The first community bicycle storage in Hungary is now up and running
To the best of our knowledge, the first community bicycle storage facility in Hungary was set up in Zugló by the Esélykert Foundation, with the support of the Energiaklub in the framework of the INTERREG ENES-CE project.
Community bike storage is needed because in urban environments, condominiums often do not have adequate indoor storage space for bicycles, especially when it comes to vehicles that can carry children or luggage. It can also be a barrier if there are some suitable spaces, but they may not be enough for the residents. In Zugló, the local community recognised this lack, and with the help of volunteers, they built a storage facility to improve the conditions for cycling and bicycle use, which can be an incentive for the people living in the area. The storage facility also acts as a community lending facility: local residents using the storage facility can also offer their bikes for hire. This type of sharing economy allows us to buy fewer goods (in this case bicycles), which require less energy to produce.
In addition, given that emissions from transport are a major contributor to climate change, reducing motorised, individual modes (driving) and switching to cycling is a huge step forward in living a climate-friendly lifestyle.
In the framework of the ENES-CE project, four local actions were implemented in Zugló with the involvement of local communities.
Local authorities face many challenges in meeting their climate targets: financial constraints, lack of staff with specific skills, and often the provision of adequate information to local communities is not progressing at an ideal pace. All of this could call into question the target of 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 that many are committed to. The involvement of local communities and community actions, civic initiatives are essential to achieve climate targets. Active participation can also encourage others around us to join in similar climate-conscious actions.
