Boris Bikes go east (and west) and more to come

Since my last post the new eastern zone has gone live, adding just over 100 docking stations to the total (548 stations are live tonight). Nine of these were in the west, and a handful of central docks went live, so that means that just under 90 docks are so far available in Tower Hamlets.

No big meltdown happened, partly because the new docks aren't getting much use yet. It'll be interesting to see what pattern of use develops, but if central London is a good model, bikes should move in and out of the Canary Wharf area according to the rush hours.

I also understand the saddles of the new bikes have been redesigned so you don't slide forward quite so much. I was on one today, it takes a bit of faith to believe it, but quite possibly. I won't be drawn on bells :)

Of course, the extension / intensification is not complete. The dock at Mudchute is yet to go live. A large dock west of Stepney Green on CS2 is complete but not live. The expansion of Queen Street is not complete. The long-awaited dock at Parliament (at the west edge of College Green) is under construction, and looks to have 20 docking points.

 If anyone was given a map of the docking points, it is unfortunately not to be trusted! A number of docks are wrongly sited (e.g. Cheapside), some which do exist are not shown (both stations on Bishop's Bridge Road), and some which do not exist are marked (anyone seen docks on Houndsditch or Holland Villas Road?). Nil points to TfL for this particular product, and I think it shows that, apart from internet-based resources, it's difficult to get accurate information about dock locations. Even the maps on the terminals are not always accurate.

Happy E-Day

Tonight their are 444 live docks. By tomorrow I hope there will be over 600. No more comment for now, but hope you enjoy tomorrow if you're cycling. I'll be out in the east.

Go West

While the main focus next week will be on the eastern extension, don't forget Boris bikes will be rolling out in the direction of the Westfield shopping centre in Shepherds Bush. After a tip-off from Ruzzi on the Boris bikes forum I headed off on my Boris around Holland Park and Notting Hill to see what's coming. Here's the docking stations I identified:

Abbotsbury Road (terminal installed, no docks yet)
Hansard Mews (17 docks)
Ladbroke Grove (21)
Lansdowne Walk (21)
Russell Gardens (24)
Walmer Road (24)

None are yet active. Obviously, unlike Camden, they will all be switched on next week.

In addition Notting Hill Gate has already been extended, and there are (I'm told) four docking stations actually at the shopping centre, some quite large.

So that's at least 10 new docking stations going west. We wait till 2013 of course for the real push west.

I have a few reservations of course! The density of docking stations (in the Holland Park residential areas) is quite low, so I can easily see them simply emptying in the morning like so many other areas. A number of streets earmarked for docks seem not to have got them (local objections maybe?) I hope Boris biking in this area will really take off, and new docks will continue to go in. From next week, we'll begin to see.

Extra news: a few other docks now seem to be live on the map - New Fetter Lane (Holborn Circus), Fore Street (near Guildhall), Arlington Road (in Camden Town). Keep them coming ...

LATE NEWS: an interesting feature on the IanVisits blog about a new map of docking station locations on Isle of Dogs

E minus 7

Happy St David's Day, marking of course just one week to go until the eastern extension of cycle hire goes live. And not only east london will benefit, I've recently seen a new dock on Ladbroke Grove, and also on Bishop's Bridge Road in Bayswater.

Maybe it's the good weather, but I'm sure I'm seeing more Boris bikes on the streets these days. The opening of the extension could mark a real 'coming of age' of cycling in London, pushing it from a minority pleasure to the mainstream. LCC and others are organising the biggest bike ride ever seen in London on 28 April, another great day to celebrate and put pressure on politicians for safer roads better designed for cyclists.

A rather odd argument seems to have sprung in a few papers about the fact that councils are contributing to the funding of cycle hire. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think this is exactly what my council should be doing - investing in public transport infrastructure which is safe and sustainable. Tower Hamlets will be putting this to the test next week. Let's hope the sun is shining.

Three bits of news

I enjoyed the Flashride at Parliament yesterday, many thanks to the organisers, and let's hope the MPs listen during their debate today. Good number of Boris bikes in the ride, at one point there were six of us riding together.

Ken Livingstone's latest comment on Boris bikes proposes making them free for the elderly. I have no objection in principle but - BBs are very good value already so the OAPs wouldn't save much; how would the scheme be administered, it would be very expensive to upgrade the terminals to accept OAP freedom passes; what about other deserving groups, such as children or the unemployed? I think the idea needs more work. And the real issue for the mayoral election will be cycle safety, we can't put thousands of elderly Londoners onto streets which remain perilous even to experienced cyclists.

More and more docks are opening ahead of E-Day. Green Park Station and Wren Street are live today on the map, I think there are others too. And Camden Town now has docks not only on Parkway, but at Bonny Street and Castlehaven Road. I really ought to invest in a camera - this blog would look so much better with pictures!

E-Day update

Yes, it's 8 March, according to TfL's press release, and reported by London 24 among others.

So a lot of work to get all those docks in within the next month! My guess is that, like the original scheme, not every dock will be in by 8 March and more will be constructed in the months to come. In the existing area, for example, intensification seems to be slow to get going.

So, look for me on 8 March cycling round the Isle of Dogs!

E-Day

We all know that the eastern extension is under construction. And we're wondering when it'll go live.

Talk on the Boris Bikes Forum is that the mayor's transport advisor Kulveer Ranger has tweeted that there will be an announcement tomorrow morning. Will it be 8 March as has been suggested? We'll know tomorrow I hope!