A smooth ride to the Binckhorst thanks to award-winning startup from Delft
June 2, 2023
Launching ‘Binck to Bike’ hub
Starting today, anyone who works at the Binckhorst can use an electric share bike to get into the area. The e-bikes are charged wirelessly using the smart charging tiles from startup Tiler based in Delft. The first parking lot can be found at Hotel Savarin in Rijswijk. People can park their cars and take an electric bike to the Binckhorst within eight minutes. In this trial period the reduction in car traffic and parking pressure in the area will be monitored.
On Thursday, June 1, the so-called Bike to Binck hub was festively opened in the presence of Aldermen Van Asten (Urban Development, The Hague) and Van de Laar (Mobility, Rijswijk). This solution is an outcome of Startup in Residence, part of the ImpactCity programming.
“You can get to the Binckhorst from Rijswijk in eight minutes by electric bike. There it is often quite jammed with cars. This way you enter the area free of traffic jams and in a relaxed way. It’s nice to see that passionate entrepreneurs want to think along about how we prepare our city for the future.”
Winning idea
Late last year, through the innovation program Startup in Residence, the municipality of The Hague asked Startup in Residence Intergov to come up with an innovative solution to stimulate and facilitate sustainable travel to the Binckhorst. The winning idea came from startup Tiler: ‘e-bike hubs’ with an innovative charging solution at a P&R location within cycling distance of the Binckhaven and one in Binckhaven itself. It involves eight bicycles at the P&R site of Hotel Savarin, near junctions at the A4 and A13 motorways, in Rijswijk, and seven bicycles in the Binckhaven. The municipality of The Hague has made an investment of €25,000 to set up this pilot. The pilot will run for four months, starting June 1st.
Charging tiles instead of charging poles
The bikes are charged wirelessly using smart technology in Tiler’s charging tiles. That method of charging also saves additional transportation movements in the city: share bike providers now have to change batteries by service people driving across town. With the new technology, this is no longer necessary. It is also expected to make it possible for share bike providers to offer bikes in places relatively far from their normal service area. Tiler hopes to offer a similar solution for scooters and cargo bikes in the future.
“In the co-creation within our innovation program between the municipality of The Hague and TILER, this pilot is already showing what the solution for a better accessible Binckhorst can be. A feasible and scalable solution to an important challenge. That is exactly what we want to achieve with our program: real impact on social issues.”
Users can rent a parking space including an e-bike starting at €2 per hour, and companies have the option of subscriptions for their employees starting at €79 per employee per month.