Motorcycle Parking, would you be willing to pay?

[raesewell]

A very interesting concept, watch the video.

 

https://youtu.be/vBn1kpAtCkI?si=UXP338g47102Yr3P

[manxie49]

If proper security measures were installed, catering specifically for motorcycles, then yes I would pay.  It's peace of mind at the end of the day.  I agree with what he said, if you can find any motorcycle parking it's usually a small, shitty, corner of a public car park somewhere, that isn't really fit for purpose, there's one near me that springs to mind, if you were to park in it you'd be a fool, so many bike have been clipped by reversing cars and knocked over that it just isn't funny, the local council just aren't interested, they cover their own royal arses by sticking a sign up saying vehicles left at owners risk. As far as councils are concerned, we still appear to be second class citizens.  Car parks, especially for local councils, are big money spinners, even over here.  They took away the motorcycle parking bays at the sea terminal and turned them into EV charging bays.  Bikes now park in the car parking bays that often bring them into conflict with other drivers.  So yes, if done properly, with the correct services installed, especially in some cities, it could potentially get a lot of support from the biking community. 

Edited Thursday at 10:29 by manxie49

[RideWithStyles]

Totally agree with Manxie.

 

If they charge the basic minimum should be all theses:

Proper bays sized only for bikes.

Ballards to protect them from numpty drivers poor manoeuvres and stop cars from using them for the reason Manxie said.

 

Proper rails or very high level posts (stop bike and chain being lifted high up over the rail) to actually be able to chain the bike to.

 

oh and of course all the machines to accept the input of reg plate in replace of ticket.

 

part sheltered would be nice.

Edited Thursday at 11:10 by RideWithStyles

[Simon Davey]

I don't really see an issue.

If paying via an app means I get to take up a whole car space in a car park, that's alright by me. It means I get to park in a (usually) highly visible spot, and also nearer to where I want to be.

Having chosen to ride the bike, security, and somewhere to stash my hat is my problem. Just need a lock and top-box.

[Fiddlesticks]

I had this one with Chester a while ago. Their website said "bikes, find a quiet corner and don't pay", but I came back to a ticket. It turned out that they'd removed the ability to park like this a few years previously.

 

Got the ticket overturned, but the website hasn't been updated. Their argument hinged on the definition of "pay and display", which seemed almost deliberately misleading.

Edited Thursday at 11:11 by Fiddlesticks

[Mawsley]

No.

[ChrisBiggsUK]

Round here, certainly in a lot of the paid parking car parks, we can use the 'Just Park' app.  While I'm sure that there are mixed feelings about such an app and indeed paying for parking and all that, I've not had any issues thus far (I furiously touched the nearest piece of wood to hand when I typed that).  I just open the app, put in the code for the car park I'm using, check it is the correct car park, pay the fee and off I go.

For me, admittedly only a few months in to my motorcycling career as it were, I'm (grudgingly) happy to pay the fee, park in a normal parking spot (or a dedicated MC one though they are exceptionally rare), attach all manner of chains and locks to my bike and be on my merry way.  

Don't get me wrong, I'd much prefer dedicated motorcycle bays with anchors and bollards and the like, but as things stand, with we two-wheeled-miscreants being a tiny minority (according to Google we make up less than 1% of road users), I can understand why we are oft overlooked.

I think I'm going to see about how I can get involved locally to try to improve parking for motorcyclists.  I mean, I am one now, so it is in my best interests.

[husoi]

Make road tax half the tax of a car with same cc then maybe I would agree.

Just another way to push people from shops at city and town centre and fill the pockets if useless council workers.

[Fiddlesticks]

I'm against any attempt to foist more apps on people. Best thing for motorcycle parking would be a default acceptance that they can use cycle bays.

[Tiggie]

Trolley shelters in supermarkets too 

[RideWithStyles]

2 hours ago, ChrisBiggsUK said:

That’s the point if your highly likely to come back to find some scum has taken you bike away and you paid it to be there then why would you want to park there? Lower income.

 

more bikes can fit into a smaller space if the area is ideal and especially if owners are considerate. more income.

 

most riders don’t spend hours on end looking at random tack so its quick in and out, more turnover of customers. As most over pay for the time and you can’t refund the time difference so more money for the parking organiser. More income.

 

you could go into the other long term of less wear and tear to the ground (EV weigh even more) and building or posts (so many posts and walls get damaged by cars). Most places now expect EV chargers….more weight to multi storys , maintenance and clutter. 

Edited Thursday at 14:38 by RideWithStyles

[Mickly]

2 hours ago, ChrisBiggsUK said:

Round here, certainly in a lot of the paid parking car parks, we can use the 'Just Park' app.  While I'm sure that there are mixed feelings about such an app and indeed paying for parking and all that, I've not had any issues thus far (I furiously touched the nearest piece of wood to hand when I typed that).  I just open the app, put in the code for the car park I'm using, check it is the correct car park, pay the fee and off I go.

For me, admittedly only a few months in to my motorcycling career as it were, I'm (grudgingly) happy to pay the fee, park in a normal parking spot (or a dedicated MC one though they are exceptionally rare), attach all manner of chains and locks to my bike and be on my merry way.  

Don't get me wrong, I'd much prefer dedicated motorcycle bays with anchors and bollards and the like, but as things stand, with we two-wheeled-miscreants being a tiny minority (according to Google we make up less than 1% of road users), I can understand why we are oft overlooked.

I think I'm going to see about how I can get involved locally to try to improve parking for motorcyclists.  I mean, I am one now, so it is in my best interests.

I’ve been forced to use the ‘JustPark’ App (coz the cash option is either out of order or otherwise not available) & found that when you go to pay, the amount is higher than that shown on the board if you pay cash - robbing bast*rds.

[Mickly]

Just looked it up, it’s a 49p transaction charge on anything under £5, they don’t advertise this at the pay and display machines though

Edited Thursday at 14:58 by Mickly

[RideWithStyles]

No doubt the board is out of date anyway? or at least that is what they may say wouldnt surprise me as they do so many other areas…

Probably an inflated rate anyway to pay for the services of the app and infrastructure.

either way the only one to gain is the terrible parasite company in the middle.

Edited Thursday at 15:07 by RideWithStyles

[Capt Sisko]

ANPR Camera??  The two main hospitals in my corner of Shropshire both use ANPR type cameras to log your 'car' as you drive in and you then pay on the way out of the hospital building. Obviously this doesn't work with motorcycles and probably because of that the motorcycle parking at both is free. Automatic ANPR logging is going to replace Pay & Display stands, but where is this going to leave us. Either still free but shoved in the corner or not welcome at all. 

 

Going back to the main question, yes I would*, and I have. When you've got a fully loaded R1250RT or similar you need to space of a car parking bay to walk around it and open the pannier lids when you're loading up your shopping.

 

*as talked about by others, if motorcycles get the same treatment as cars.

Edited Thursday at 20:37 by Capt Sisko

[S-Westerly]

I've paid for parking in a secure car park using an app or a credit card. All parking paid for by app whether car or bike has a surcharge of about 50p. It's an imposition but what to do? One advantage of using an app is if your stay is longer than you planned you can extend it from wherever you are without having to go pack to the vehicle. Handy on occasion.

[bud]

I noticed at Gunwarf  quays  when I moved here. That motorcycles are free. But they have a metal box you can pay a pound  to store your helmet inside.

Most bikers wouldn't mind if that was the case elsewhere.

[onesea]

I hate paying for parking car or bike, generally if I have to pay to park I will not stop unless it’s a necessary.  Then I also not a fan of shopping and I will not pay for parking to drink coffee.

 

The local council offices get quite upset when I refer to my annual car parking pass payment as parking tax.

One of the benefits of biking is free parking.  If they offered extras well sign posted, under cover, security / protection then yes, I would consider a sensible charge. 
 

However bike parking rules change from one place to another.  Locally you can pay one for one bike in a bay and fit all the bikes you can fit into a bay with one council.  Next council along you pay per bike, regardless and the warden and people don’t like it when you each take a bay

 

There is little clue as to what the rules are and where bike parking is if going somewhere new.

 

Just like with bikes in bus lanes, it’s a mess.

[bonio]

Yes it's a mess. 

Cambridge: m/c bays all round the city centre, and some have metal poles to chain your bike to.

Norwich: not enough m/c bays, and the rules are on parking a motorbike in car parks are unclear.
Westminster: the only place I've come across where you had to pay to use an on-street m/c bay. They did give you a pole to chain your bike up to though.

Brixham: last time I was there, you could between two car parking bays for free as long as both wheels were standing completely on the white paint. But who would want to squeeze their bike in the gap between two parked cars?

 

Edited Friday at 11:42 by bonio

[Stu]

16 hours ago, bonio said:

But who would want to squeeze their bike in the gap between two parked cars?

 

Or would you want to squeeze your car between two parked bikes

[JRH]

One of the car parks in Leamington removed the dedicated bike parking to add 2 additional car spaces and then added steel hoops to chain push bikes to. If you can manage to get a motorcycle in you may not be able to get it out on returning due to push bikes and mopeds shoehorned in.

Stratford, on the other hand, has a large motorcycle free parking area.