Council unveils 100th bikehangar, and announces bold new 300 target

Wandsworth’s 100th on-street bikehangar has just been installed, with Cabinet Member for Transport Clare Fraser committing to a new target of 300 on-street hangars over the coming years.

The borough’s housing estates are, for the first time, also a particular focus of the bikehangar programme. In the current phase, 30 hangars will be sited in Roehampton, which is relatively poorly served by public transport. Going forwards, 20 per cent of all bikehangars will be ringfenced for housing estates.

This forms part of the Council’s significant investment into active travel within its Future Streets Strategy. Consultations on the next phase of bikehangar installations will begin this spring.

Each hangar can hold six bikes, meaning that up to 1,800 Wandsworth residents stand to benefit from the new on-street target.

The rollout is set to be boosted by the addition of two more manufacturers, Falco and CyclePod, which will be employed alongside the existing provider CycleHoop. This should speed up the production and availability of hangars.

Cabinet Member for Transport Clare Fraser added: “Supporting cycling as a means of transport and improving key infrastructure for both cyclists and pedestrians are key priorities for the council as part of our Future Streets Strategy.

“Most journeys in the city are actually very short and could easily and quickly be completed by bike or on foot. Not only are walking and cycling much better for people’s health and well-being, they also help improve the air we all breathe. That’s why we are working hard to make it easier for people to choose these forms of travel.

“Hangars offer residents a safe and secure way to store their bikes when not in use. This is especially important for residents living in flats who don’t have the room to store their bikes indoors and for households that own a number of bicycles.

“Increasing the supply of secure residential cycle parking will play a pivotal role in achieving our target for 78 per cent of trips by residents to be by walking, cycling and public transport by 2030.”

Residents can request a bike hangar for their street via the council’s website.

To find out more about how the council is working to tackle climate change visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/climatechange.