Though I’ve found bike parking is generally improving in Dunedin, there are a few big box stores which I often avoid because the bike parking is either lacking or non-existent. I think it might be worthwhile contacting some of these retailers to let them know that good bike parking is something many customers value. Which shops do you think need a bit of encouragement in this area? And would anyone like to add their voice? I can seek contact details for the shops and pass them on to anyone else who’d like to get in touch.
This is something I’d be very keen to be involved with. I’ve already contacted KiwiRail about the Hillside Workshops rebuild and they’ve said there will be good quality, secure, covered bike parking that’ll be expanded as demand increases. The new Te Kaika complex also has some very good undercover, caged bike parking with room for a couple of dozen bikes possibly.
In terms of actual big box retailers, they’re all pretty crap to be honest. The best would appear to be the Countdown across from Mitre10Mega. Paknsave’s is pretty yucky and I just lock my bike against the handrail closer to the entrance. The Warehouse doesn’t seem to have much on offer and I don’t know about Bunnings.
I happen to work at Mitre10Mega and I’m fortunate enough that I can now have my bike at a safe, secure, undercover spot in the drive through trade yard. The other bike parking there is a bit crap and only has room for five bikes. From what I know, there are at present only about two or three staff, myself included, who are currently riding to work.
The owner of Mitre10Mega is planning to add a new level of car parking at the store. I’m going to approach the management and firmly suggest that better bike parking is included. I’m also going to suggest that Mitre10Mega looks into subsidising or paying for staff bus fees and also helping staff get bikes. There’s little point in supporting staff with new bikes however, especially expensive ebikes, if there’s no secure bike parking.
Ruth, maybe a few of us should catch up face to face to brainstorm some ideas. A potential advantage of contacting the big box retailers directly, and getting new bike parking established within the properties of the various businesses is that we could possibly get results quicker than if the DCC gets involved. The owners of the various businesses might come on board very quickly once they realise how better bike parking might benefit their businesses. No need to get bogged down in heaps of planning and consultation, as local governments often get stuck with.
Cheers, Duncan
Great idea Ruth. I wonder if SPOKES may have a role, perhaps an email out to everyone with the key retailers, their contact emails and a pro forma email stating what is requested. I struggle with inadequate parking at centre city new world, Mitre 10 mega, the countdown on Andersons Bay Road (near Nichols), Nichols and Pak n Save south Dunedin!! Here is a great guide from waka kotahi developed with ViaStrada. Important that any parking accomodates cargo bikes too. Duncan, have you asked your employers to consider Workride to promote cycle commuting at Mitre10? We have been working on bike parking for the New Dunedin Hospital (and current hospital) although the later has been an uphill battle.
1 Like
Thanks @Duncan, that’s great you’ve already been in touch with Hillside and Mitre 10 about this. I would love to get together for a chat about bike parking! Perhaps we could have a meet-up at the Bowling Club next week, for anyone who’s interested?
@mjenks - I think that’s a great idea, and am happy to pull this together after the meet-up. Thanks also for Waka Kotahi’s amazingly thorough guide to bike parking - it’s good to know there are actually best-practice standards for this area.
Hi Ruth. Yes, let’s aim for a catch up next week at the Bowling Club. Shall I post it on the Biking in Dunedin group too and see if any others want to join?
Maybe Wednesday or Thursday around 7 or a bit after? That’s usually when it’s quietened down a bit.
Cheers, Duncan
1 Like
Could we make it the following week on Thursday 13 June at 7pm? At the Bowling Club.
(Sorry, I have an assignment due next week which has just become real 
)
Yes, please share to the Biking in Dunedin Facebook group too, provided the time and date work with you.
Cool, let’s pencil in 7pm on the 13th of June at the Bowling Club. I’ll post up on the Biking in Dunedin group.
Cheers, Duncan
Sounds great, thanks Duncan. See you then!
Apologies i will be unable to make this meeting as going to the NZSO 
Bike parking is a bit rubbish outside the town hall though…
No problem Matt, we’ll add it to the list 
Enjoy the concert!
A reminder that there will be a meet-up tonight (plus dinner) at The Bowling Club in Caversham, to have a chat about bike parking at big box stores. I will be loitering outside around 7pm.
As an incentive for braving the cold - dessert tonight is lemon drizzle cake with custard cream!
1 Like
@Duncan and I had a good chat about bike parking at big box stores the other evening. We think directly approaching the stores is a good idea. So I’m gathering the contact details of all the shops with no / poor bike parking
The next step will be to come up with a short template text asking for better bike parking, and outlining the benefits to the retailers. Then we can contact the retailers, and encourage others to do so as well.
@Duncan also had a great idea about staging a photo to show how space-efficient bike parking is vs car parking. Perhaps a bit like this sort of thing:
Maybe a group of us could get together and see how many bikes we could fit into a standard carpark? (A kickstand would be a benefit!)
3 Likes
Yes, it would be cool to get a few of us together on a nice Saturday afternoon and bike from store to store so that we could give each retailer “personalised” images of how space effective it would be to have better bike parking.
I imagine at least half a dozen bikes could comfortably fit into a car park. The picture Ruth posted is cool but I think we could do something really realistic that takes into account the space required for the bike parking infrastructure itself and room for cyclists to maneuver themselves and their bikes in and out, load up their panniers and bags etc.
The other thing we could try to find is existing or potential future “dead space” within the confines of the carparks where better bike parking could be provided without the perceived “sacrifice” of car parking space. In the case of Mitre10Mega for example, if they do indeed go ahead with their plan for a multilvel carpark, secure, weather proof, convenient bike parking could be included under the vehicle ramps
Recently I’ve been making contact with some of the larger retailers in Dunedin who might benefit from some encouragement to improve their bike parking facilities.
For anyone else who would like to contact these stores directly and ask for better bike parking, you can find contact details here:
I’d hoped to be able to offer a template of what to write, but I guess it really varies on what’s important to you / the specific bike parking situation at the shop etc. In case it’s helpful, here’s a message I’ve sent recently - feel free to copy / paste / adapt as needed:
“Kia ora Warehouse South Dunedin team,
I use a bicycle to get around, but struggle to find somewhere to park my bike at your store. When I’m shopping, it’s important to me that I can leave my bike somewhere I can lock it up without getting in the way of other car park users. Currently, there is nowhere at your store where I can do this.
More and more people are using bikes these days, and every customer who arrives at your shop on a bike frees up a spot in your car park. Also, the provision of bike parking at your store would align with your company’s 2040 Sustainable Living Plan, enabling customers to shop using a form of transport that is sustainable, healthy, and low-carbon.
Please could you look into providing parking for bicycles at your store in the near future. The Sheffield stand design (free-standing metal arches) accommodates most types of bikes and takes up little space. This small change would make it much easier for people like myself to visit your store and would also be a visible step towards the Warehouse’s sustainability efforts.
Many thanks,
Ruth Barton”
Also, I’d like to follow up on Duncan’s idea re: visiting a few of these retailers and taking photos to show how little space bike parking can take up. Would anyone like to meet up for a quick ride around South Dunedin sometime on Saturday 6 July?
1 Like
That’s a great template Ruth. It might also be good to mention that bike parking for staff could be equally beneficial. I’ll start sending some emails too, asking what the recipients’ plans are (if they have any at all) for any future improvements.
I’ve already had a fairly promising initial conversation with Neil Finn-House, the head manager, at Mitre10Mega, where I work, about improved bike parking. They’re certainly seem quite open to the idea.
Yes, let’s pencil in Saturday 6 July. Perhaps mid to late afternoon when the carparks hopefully won’t be so busy+
Who else here thinks they could make it? Ideally it would be good to get enough volunteers just through Spokes, without needing to post on the Biking in Dunedin facebook group. I think Ruth and I are in agreement that it might be better to work more behind the scenes for now, and not get too public about things. Would you still go along with that approach Ruth?
1 Like
Yes, I think behind the scenes (ie: communicating directly with the retailers) is the best first approach.
Mid-afternoon on Saturday 6 July works for me. I’ll see if my husband is also free to come along - if so, we can contribute two bikes for the photos.
1 Like
Anyone else available for a short bike parking photo expedition around South Dunedin tomorrow? Perhaps around 3pm? Meet up at the Warehouse?
Bugger, it completely slipped my mind that the rugby is on this afternoon, so while that might increase availability of spaces in the car parks, it might also reduce the number of potential participants
Good point - let’s reschedule this.
1 Like