With less than a week to go before the Cycle Hire Scheme finally gets the switch on in Tower Hamlets, I am still waiting for a definitive map of where the cycle hire docking stations will be located.
The map on the TfL website would qualify as a dictionary definition of uselessness.
Fortunately, last year the Evening Standard got hold of a map of where planning permission would be requested – and I was rather pleased to note that a bike stand would be installed outside the block of flats where I live. Sadly objected to by the neighbouring block of flats.
The big question has been, what is the final approved layout of bike stands – there is no hint of a map anywhere.
Until today!
There is a big display stand extolling the virtues of the Boris Bikes outside Canary Wharf tube station, and yes they do have maps of where the bike stands will go. Apparently they are very rare. Hurrah! Oh, hang on, that map doesn’t look right.
Looking at my area – the Isle of Dogs, the map is below. The red dots are from their map, and the black dots I added showing where bike stands should be expected based on the planning applications.
You might notice a lot more black dots for hoped-for bike stands than red dots for delivered bike stands.
What you might not notice but the red dots are themselves wrong.
I know for a fact that there is one on Alpha Grove as it has ended up being the nearest one to where I live and I manually checked the location last week. But it isn’t shown on their “official map” with a red dot.
Likewise the one to the east of Canary Wharf – I know it’s there because I saw the construction work going on last week – but no red dot here either.
This is a brand new map being issued to promote the cycle hire scheme, and it is already out of date before the expansion goes live.
Sigh!
I’ve still not seen any evidence that they’ve significantly increased the number of existing slots in the centre of town to cope with the influx of all these extra bikes. Luckily there’s no problem with there being plenty at the moment oh … hang on …
New docking stations are being added – I’ve two new ones near Tower Hill already.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/18088.aspx
There is a bike stand just off Roman Road that has it’s map up.
I’ve been rather shocked to see the stands outside Mile end station are across a big intersection and would make for about a 5 minute walk to get to due to the traffic lights. I am hoping there will be more added at a second location directly across the street from the station for those that want to go the other direction! If not, I shall not be surprised.
I hope there’s extra bike stands being put in Central London too – with all these extra bikes heading into the centre.
They’re definitely building one at Mudchute station so that’s another red dot that’s missing from the map. I’ve not seen one at Heron Quays DLR despite the red dot on the map but maybe that’s a last minute one.
The Heron Quays DLR one is there, but right at the back of the station, where hardly anyone is going to pass it. A much larger one is around the corner though, one the side path next to the docks.
In the last half hour, I received an email from tfl advertising the scheme, but as you found, the maps on the tfl site won’t tell me where the new docking stations are.
As so often with tfl, the PR people running way ahead of themselves.
Re the red dot black dot thing on the map you show.
From a stroll on Saturday I can confirm that the docking stations at Island Gardens, Masthouse Pier, Strebondale Street are all built and ready. But shown as ‘black dot’ on this map.
The ones at Island Gardens, Masthouse Pier and Strebondale Street are all shown as red dots on the map above.
I did spot the one in Heron Quays station at the weekend – must have gone up very quickly as I’m sure it wasn’t there a week ago! I notice it seems to have been plopped on top of the paving slabs on a raised metal platform which is unusual.
This morning I spotted yet another new one, this time right outside the main east entrance to Canary Wharf tube on the pavement. So there will be lots of docks around there which is just as well. Pity the west side of the Island isn’t as well served as yet.
I gather there have been problems with some of the planning applications from non cycling NIMBYs. The big one on Spindrift Avenue was only passed by one vote with objectors claiming it would cause traffic jams as it’s opposite a bus stop!
Also spotted the one at the very north end of Manchester Road last night.
SE London overlooked again!
And if SE London was given the bikes this time, someone would have said “E London overlooked again” or some other part of London was overlooked “again”.
You can’t put the bikes everywhere at once – it will always be a gradual expansion, and yes, that means some areas get them before others.
The bikes outside canary wharf are almost untouched. Ive hardly seen people use them and to think that almost £67.8m will come out of taxpayers pockets to pay for this seems absolutely ridciulous. If people want to ride a bike, why not just buy one? Ofcourse easy parking and a wide range of docking stations that are available attract people to use ‘Boris Bikes’ but when the public find out how much they are really paying for expansions across London they probably will be terribly shocked, as these figures have been hidden from public but Boris mistakenly posted his own figures online to prove that the public of london and indirectly paying for these ‘Blue Bikes’
I don’t know where you get the idea that the bikes at Canary Wharf are “almost untouched” as the bike racks are constantly having to be replenished by the little vans due to the demand.
You can see the demand for them here: http://bikes.oobrien.com/