Secure bike storage is set to be rolled out on dozens more streets across Edinburgh, more than doubling the number of hangars currently available.
The council has been inundated with requests for the scheme to be brought to more locations with over 1,500 people on the waiting list for spaces.
Calls to reduce the monthly £6 cost of accessing the units have suggested raising parking permit charges to subsidise those on lower incomes - a move criticised by one councillor as "pitting drivers against cyclists".
The initial phase of the secure on-street cycle parking project has been underway since 2019 with 108 hangars out of 180 - totalling 1,080 spaces - installed so far.
Edinburgh Council's transport and environment committee has voted to proceed to phase two, which will see a further 200 units - providing 1,200 spaces - rolled out over the next few years.
Expansion of the scheme, which is outsourced by the council to Cyclehoop, has been made possible by an £806k grant from Sustrans via the Scottish Government.
The 101 new locations getting cycle parking (listed below) were chosen based on the volume of requests from residents in different parts of the city - and the council said areas with higher levels of deprivation are now being given priority.
The cost of using the secure hangars is £97 per year, including a £25 deposit, which some councillors have been quick to point out is more expensive than some 12 month parking permits in Edinburgh, which can cost as little as £34.70.
A report, which went before the committee on Thursday (May 18), said: "While a comparison with parking charges is understandable and legitimate, it is worth noting that the cycle hangers require much more intensive management."
One option for reducing the charges for people on lower incomes would be introducing "slightly higher charges outwith areas of deprivation," the report added.
Councillor Scott Arthur, convener of the transport and environment committee, said: "I do think it is right that we look at reducing the cost of the bike hangars, particularly for people on low incomes.
"I'm in two minds about the comparison between bike spaces and parking spaces in terms of cost, because to a certain extent we're comparing apples and oranges in terms of the service that's provided - but then I can't resist myself making the comparison
as well."
The Greens' Jule Bandel said: "As a principle bike parking should be cheaper than parking a car, they take up much less public space than a car, they don't cause any congestion or air pollution."
She said as the contract with Cyclehoop is due to come to an end at the beginning of 2024 now was the "perfect time to explore alternative options" including the council running the service itself, a move which the Labour administration and SNP group
said they would be open to looking into.
Cllr Bandel added: "If for whatever reason in-sourcing isn't advisable and we need to find money to fund a subsidy, our view is that we should be funding it by raising parking charges, especially on the most polluting vehicles."
Councillor Christopher Cowdy, Conservatives, said this would be “pitting drivers against cyclists” - which he added would be divisive and should be avoided.
A future meeting of the committee will be updated on how the scheme could be made more affordable for lower earners and what the cost of subsidy to ensure bike parking is cheaper than car parking would be.
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-streets-set-new-secure-26944194
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