New bicycle parking planned for Amsterdam CS; to hold 4,000 bikes

The municipality of Amsterdam is planning to build a new large bicycle parking garage on the IJ, near Amsterdam Central Station that will be able to hold over 4 thousand bicycles. The city government approved the proposal by traffic alderman Pieter Litjens on Tuesday, the Telegraaf reports.

The new parking garage will be located underground and will replace the rusty bicycle platform on the northwest side and the current bicycle ferry directly behind the train station. In combination with a new promenade along the station, the new underground bike parking should create more space on the IJ side of the station.

"The IJ side of CS has been transformed from a no-go area into a beautiful connection to Amsterdam-Noord." Litjens said, according to the newspaper. But despite earlier measures, more bike parking is desperately needed. "Fifteen years ago, no one could have thought this would be a nice, busy and vibrant space with shops, restaurants and travelers. By parking bicycles underground, it creates more space on the wharf and a beautiful promenade along the water. So you can see better than ever that the IJ is not the northern border of Amsterdam, but runs right through the city."

The city hasn't decided yet how much money to allocate to this project. To be able to build this underground parking, the zoning for Sationseiland will have to be changed. The design for the parking will be available for inspection before summer.