‘Astonishingly high’ demand for Bike Bunkers will result in loss of car parking spaces
Dublin City Council are developing a ‘Sustainable Kurbside Policy’ to inform the expansion of their Bike Bunkers programme.
Bike Bunkers are storage units that provide the public with a secure place to park their bikes and are intended for local residents who don’t have sufficient space in their own homes. This programme commenced in December 2025 and, to date, 56 bunkers have been installed - but 3,384 spaces have been requested.
The intense demand for on-street residential cycle parking provides challenges for the council, as the areas of highest need are often residential streets, mostly without driveways that are already oversubscribed for car parking. In order to facilitate the rollout of more bunkers, this means the removal of existing car parking spaces, which can receive significant pushback from the public.
Executive Manager for Traffic Brendan O’Brien spoke to representatives at yesterday’s Mobility and Public Realm SPC about their plans to develop policy for the sustainable use of kerbside space. He stressed those behind the programme don’t want to be “fighting every street” over the need for space, but the council’s proposal does set out a need for “re-organisation and loss of spaces”.
Bike Bunkers fall under the umbrella of sustainable transport and align with the council's City Development Plan to encourage the public to choose active travel options . One option indicated for 10-30% of kurbside space to go toward sustainable transport uses. This does not automatically mean a loss of space, but a strategic policy direction for locations to be assessed.
Sustainable purposes include not just cycle parking, but also shared mobility parking, car sharing, and cargo bike parking provision. Other sustainable transport infrastructure can also be considered, including greening and sustainable urban drainage.
Ultimately, the rollout of Bike Bunkers thus far justifies plans to expand the service, as almost all bunkers now available are fully subscribed, Mr O’Brien confirmed. He said the installation process has, for the most part, “gone swimmingly”. “Some have generated quite a few complaints, but we’ve not caused the world’s end in a lot of places.”
Members of the Mobility and Public Realm SPC welcomed the development of clear policy on the use of kerbside space, but not all were happy about a clear percentage being allocated to sustainable use at this point. Fine Gael Cllr Ray McAdam said he does not support a predetermined percentage and called for a "hierarchy" of considerations and a plan for what comes out on top when they come into conflict with one another.
Social Democrats Cllr Karl Stanley said there is no “one size fits all solution” for kurbside parking and they should carry out community surveys to ascertain the public’s potential buy-in. “I’m getting to point of getting rid of my car, I’d happily have a bike bunker put in it’s place,” he said.
Jason Cullen from the Dublin Commuter Coalition said he is not surprised by the “astonishingly high” demand for bunkers, but that the price should be lowered. Currently, the annual fee for a bike bunker permit is €100 per year, compared to €50 for one year or €80 for two years for a conventional on-street parking permit.
This concern was echoed by Green Party Cllr Donna Conney. “People on lower income shouldn’t have to pay. It would be cheaper to buy a van that’s unroadworthy, put a tax disc on it, take the wheels off and adapt it into a place to put your bike,” she said.
Representatives agreed that a Sustainable Kerbside Policy would be developed and brought to a future meetings of the SPC for further discussion.
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