New sponsor?

The association of Barclays with London's cycle hire scheme has always produced a mixed response.

They certainly don't seem to have delivered the sponsorship which was promised.

So TfL are going after a new sponsor from 2015. Who will it be? Will it make a difference?

Usage this year is good, but there is a lot more to do. A new sponsor should be judged on their commitment to:

• Expand the scheme - Southwark Borough, and eastwards into the Olympic Park, have both been seriously proposed. More central docks are needed too.
• Increase usage - surely 40k journeys per day is not unachievable?
• Better integration - Boris bikes need to made available on Travelcards, to Oyster users, and with Contactless. At the moment it's just not joined up with other transport choices.

If I were a multimillionaire I would sponsor Boris bikes. But I'm not so I hope a good partner is found. The success of the scheme in contributing to a real change in cycling culture in London depends on it.