Tallinn publishes a manual for constructing bike sheds, to popularize mobility mode

If we have more bicycles, we’ll need more spaces to store them, too, so the city wants help

The Estonian capital, Tallinn, wants to see more people using bikes for their mobility needs, but there’s a problem – there aren’t enough spaces to store the bikes, for example at night. That is why the authorities have published an official how-to-guide guide aimed at citizens and neighbourhood associations with useful advice on building a bike shed from scratch.

The lack of convenient bicycle parking is one of the important reasons that prevent the use of a bicycle as a daily means of transportation. The purpose of the guide was to create an easy-to-grasp overview for those who would like to build parking spaces, but don't know where to start. For me, this is also an inspiring example of a customer-oriented and service-based approach, where the guide has been prepared in cooperation with the city's various institutions with the aim of making the service as accessible as possible to the city's citizens," described the situation Deputy Mayor Madle Lippus.

What to expect from the guide

The manual outlines the necessary preliminary work for the construction of parking spaces, possible bicycle storage solutions, information on bicycle shelter support and construction conditions. The conditions for the construction of a bicycle parking lot, a lot with a canopy and a bicycle shed are specified separately from the bicycle storage solutions. 

Also, the conditions for rebuilding or adapting a storage space inside the residential building are outlined (for example, a basement, garage, shed or other room). Apartment cooperatives can, in agreement with the city, build a bicycle parking space on city land bordering the property. 

In this case, the request should be announced and coordinated with the district government and the Tallinn Environment and Municipal Board. When building a bicycle parking place, security must be taken into account: if the bicycles are located in a visible location, the risk of theft is reduced. The bike is best protected by a secure lock.

An apartment association that has built a bike shed in the courtyard of an apartment or has adapted a room in the building to store bikes can apply for a subsidy within six months after the completion of the works. In addition, it is possible to receive support for the installation of bicycle and scooter battery charging devices in the yard, bike shed or indoor space. The subsidy compensates up to 70 percent of the cost of construction works, for a maximum of 10,000 euros per apartment building.