HS Helsinki | The “really good” bike park is almost always empty in Kalasatama

For the people of Helsinki cyclists have two impossibly good news to share near the Kalasatama metro station:

First of all, the metro station has a really spacious, clean, clever and weather-protected indoor space for bicycle parking.

Secondly, when you park there, you can be pretty sure that your bike will fit in the storage. Its 224 frame-locking bicycle spaces are almost always empty.

However, there is no such good news to tell the tax payers of Helsinki. The ideal situation would be, of course, that the valuable investments of the city of Helsinki would also find their users.

Kaupunkiliken oyn service specialist Eva Lodenius tells HS that, according to their utilization rate monitoring, the bicycle park in Kalasatama has also been sadly underutilized.

However, the problem has already been solved.

“We have already added guidance and signs around the metro station. In addition, we intend to increase the bike park’s marketing in other channels,” says Lodenius.

The emptiness of the bike park seems strange because, in general, the park seems to be in line with its purpose. “It’s really good”, describes Lodenius as well.

Many commuters want to come to the metro by bicycle, but continue to use public transport on foot.

Kalasatama’s parking lot is free for its users, and its door can only be opened with a valid HSL card, so not just anyone wanders into the space.

There is also no need to register separately for parking.

But are HSL’s physical travel cards for many a technology of the past?

“Perhaps we really need to think about the fact that the space could also be accessed with HSL’s mobile application. This is also being developed”, Lodenius replies.

The parking lot, which was opened a couple of years ago, is available for the entire operating time of the subway, after which the space is locked for the night.

You can easily get to the metro station from the park. Picture: Leif Grip / Reader’s photo