Design Responses > About Parking Facilities > Case Studies >
Transport Interchange
Musashi Koganei (Tokyo JP)

Overground uncovered bicycle parking serving Musashi Koganei Station. Parking is provided for 357 bicycles. Access is controlled by automatic tollgates, which read not only access control cards but detect the two wheels of each bike that enters or leaves this facility; the system controls stainless steel barriers. Inside the parking there are floor-marking boxes enclosed by bent tube corridor dividers, with steel wire mesh fences that enclose the whole area. The facility is intended to be unguarded but is monitored by CCTV. Users can park 24hrs, monthly subscription ¥1900 (£9.50). Monthly subscription ¥1500 (£7.50 students) with daily (24 hours) ticket costing ¥100 (£0.50).

Provider
Koganei Planning Office

Designer / Architect
Alzok, SOHGO SECURITY SERVICES CO., LTD

Cost of provision
Undisclosed Information

Strengths
• The facility has achieved the provision of secure bicycle parking at street level (outdoors), with very carefully controlled access
• Alsok is known as a very reliable security company in Japan, they not only guard the station with CCTV, but the department store across the street, pachinko (pinball) establishments and several banks and cash machines in the area so in the event of any incident involving the bicycle parking, it could be an advantage for tracking the criminal's movements
• The high quality materials represent a big initial investment, but this facility requires very low maintenance and has no wardens which greatly reduces running costs

Weaknesses
• The highest expense of this facility is the access system
• Only serves 357 bicycles, which is insufficient for a station in an area with 10,000 inhabitants per square kilometre
• Using double level racks the designers could have optimised utilisation of the parking floor area
• Users are aware of the technological advantages that this sophisticated gate system has, though as a paid service some users would prefer to have a bit of shelter for their bicycles, to protect them from rain and snow

Useful References
www.alsok.co.jp