“What are the rules, anyway? Where can you park your bike, and where can’t you?” The question doesn’t come from a student, but from a local police officer. It’s a Thursday morning in December, and the officer is attending a presentation session where Psychology students are sharing the results of their end-of-term projects, which involved writing policy papers on social issues.
The question reflects two key findings from the students’ research on Maastricht’s bike parking problem: students aren’t the only culprits (observations show they are responsible for 24 per cent of improperly parked bikes), and the rules aren’t always clear. In a survey of over 120 students, 60 per cent stated that the city should provide clearer guidance on where bike parking is permitted.
Subtle prompts
It’s an interesting finding, as this is exactly what Maastricht has been trying to do in recent years through its ongoing Posifiets campaign. The Psychology students advise the city to use more “nudging” techniques – subtle, positive prompts to encourage desired behaviour. “For example, you could paint wheelchair symbols on pavements to remind people to keep them clear, or use arrows to indicate where bikes can be parked instead of just putting up ‘No Bicycle Parking’ signs.” These measures could also help raise awareness of the problem, particularly among students. The survey found that half of the student respondents see no harm in bikes being scattered around the city.
However, the Psychology students emphasise that nudging can only be effective if there are enough bicycle parking spaces. This seems to be the heart of the problem. While laziness – not feeling like walking to a bike rack or parking facility – and ignorance contribute to improper parking, insufficient parking capacity is the main problem. “The municipality must decide who to prioritise: day-trippers and car commuters or cyclists. Take the Q-park garage under Vrijthof, which is huge and almost entirely reserved for cars. It could be largely converted into a bicycle parking facility.”
Price tag
Of all the suggestions put forward by the students – nudging, clearer guidance, stricter enforcement and increasing parking capacity – the last option, creating more bicycle parking spaces, comes with the highest price tag. The question is whether the municipality can afford such an investment, although some progress has already been made in this area. Since 2020, about 1,400 new bicycle parking spaces have been created in the city centre and Wyck, and there are – still very uncertain – plans to build a facility for at least 800 bikes in the Entre Deux shopping centre.