tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post2429916382174974202..comments2024-03-27T12:53:39.298+01:00Comments on A view from the cycle path: Oh London...David Hembrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-65445773061700869532011-09-27T00:37:56.611+02:002011-09-27T00:37:56.611+02:00Here in Toronto, we have a bike share system downt...Here in Toronto, we have a bike share system downtown (Bixi, same as the one in London) and it is generally considered to be a success. The intention was never that bicycle sharing would make up a large percentage of trips. The main intention was to make cycling more widespread by giving bikeless visitors (mainly suburban residents, visitors from other cities, and tourists) access to bicycles Reaperexpressnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-60536968677850438162010-12-16T08:07:43.568+01:002010-12-16T08:07:43.568+01:00David,
I don't normally cycle within inner Lon...David,<br />I don't normally cycle within inner London, but during the SkyRide I was able to talk to a woman on a Boris bike. She said they were slow, but she'd had three bikes stolen in three years. <br /><br />Including one outside her work that was covered by CCTV and her expensive bike stolen along with her partner's bike from outside their flat on the only occasion her bike had amoebahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15783694650121687459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-74260113205999724782010-12-13T17:47:59.932+01:002010-12-13T17:47:59.932+01:00David, as you write on your blog, joining up bicyc...David, as you write on your blog, joining up bicycling with public transportation is a big deal. <a href="http://www.nrc.nl/international/article2482297.ece/" rel="nofollow">The share of train passengers arriving by bicycle has increased from 30 to 40 per cent in the past ten years</a> in The Netherlands. As you note, it's hard to take a bike on the train during rush hour so having another Erik Sandblomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14411108063216855210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-34454360927112588622010-12-13T16:26:24.888+01:002010-12-13T16:26:24.888+01:00Erik: The number of cyclists added to the streets ...Erik: The number of cyclists added to the streets by the cycle hire scheme in London is currently absolutely tiny. Even if it meets its promoters expectations it <a href="http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2010/08/most-expensive-bikes-in-world.html" rel="nofollow">will still be absolutely tiny</a>.<br /><br />That's the problem with bike-share schemes. The only thing that is large about them is the David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-20976691103937600282010-12-13T15:17:15.815+01:002010-12-13T15:17:15.815+01:00@ David
Yes 80% previously "cycled in London&...@ David<br />Yes 80% previously "cycled in London" but we don't know how often or for which journeys. The report says "Over half used the hire bikes instead of different modes". So the cycle hire has encouraged cyclists, ie people who cycle on occasion, to use bicycles for journeys where they previously would have used other modes. That's success.<br /><br />Others Erik Sandblomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14411108063216855210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-76271228959103322632010-12-13T14:08:15.992+01:002010-12-13T14:08:15.992+01:00Erik: You really do seem to want an argument today...Erik: You really do seem to want an argument today.<br /><br />Yes, I've read that paragraph. I just read it again. It still does not support your previous comment: "I find it encouraging that half the cycle hire users did not previously cycle in London".<br /><br />Flip back to page 11 and you'll read that "Around one-fifth of respondents had started cycling as a result ofDavid Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-73656186707931497792010-12-13T13:08:34.602+01:002010-12-13T13:08:34.602+01:00@ David
The report says that half the cycle hire u...@ David<br />The report says that half the cycle hire users switched modes. Page 12:<br /><br />"The survey respondents reported some change in their travel behaviour. Over half used the hire bikes instead of different modes. Around one-fifth reported using the hire bikes instead of just the Tube, eight per cent instead of just the bus and seven per cent instead of just walking. Less than Erik Sandblomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14411108063216855210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-39393928804182339022010-12-05T21:19:53.703+01:002010-12-05T21:19:53.703+01:00Green Idea Factory: You make money from bike share...Green Idea Factory: You make money from bike share schemes. Of course you're positive !<br /><br />However, the number are still nothing much. The article you link to says that New York wants a 10000 bike scheme. It sounds so impressive. Such a big number. However, New York has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_york" rel="nofollow">20 million residents</a>, so it's actually only David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-54760865922876886682010-12-05T20:50:25.486+01:002010-12-05T20:50:25.486+01:00Bike share needs to be an expected mobility utilit...Bike share needs to be an expected mobility utility in the larger towns and cities in the developing world -- expected like pay phones/mobile networks, water fountains, bathrooms and so on. To get to this level of normalcy it needs to stop being treated as a special case <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/11/23/nyc-dot-seeking-10000-bike-system-from-bike-share-providers/" rel="nofollow">Slow Factoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12056080802746709323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-69572030215264697112010-12-04T21:28:04.856+01:002010-12-04T21:28:04.856+01:00David
Road schemes all do have to cover their cos...David<br /><br />Road schemes all do have to cover their costs. I doubt a road scheme in the UK without a positive bcr has been built since 1960. The same is not true for rail or cycle schemes that are regularly built without a decent bcr.<br /><br />It is a shame that the hire scheme is failing to meet its targets but then cycle schemes in the UK regularly do - hence the reluctance to invest Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-708346445239488632010-12-03T18:52:57.036+01:002010-12-03T18:52:57.036+01:00Hopefully the hire bikes will become more popular ...Hopefully the hire bikes will become more popular now they are open for casual use, although there have been some <a href="http://londonist.com/2010/12/cycle-hire-casual-use-launches-today.php" rel="nofollow">technical problems.</a>christhebullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18058394246399615754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-67253416873373113122010-12-03T13:06:01.279+01:002010-12-03T13:06:01.279+01:00Simon B: Where would you prefer that we "go o...Simon B: Where would you prefer that we "go on about" ? Many <a href="http://hembrow.blogspot.com/search/label/excuses%22" rel="nofollow">excuses are made</a> but the truth is that <a href="http://crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com/2010/12/cycle-campaigning-down-memory-lane.html%22" rel="nofollow">no real progress is being made</a>. I wish it were not so.<br /><br />Britain could do a lot David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-49504217867537211052010-12-03T09:55:47.690+01:002010-12-03T09:55:47.690+01:00David
Can we stop going on about the Dutch! Holla...David<br /><br />Can we stop going on about the Dutch! Holland is pan flat and as a nation cycling has been part of their lifestyle for over a century. I have been cycling many thousands of miles for over 30 years across the UK - and it is not flat! I have also commuted in London for 15 years and think the introduction of the cycle scheme is a fantastic idea - seeing so many people on the little Simon Bhttp://www.thebikelightshop.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-10960887872354297462010-12-02T20:00:27.414+01:002010-12-02T20:00:27.414+01:00Michael Blue: Yes, sometimes there are a lot of cy...Michael Blue: Yes, sometimes there are a lot of cyclists. Yes, sometimes this can cause a little congestion. However, it's nothing like the results of car congestion, and "dangerous" is a strong word. Dutch cyclists remain the safest in the world.<br /><br />I can't remember ever failing to get through a traffic light junction on the first green that I saw. Waiting times tend toDavid Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-30920211433099745612010-12-02T19:08:14.789+01:002010-12-02T19:08:14.789+01:00Dave, an article came to my attention. It was pub...Dave, an article came to my attention. It was published in certain Czech news. It references AFP from The Hague. According to it Dutch cycle path are more and more congested and dangerous. They quote Hugo van der Steenhoven saying that "We became victims of our success" (in translation). Also, that sometimes there are so many cyclists at traffic lights, that not all of them manage toMicheal Bluenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-6680770845914074032010-12-02T13:55:53.857+01:002010-12-02T13:55:53.857+01:00Strict Liability seems to have become a rather pop...Strict Liability seems to have become a rather popular idea amongst British cyclists recently. In some cases, people claim that this alone would be enough to get people cycling. However, I believe this is false.<br /><br />Changing the legal liability doesn't change how the streets feel. The lack of cycling is not due merely to a worry that their family might not get compensation after they&#David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-44965121766927542232010-12-02T13:24:42.950+01:002010-12-02T13:24:42.950+01:00One 'silver bullet' to get more UK folk cy...One 'silver bullet' to get more UK folk cycling might be to introduce 'Strict Liability'<br /><br />Children<Pedestrians<cyclists<Motorbikes<cars<buses<trucks<br /><br />the 'bigger/stronger' party assumes responsibility<br /><br /><br />http://www.access-legal.co.uk/legal-news/strict-liability-shat-is-it-cyclists-really-want-lu-2985.htm<br /><br />I knowMarkhttp://www.mas-design.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-55751181567293870162010-12-02T09:32:43.588+01:002010-12-02T09:32:43.588+01:00It's the lure of the quick-fix. People who hav...It's the lure of the quick-fix. People who have a weight problem will go sooner for the expensive miracle slimming tablets or even more expensive liposuction than change their lifestyle, even thought they somehow know, in the back of their heads, that the 'quick fixes' of this world either don't work or work for a short time only.<br /><br />Governments ought to be wiser than fallAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-92099283166060458862010-12-02T01:37:47.138+01:002010-12-02T01:37:47.138+01:00"London just could not have Paris being one u..."London just could not have Paris being one up on London."<br /><br />And after all these centuries you'd think they'd be used to it by now.kfgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-15071922015885801862010-12-02T00:36:16.243+01:002010-12-02T00:36:16.243+01:00It appears to me that the bike share is a service ...It appears to me that the bike share is a service to the 1% Fearless and 7% Confident groups. They can 'outsource' the risk of their own bike getting stolen or damaged to the bikeshare. <br /><br />Until the streets are made safer this seems to be the main service the bikeshare provides. Transporting people is just a side effect.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see what happens once timoohzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10834503055085746194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-38130924021573099812010-12-01T21:13:36.209+01:002010-12-01T21:13:36.209+01:00I have an emotional affinity for bike sharing sche...I have an emotional affinity for bike sharing schemes; however, I don't believe that they have much chance of accomplishing what they intend.<br /><br />I believe that spending the same amount of money on realistic and safe cycling infrastructure would, over time, be much more effective in moving people from vehicles to bikes.Traditional Bike Club Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15686473479441209354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-35207025016336369742010-12-01T20:52:57.684+01:002010-12-01T20:52:57.684+01:00Surely the main reason London now has a cycle hire...Surely the main reason London now has a cycle hire scheme is that Paris has one, and London just could not have Paris being one up on London. :)Taliesinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04399506198451047847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-32054318447411952772010-12-01T17:46:35.801+01:002010-12-01T17:46:35.801+01:00Erik: It's a summary of the progress so far, a...Erik: It's a summary of the progress so far, as reported by the officials in charge. A failure ? I didn't say that. Nor did the people who wrote the report. However, the schemes have not met their targets, and the change in modal share is 0.01%. Do you count that as a success ?<br /><br />The claim in the report is that 1/5th of users of the cycle hire scheme are new cyclists, not a half.David Hembrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14543024940730663645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-71683986778359338852010-12-01T16:00:48.916+01:002010-12-01T16:00:48.916+01:00The hire scheme and blue paint have only been goin...The hire scheme and blue paint have only been going four months. It's too early to say it's a failure.<br /><br />In fact I find it encouraging that half the cycle hire users did not previously cycle in London (survey of self-selecting users). It seems reasonable to assume that as time wears on, more and more so-called non-cyclists will try the scheme and cycling will become more sociallyErik Sandblomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14411108063216855210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3102538965694240940.post-26860906968159870572010-12-01T14:12:27.661+01:002010-12-01T14:12:27.661+01:00Hear hear.
Re: "Almost half of all users wou...Hear hear.<br /><br />Re: "Almost half of all users would otherwise use their own bikes. 84% of registered users of the scheme own their own bike."<br /><br />Note that this is 84% of registered users <i>who responded to the survey</i>. The survey reached a tiny fraction of registered users and it was plugged a lot on bike blogs and websites, so this number might not be representative Joe Dhttp://waronthemotorist.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com