Tampere's new grey curbside bike racks criticised for poor dusk visibility

According to YLE, Tampere has installed new grey curbside bike racks on several downtown streets, prompting residents to warn the low-contrast colour makes the racks hard to see at dusk.

The installations include a prominent rack on the edge of Joukahaisenkatu and a recently added spot near the Väinämöisenkadun and Joukahaisenkadun intersection. City officials say the placements follow an urban planning committee's bike-parking master plan approved in summer 2023 and are part of a wider effort that has added and improved more than a thousand bike parking spaces around Tampere.

Traffic planner Jukka Uusitalo told YLE that locating bike parking at the carriageway edge is common in central areas because bike traffic belongs on the roadway. He acknowledged the grey racks can blend into asphalt at dusk. Installers typically put reflective tape or strips on the ends, and he said he will ask crews to add another round of reflectors to improve visibility.