A survey of supermarkets across Dublin has found that a third of them have no cycle parking facilities, according to a report published today.

The Shop By Bike survey, conducted by Dublin Cycling Campaign over the May-June period, found that 35% of supermarkets had no cycle parking at all, while only 25% of survey respondents rated the cycle parking at supermarkets as ‘Good’.

The survey also found that 71% of people would cycle to the supermarket more often if better cycle parking was provided. The quality of bike parking available, the safety of cycle routes to and from shops, and the quantity of groceries being purchased were the top three considerations when deciding whether to shop by bike.

Survey respondents also wanted more secure bike racks and CCTV surveillance to deter bike theft. This comes on the back of a recent report showing that bike theft increased by 46% in Dublin in June, compared with the same period last year.

Other factors which would enable more people to shop by bike included providing more space for cargo bikes, locating bike parking closer to shop entrances, and providing shelters to protect parked bikes from the rain.

Comparisons of the big supermarket brands show that Aldi came out top with 52% of their stores rated as having ‘good’ bike parking facilities, followed by Lidl (34%), Dunnes Stores (13%), SuperValu (12%) and Tesco (8%).

Over 300 people participated in the survey with more than 150 supermarkets covered in the Dublin area. One-third of respondents were female, with two-thirds male.

Chairperson of Dublin Cycling Campaign, Kevin Baker, said, “As many of us are living our lives more locally we are using local supermarkets more often. There is a great opportunity for supermarkets to upgrade and enhance their customers’ shopping experience, or else risk losing them to competitors with better bike parking facilities.”

Vice Chairperson of Dublin Cycling Campaign, Louise Williams said “Shopping by bike is a simple way of reducing traffic on our roads but the bike parking facilities at supermarkets need to improve. This survey has now established a baseline and has highlighted areas for improvement”.

Author of the survey, David Timoney from Dublin Cycling Campaign, says, “Dublin’s Interim Mobility Intervention Plan projects a 300% increase in people cycling in the short to medium term. The report acknowledges that there must be a commensurate increase in facilities to accommodate these figures. Supermarkets need to play their part by enhancing their bike parking.”

If you’d like to get involved in the follow-up project contact info@dublincycling.com.

For more information about quality bike parking design see our Design Guide for Cycle Parking Infrastructure.