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Do Public Bike Hire Schemes Work?

31/3/2017

 
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Bike Plus, an umbrella group for Britain's bike-sharing schemes, says success relies on a range of factors. For example, schemes benefit from an area with more than 50,000 homes, high employment, parking issues, a flat topography, and a favourable climate. Despite not meeting all the preferred criteria, the Glasgow scheme does appear to be successful. Edinburgh is the latest council to announce plans to introduce an on-street cycle hire scheme. Glasgow launched its public hire scheme before the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and there are now plans to double its size.
 
The Stirling scheme proves bike-sharing can be successful even on a smaller scale. Corporate memberships have been key to the Stirling Nextbike scheme, which has 160 bikes. The community project, led by Forth Environment Link and funded by Transport Scotland, has buy-in from local organisations. Stirling University and Forth Valley College both pay an annual fee, which allows students and staff to get free membership. Graham McQueen, of Forth Environment Link, says it is the fastest growing scheme in the UK.
 
Chinese company Ofo has plans to start a scheme in Cambridge from 3rd of April, described as the "Uber for bikes". Under this system, there are no docking stations and instead there is an app to find a nearby bike, with no need for users to plan when and where to leave it.

Bike Plus hopes to introduce a new accreditation scheme to ensure certain standards for safety and environmental practices are met. Despite the challenges, the benefits of these schemes may prevent any back-pedalling just yet. 

A recent survey by Bike Plus found that bike-sharing schemes helped people become healthier, and cities less clogged. It suggested that 13% of people began cycling because of the scheme, and 37% increased the amount they cycled. The schemes also encouraged more women to cycle.

Full article can be found here

Smart Cambridge Set to Speed up 'Smart Solutions for the Region

31/3/2017

 
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The work of the Smart Cambridge programme – led by the County Council -  is being scaled up to explore how the latest data and digital technology can be used to transform the way people live, work and travel in the Cambridgeshire region, and beyond.
 
The rapidly evolving programme has recently been allocated £1.6million by Greater Cambridge City Deal over the next three years, as part of its investment plans to improve the transport infrastructure and promote economic growth in and around Cambridge.
 
Smart Cambridge has launched the first phase of the cutting-edge Intelligent City Platform (iCP) it has developed with the University of Cambridge - taking real-time data from an array of sensors across the city to support myriad smart solutions.
 
A new LoRa (low power long range) network has also been set up with the University to transfer data flowing from the sensors to the data hub, so that is can be analysed and visualised to plan smart solutions, including making transport systems more reliable and easier to use.
 
The platform is among the first to collate ‘real-time’ data, which will allow citizens, third party developers and commercial partners to ‘test bed’ innovative applications including the new Cambridge mobile travel app, which will be launched this summer as part of series of data-sharing events.
 
The new MotionMap mobile travel app will use real-time data to more accurately predict bus times,  help improve people’s journeys and encourage them to use more sustainable methods of transport.

Watch the new Smart Cambridge video and view the Smart Cambridge guide here. The film is also on YouTube here.

Milestone Cycleway Opens Marking the First City Deal Project to Reach Completion

31/3/2017

 
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A new foot and cycleway providing safe travel between South Cambridgeshire and key city sites has opened, marking the first in the delivery of City Deal schemes. The £550k scheme is the first Greater Cambridge City Deal project to be delivered and connects the village of Melbourn to the A10 cycleway via a safe 2.5m-wide and 2.5km-long cycle path. The path bridges a gap in the off-road route helping link Royston and Cambridge.
 
It is just one of the City Deal’s many projects underway to improve cycling and walking facilities in the region, and offers local cyclists and pedestrians safe travel between Melbourn, Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton to rail stations and key employment sites such as Melbourn Science Park and Sagentia.
 
Councillor Ian Bates said: “It is wonderful to see the delivery of the first of the City Deal’s transport schemes.  We are looking to invest in projects that will make a real difference to travel options for local people and that will support the infrastructure we need to continue to grow, by connecting people, jobs and homes. Projects such as the foot and cycleway provide long-lasting solutions for sustainable travel that will help encourage walking and cycling as real options for daily travel.”  Full article can be found here

Surrey Hospitals Replace Car Park Spaces with Innovative Cycle Hubs

31/3/2017

 
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Two Surrey hospitals – the St Helier Hospital in Carshalton and Epsom General Hospital – have replaced some of their car park spaces with bike hubs constructed out of shipping containers. The innovative facilities, designed by a British company Active Commuting, provide bike parking, showers, lockers and changing rooms.

Active Commuting’s first facility was set up at GE Healthcare Ltd in August. The cyclist and runner hubs at the two hospitals have gone live from mid-March. The hub at the St Helier Hospital provide showers and lockers to over 100 staff, and adds another 28 secure bike parking spaces to the site. The Epsom General Hospital hub occupies five car parking spaces and provides 40 secure bike spaces, with separate male and female showers and changing rooms above the bike park. This is similar to the GE Healthcare hub which also takes up five parking spaces but caters to over 50 people.
 
Andrew Rechten, co-founder of Active Commuting, said: “All together across the three hubs, over 200 people a day will be using them, leaving their cars at home.”
 
More images inside and outside of the cycle hub here

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