Cyclists benefit from £14m 'hubs'

[jonny jeez]

I just wonder if we may see a quite different direction resolving many issues in one fell swoop. The improvements in networking, broadband speeds and remote access facilities could be key. Personally I wouldn't go as far as having everyone working at home

Microsoft have just employed this approach in the specification of their new facility in building 5, Thames Valley campus (via Pringle Brandon Arch's) and I suspect it was as much driven by cost as it were by design aspirations.

However, moving an office out of town will often exasperate the issue as "out of town" is a big old area that is not as saturated with services (train stations, tube stops, busses, cycle hubs) as cities…so in some respects, the cities are the perfect place to build on the already existing infrastructure.

It will certainly be interesting to see how we are all working in 10-20 years, as so much has changed in the last 10.

 

[MacB]

Microsoft have just employed this approach in the specification of their new facility in building 5, Thames Valley campus (via Pringle Brandon Arch's) and I suspect it was as much driven by cost as it were by design aspirations.

However, moving an office out of town will often exasperate the issue as "out of town" is a big old area that is not as saturated with services (train stations, tube stops, busses, cycle hubs) as cities…so in some respects, the cities are the perfect place to build on the already existing infrastructure.

It will certainly be interesting to see how we are all working in 10-20 years, as so much has changed in the last 10.

Ah JJ, I'm not talking about dedicated out of town sites but localised shared offices. Say a local office caters for 400, they could, in theory, be working for 400 differnt companies. I'm really looking at office facilites being, at most, a short bus ride from where you live.

 

[srw]

Amtrak run a commuter line (the Capitol Corridor, I think) that provides a minimum 12 spaces per train (3 per passenger car of the "hang the bike by the front wheel" type). If those are full, the conductor will help you secure your bike elsewhere. Again, if the Americans can do it...

3 per car isn't nearly enough. My commuter train is 5 coaches long. Bikes, other than folding bikes, are banned. Each morning there are 4 or 5 of us with folding bikes and another 4 or 5 who keep a bike at the terminus. That's up to 10 cyclists with no provision for full-size bikes. If there were cycle spaces on the train I'd predict they'd be full up before the train left it's original station.

 

[AdamBlade]

The only time anything gets done is like now when there's a big pot of money available in Sheffield.

I agree with you here. Sheffield council will only sign up to something if it is paid for out of a big pot of money. They are generally unwilling to fund all or part of it themselves.

I still think that although it maybe a small amount in comparison to what is spent on car schemes, etc. it is a lot better than what has gone before. It is also nice to see something being done outside of London. More of the hubs across city centres would be more beneficial.

 

[marinyork]

One of the charities in Sheffield is trying to set up a "hub" in the city centre. It has nothing to do with this but is a similar idea. This would be a shop, indoor parking, etc etc.

 

[John the Monkey]

3 per car isn't nearly enough.

Agreed.

I was trying to find the picture that's floating about of a carriage with half the seats removed and bike racks installed - that's in the US too, as I recall.

It'd be an advance from the grudging three per train provided by the likes of Cross Country though, or the two per train by Arriva.

 

[AdamBlade]

One of the charities in Sheffield is trying to set up a "hub" in the city centre. It has nothing to do with this but is a similar idea. This would be a shop, indoor parking, etc etc.

Sounds good, who's doing it?

 

[marinyork]

Sounds good, who's doing it?

It's Recycle or Pedal Ready. Doesn't seem to be happening awfully quickly. Actually one of the reasons for it was there is no "proper" city centre bike shop (decathlon, halfrauds etc) so if we ended up with something more like Leeds is going to get with some kind of workshop at the station that might put a spanner in the works. It's really for them and the council to get their skates on, although I think it is a great idea.

 

[u9ge]

Remember the out of town office market was principally driven by the benefits of company car ownership and support by the government both drove these. Now company car tax/fuel costs and lack of government support for developers has killed this model. However the planning provision for new offices for cycling facilitites is pretty poor. Developers do place more facilities in new buidlings though it isn't a deal breaker compared to rent free's and rents in companies leases.

 

[Arch]

With 4 miles at one end and 9 miles the other, and being 6 and a half feet tall, a Brompton is hardly ideal.
Fine for scooting around Shoreditch, not so great for the 60 million people in the country who aren't in London.

I dunno. I have a friend who is about that tall and can ride any distance you like on his Brompton. 9 miles? He'd do that before breakfast.

Get it set up right and you can tour on a Brompton. Another friend of mine just did half a LEJOG on hers - she's going to do the other half next summer. (and she's in her 70's)

 

[jonny jeez]

Another friend of mine just did half a LEJOG on hers - she's going to do the other half next summer. (and she's in her 70's)

I'm staggered


You have more than one friend!

()

 

[HJ]

People dont live in London?

how on earth do they buy ther latte's...

Believe it or not there are Starbucks outwith London...

Just about everywhere...

 

[Crankarm]

With 4 miles at one end and 9 miles the other, and being 6 and a half feet tall, a Brompton is hardly ideal.
Fine for scooting around Shoreditch, not so great for the 60 million people in the country who aren't in London.

Not more Brompton bashing. Are you saying that 60 million of those not in London couldn't ride a Brompton? Ok they don't fit everyone but they can accommodate most people, the proportion who couldn't physically ride then because they don't fit them is a lot less than 60 million I would have thought.

I've done many touring miles on mine in Alpine landscapes quite comfortably.

I'm guessing you haven't actually ridden a Brompton and your statement is based upon prejudice and ignorance? Am I wrong?

 

[Crankarm]

Believe it or not there are Starbucks outwith London...

Just about everywhere...

That is one of the best lines in Peepshow when Mark and Jez go to visit Mark's future in laws in the country and Mark (David Mitchell) says "That's what happens when you live too far from a franchised Starbucks coffee outlet."

Priceless.

Country folk have some weird past times .