Blocked Cycle Parking Update

There seems to be some progress on the crap bikes and bike trailers which have been blocking cycle parking in the city centre. Following complaints to a local councillor and some on-line campaigning, there seems to be some progress.

A week ago it was noticeable that the cycle trailers had moved away from the cycle racks and were attached to other pieces of street furniture.

A signpost in Cross Street,



the bollards warning sign in Market Street



and a big lamppost in Piccadilly Gardens.



However, this Saturday, only the trailer in Piccadilly Gardens was still there,



and just round the corner the same company seems to have resorted to people standing around holding placards.



Lets hope with further pressure from bike riders and councillors we can get rid of the remaining few BMX bikes and get some more cycle parking back into use.

However, there is a much greater problem with blocked cycle parking in the city centre, and that is the many motorbikes which block cycle racks. Last Friday, this was the state of the cycle racks outside MOSI. Not a bicycle in sight.



All the bicycles have been displaced onto the nearby iron railings, which are less secure than the purpose built Sheffield bike racks.



That's a campaign for another day...

Taking Our Parking Plaices

I know not everyone likes advertising bikes, but I'm usually a fan. Nicely done advertising bikes, like the ones I saw in Bath, add to the feeling of a cycling culture in the city.

However, the ad-bikes in the centre of Manchester have gone rapidly downhill over the past few months. There are at least 5 of these crudely made advertising bikes promoting a chippy.

There are 4 of them cluttering up bike stands in Cross Street, in various states.









And another one in Market street.



All a bit rubbish really, especially as these are heavilly used bike racks.

There are also some really crappy bike trailers, but I'll leave those for another post.

Manchester Sky Ride 2012

Manchester Sky Ride is unfortunately becoming an annual reason for drivers and shoppers in Manchester to resent cycling. On the 15th July lots of roads in the city will be closed off so that News International can plaster the city centre with banners advertising for their UK TV wing, BSkyB.



The route is extensively barriered too, so shoppers have to walk miles to get to their destination and drivers have someone, other than themselves, to blame for the traffic jams in town. There is nothing interesting to look at most of the time. It is not as if the city is hosting the finish of a bike race or a bike parade like the rather wonderful Manchester Day.



Sky Ride is one of those events where lots of drivers strap bikes onto their cars and drive into Manchester so they can have a few hours cycling in the city centre, dressed up in helmets and ugly yellow advertising bibs before driving home again to their car-dominated suburbs where they hardly ever cycle. Far from improving the image of cycling, it promotes the idea that cycling is dangerous and strange.



Sky ride is a fine example of transport tokenism as the council spends ten times more money on funding sports facilities for British Cycling (funded by Sky and car firm Fiat) than it does on making the streets of Manchester attractive for cycling. After all this Labour council would not dare risk being seen as anti-motorist. I am waiting to find out just how much this event will cost the City Council. UPDATE: FoI request sets the city council's costs at £72,000.



Last year it was a relief to see that a few people struck out against the corporate crap and got to the point with banners pointing out the problem. Let's hope the message gets out more strongly this year.

As well as these one off events, why can't the council close Deansgate to motor vehicles every weekend? It would make the place come alive with people rather than being a weekend-long traffic jam.

Pedal Powered Advertising 2

Spotted this little advertising ploy in town today.

KNT Danceworks have found the advantage of using bikes to grab your attention. I saw two bikes, there may have been more...

Pedal Powered Advertising

Out in Market Street last weekend, a trike from The Advertising Bike Company.



Back in October a Brox riding away rapidly along High Street.



And a more modest approach in June outside the GMEX.