The installation of 120 new units - each with space for six cycles - marks a significant growth of the popular cycle storage scheme, which over the next five years will provide up to 3,000 additional safe, secure storage spaces for people who live in tenement flats.

Following a successful trial in 2021, the residential on-street storage scheme delivered by Cyclehoop now offers over 1,400 secure spaces across more than 235 units citywide.

Demand for these units has been high, with typically 97% of spaces occupied and almost 3,000 residents registering for a new cycle storage space.

Convenient and secure on-street cycle storage is a key part of the city’s plans to encourage residents living in flats to view cycling as a practical option for everyday journeys.

Many people in older tenement buildings are discouraged from cycling regularly due to a lack of indoor storage space. Fire safety regulations can prevent bikes from being stored in stairwells, and theft from these communal areas can also be a concern.

Cyclehoop secured a five-year contract worth up to £2.5 million last year following an open tendering process and a decision by the council’s Contracts and Property Committee.

With plans to introduce an extra 500 on-street cycle storage units, the council expects to install 120 units per year for the first three years of the contract, with the remainder brought in over the final two years.

New locations are determined by several factors - requests and demand, the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, building type, and proximity to existing or planned cycle routes.

Thirty brand-new storage units have already been installed this year, with a similar number due for installation over the summer. By the end of the year, 120 new units will be on-street, offering convenient storage space for an extra 720 cycles.

Councillor Angus Millar, city convener for Transport, said: “Our on-street cycle storage programme is hugely popular and there is continuing, strong demand for more spaces across the city.

“Our planned expansion which will see the installation of up to 3,000 additional safe, secure storage spaces over the next five years will help meet that demand and remove an obstacle that we know stops people regularly using their bike. Living in a flat can deter people from cycling because they are concerned that they have nowhere to store their bike at home or it’s simply unsafe to leave it in the stairwell.

“We want to make cycling more accessible for everyday journeys for people living in a flat and access to safe, secure storage at street level close to people’s homes will help to do just that. I am delighted that more and more people will soon be able to benefit from this expansion in the coming years.”