Home Office Safer Streets Fund allocated to Thames Valley Police (TVP) for the provision of secure on street cycle parking in Oxford. Proposals were drawn up by county officers for 8 streets between Iffley and Cowley Road from The Plain to Bullingdon Road.

TVP settled on the Streetpod BikeBay which would allow 8 bicycles to be parked securely in the same amount of space used to park an average sized car (5m by 1.8m). Overall, there was space for 104 bicycles with the loss of only 5 car parking spaces.

Supporting local residents

Providing on-street secure cycle parking will help to remove a number of the bicycles that were parked against property boundary walls and signposts. These often partially blocked pavements, creating a hazard for people with visual and mobility impairments and obstructed the natural flow of pedestrian traffic.

Encouraging sustainability in Oxford neighbourhoods

The additional cycle parking spaces could encourage people to use a more sustainable mode of transport and greater levels of cycling and walking in the area and across the city, in support of the objectives of the Oxford Transport Strategy.

Key findings from consultation

Consultation on the provision of secure parking for 104 bicycles on the carriageway in these 8 streets was carried out in November and December 2020 and there was considerable support for the provision of additional secure cycle parking. A door-to-door survey carried out by TVP revealed that of the 170 bike owners questioned, 128 felt that additional public bike stands would make the area safer to own and keep a bike.

Benefits of Streetpod BikeBay

The use of lockable hangars was investigated by TVP but on balance they were not considered appropriate for these streets where road widths are very restricted and there would have been major logistical challenges in managing ongoing access to the hangars.

Cyclepods’ designed a new solution for these issues, the Streetpod BikeBay.

- 8 cycle parking spaces in 1 car space
- Diamond Sold Secure rating
- Security bollards & signage
- Open for all residents and visitors
- No management system required
- Minimal maintenance
- Fits in one car parking space

The Streetpod has been rated Sold Secure Diamond, the highest level of bicycle security. They're Secured by Design accredited and officially recommended by UK Police through the ‘Police Preferred Specification’ programme. They offer maximum bike protection for public location and open spaces, where bike security is a concern. The front wheel is housed within the security shield which prohibits it from being removed and the bike frame and back wheel can be secured with a single lock through the solid steel locking hoop. The outer hoop of the Streetpod is reinforced to withstand cutting tools and the MDPE body is vandal and fire resistant.

Tackling cycle crime

The need for providing secure on-street cycle parking in this part of East Oxford was identified by Thames Valley Police in response to a significant problem with cycle theft in the area. In summer 2020, TVP received funding from the Home Office Safer Streets Fund for measures that would cut crime in the area. Oxford has high rates of cycle theft and many residents in the inner East Oxford area have limited options to park their bikes securely.

The majority of supportive comments made by respondents were on the grounds that bike theft is a real issue for residents and visitors alike and that providing additional secure bicycle parking would not only encourage more people to cycle but would also help to free footways of informally parked bikes, making it easier and safer for people to walk for local journeys.