Happy Birthday Boris Bikes

4 years old - happy birthday Boris bikes

Now 4 years old. There are a number of news stories accompanying the anniversary, one being that usage is once again increasing, and July 2014 is likely to show the largest number of uses in a single month in the scheme's history, beating the previous record set during the Olympics.

Caroline Pidgeon AM points out that usage per bike remains low, and certainly it would be great to adapt the terminals to accept Oyster and contactless payments. However, the newer docking stations to the west and south are away from the central, most intensive, area, so lower use out here will generally bring the mean down a bit.

Also is the news that Boris bikes will be free to hire on the weekend of 16/17 August, in a bid to tempt new users into the scheme. Beware though - you'll still get charged if you go over 30 minutes. Guided free rides will take place in Hyde and Regents Park, the latter for women only. Registration is needed.

Before that of course is Freecycle on 9 August - a chance to ride your Boris bike on traffic-free streets in central London. Hope to see you there.

Day in the Life of a Boris Bike

The Guardian has followed a Boris bike (15512) for a day - it's an interesting journey, with some useful facts about the bikes thrown in. I especially like Barbara's comment.

Over in Wandsworth, use of and demand for bikes is rising.

And I guess I should mention the missing Boris bike, found after 2 years in Bradley, West Midlands.

New docking stations for SW London

Three new docking stations will open on 28 July, with 78 docking points in total, on Abyssinia Rd, Limburg Rd and Clapham Common Northside, TfL has announced. This will improve access to Clapham Common and the busy shops and restaurants nearby.

Looking at a map, this will add 3 new stations towards the SW tip of the current area. One might hope that an obvious next step would be to add more docking stations north of the A3 eastwards towards Clapham Common tube station and the busy areas of central Clapham, where Superhighway 7 makes its way southwards. I have seen a new station under construction at Stockwell tube.

In a recent online Q&A session Nick Aldworth, head of Barclays Cycle Hire, said that intensification rather than a major new expansion was the current priority. There are certainly areas within the current scope of the scheme which woefully lack capacity. Expect to see more 'mini-expansions' like this one happening in the coming months.

In other news, a new sponsor is sought for the scheme.