Bicycle Network Victoria: Commercial Projects

Bicycle Network Victoria installs new parking for 30 bikes at Southgate

In late June Southgate Management opened their new bicycle parking facility. Located on the second level of the underground car park the new facility is enclosed in chainmesh fencing with a security gate and can accommodate 31 bikes using a combination of wall mounted Ned Kelly rails and on ground Flat Top rails.

Workers had begun to take advantage of every piece of plumbing and railing to lock their bikes. This was a problem for Southgate Management and provided poor security for cyclists.

No loss of car parking

Southgate approached Bicycle Network Victoria to help fix the problem. Bicycle Network Victoria was able to install the enclosure without losing any car parking. The enclosure was sited in an area that was previously dead space between existing parking spaces.

Paul pedals the Blue Train Express

Paul Pinkney, head chef at Blue Train Cafe, is one person who is pleased to see the bike parking facility at Southgate. Paul, a long time Bicycle Network Victoria Member, cycles 10km to work each day from his home in Elwood.

"I love riding to work, it’s a very convenient, fast and inexpensive way of getting around... 90% of my bike trips are for commuting".

The victim of bike theft a number of years ago, Paul had been storing his new bike on the Blue Train premises, sometimes to the chagrin of his fellow chefs. ("Waiter, what’s this bike doing in my
soup?” “Looks like it’s trying to finish Around the Bay in a Day!”) “It’s great to have a dedicated and secure facility where I can park my bike. Riding has certainly had a beneficial effect on my health and fitness. I was even able to comfortably finish Around the Bay in a Day last year!”

With several chefs and a half a dozen staff regularly riding to work at the Blue Train, they will be getting a lot of use out of the new bike parking enclosure.

“A lot of the chefs and other staff are quite young and only working part time so riding a bike is the best way to get to work. Sometimes we work late and by the time we finish, public transport has stopped so being able to cruise home on the bike is fantastic. You just have to keep an eye out for the odd hoon!”