LONDON | Barclays Cycle Hire and London Cycle Network

[SE9]

Barclays Cycle Hire
London
UK

Official Website: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barclays_Cycle_Hire

UK Forum Thread: https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=885740


Information

Total bicycles: 8,300

Docking Stations: 15,000

Total cycle hires: 21,224,815

Launch: December 2010 (general)

Sponsor: Barclays (http://www.barclays.co.uk/Sponsorshi...P1242594861114)

Operator: Serco Group (http://www.serco.com/markets/transport/londoncyclehire/)




Photos

image hosted on flickr

Barclays Bikes

image hosted on flickr

Barclays Cycle Hire Docking Station, Grosvenor Road, Pimlico by Paul Farmer 36, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Rental bicycles by Barclay by Lars Plougmann, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

'Boris bike' by jeremyhughes, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Three Texting on Bikes by Black Stove, on Flickr

[SE9]

London Cycle Network


Map - Central London



Photos





image hosted on flickr

IMG_0073 by Ben Kelly, on Flickr

[SE9]

New major cycle route opened in East London this week:

New cycle route connects Bethnal Green and Victoria Park
East London Advertiser
31 May 2013

A cycling and walking route between Bethnal Green and Victoria Park was opened last week.

The path’s completion was overseen by travel charity Sustrans, and aims to provide traffic-free access between attractions such as Roman Road Market, Victoria Park, and the V&A Museum of Childhood.

Sustrans’ north London area manager Bryn Lockwood said: “This new route is fantastic for residents and visitors to Bethnal Green, helping them walk and cycle more easily through the local parks and green spaces.

“It is vital that we continue to make the capital more accessible by creating more routes that provide people with the opportunity to walk and cycle everyday so we all have the opportunity to be fit and healthy.”

The opening ceremony, held at the Ecology Pavilion in Mile End Park on Thursday, also gave enthusiasts the chance to have their bikes fixed for free.

Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman pointed to £150,000 investment in cycling as evidence of his commitment to helping promote the means of travel.

[SE9]

Earlier this afternoon, over 1,000 cyclists finished their ride from Paris to London:

Cyclists ride into London for Help for Heroes charity
BBC News
2 June 2013

Wounded veterans and service personnel have led about 1,300 cyclists on a 10-mile ride into central London for the armed forces charity Help for Heroes.

The Hero Ride follows a week of fundraising, which started in Paris and was planned before the death of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich on 22 May.

Many of those who cycled through France are war veterans.

Riders from across the country headed to Blackheath before setting off to the finish line at Horse Guards Parade.

The 300 cyclists who set off from Paris on Tuesday included many British, US and Canadian servicemen and women.

[continued in link]

Photos by myself:

image hosted on flickr

Help for Heroes Cycle Ride - London by SE9 London, on Flickr

image hosted on flickr

Help for Heroes Cycle Ride - London by SE9 London, on Flickr

[Cheyorow]

Biking in London is rather scary though. I mean, yeah, I'm glad they're putting in rentals and trying to encourage it, but it won't change the way drivers feel about cyclist. Most of the time I feel like I'm being starred down just for being in the bike lane, but I can understand that a lot of drivers have had trouble with cyclist that don't abide by the rules.

[SE9]

I don't mind it personally, but I've been riding bikes on the streets of SE London since I was a young'en.

[SE9]

24% of rush hour vehicles in London are cyclists:

Cyclists make up a quarter of London vehicles, says TfL
The Guardian
26 June 2013

A mass census of cyclists in London shows that the bicycle is no longer the transport of the minority

Cyclists make up an incredible 24% of vehicles in London's morning rush hour, according to Transport for London (TfL) figures .

The arresting statistic formed from a mass census of cyclists in London – apparently the biggest of its kind to date – is adding weight to campaigners' and cycling proponents' arguments that the bicycle is no longer the transport of the minority, and that we need to take the bicycle seriously as a means of mass transport.

The numbers on some headline routes are perhaps not surprising to anyone who has squashed in with scores of cyclists at the traffic lights in London's morning rush hour, though they do make previous cycling targets look shamefully unambitious.

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[SE9]

New cycleway linking Mile End and Hackney:

image hosted on flickr

ADL081 by Sustrans Picture Library, on Flickr

[SE9]

The largest ever cycling event in London has taken part today. 70,000 cyclists took part in RideLondon:

RideLondon: 'Biggest ever' cycle event in London
BBC News
3 August 2013

More than 70,000 riders are taking part in a weekend of sport which is being billed as the UK's largest festival of cycling.

The 100 mile London to Surrey cycle, starting at the Olympic Park and finishing on The Mall, is set to be among the highlights, but there are two full days of professional racing and amateur rides to come.

image hosted on flickr

RideLondon by Sean Batten, on Flickr

[NCT]

Originally Posted by SE9

24% of rush hour vehicles in London are cyclists:

Cyclists make up a quarter of London vehicles, says TfL
The Guardian
26 June 2013

That is interesting indeed.

I would be interested to know what the figure would be if we counted travellers/passengers instead of vehicles.

Ah yes, in the linked ES article buried halfway, it says that on 10 bridges across the Thames 'cyclists make up 42 per cent of traffic and 15 per cent of people - though they take up just 12 per cent of road space'.

This suggests cycling isn't really such a panacea to traffic problems. Bikes are merely that little bit more efficient than 1% of road space per 1% of people travelling. Buses are still more efficient.

[nr23Derek]

Originally Posted by NCT

Buses are still more efficient.

In terms of people shifted per unit of road space maybe, but actually I doubt it. In terms of energy consumption and pollution cycles win hands down.

One of those "I wish I had a camera" moments came in 1992 in Siagon, Vietnam. Back then there were few cars on the roads and millions of cycles. No idea where I was but I came across what would here be a 4 lane road (S4) full, kerb to kerb, of cycles traveling in both directions. The road stretched away down a slight hill and up the other side in to the far distance, a seething mass of humanity in numbers I couldn't possibly quantify. The most amazing thing about it was that it was all moving at standard bike speed and there were people walking across the road with no apparent fear. Buses couldn't do that.

Derek

[MrAronymous]

Two-mile cycle superhighway extension opens

6 November 2013 Last updated at 16:30 GMT

An extension of a cycle superhighway in east London has been officially opened, a day after a cyclist was killed on the route.

The route from Aldgate to Bow has been extended by nearly two miles into Stratford. The new section is segregated from traffic.

On Tuesday a 62-year-old cyclist was killed in a crash with a tipper truck on Mile End Road.

BBC transport correspondent Tom Edwards talks to London Mayor Boris Johnson and Mike Cavenett of London Cycling Campaign. -BBC.co.uk


There's also a nice vid included.

[1+1=3]

Boris Johnson says cyclists must obey law after fifth death in nine days
Mayor appears to blame spate of fatal incidents on 'very risky' behaviour by cyclists, such as jumping red lights
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...s-superhighway

Rest in peace all the victims of automobility.

[flotsam]

Originally Posted by 1+1=3

Boris Johnson says cyclists must obey law after fifth death in nine days
Mayor appears to blame spate of fatal incidents on 'very risky' behaviour by cyclists, such as jumping red lights
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...s-superhighway

Rest in peace all the victims of automobility.

I believe cyclists should respect the Highway Code as much as any other road user. As a cyclist I have started to shout at cyclists (male usually) who are determined to not stop for a red light and barrage through ignoring pedestrians and other road users alike. It seems there is the idea the Highway Code doesn't apply to them and they are in too much of a hurry to care.
I acknowledge there is blame from particularly large vehicles but frankly when possible try to avoid highways with dense heavy vehicle traffic and use quieter back routes. Doesn't that make sense?
The issue around superhighways is important to raise.
Car sharing is an issue I believe should be discussed.

[1+1=3]

Originally Posted by flotsam

frankly when possible try to avoid highways with dense heavy vehicle traffic and use quieter back routes. Doesn't that make sense?

That's the matter of infrastructure which London apparently lacks. You don't have such problems in more cycling-friendly cities, at the moment London is not able to protect all cyclists against car traffic. Don't blame cyclists, if those people lived in Netherlands, they would be still alive.

[flotsam]

An interesting development around London areas I have noticed happening is that the street railings are disappearing. This is a good sign, as I feel they contribute to bike deaths. There was a recent death where a cyclist was killed between a lorry and the railings. I believe the lorry was not at fault (I talked to a police officer at the scene). It had indicated properly so I suspect the cyclist was coming up on its inside.
Railings although put there as a prevention can be an obstruction and I feel road users and pedestrians are more safe when free of them.

[1+1=3]

Norman Foster unveils plans for elevated 'SkyCycle' bike routes in London
Plan for 220km network of bike paths suspended above railway lines could see commuters gliding to work over rooftops


The project, which has the backing of Network Rail and Transport for London, would see over 220km of car-free routes installed above London's suburban rail network, suspended on pylons above the tracks and accessed at over 200 entrance points. At up to 15 metres wide, each of the ten routes would accommodate 12,000 cyclists per hour and improve journey times by up to 29 minutes, according to the designers.

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...-routes-london

Cool

[nr23Derek]

It's a daft idea frankly.

OK, it would work for some of the longer distance commuters, but it would be pretty useless for everyone else who cycles - how many kids going to school could use this network for example?

Most cycle trips are short distance door to door. So cycle paths need to run where people live, work, go to school etc.

These elevated routes would only have entrances and exists every Km or so.

Also, what would happen when a train derails and needs heavy lifting gear underneath the cycleway?

All this idea would do is to divert much needed money from real cycle provision which is desperately needed at ground level.

Derek

[1+1=3]

I agree cyclists should be left mainly on the ground, however this could work for longer distance journeys, shortening journey time and generally making bike communiting more attractive for people - which would cause more bikes on the ground and decreased usage of cars in the city. As a bike superhighway it might be good idea.

[Singidunum]

Impressive.