A city centre ‘bike hub’ offering secure cycle parking, changing and shower facilities and bike hire is one of several initiatives being considered in Birmingham as the city council looks to increase levels of cycling in the city, with bicycles currently accounting for less than 1 per cent of commuter journeys. A local newspaper article meanwhile gives the misleading impression that an initiative similar to London's Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme could be on the way.
In a document outlining progress made to date on developing the city’s cycling strategy as well as future plans, the council also sees the bicycle as playing a central role in reducing obesity and promoting sustainability, as well as helping address transport poverty – although in the case of the latter, it may be missing the point.
The council is exploring a number of avenues for the potential bike hub, which is in discussions with sustainable transport charity Sustrans and the West Midlands regional passenger transport authority Centro.
Those include a potential Brompton Dock, smaller bike hubs linked to new building developments, and a cycle hire facility linked to Centro’s One Station initiative, which aims to link the city’s New Street and Moor Street stations.
What isn’t envisaged, however, is anything along the lines of London’s Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme, despite an article in the Birmingham Mail headlined “Birmingham may get 'Boris bikes' under plans to boost cycling in city” together with a picture of a London docking station, which rather oversells the proposals before going on to explain that the city isn’t getting a city-wide bike-sharing programme at all.
Among other issues, the document also outlines developments in the Top Cycle Location initiative, designed to encourage local employers to introduce cycle plans and facilities to make it easier for employees to cycle to work, as well as progress in implementing the Bike North Birmingham Project, funded by a £4.1 million Local Sustainable Travel Fund grant plus money from Sustrans under the Big Lottery Fund and Birmingham City Council.
Next Tuesday 31st October, the city’s Smarter Choices team is hosting its fifth Cycle Forum, which will include presentations and update on the City Centre Cycling Strategy, Bike North Birmingham, Bristol Road Cycle Route, Skyride, and the city’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund project.
The Cycle Forum takes place at Austin Court, Cambridge Street Birmingham and starts at 6.30pm.
The Bike Birmingham cycling strategy provides for two Cycle Forum events to be held annually, and organisers are keen to get more people involved,cycling [at] birmingham.gov.uk ( inviting email comments) regarding ideas for future forums including potential topics and speakers.
I'd agree there are a lot people who want no change whatsoever (or rather just don't think about change, busy getting on with life). Until...
I like how drivers make the case for making monitoring covert, not overt.
She seemed a bit upset about a minor misjudgement that could have killed someone and is going to cause months of stress and inconvenience.
No we don't agree, personally I would take primary, even if only for a short period although I can understand why some riders might not want to...
And which looks very like the bag produced by indy bag manufacturer Wizard Works…...
If it was a 'no vehicles' sign (all white circle centre), it would mean cyclists could ride in the hours that HGVs and disabled drivers are allowed...
The bit at the start and end looks like a cycle lane, but the bit they drive on looks just like a patched filter lane for traffic lights.
Hey, you 4 execs helped run a company into the ground and have no jobs anymore... Come work for us because you have great experience in the...
£11.5k for a bike weighing over 8kg that's 2 fingers to customers let alone UCI
I'm going to show my bike a picture of this shed and tell it, "If you don't behave..."