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This undersea parking facility can accommodate 7,000 bicycles. According to The Verge, a large underground bicycle parking facility has opened at Amsterdam's Centraal Station.
The structure has 6,300 individual bicycle parking spots and 700 extra bike sharing spaces to assist with the first or last mile of train excursions. After a second garage opens in February, over 11,000 bicycles will be able to fit.
Outside of the Netherlands, the four-year, $65 million initiative may appear ludicrous, but in Dutch cities, it's simply another day at the job as they gradually but steadily make private automobiles become relics of a bygone era when cities were constructed with vehicles, not people, in mind.
According to statistics, 35% of Amsterdammers and 50% of Utrecht residents ride bicycles on a daily basis.
The building of this technical marvel is seen in a timelapse film made public by the city of Amsterdam. Workers had to drain the water from the 19th-century station before constructing the garage floor and installing the gigantic columns brought in by barge to support the roof that would eventually be buried.
Around half of Amsterdam's 200,000 daily tourists come by bicycle at Centraal Station. The remaining half go by rail, boat, tram, bus, or metro.
According to the outlet, they used to park in many of the disorganised above-ground bike racks that are still positioned around the station and will be removed in the coming weeks. Locals regard these as filthy monuments with no open spaces due to a significant number of partially abandoned bicycles, despite the fact that the largest of these has become a tourist attraction in and of itself. As a result, frequent commuters risk having their bikes seized if they secure them to nearby trees, street lamps, and signposts, or if they leave them on any free slab of concrete, increasing the probability that they will be stolen.
According to The Verge's Thomas Ricker, the brand-new underwater parking facility is pristine and has obvious 2001: A Space Odyssey vibes for the time being. He noticed a few dozen OVFiets bikeshares and probably a few hundred personal bicycles for rent within the facility, which is staffed 24 hours a day. A daily cleaning team is also on the job, as are a few friendly staff members eager to explain how everything works.
The first 24 hours of garage parking are free; after that, it costs $1.46 a day. This is convenient for those who commute every day and acts as a strong incentive for people to quickly remove their bicycles.
The above-ground entry to the undersea garage is marked by a large blue sign with a bicycle emblem, making it visible from a long distance.
