Centraal Station, Rotterdam (2)
part 2: fietsenstalling
Bicycles are a very popular means of transportaion in the Netherlands; after all, it is very flat. The entire country was formed as the delta of the river Rhine, at exacly sea level.
For hunderts of kilometers, the highest points are the man-made dikes, at 5–8 m above sea level. The lowest points are the polder lands, laying up to 7 m below sea level.
The infrastructure for bikes in dutch cities is fantastic. On major streets, separated bike paths usually run along both sides. And unlike here in Switzerland, the bike lanes don’t just magically disappear at the intersections…
At Rotterdam Centraal Station, below the main plaza, there is underground fietsenstalling for a good five thousand fietsen.
The entrance provides easy access to the underground parking on moving walkways.
There is a sensor on each stand and a parking guidance system, displaying the free spaces in each isle.
The hall is bright and well lit. Also, there is direct access to and from the train tracks from the bike garage.