The Scottish Government

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5 CONGESTION AND MOTORCYCLE PARKING

5.1 DfT research into the consequences of increased motorcycle use on traffic congestion on urban roads and the associated environmental and safety effects provided useful data. The study established that:

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  There were benefits for those who switched from other modes to motorcycling;
• Where public transport use was relatively low, and transfers to motorcycle use come mostly from cars, overall levels of congestion reduced;
• Where public transport use is high most of the transfers are likely to come from public transport, leading to no overall reduction in congestion. (Though secondary modal shift effects e.g. if changes to capacity on public transport released by transfers to PTW use would draw some people out of their cars hereby reducing congestion, was not considered);
• The overall environmental impact of a switch to motorcycling was minimal for any realistic level of transfer; and
• Without additional safety measures, a transfer to motorcycles would be likely to increase casualties.

The study concluded that further work would be needed to ensure that the conclusions were robust. For example the AGM noted that in London, increased levels of motorcycling have not led to a pro rata increase in motorcycle casualties as some had expected.

5.2 Security of motorcycles at journey's end is an important policy consideration, given the relative ease with which motorcycles can be stolen. The absence of convenient and secure parking and clothing lockers can be a severe deterrent to motorcycle use. Often all that is needed is an area that is in clear view and equipped with some fixed rail or other solid device to which the motorcycle can be locked. Advice on parking issues was contained in TAL2/2002 and the 2001 Transport (Scotland) Act was amended to include the provision of secure motorcycle parking.

5.3 Secure parking facilities should therefore be provided at transport interchanges and at journey's end to mitigate the likelihood of theft and minimise "unofficial" parking. In a recent study on motorcycles and congestion and the factors that can affect modal shift it was found that the time spent walking from the parking location to the final destination is only valued negatively when there are no specific security measures available at the parking location. If security measures are provided then the walking time of up to five minutes has not been found to impact on the facility.

5.4 The demand for motorcycle parking may be high at and around educational establishments and work places, within or surrounding shopping and entertainment/leisure areas, at transport interchanges, or within residential areas lacking private parking opportunities.

5.5 In terms of convenience, flexibility in use and security considerations, motorcycles are often more similar to bicycles than cars. Consequently, the behaviour and requirements of motorcyclists often follow the cycle-parking model. Inadequate provision will lead to exploitation of inappropriate opportunities and can result in obstruction or hazard to others. This is not to say that marginal areas, especially those already utilised by riders, cannot be formalised by relative low cost actions to protect parked machines and other road users.

5.6 Parking occupancy and duration can only be reliably assessed by manual surveys, but consultation with users can help to resolve issues and produce more suitable facilities.

5.7 There is little in the way of established standards, but those local authorities that have specified figures commonly recommend motorcycle parking levels of around 20% of car capacity.

5.8 Traffic Advisory Leaflet (TAL) 2/02 links journey purposes with length of stay. In addition to indicating likely uses, it is also possible to suggest other attributes of motorcycle parking that might vary with length of stay. For short visits close proximity to destination will be a key feature. For longer visits, while proximity remains important, security features such as anchor points, regular monitoring and limited opportunity for theft by van become more important.

5.9 While more sophisticated security systems with moving parts or locking mechanisms are generally more expensive to provide and maintain, the temptation to offset these costs by charging is difficult to implement successfully. Ticket based pay and display systems do not work well with motorcycles as there is nowhere to secure the ticket, while meter based systems can alert thieves to the likely time at which a rider will return to their machine.

5.10 Good practice in motorcycle parking can be summarised as "Near and Clear, Secure and safe to use and Useful":

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  Near - Motorcycle users will naturally look for parking opportunities close to their destination because the relatively small-size and flexibility of the motorcycle allows easy progress through traffic and the exploitation of marginal parking opportunities without causing obstruction. (consideration of carrying of protective clothing and helmets will also mitigate against more remote parking);
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  Clear - While the first consideration is especially true of very short stops, any difficulty in finding a suitable formal parking area will tend to negate the natural advantages of motorcycle use, if riders looking to park for any length of time are to use formal facilities, they need to be able to find them;
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  Secure - Physical security measures will be a strong attraction for most riders needing to park for more than a few minutes. Casual users, motorcycle-tourists, etc. unfamiliar with an area are likely to find the prospect of secure parking very attractive. Physical security need not be difficult or expensive to provide, and inclusion of fixed robust features such as rails, hoops or posts designed to provide a simple locking-point for securing motorcycles is often all that is required;
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  Safe to use - Personal safety considerations when using a parking area start with the surface on which the machine has to be manoeuvred, mounted/dismounted, which should be level (Slopes greater than 5% can cause reduced stability of parked machines) and be on suitable hard-standing. (Motorcycle side and centre stands can exert considerable loads, 100psi would not be unusual for larger machines). Secondary security feature such as lighting, seclusion, whether the scheme is covered by CCTV and the amount of passing pedestrians traffic all need to be considered when planning a facility. Where motorcycle-parking facilities are provided on the carriageway, sufficient space and visibility must be present to allow manoeuvring without significant risk of coming into conflict with other traffic; and.
• Useful - where possible, in new developments where parking is provided, lockers and changing facilities should be provided for cyclists and motorcyclists. PTW parking should also be provided as close to the building access points as possible.

5.11 The Scottish Executive encourages the provision of adequate secure motorcycle parking, particularly in congested urban areas, in line with the guidelines contained in TAL 2/02.

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