Intermodality Problems for Cyclists

[Vera]

Hello!

I am a student, and currently doing an innovation research project at the Vienna University of Business and Economics. The objective is to find how the problems of intermodal transportation might be solved.

Cyclist commuters face this problem as noone else! I would be really happy to hear if you guys provide your opinion and ideas on it. What do you guys consider as a good solution? May be anyone of you developed interesting IT or design solutions or has any ideas what actually could be done?

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!
Thanks and best wishes from Vienna!

Vera

 

[sheddy]

Sorry Vera, but what is intermodal transportation and how would IT help ?

 

[chillyuk]

At a guess and I am happy to be corrected, I would have thought intermodal means different modes of transport, cars, lorries, bikes, buses, trains etc.

 

[marinyork]

Sorry Vera, but what is intermodal transportation and how would IT help ?

Where more than one type of transport is used for a journey.

E.g. Boris bikes and then tube. Which has apps you can use on smart phones to locate docking stations and availability = IT solution .

Sadly, very little intermodal transport in the UK in terms of things being 'integrated'.

 

[chillyuk]

Where more than one type of transport is used for a journey.

E.g. Boris bikes and then tube. Which has apps you can use on smart phones to locate docking stations and availability = IT solution .

Sadly, very little intermodal transport in the UK in terms of things being 'integrated'.

Well, I wasn't too far off the mark

 

[wiggydiggy]

<Question>

Clothing

I've recently had to add a train journey onto the end of my cycling route, but no need to carry the bike on the train for the last leg after that train. Therefore I reassesed my clothing and no longer commute in 'cycle gear', that may change for very bad weather but on 99% of days I am now in my office clothes when commuting.

 

[marinyork]

Well, I wasn't too far off the mark

No, but your post was written before mine and after I had started writing mine . Also thought it was helpful for someone who may be less familiar with the UK (as this is a UK dominated forum) to write an actual concrete example. The usual scrum and squabbles of Commuting is hardly likely to be getting someone posting back for more is it?

 

[dellzeqq]

this........

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNnOdoUn3kg

 

[Vera]

Where more than one type of transport is used for a journey.

E.g. Boris bikes and then tube. Which has apps you can use on smart phones to locate docking stations and availability = IT solution .

Sadly, very little intermodal transport in the UK in terms of things being 'integrated'.

Sheddy: Exactly, when commuting we have to switch different transport modes - a cycle, then a train, and then mb a bus.
Dellzeqq: Wow, that's such a cool design - might be really helpful for commuting cyclists! Thanks

 

[middleagecyclist]

this........


http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pNnOdoUn3kg

I was going to give the one word answer: 'Brompton!'. Good job I clicked you link first.

 

[Norm]

I haven't gone inter-modal much, although, looking back, I've had a number of jobs which would have been tanfastic for bike-rail-bike journeys if I hadn't been so stuck in the motorised mentality. When I have used it, though:

• At the "home" end of my rail journey, I rely on a cheap bike, solid bike racks and a brace of good locks.
• At the "work" end, I use Boris Bikes.

Now, the IT could be great for getting Boris Bikes, as the stands I used, around Paddington and Marble Arch, were often empty when I wanted to get a bike and full when I wanted to leave one.


I have yet to find a reliable way of figuring out how many bikes / spaces there are as even the TfL site, which you'd expect to be accurate as it should use the "live" data, has proved to be a long way off the truth.

 

[johnr]

Hi Vera ,

I think my initial advice would be to stick to Austria! The idea of a properly integrated transport system doesn't translate into English.

The road transport lobby is so powerful that even the mildest attempt to modify roads is met with howls of well-orchestrated outrage. The privatised rail system is fragmented and incredibly varied in its facilities for cyclists. As for other forms of transport... .

Having said that... one way IT would help is if people like me who occasionally travel on one or more trains having cycled to a station, could sort out cycle permissions at one site.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I haven't gone inter-modal much, although, looking back, I've had a number of jobs which would have been tanfastic for bike-rail-bike journeys if I hadn't been so stuck in the motorised mentality. When I have used it, though:

• At the "home" end of my rail journey, I rely on a cheap bike, solid bike racks and a brace of good locks.
• At the "work" end, I use Boris Bikes.

Now, the IT could be great for getting Boris Bikes, as the stands I used, around Paddington and Marble Arch, were often empty when I wanted to get a bike and full when I wanted to leave one.


I have yet to find a reliable way of figuring out how many bikes / spaces there are as even the TfL site, which you'd expect to be accurate as it should use the "live" data, has proved to be a long way off the truth.

At this time of year (once clocks go back) I go multi-modal for the office (small town in Sussex) and trips up to London.

When going to London; Home end I walk to the station, all of 100 metres, London end used to hire a Boris Bike but such has my frustration been at the boris bike rack empty or full phenomenom in the vicinity of London rail termini that I bought a Brompton*. This in turn has done away with the need to leave an old bike locked at the station in the town where I usually work.

When multi-moding I always take a leaf out of the slow cycling movement's book and dress for the destination not the journey.

*other folding bikes are available

 

[Norm]

*other folding bikes are allegedly available

Bentley, a green Brommie, is the most recent N+1 in the Normie garage and I have yet to use it for a work thing. Great fun, though, and the family love having a single folder which can be easily set up to fit any of us.

 

[MacB]

this........


http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pNnOdoUn3kg

or this........

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQscBxx7wLE