One of Brighton’s bike share hubs has been removed after a resident complained about bikes taking up the pavement and riders making noise at night.
BTN Bike Share launched on September 1 and Brighton and Hove News reports that users have been making on average 800 journeys a day.
However, at least one Whitecross Street resident was unimpressed with the nearby hub and it has been removed at the council’s instruction.
Local campaign group Bricycles tweeted:
.@BHCC_Transport Why is the @BTNBikeShare docking station at Whitecross Street being removed? It is obviously popular and central. pic.twitter.com/1sXSrP7RXw
— Bricycles (@Bricycles) October 9, 2017
.@BHCC_Transport No satisfactory explanation received. We specifically supported this location in the TRO consultation. Why has it gone? pic.twitter.com/xMKlHvcpus
— Bricycles (@Bricycles) October 10, 2017
A council spokesman said: “We’re responding to concerns from a resident about issues such as space being occupied on the footway or potential for noise at night.
“While we haven’t conceded these points we’re agreeing to look at alternative locations to allay any such concerns locally and maintain good relations between the scheme and residents in the area.”
A spokesman for BTN Bikeshare said: “The Whitecross Street docking station has been removed. This was instructed by the council due to local concerns. However, a replacement hub will be installed nearby once a location is agreed upon.”
Speaking on behalf of Bricycles, Becky Reynolds said: “We want the council to come out with the reason so everyone can see whether the removal is fair or not. The road’s all car parks, so why pick on the bike hire station?
“Why remove this important central dock close to the popular North Laine area without having come up with another location?”
Tim Caswell, owner of Hourbike, the company operating BTN Bike Share, said: “We came in knowing Brighton and Hove is a unique city with a strong cycling culture, but still the usage figures are even better than we could have imagined. None of our other schemes across UK and Europe have had such a strong first month.”
Brighton Station, Brighton Marina and the universities are among the latest docking stations to be installed.
12 thoughts on “Docking station removed in Brighton after local complains about noise”
Hmmm, pavement looks wider
Hmmm, pavement looks wider than most and I’m unsure whether late night cyclists are likely to make more or less noise than visitors to the accompanying off license and pub
alansmurphy wrote:
Probably more or less the same people largely.
Better approach would be to time lock the bikes in “problematic” areas so they can’t be used after chucking out time.
“concerns from a resident” –
“concerns from a resident” – so, just one resident, singular? Gosh, I wish my council was as respoonsive as that…
“While we haven’t conceded
“While we haven’t conceded these points . . .”. But you have, because you’ve taken the docking station out. So you’ve leapt into action on the whim of a single anti-cycling grouch which may or may not have any basis in reality.
Am I being paranoid in
Am I being paranoid in wondering whether the individual in question has a position of influence over the council?
Is there any way to find out, e.g. FOI?
In other news, the council
In other news, the council are now banning cars due to parking on the pavement and late night boy racers with loud exhausts.
Thought not.
Staggering lack of spine by
Staggering lack of spine by the council; I wonder if Bricycles could rather publicly donate one to them at a council meeting?
So one single person complaining can achieve removal of something universally agreed, and apparently not a problem for any other residents? This is absurd, and an FoI should be raised to find out exactly what went on. The fact that it was removed without any consultation with the people who had agreed it should go there is ridiculous and insulting. I wonder if the person complaining will then gain a parking place for their car?
Would one of the local cyclists like to complain about some car parking infrastructure that offends them and see how quickly it is removed?
I love Brighton.
I love Brighton.
But it needs far less cars in the central area. They ruin many of the streets…the most popular of which are pedestrian only.
Funny that
“concerns from a resident”
“concerns from a resident”
So just one resident.
“potential for noise at night”
So not an actual complaint then.
“While we haven’t conceded these points”
So they think it is bogus, but they still removed the docking station?
As someone posted earlier, a councillor surely lives on that street.
Friday 27th, critical mass
Friday 27th, critical mass starting for donuts near the Level at 6pm and this month we’ll be riding past that road about 8000 times…. Bring Hope hubs muahahahahaha!
I worked for a bike hire
I worked for a bike hire scheme and I think it is a fair complaint for any residential area, sometimes bikes don’t even dock the first time and can take a few attempts of ramming the bike into the bike clamp and that is pretty noisy. I expect that’d really bug me if there was one outside of my house being used late at night.
kie7077 wrote:
“”potential for noise at night”
1 complainent.
And a councillor lives there.
I take my comment back, it sounds like nimbyism.