Istanbul mall's new bike parking lot waits for brave cyclists
July 6, 2010
New bicycle parking lots at an Istanbul mall alışveriş merkezi will help encourage desteklemek people to ride instead of drive, shoppers in the neighborhood said Tuesday, though some wondered how many cyclists would actually brave the traffic and hills.
A large sign at the Cevahir Shopping Center heralds ilan etmek its opening two months ago of dedicated adanmış parking spots for pedal-powered transport: "We made an environmentalist investment yatırım. We opened a parking area for bicycles.'
The area around the mall, located where the busy and hilly neighborhoods of Şişli, Mecidiyeköy and Fulya meet, is almost always traffic-clogged tıkalı, and contains no routes yol for cyclists.
"It would be good if there was a cycle route here since riding is healthier and saves energy. But the traffic congestion sıkışıklık does not allow bike riders,' said Eşref Demirci, a visitor to the mall. He said it is impossible to ride almost anywhere in Istanbul and thus the bicycle parking spaces at Cevahir will be useless faydasız.
Mall officials say they are aware haberdar that it is difficult for bicyclists to get to Cevahir due to the narrow roads and lack of cycling routes, but they believe the parking lot can still encourage riders. Mall spokesman Ufuk İşman told the Daily News that it is the municipality's belediye duty görev to create bike lanes dar yol in the area.
Mall spokesman İşman said many people have already made use of the bike parking lot, but some visitors to the shopping center disagree. Hüseyin Alkan, who works in front of the mall all day checking on the arrival varış times of private buses, said he had only seen bicycles parked there twice in the two months since the lot had been opened.
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