Dublin just got its first bike library

A pilot project is underway in Dublin, Ireland to provide access to cargo bikes, e-bikes and folding bikes as part of a new bike library.

The bike library is an initiative by parents at the Educate Together National School in Harold’s Cross, Dublin and is included as part of the school package. It is being run by Francesco Pilla who is a Professor of Smart Cities at University College Dublin.

“It’s about giving a choice to parents when they are travelling to school with their kids, a choice to use a bike rather than a car,” he says.

Although cycling is an affordable transportation option for most, the upfront costs can be substantial, especially when considering a cargo bike or e-bike, which can cost thousands of dollars. This way, families can use them without making that investment right away.

“As e-cargo bikes are quite expensive, I think that creates a barrier because parents or families don’t feel like investing such an amount of money,” Pilla says. “But I think once they try them and feel the convenience, how it’s easy to go around and bring kids to school they might want to invest”.

According to a press release, In Harold’s Cross, families are already taking delivery of a free loan from the bike library.

In an article on Rte.ie, parents Pete Drumm and Marie Moran are taking advantage of the program by borrowing an e-bike to take their daughter to school.

“It’s better than taking the car to school and we have the chance now to try out the e-bike without investing the two grand or whatever it costs for an e-bike..and hopefully it’ll open wider journeys as well, maybe to her Granny’s, to the park, all that kind of stuff without having to get into the car,” Drumm says, in the article.

According to the article, the European Commission is providing funding through its iChange project as is Science Foundation Ireland. Bleeper Bike is providing the bikes.

According to an EU report, around three-quarters of trips in Ireland are made by car, which is not keeping up with the major sustainable mobility push in other countries throughout the European Union. So, Ireland needs all the help it can get to push for change.

The idea of a bike library is not new, but they are being introduced more and more to help speed the adoption of e-bikes and cargo bikes seen as keys to lowering carbon emissions and combating the climate crisis.