Groningen Launches XXL Bicycle Count to Map Bike Parking Needs
The city is mapping bicycle and scooter parking to plan for future infrastructure—stickers on bikes are harmless and part of the count.
Starting this week, municipal employees and an external agency will count parked bicycles in the city centre, including the inner city within the deep ring, the Westerhaven area, and nearby spots. This “XXL fietsentelling” (extra-large bike count) will take place six times over the coming weeks.
In addition to counting bikes, the municipality is also tracking how long they remain parked. Special attention will be given to the Vismarkt and the south side of the Herestraat, where stickers or labels will be placed on parked bikes to measure duration. The municipality assures residents that these stickers are temporary and harmless—they’re only for data collection.
The survey includes all types of bicycles, from everyday bikes to fat bikes, and also bicycle wrecks and abandoned bikes, which take up valuable space. A separate study later this month will focus on how many of these are cluttering up public areas.
According to policy advisor Mike van der Helm, the ultimate goal is to keep the city accessible while ensuring enough parking space for cyclists:
“We want to support cyclists, but when bikes block sidewalks or roads, that becomes a problem.”
So if you see people counting or stickering bikes around town, don’t be alarmed. As the municipality says:
“Nothing to worry about—we’re just measuring the city centre.”