metres. This was reported by opposition councillor Marek Lahoda (Pirates), who chairs the council's commission for public space, traffic safety and active mobility.

The regulations were prepared by the Brno City Architect's Office. The proposal to add binding numbers of bicycle parking spaces according to floor area and type of building came from the municipal transport department and from a comment by the Brno on a Bike association, in which Lahoda also participated. "A typical supermarket with a sales area of 2,500 square metres should have at least three covered bike stands for employees and seven outdoor bike stands for customers. A 6,000-square-metre school for a maximum of 1,000 pupils should have at least 100 bike racks, 90 of which should be covered," Lahoda said, giving further examples.

The measure is intended to encourage cycling in Brno. Lahoda believes that the availability of parking spaces will contribute to people using bicycles for normal daily transport around the city. However, there is still much work to be done to build bike lanes, which are essential for cyclists to move around the city safely and comfortably, he said.

He said bike parking minimums are pioneering as far as the Czech Republic is concerned. "The European directive approved in May will also bring the minima. It is to be implemented in the national legislation of the member states within two years, so it will still take time to be worked out at national level," he added.

The issuance of the regulations is made possible by the new construction law. They will apply to all builders, designers and authorities involved in the permitting process from 1 July, in line with the new construction law. The city's leadership expects the document to ensure quality construction and a cultivated public space. For example, the change also lowers the standard for the number of car parking spaces. For example, there may now be no parking spaces in the tight downtown area, which is related to the municipality's efforts to eliminate cars there.

Source: CTK