Valet service for two-wheelers

Free valet bike parking was offered at the Sydney Festival’s opening night, on behalf of the City of Sydney. The not-for-profit organisation BIKESydney developed the initiative to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

Prior to the event, Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said: “Up to 200,000 people are expected in Sydney this Saturday for the spectacular opening night of Sydney Festival and we’re encouraging everyone to take advantage of our valet bike parking and bike network.”

“Many of our city’s streets will be given over to pedestrians and bike riders on the night, and parks and public spaces will be filled with creativity and culture,” Ms Moore said.

“Our free valet bike parking in Hyde Park is in the heart of the action and has enough space for up to 300 bikes to be safely stored while their owners enjoy the entertainment.”

The valet parking, located at Hyde Park North on the corner of Park and Elizabeth Sts, saw attendants on site from 1pm until midnight. Patrons were issued claim checks in exchange for their bikes and BIKESydney staff guarded them in a secure corral.

BIKESydney hoped the service would encourage Sydneysiders to rediscover both their bikes and the outdoors, as well as cease driving to and from short distances.

President of BIKESydney, David Borella said: “The parking was an unqualified success by all accounts. There was a great turn out, great participation. People are really starting to get the idea, which is terrific.”

“We parked over 200 bikes in Hyde Park and over 130 in The Domain.

“Everyone knows how terrific it feels to be out and about in the car-free, public spaces of the Sydney Festival events,” he said.

The City Of Sydney council is also developing a 200-kilometre bike network, made up of bike paths including 55 kilometres of separated cycleways.

With bikes increasingly in the news, the City has developed Streetshare, a project aiming to foster harmony on the roads. The project, currently in development, will educate drivers, pedestrians and bike riders in sharing the streets.

“Streetshare is critically important in promoting the change we need to encourage cycling,” Mr Borella said. “Behaviour change is the most important part of it; everybody needs to play well together on our roads.”