Bikes deserve the good parking spots

Stand outside any busy café and count. Most of the time, the parking space right in front of the door is either empty or holds one car, whose driver is inside for an hour. Meanwhile, three bicycles are chained to the lamppost, a railing and a drainpipe, because there is nowhere else to leave them.

One standard car space is about twelve square metres. In that same area you can fit ten bicycle stands, or a small parklet with two tables. The café owner knows exactly which one brings in more business. It is rarely the car.

One parking space. One car, or ten people who will actually buy a coffee.

Why shopkeepers resist

Shop owners tend to overestimate how many of their customers arrive by car. Surveys in several European cities have found the same pattern: owners guess that most of their customers drive, when in reality most walk, cycle or take the bus. People who arrive on foot or by bike also visit more often, even if they spend a little less each time.

So when a city proposes swapping a parking space for bike stands, the loudest objection often comes from the people who would benefit most. It is worth showing them the numbers before the first meeting, not after.

The swap, step by step

• Count for a week: how long the space is empty, and how many bikes are locked nearby.

• Talk to the shop owners first, with the counts in hand.

• Ask the city for a trial of six months, not a permanent change.

• Put the stands where the car was, on the road, so the pavement stays clear for walking.

Small corners, big change

The best thing about this kind of change is its size. It does not need a new road or a new budget. It needs a few stands, some paint and a bit of patience. In the neighbourhoods where it has worked, the corner spot becomes a small meeting place, which is what the café wanted all along.

Next time you park your bike against a drainpipe, look at the empty space by the kerb. It could be yours.