One of the first London Bike Hire Scheme docking stations is being built already on Stamford St, near Waterloo Station (right). Once you've been to see the display of how the docking stations and the bikes themselves will look, at City Hall, come five minutes along the South Bank here, to watch the progress between now and the launch in May.
It's right outside a King's College building (right), and raises the question of cycle parking. There were suspicions that some docking stations would be coming at the expense of existing cycle parking space. Southwark Cyclists has been lobbying hard to preserve or increase cycle parking space at docking sites. Here it's clearly an issue: the racks outside the entrance to King's are jammed full, and the railings used up too. Round Waterloo generally, bike parking is abysmal. Cycle parking was put in last year on the corner with the Cut, by the Old Fire Station pub and Emma Cons Gardens, but within months had all been removed because of roadworks.
Ohh I think I walked right past this yesterday and didn't even realise...assuming it was yet more building work/road digging going on.
ReplyDeleteThey've also completed several on the road that goes from the Euston Road to Camden Town (according to Google Maps it's called Hampstead Rd. Who knew?).
ReplyDeleteIt was essentially all ground preparation stuff-- there are now some sort of access plates (which presumably are now attached to utilities) for where the docking stations will presumably be inserted. Cool stuff.
There's another one building at Holborn Circus, close to where I work. I'm not sure when that one's opening, though.
ReplyDeleteAh, but without sounding like a cantankerous old fool do we think they will really launch by May? I've noticed that Tfl are still talking about the hire scheme and supa highways as coming on line 'this summer' - I hope they do get it all going in time to capture the summer market, it will make a huge difference to the success of it's launch.
ReplyDeleteGood to see building work going on! I presume they have to launch the whole scheme in one go, ie all the bikes will appear over night one day - opening one stand at a time won't really work, will it?
If anyone is interested, a freedom of information act has unearthed a spreadsheet containing the locations of all the cycle hire docks:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.groundedtravel.com/news/list-london-cycle-hire-scheme-dock-locations-uncovered