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Basil Jet[_2_] June 22nd 10 11:35 AM

Cycle hire
 
The Mayor's new cycle hire station at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.

Mizter T June 22nd 10 01:36 PM

Cycle hire
 

On Jun 22, 12:35*pm, Basil Jet wrote:
The Mayor's new cycle hire station at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.


It is - it's the one outside the new-ish Blue Fin building. I went and
had a look at it last week. There's another one just the other side of
Blackfriars Road on Stamford Street, outside King's Reach Tower, that
also looked finished, but was surrounded by fencing, so perhaps not
quite there yet. In several other locations the preparatory work has
been done, resulting in there being metal base plates ready and
awaiting the next stage of installation of the docking station.

No bikes yet of course - they'll come later, and the system goes live
on 30 July. I've a more lengthy post gestating in my head about the
Cycle Hire scheme - must get on with putting fingers to keyboard and
post it soon!

[email protected] June 22nd 10 09:56 PM

Cycle hire
 
On 22/06/2010 21:41, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:35:19 +0100, Basil Jet
wrote:

The Mayor's new cycle hire station at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.


And TfL leaflets about the hire scheme have started to appear in tube
station leaflet racks. I picked one up this morning.


They have/had something like that in Copenhagen, which I saw. The
bicycles were not in a good way, I might note.

Didn't they have a scheme like that in Paris, and the bicycles simply
disappeared?

Richard J.[_3_] June 22nd 10 10:37 PM

Cycle hire
 
wrote on 22 June 2010
22:56:22 ...
On 22/06/2010 21:41, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:35:19 +0100, Basil Jet
wrote:

The Mayor's new cycle hire station at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.


And TfL leaflets about the hire scheme have started to appear in tube
station leaflet racks. I picked one up this morning.


They have/had something like that in Copenhagen, which I saw. The
bicycles were not in a good way, I might note.

Didn't they have a scheme like that in Paris, and the bicycles simply
disappeared?


The scheme is still running and is highly popular. It now has 20,000
bikes and 1639 stations, roughly one station every 300 metres throughout
the city centre, making Vélib’ the largest system of its kind in the
world. (according to Wikipedia)

Admittedly there has been much more theft and vandalism of the bikes
than originally expected.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

Mizter T June 22nd 10 11:45 PM

Cycle hire
 

On Jun 22, 9:41*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:35:19 +0100, Basil Jet
wrote:
The Mayor's new cycle hire station at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.


And TfL leaflets about the hire scheme have started to appear in tube
station leaflet racks. I picked one up this morning.


Good stuff. I know in the grand scheme of things that it's not all
that, that it's not some magic wand that;s going to solve all
transport issues, that it'll suffer all manner of teething issues,
that it'll get hyped mercilessly by Boris and Co, that it'll provide
plentiful opportunities for generating bad press, and not just bad
press but bad things that may (nay, will, at least in some cases)
happen as a result, but nonetheless I find this a very interesting and
exciting scheme, one that has quite a bit of potential to make good
things happen rather beyond the narrow confines of the scheme itself.

As I said upthread, there's a long overdue post that's been floating
round my head about this scheme that I must get round to, well,
posting sometime soon! That, plus my 'trip report' on the new
countdown pedestrian crossing on Blackfriars Rd that I 'did' on the
opening day (that's yesterday)! Oh, and various thoughts on the ELLX
too...
fx: sound of utl-ers furiously adding one "Mizter T" to their kill
files lest they keel over from boredom!

Roland Perry June 23rd 10 10:22 AM

Cycle hire
 
In message akaUn.10530$NM4.4173@hurricane, at 22:56:22 on Tue, 22 Jun
2010, " remarked:
The Mayor's new cycle hire station at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.


And TfL leaflets about the hire scheme have started to appear in tube
station leaflet racks. I picked one up this morning.


They have/had something like that in Copenhagen, which I saw. The
bicycles were not in a good way, I might note.

Didn't they have a scheme like that in Paris, and the bicycles simply
disappeared?


I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.

Here in Brussels they have a scheme, this is a rather jolly advert for
them (I presume):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46604657@N00/270337240

But I did note a rack outside the Central Station was completely empty
yesterday.
--
Roland Perry

Theo Markettos June 24th 10 10:07 AM

Cycle hire
 
Roland Perry wrote:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.


Lausanne is built on a rather large hill. I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required. I imagine that isn't
so much a problem in London or Paris, though perhaps they will end up
congregating at other places?

Cardiff has the beginnings of a similar scheme:
http://www.oybike.com

Theo
(who notes that the Lausanne metro has a special section for bikes, which
might help with the hill problem)

Basil Jet[_2_] June 24th 10 11:52 AM

Cycle hire
 
On 24/06/2010 11:07, Theo Markettos wrote:
Roland wrote:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.


Lausanne is built on a rather large hill. I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required. I imagine that isn't
so much a problem in London or Paris, though perhaps they will end up
congregating at other places?

Cardiff has the beginnings of a similar scheme:
http://www.oybike.com

Theo
(who notes that the Lausanne metro has a special section for bikes, which
might help with the hill problem)


Especially if they give a small discount for people with rented bikes.

Roland Perry June 24th 10 12:49 PM

Cycle hire
 
In message , at 11:07:28 on Thu,
24 Jun 2010, Theo Markettos
remarked:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.


Lausanne is built on a rather large hill.


And the metro stations are sloping. I tried to take a picture but it's
very difficult to capture the angles properly.

I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required.


Theo
(who notes that the Lausanne metro has a special section for bikes, which
might help with the hill problem)


The man I saw was filling the racks just outside the Metro station at
the bottom of the hill (by the harbour)! Of course, they have such good
public transport, it makes you wonder why they also need a bike scheme.
--
Roland Perry

Richard J.[_3_] June 24th 10 01:42 PM

Cycle hire
 
Theo Markettos wrote on 24 June 2010
11:07:28 ...
Roland wrote:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.


Lausanne is built on a rather large hill. I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required. I imagine that isn't
so much a problem in London or Paris ...


In Paris it's certainly a problem at Montmartre, where bikes have to be
taken by truck back to the top of the hill.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

Arthur Figgis June 24th 10 09:08 PM

Cycle hire
 
On 24/06/2010 11:07, Theo Markettos wrote:
Roland wrote:
I saw one in Lausanne recently, where a chap was assiduously filling up
empty racks from a trailer (I did wonder what the carbon efficiency of
that was in the event he drives a few miles to deliver just one bike...
but no doubt over time it works out.


Lausanne is built on a rather large hill. I imagine all the bikes drift to
the bottom, so some kind of rebalancing is required. I imagine that isn't
so much a problem in London or Paris, though perhaps they will end up
congregating at other places?


Somewhere in Norway has a clever uphill-o-matic thing for cyclists to
use. There are videos online.

There is also a Paris style bike hire scheme in Caen - I looked at using
it the other day, but there wasn't a "station" near where I was going.
--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

Basil Jet[_2_] June 24th 10 10:17 PM

Cycle hire
 
On 24/06/2010 22:51, Ian Jelf wrote:

I agree the public transport is pretty decent but there is scope for
further improvement. What is interesting is that a good cross section of
society uses it - it doesn't seem to be seen as "a distress purchase".


That is a very Swiss (and Austrian) thing, generally lacking elsewhere,
to a greater or lesser extent.


Buses in Bromley are full of people who look like they have other options.

Basil Jet[_2_] June 25th 10 12:17 AM

Cycle hire
 
On 25/06/2010 00:16, Ian Jelf wrote:
In message , Basil Jet
writes
On 24/06/2010 22:51, Ian Jelf wrote:

I agree the public transport is pretty decent but there is scope for
further improvement. What is interesting is that a good cross
section of
society uses it - it doesn't seem to be seen as "a distress purchase".

That is a very Swiss (and Austrian) thing, generally lacking elsewhere,
to a greater or lesser extent.


Buses in Bromley are full of people who look like they have other
options.


You don't mean the Bromley near Brierley Hill/Kingswinford, do you?


No, the London Borough. In Kent. ;-)

Mizter T June 25th 10 10:55 AM

Cycle hire
 

On Jun 25, 1:17*am, Basil Jet wrote:

On 25/06/2010 00:16, Ian Jelf wrote:


In message , Basil Jet
writes


On 24/06/2010 22:51, Ian Jelf wrote:


I agree the public transport is pretty decent but there is scope
for further improvement. What is interesting is that a good
cross section of society uses it - it doesn't seem to be seen
as "a distress purchase".


That is a very Swiss (and Austrian) thing, generally lacking elsewhere,
to a greater or lesser extent.


Buses in Bromley are full of people who look like they have other
options.


You don't mean the Bromley near Brierley Hill/Kingswinford, do you?


No, the London Borough. In Kent. ;-)


It's about time we had another massive, circular debate about what
does and doesn't constitute London. Not!

John's point is right, of course - in many cases the *car* is the
"distress" option.

Theo Markettos June 25th 10 10:13 PM

Cycle hire
 
Basil Jet wrote:
Especially if they give a small discount for people with rented bikes.


If you stay in any hotel (even the youth hostel) in Lausanne you get a free
travel pass for the duration, so that generally isn't a problem for the
tourist :)

Theo

martin June 26th 10 04:43 PM

Cycle hire
 
On Jun 25, 10:57*pm, Ian Jelf wrote:

The Swiss teach children in school how to read public transport
timetables, a simple and not particularly onerous task which results in
a Genuinely Useful skill for life, I've always thought.


Apparently we may already do such a thing he
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/14/bus_test/

Michael R N Dolbear June 26th 10 09:29 PM

Cycle hire
 
Ian Jelf wrote

The Swiss teach children in school how to read public transport
timetables, a simple and not particularly onerous task which

results in
a Genuinely Useful skill for life, I've always thought.


Apparently we may already do such a thing he
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/08/14/bus_test/


Funny that the UK public (or media at any rate) are "bemused" by such

a
concept.


That said, I would have liked the blurb to make more of the

*planning*
of the journey, to bring us up to Swiss standards.......


Using timetables seems to be in Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum

http://www.eco-schoolsni.org/media/9...94144c43dTrans
link%2520keystage-2.pdf

http://www.mychild.co.uk/downloads/maths-worksheets
Math worksheets - Time to Go!
Using one of our math worksheets will help your child to use 24-hour
clock notation and use a timetable.

--
Mike D



Mizter T June 26th 10 11:33 PM

Cycle hire
 

On Jun 26, 10:57*pm, Ian Jelf wrote:

In message 01cb1576$430ada20$LocalHost@default, Michael R N Dolbear
writes
[snip]
http://www.mychild.co.uk/downloads/maths-worksheets
Math worksheets - Time to Go!
Using one of our math worksheets will help your child to use 24-hour
clock notation and use a timetable.


Er *math* worksheets? * One step forward with life skills, one step back
with British English.......


What's odd is that the website uses the term "maths worksheets",
except seemingly in the case of this "Time to Go!" worksheet. The "My
Child" website is an independent, commercial operation.

Arthur Figgis June 28th 10 09:04 PM

Cycle hire
 
On 25/06/2010 23:13, Theo Markettos wrote:
Basil wrote:
Especially if they give a small discount for people with rented bikes.


If you stay in any hotel (even the youth hostel) in Lausanne you get a free
travel pass for the duration, so that generally isn't a problem for the
tourist :)


It's some years since I went, but IIRC it was Lausanne where the Youth
Hostel was about one or two stops outside the zone where the ticket was
valid!

--
Arthur Figgis Surrey, UK

MIG July 17th 10 09:27 AM

Cycle hire
 
On 22 June, 14:36, Mizter T wrote:
On Jun 22, 12:35*pm, Basil Jet wrote:

The Mayor's new cyclehirestation at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.


It is - it's the one outside the new-ish Blue Fin building. I went and
had a look at it last week. There's another one just the other side of
Blackfriars Road on Stamford Street, outside King's Reach Tower, that
also looked finished, but was surrounded by fencing, so perhaps not
quite there yet. In several other locations the preparatory work has
been done, resulting in there being metal base plates ready and
awaiting the next stage of installation of the docking station.

No bikes yet of course - they'll come later, and the system goes live
on 30 July. I've a more lengthy post gestating in my head about the
CycleHirescheme - must get on with putting fingers to keyboard and
post it soon!


I've noticed some Things in Tavistock Place. The first I'd noticed,
but I probably hadn't been paying attention. No bikes yet.

They aren't covered (and apparently people have been mistaking them
for parking meters).

Mizter T July 17th 10 12:57 PM

Cycle hire
 

On Jul 17, 1:01*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:27:45 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

On 22 June, 14:36, Mizter T wrote:
No bikes yet of course - they'll come later, and the system goes live
on 30 July. I've a more lengthy post gestating in my head about the
CycleHirescheme - must get on with putting fingers to keyboard and
post it soon!


I've noticed some Things in Tavistock Place. *The first I'd noticed,
but I probably hadn't been paying attention. *No bikes yet.


They aren't covered (and apparently people have been mistaking them
for parking meters).


Ha, yes, I hadn't thought that that might happen, but the "Things" -
the 'payment column' unit - do look a bit like parking ticket
machines. Once the bikes themselves arrive on the racks then perhaps
the potential for such confusions might be lessened.


I have yet to see a parking bay and totem for the scheme with my own
eyes. However I do keep seeing them in the background of Flickr photos
or on the telly.


There's a number around, not sure of what percentage has been
completed yet. There are also several sites where the groundwork has
been done, and there are metal 'base plates' awaiting the installation
of the racks themselves, and the 'payment column'. I know there are
some planning permission issues with regards to some of the sites, but
there are also other sites on which work has only recently begun, and
I *think* some others where nothing on the ground appears to have
happened yet - but I suppose if that may be explained, at least in
some cases, by the location only being a provisional one or the
information I've looked at being out-of-date.


I did see someone riding past 55 Broadway yesterday lunchtime on one of
the new bikes. It did make me pause and think as to whether the scheme
was live yet.


No, the system goes live on Friday 30 July, just under two weeks away.
Meanwhile the first two "Cycle Superhighways" officially 'open' this
Monday (19 July). I'll try and write something about them shortly.


I still can't my head round the charging model although I've not devoted
a lot of brain power to understanding it. [...]


It's not really all that complicated - see the fees and charges on
this page:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/12444.aspx

First off you need to pay an "access fee" to be able to use the system
- this is £1 for 24-hours or £5 for seven days, or else £45 for a
year's membership. Then you pay for how long you use the bike - no
charge for up to half an hour, £1 for up to an hour, then it starts to
jump up somewhat at £4 for an hour and a half etc etc (see the table
for details).

The thinking that users will only borrow the bikes for a short period
of of time (to make a journey across central London), and will return
them to a dock once they get 'there' - the charging model is thus
intended to ensure that bikes stay in circulation and remain available
for other users. All the other bike hire schemes in major cities (of
which there are now several in Europe and around the world) seem to
broadly follow this principle.

The cycle hire scheme only really covers zone 1 plus a little bit
extra in parts so hirers should be able to get from one side to the
other within an hour (it'll be interesting to see how many might
'split their journey' though and return and then re-rent a bike at an
intermediate docking station so as to remain within the 'free' half-
hour!)

[...] It's going to be very
interesting to see how it goes. I'm still not sure whether I think it is
a good idea in principle or just a waste of money scheme from a Mayor
who loves cycling.


I basically think it's a great idea for lots of reasons, and I don't
think it being something of a pet project of Mayor Boris invalidates
it either! FWIW, I think that Ken was warm to such an idea too, and he
was generally pretty keen on cycling measures even if he wasn't
himself a cyclist.

The fact that many other cities now boast similar schemes would, I
think, inevitably have meant that a cycle hire scheme for London is
something that would have been seriously considered before too long,
were it not for the current Mayor taking it forward now. And in a
sense, the fact that it's being taken forward by a Tory Mayor could
work in its favour, by defusing some of the inevitable criticism that
will come its way.

Lastly, I'm pretty sure that TfL wouldn't have been faced with a
totally blank sheet of paper when the edict came down to implement
such a scheme - I'm sure some preliminary investigations had already
been done.


A recent press release was very careful to mention the possibility of
"teething problems" which is a subtle way of trying to defuse the
inevitable furore when a journalist can't get a bike out of a rack or
finds a rack full and has to cycle to the next one to end his trip.


I think it's just an honest take on all the various teething problems
that I think will inevitably occur - and one can easily imagine a
whole gamut of them. In a sense I suppose that's spin through honestly
and lowering expectations that all will be perfect from the word go,
but with something so novel I think it'd be rather foolish to promise
everything would be hunky-dory right from the beginning.

Steve Fitzgerald July 17th 10 08:09 PM

Cycle hire
 
In message
,
Mizter T writes
No, the system goes live on Friday 30 July, just under two weeks away.
Meanwhile the first two "Cycle Superhighways" officially 'open' this
Monday (19 July). I'll try and write something about them shortly.


That will be the existing cycle path near here that's suddenly been
painted bright blue?
--
Steve Fitzgerald has now left the building.
You will find him in London's Docklands, E16, UK
(please use the reply to address for email)

[email protected] July 17th 10 08:42 PM

Cycle hire
 
In article
,
(Mizter T) wrote:

On Jul 17, 1:01*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
I still can't my head round the charging model although I've not
devoted a lot of brain power to understanding it. [...]


It's not really all that complicated - see the fees and charges on this
page: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/12444.aspx

First off you need to pay an "access fee" to be able to use the system
- this is £1 for 24-hours or £5 for seven days, or else £45 for a
year's membership. Then you pay for how long you use the bike - no
charge for up to half an hour, £1 for up to an hour, then it starts to
jump up somewhat at £4 for an hour and a half etc etc (see the table
for details).

The thinking that users will only borrow the bikes for a short period
of of time (to make a journey across central London), and will return
them to a dock once they get 'there' - the charging model is thus
intended to ensure that bikes stay in circulation and remain available
for other users. All the other bike hire schemes in major cities (of
which there are now several in Europe and around the world) seem to
broadly follow this principle.


I'm confused too. Maybe Paul has the same problem. It's how the "access
fee" of up the £45 a year and membership and the "Key fee" of £3 relate.

There appears to be nothing about becoming a member on the link given.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

[email protected] July 17th 10 08:42 PM

Cycle hire
 
In article
,
(MIG) wrote:

On 22 June, 14:36, Mizter T wrote:
On Jun 22, 12:35*pm, Basil Jet
wrote:

The Mayor's new cyclehirestation at the east end of Southwark Street
looks complete, if anyone's interested.


It is - it's the one outside the new-ish Blue Fin building. I went and
had a look at it last week. There's another one just the other side of
Blackfriars Road on Stamford Street, outside King's Reach Tower, that
also looked finished, but was surrounded by fencing, so perhaps not
quite there yet. In several other locations the preparatory work has
been done, resulting in there being metal base plates ready and
awaiting the next stage of installation of the docking station.

No bikes yet of course - they'll come later, and the system goes live
on 30 July. I've a more lengthy post gestating in my head about the
CycleHirescheme - must get on with putting fingers to keyboard and
post it soon!


I've noticed some Things in Tavistock Place. The first I'd noticed,
but I probably hadn't been paying attention. No bikes yet.

They aren't covered (and apparently people have been mistaking them
for parking meters).


Most I've seen so far have nothing above the ground but I saw one this
week with a full information point which makes the purpose pretty
unambiguous. Not sure but it could well have been Southwark Street.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

[email protected] July 17th 10 09:17 PM

Cycle hire
 
In article , ] (Steve
Fitzgerald) wrote:

In message
,
Mizter T writes
No, the system goes live on Friday 30 July, just under two weeks

away. Meanwhile the first two "Cycle Superhighways" officially
'open' this Monday (19 July). I'll try and write something about
them shortly.

That will be the existing cycle path near here that's suddenly been
painted bright blue?


Oh, it that what the blue bits are about, is it? They only seemed to run
orthogonally to anywhere I wanted to ride this week.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Tom Anderson July 18th 10 12:03 AM

Cycle hire
 
On Sat, 17 Jul 2010, Paul Corfield wrote:

On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:27:45 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

On 22 June, 14:36, Mizter T wrote:


No bikes yet of course - they'll come later, and the system goes live
on 30 July. I've a more lengthy post gestating in my head about the
CycleHirescheme - must get on with putting fingers to keyboard and
post it soon!


I've noticed some Things in Tavistock Place. The first I'd noticed,
but I probably hadn't been paying attention. No bikes yet.

They aren't covered (and apparently people have been mistaking them
for parking meters).


I have yet to see a parking bay and totem for the scheme with my own
eyes.


There are two near my office - one on Bishopsgate and one on Commercial
Street, i think, with stelae and stands. There's plumbing for one on my
commute, on New North Road where it forks off from the road down to Old
Street, but it's not complete yet. None have bikes.

I still can't my head round the charging model although I've not devoted
a lot of brain power to understanding it.


I see the indefatigable Mr T has explained all downthread. But basically,
the take-home point is that short trips are cheap, and long trips are
disproportionately expensive, with the break between short and long being
at about an hour.

It's going to be very interesting to see how it goes. I'm still not sure
whether I think it is a good idea in principle or just a waste of money
scheme


It could be both.

I'm confident it will not be good value for money in terms of travel. It
will certainly do nothing to help existing cyclists - we already have
bikes! - or potential cyclists who could commute in from the suburbs,
where there won't be any Things. It might enable modal shift from bus and
tube to bike for the terminal legs of commutes that come into London by
surface rail; i have a hard time seeing people switching from tube to
bike if they're already underground when they arrive in town. It will be
useful for tourists, and for people who live and work in zone 1 -
students, perhaps?

from a Mayor who loves cycling.


I wish people would stop saying that. If Boris really loved cycling, there
are all sorts of things he could do to make it safer, easier, and more
popular. Like not deciding to disband the Commercial Vehicle Education
Unit, which was the only police unit which actually enforced safety rules
on lorries. I know there was a minor furore over that - i don't know if
the decision was eventually reversed. Either way, he could also be
spending the money he's spending on absurd blue paint on something else,
providing more cycle parking on streets, pushing for more cycle capacity
on trains serving London, making sure the planning rules about cycle
parking are actually enforced, and so on. Instead, he's just chasing
headlines.

tom

--
And dear lord, its like peaches in a lacy napkin. -- James Dearden

Tom Anderson July 18th 10 12:03 AM

Cycle hire
 
On Sat, 17 Jul 2010, Steve Fitzgerald wrote:

In message
, Mizter T
writes

No, the system goes live on Friday 30 July, just under two weeks away.
Meanwhile the first two "Cycle Superhighways" officially 'open' this
Monday (19 July). I'll try and write something about them shortly.


That will be the existing cycle path near here that's suddenly been
painted bright blue?


Exactly.

Christ.

tom

--
megaptera novae angliae, soundwork chris draper, push, pull, open, ..

David Walters July 18th 10 12:18 AM

Cycle hire
 
On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:42:11 -0500, wrote:
I'm confused too. Maybe Paul has the same problem. It's how the "access
fee" of up the £45 a year and membership and the "Key fee" of £3 relate.


My understanding is you don't need a key and can hire a bike with your
credit card but can opt to have a key if you like which will speed up
the hire process.

The payment station takes credit cards, and keys, and lets you do
things like sign up to the scheme and check your usage. Once you have
joined it prints a receipt which includes a 5 digit code, all digits 1-3,
which you then type into the dock of your chosen cycle to release the
bike. This is important at the bigger docking stations which might have
30+ bikes, the furthest a resonable distance from the payment station,
as you wouldn't want 'your' bike to be taken by a scoundrel.

If you have a key you can short circuit the payment station and insert
it into a reader next to your chosen bike, enter your PIN and ride into
the sunset.

Or at least I think that is how it works. I'm looking forward to finding
out on the 30th.

David

Bruce[_2_] July 18th 10 07:51 AM

Cycle hire
 
On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:03:30 +0100, Tom Anderson
wrote:

from a Mayor who loves cycling.


I wish people would stop saying that. If Boris really loved cycling, there
are all sorts of things he could do to make it safer, easier, and more
popular. Like not deciding to disband the Commercial Vehicle Education
Unit, which was the only police unit which actually enforced safety rules
on lorries. I know there was a minor furore over that - i don't know if
the decision was eventually reversed. Either way, he could also be
spending the money he's spending on absurd blue paint on something else,
providing more cycle parking on streets, pushing for more cycle capacity
on trains serving London, making sure the planning rules about cycle
parking are actually enforced, and so on. Instead, he's just chasing
headlines.



Well, he is a journalist. Of sorts.


[email protected] July 18th 10 08:19 AM

Cycle hire
 
In article ,
(David Walters) wrote:

On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:42:11 -0500,

wrote:
I'm confused too. Maybe Paul has the same problem. It's how the
"access fee" of up the £45 a year and membership and the "Key
fee" of £3 relate.


My understanding is you don't need a key and can hire a bike with your
credit card but can opt to have a key if you like which will speed up
the hire process.

The payment station takes credit cards, and keys, and lets you do
things like sign up to the scheme and check your usage. Once you have
joined it prints a receipt which includes a 5 digit code, all digits
1-3, which you then type into the dock of your chosen cycle to release
the bike. This is important at the bigger docking stations which might
have 30+ bikes, the furthest a resonable distance from the payment
station, as you wouldn't want 'your' bike to be taken by a scoundrel.

If you have a key you can short circuit the payment station and insert
it into a reader next to your chosen bike, enter your PIN and ride into
the sunset.

Or at least I think that is how it works. I'm looking forward to finding
out on the 30th.


And membership?

Also, does anyone know how one finds the nearest stand to a particular
address? I might use this between King's Cross station and the office.
I've seen a stand across from the station in Belgrove St but haven't seen
any near my office which is off Great Peter St.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

David Walters July 18th 10 09:06 AM

Cycle hire
 
On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 03:19:41 -0500, wrote:
And membership?


Members have a key and I expect will either have bought annual access or
there might be some automatic charge you for a day if you use it scheme.

Also, does anyone know how one finds the nearest stand to a particular
address?


TfL haven't really published the list in a friendly way yet. I expect
that is because they don't really know which stations will be live on
the 30th until they have finished the installs and found the ones with
broken telephone lines or whatever.

There have been various lists of planned locations published, one of
which is linked to with a map at
http://cyclehireapp.com/locations.html

David

Paul Terry[_2_] July 18th 10 09:17 AM

Cycle hire
 
In message ,
writes

And membership?


AIUI, the key is only available to those who become members, but it's
not entirely clear.

Also, does anyone know how one finds the nearest stand to a particular
address? I might use this between King's Cross station and the office.
I've seen a stand across from the station in Belgrove St but haven't seen
any near my office which is off Great Peter St.


http://westminster.londoninformer.co...epares-to.html

I should think either Smith Square or Abbey Orchard Street would be the
nearest (or possibly Greycourt Lane if you are at the Pimlico end of Gt
Peter St)
--
Paul Terry

Tom Anderson July 18th 10 12:10 PM

Cycle hire
 
On Sun, 18 Jul 2010, David Walters wrote:

On Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:42:11 -0500, wrote:
I'm confused too. Maybe Paul has the same problem. It's how the "access
fee" of up the ?45 a year and membership and the "Key fee" of ?3 relate.


My understanding is you don't need a key and can hire a bike with your
credit card but can opt to have a key if you like which will speed up
the hire process.

The payment station takes credit cards, and keys,


But not Oyster? What are these key things? Why is the cycle hire scheme
not on Oyster?

If you have a key you can short circuit the payment station and insert
it into a reader next to your chosen bike, enter your PIN and ride into
the sunset.


I suppose the key readers are cheaper than an Oyster reader; you might not
want to buy an Oyster pad for every stand.

tom

--
Suddenly, everything is clear ...

[email protected] July 18th 10 12:36 PM

Cycle hire
 
In article ,
(David Walters) wrote:

On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 03:19:41 -0500,

wrote:
And membership?


Members have a key and I expect will either have bought annual access or
there might be some automatic charge you for a day if you use it scheme.


Hmm. That's what's confusing me. The keys are mentioned as available
separately for a £3 charge. No link there to membership. I wonder whether
businesses will be able to take out memberships for casual use by their
staff, for example?

Also, does anyone know how one finds the nearest stand to a
particular address?


TfL haven't really published the list in a friendly way yet. I expect
that is because they don't really know which stations will be live on
the 30th until they have finished the installs and found the ones with
broken telephone lines or whatever.

There have been various lists of planned locations published, one of
which is linked to with a map at
http://cyclehireapp.com/locations.html

Thanks. Looks like Smith Square will be the nearest to work.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

[email protected] July 18th 10 12:36 PM

Cycle hire
 
In article ,
(Paul Terry) wrote:

In message ,
writes

And membership?


AIUI, the key is only available to those who become members, but
it's not entirely clear.


I think that's where we started!

Also, does anyone know how one finds the nearest stand to a particular
address? I might use this between King's Cross station and the office.
I've seen a stand across from the station in Belgrove St but haven't
seen any near my office which is off Great Peter St.



http://westminster.londoninformer.co...heme-prepares-
to.html

I should think either Smith Square or Abbey Orchard Street would be
the nearest (or possibly Greycourt Lane if you are at the Pimlico
end of Gt Peter St)


Thanks. As in another comment of mine, Smith Square will be much nearer
than Abbey Orchard St as my office is quite close to Millbank. Curiously
I've not noticed works in Smith Square and I've been there a couple of
times in recent weeks. Must be hidden away in a corner I don't go to, by
the old Tory Central Office perhaps.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Basil Jet[_2_] July 18th 10 01:03 PM

Cycle hire
 
On 18/07/2010 13:10, Tom Anderson wrote:
On Sun, 18 Jul 2010, David Walters wrote:

The payment station takes credit cards, and keys,


But not Oyster?


Maybe the deposit is more than anyone has on their Oyster card.

Basil Jet[_2_] July 18th 10 01:15 PM

Cycle hire
 
On 18/07/2010 01:03, Tom Anderson wrote:
On Sat, 17 Jul 2010, Paul Corfield wrote:

from a Mayor who loves cycling.


I wish people would stop saying that.


I wish you'd stop saying that any Mayor who doesn't spend his entire
budget on cycling is a cycle hater! :-)

Paul Terry[_2_] July 18th 10 01:36 PM

Cycle hire
 
In message ,
writes

Thanks. As in another comment of mine, Smith Square will be much nearer
than Abbey Orchard St as my office is quite close to Millbank. Curiously
I've not noticed works in Smith Square and I've been there a couple of
times in recent weeks. Must be hidden away in a corner I don't go to, by
the old Tory Central Office perhaps.


The plan was to site it outside No.34 (next door to the old Central
Office, although I think it was actually used as an extension to No.32).

However, Westminster refused planning permission on the grounds that it
was too close to St John's (Grade 1 listed) and various nearby Grade 2
listed buildings. (It also so happened that Westminster would have lost
two lucrative parking bays had planning been granted).

I think TfL are now seeking a site in the short road that runs south
from the square (Dean Bradley Street). I fear it's unlikely to be one of
the docking stations ready at the launch of the scheme.
--
Paul Terry

Clive July 18th 10 01:59 PM

Cycle hire
 
In message , Paul Corfield
writes
Even the Standard has been quite
ferocious on the lorry / bicycle accident issue in London and I don't
think we have a coherent position from City Hall about to properly deal
with increasing cycling and having huge lorries on the road.

May be a course of cycle proficiency would be in order, as it should
instruct cyclists that stopping at the left side of a lorry about to
turn left is not in there best interest, if they are looking for a long
life.
--
Clive


[email protected] July 18th 10 02:36 PM

Cycle hire
 
In article ,
() wrote:

I should think either Smith Square or Abbey Orchard Street would

be the nearest (or possibly Greycourt Lane if you are at the
Pimlico end of Gt Peter St)


Thanks. As in another comment of mine, Smith Square will be much
nearer than Abbey Orchard St as my office is quite close to
Millbank. Curiously I've not noticed works in Smith Square and I've
been there a couple of times in recent weeks. Must be hidden away
in a corner I don't go to, by the old Tory Central Office perhaps.


Zooming in on the map makes it clear that the site is exactly there.
Should have done so earlier!

--
Colin Rosenstiel


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