Are Cycle Centers Effective Transport Interventions?

Cycle centers have emerged as a new travel demand management (TDM) intervention in U.S. and Australian cities in recent years. These large end-of-trip facilities for cyclists offer bicycle storage, changing rooms, lockers, showers, bicycle repair, and other amenities, on a user-pays basis. The effectiveness of these centers as a TDM measure is not known. Australia's first cycle center opened at King George Square in Brisbane's central business district in 2008. Operated by the private sector and marketed as cycle2city, the center provided storage for 420 bicycles. An evaluation framework was derived directly from the stated aims and objectives of the funders and manager–operators of the center. In April 2009, a questionnaire was sent to cycle2city members. The questionnaire was supplemented by interviews with funding agencies, the center's operators, and members. Route maps collected information on trip distances and the routes members chose to ride. The results showed who had been using the center, the travel modes they had been attracted from, and the transport benefits. Most users were men in white-collar jobs. The majority of members had commenced commuter cycling on joining cycle2city, at which time they switched from transit and the private car. Congestion-reduction benefits were small. The facility was not generating enough revenues to meet operating costs some 2 years after opening. The findings had direct implications for transport policy regarding the role and potential use of cycle centers for TDM in cities.