Secret Cycle Parking at Victoria Station

As many will know the best place to put cycle parking at a railway station is on the platforms behind the ticket barriers, making it both dry and secure, like these at Bristol Temple Meads.



The contrast with Manchester Piccadilly is striking...



However, in the refurbishment of Manchester Victoria Station a little ray of hope has appeared...



A little patch of cycle parking on Platform 3, tucked next to the fence by Platform 2.



It will soon become heavilly overcrowded, but there is plenty of space for many, many more racks.

Clean City Programme: Sites for public cycle stands across Manchester

As part of a new Clean City programme Manchester City Council is planning on installing new cycling parking across the city and they would like your help to identify suitable sites for around 1,000 public cycle parking clusters.



They say they also have some funding to install innovative cycle parking. So if you have any suggestions of locations or types of cycle parking that would fall in to this category, please let us know by completing the online form.

The council will generally favour locations suitable for clusters of cycle stands or in some cases ‘toast racks’ rather than single racks and say they are best installed where there is a good light and good natural surveillance, not tucked away out of sight.

Some local organisations made separate Clean City bids for bike parking, and these locations are being considered as part of this project. Manchester City Council has already identified locations to install a significant number of cycle parking stands in St Peter’s Square, following a great deal of feedback on twitter and from this blog.

The form can be completed online at http://www.manchester.gov.uk/directory_record/145577/cycle_parking - ends 22nd December.

Station Cycle Parking - Crewe

On my way home from Chester recently I changed trains at Crewe.



Whilst waiting for my connection I discovered that this station has plenty of cycle parking - on the platforms.

There is the usual disclaimer notice,



but the facilities provided look pretty good.



This cycle parking is provided on a number of platforms.



It is secure and under cover,



and for bonus points...



there is a pump



and a maintenance stand



provided by the local council and Virgin trains.



Sadly, such facilities are not provided at Manchester Piccadilly station. Here the attitude is totally different.



All the cycle parking is outside with no cycle parking at all on the platforms, despite the large area which could be used for cycle parking between platform 10 and 11.

Central Library Cycle Parking Update

I cycled home today past the library, as I'd been told that it was looking really good now the hoardings had been removed and that some of the bike racks were in place. However, on arrival, the first thing I noticed was that even late on a Sunday afternoon, bikes were still being locked to the tram stop railings.



Yes the place does look a lot better, but you have to look hard to find the new bike racks.



Of the pile of racks that were propped up against the ugly cabinet



a grand total of two have been installed near the Library entrance.



Yes, just two.



So what happened to the other seven?



I found four of them all the way round the other side of the building. Convenient for the town hall entrance, but I doubt people will use them when visiting the library, so people will continue locking bikes up to the tram stop railings. I went all the way round the block and could not find the other three.



I know Manchester City Council are putting together a project to put more cycle parking in the city centre, but it is really sad when an expensive scheme like this one did not include sufficient cycle parking to meet even the current demand.

Of course, one impact of this scheme was to close the cycle route across the front of the library, so one wonders if the designer hoped the bicycles would go away.

Central Library Cycle Parking

With the reopening of St Peter's Square following the move of the cenotaph and the refurbishment of the Central Library it is somewhat disappointing to see that people are still having to lock bikes to the tram platform railings.





Whilst there are bike racks across the road, next to the now useless cycle track, these were also full, and one bike was locked to the Cycle Lane Suspended sign



This sign also begs the question as to whether the cycle route across the square will ever be reopened.



If you look very hard beyond the footpath closed signs there are some more racks on the far side of the tram stop.



However, the set near Princess Street are out of reach behind barriers.



So will there be any new cycle parking outside Central Library?



After all there is plenty of space and it would be nice to think that it would fit in with the designs for the seating.



There really is lots of space...



The answer is yes there will be some new cycle racks, you can see them here...



Propped up against an ugly telecoms cabinet



there are around 10 ordinary Sheffield stands waiting to be installed.



I think this could be seen as progress, if you think that more of the same stuff is progress, but even this is very slow and does not look like the actions of a cycling city aiming to make cycling a major mode of transport.

Manchester Central Library Cycle Parking

It was wonderful to be able to meet up for Critical Mass this month outside the newly re-opened Central Library.

However, anyone cycling to the library will encounter problems trying to park their pedal cycle.



Sadly the council has not made temporary arrangements for cycle parking until permanent cycle racks are installed,



so it's all a bit of a mess at the moment.

(That is of course if there ever was any cycle parking in the plans...?)

Railway Station Cycle Parking

Compare and contrast these two photographs, taken on the same day at the beginning and end of a train journey last week.

The first photograph was taken at Bristol Temple Meads where there is a very large number of cycle racks on the main platform. There must be capacity for hundreds of bikes. The racks are all under cover and relatively secure as they are beyond the ticket barrier.



The second was taken at Manchester Piccadilly. At least as big and as busy as Bristol TM, but the only cycle parking is this very small number of cycle racks, outside in the rain and tucked away in a corner where they are not overlooked.



Manchester really has a long way to go before it can claim to be a world class cycling city!

P.S. Network Rail operate both these stations, so all the local excuses about an unfriendly station operator are clearly bullshit!

MediaCityUK Cycle Hub Plans

On Thursday TfGM finally went public with its plans for a new Cycle Hub at MediaCity in Salford.

It was very noticeable that the press release (below) fails to mention the full costs revealed on the TfGM web site or even the number of parking places available.



Like the Manchester City Centre Cycle Hub this facility will cost users £100 per year for just cycle parking and £200 if they want to use the showers and lockers. The reaction of people at MediaCity when asked about paying for cycle parking has been extremely negative and this site could well end up over half empty like the city centre.

Despite the relatively poor facilities there is already a high level of cycling to MediaCity compared to most other places in Greater Manchester. The cycle hub will only provide 300 spaces which would be woefully inadequate, but for the high cost which will put most people off.

If you have any feedback and/or questions regarding the MediaCityUK Cycle Hub, TfGM and MediaCityUK will be holding two ‘drop in’ sessions on Thursday 20th February and Tuesday 25th February, 12-2pm in the Open Centre at MediaCityUK.

13 February 2014 Plans for MediaCityUK Cycle Hub revealed

Plans for a major new cycle hub at MediaCityUK have been submitted in a bid to encourage commuter cycling to the region’s flagship creative and digital centre.

The hub, which is being developed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), would operate on a membership basis with secure parking spaces for up to 300 bikes.

A planning application has now been submitted for the development, which includes showers, toilets, changing areas and lockers. The hub will be covered by CCTV with smartcard access for members.

The hub is planned for development on land next to the BBC’s Dock House, and Orange Tower, home to ITV and the University of Salford.
If approved, it would join a growing network of cycle hubs across Greater Manchester including Manchester’s large regional centre cycle hub at City Tower, and the smaller district hubs now open in Bury and Ashton-under-Lyne.

It is hoped that, subject to the necessary approvals being granted, the MediaCityUK Cycle Hub will be open during summer 2014.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “It’s great to see MediaCityUK’s new cycle hub take that next step to becoming a reality.
“MediaCityUK is now one of the region’s major employers, with over 200 businesses on-site, and we want to make travel to work there as sustainable as possible. We already have frequent direct Metrolink and bus services and we know there is huge demand to cycle too.

“The cycle hub will allow people to leave their bikes behind in safety, as well as offering a place to take a shower and store their belongings.
“Along with affordable membership rates we hope a hub at MediaCityUK will encourage more people to join the thousands who are already commuting by bike.”

Stephen Wild, managing director of MediaCityUK, said: “Bikes have become the must-use mode of transport for persons working, living or visiting MediaCityUK, so it is fantastic to partner with TfGM to bring the cycle hub to our community.
“It promises to be a great addition and is just one of many exciting initiatives that we aim to roll out to encourage more people to get on their bikes and utilise the many safe and attractive routes that connect to MediaCityUK.”

Easy to manage, value-for-money annual and monthly hub membership options will be available, with membership starting at less than £2 a week.
TfGM is now inviting registrations of interest and feedback on the hub at http://cycling.tfgm.com/join-a-hub-media-city.htm. Two drop-in sessions will be MediaCityUK’s Open Centre – from 12-2pm on Thursday 20 February and Tuesday 25 February – to answer questions and listen to feedback, which will help inform the final design.

TfGM is planning to open more district cycle hubs throughout the region as part of its Commuter Cycling Project, which is being supported by the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

The find out more about cycling in Greater Manchester, visit www.tfgm.com/cycling.

ENDS

Media contact: Becky Marr on 0161 244 1055 or email mediarelations@tfgm.com

Notes to Editors
1. Transport for Greater Manchester is an executive body of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
2. Transport policies that affect the ten districts of Greater Manchester are set by the Combined Authority.
3. The Transport for Greater Manchester Committee is a Joint Committee of the Combined Authority and the ten district authorities of Greater Manchester. It oversees the work of TfGM, monitors the performance of transport services, scrutinises the delivery of transport capital projects, and advises the Combined Authority on transport policy.
4. To find out more about Transport for Greater Manchester’s recent work, please see our Annual Report at www.tfgm.com/annualreport.

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.