Bike hire scheme for Brighton finally underway

[Stat Brother]

http://road.cc/content/news/207446-bike-hire-scheme-brighton-finally-underway


A Boris Bike style hire scheme could soon be coming to Brighton, six years after it was first suggested in the city.

By next summer, short term hire bikes could be being used up and down the seafront, now that £1.45m has been found to set up a scheme.

Operators will be selected in December and given seven months to install docking stations, which locals hope will allow tourists and commuters an easier way around town.

There will be a minimum of 430 bikes in 50 locations by June.

Over the summer, a consultation was held on the location of hubs, due to be considered by the environment, transport and sustainability committee next month.

They are likely to include the two universities, the Jubilee Library, Brighton Marina and railway stations.

The scheme has had a number of setbacks since is was proposed in 2010, and again in March last year.

Now it is expected to be given a green light by transport committee members on Tuesday.

 

[The Spanish]

http://road.cc/content/news/207446-bike-hire-scheme-brighton-finally-underway


A Boris Bike style hire scheme could soon be coming to Brighton, six years after it was first suggested in the city.

By next summer, short term hire bikes could be being used up and down the seafront, now that £1.45m has been found to set up a scheme.

Operators will be selected in December and given seven months to install docking stations, which locals hope will allow tourists and commuters an easier way around town.

There will be a minimum of 430 bikes in 50 locations by June.

Over the summer, a consultation was held on the location of hubs, due to be considered by the environment, transport and sustainability committee next month.

They are likely to include the two universities, the Jubilee Library, Brighton Marina and railway stations.

The scheme has had a number of setbacks since is was proposed in 2010, and again in March last year.

Now it is expected to be given a green light by transport committee members on Tuesday.

they should put the stations at Wilson avenue, five ways and the seven dials, just for the hell of it.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Red traffic lights, and one way signs optional ?

 

[VAL1850]

Big bike dock for the Amex to beat the train (no train) queues - plus 100's people wobbling back down the Lewes road after a session

 

[The Albion Roar]

Big bike dock for the Amex to beat the train (no train) queues - plus 100's people wobbling back down the Lewes road after a session

We have Paul Barber in the studio this week. We'll be mentioning that (and many other things) to him.

 

[theboybilly]

It works wonderfully in London. I've used Santander Bike Hire for Fulham away twice now to save that walk from Putney Station to the 8 Bells pub over the river, and then on to a street near Craven Cottage. I can see some stands being put close to the University as it could conceivably be a 'free' half-hour hire into Brighton for students.

 

[Gwylan]

We have Paul Barber in the studio this week. We'll be mentioning that (and many other things) to him.

It sounds good in principle, the problem is that if the bike stands at the Amex are all full, the punter then has to cycle all the way back to the next free bike stand.

I speak from experience. I used Boris bikes in London when I worked there and they were great if I got to the office by 8.30. If I was later than that, however, I could easily spend 30 minutes cycling around looking for a vacant stand. Unless, there are hundreds of stands around the uni and the Amex, that's not going to be option.

 

[Easy 10]

Me and the missus did this in Chicago, they’re called “Divvy Bikes”

$19 each for 24 hours use, which I thought was reasonable, and it worked really well except for one thing – you had to dock the bike every 30 minutes, or you got charged an extra $2 if you missed that 30 minute deadline. Which is fine if you know the city well, and you know where all the docking stations are, but of course we didn’t. So the first 20-25 minutes are great, as we cycled all around, and up and down the shore of Lake Michigan, taking in the sights etc. But then as the 30 minute deadline looms, you embark on a mission to start hunting around for a Divvy Bike docking station instead so you can “replenish” for your next 30 minutes. And they’re not always in the most obvious places.

OK, 2 x $2 is no great shakes in the great scheme of things, but we were literally on those bikes all day and some of the next, so we didn’t want to rack up too many penalties. I think we only missed a couple though. Guess I’ll find out when the credit card bill arrives.

Great idea though, I’d love to see it in Brighton.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

We have Paul Barber in the studio this week. We'll be mentioning that (and many other things) to him.

Barber Bikes OUT!

 

[The Albion Roar]

It sounds good in principle, the problem is that if the bike stands at the Amex are all full, the punter then has to cycle all the way back to the next free bike stand.

I speak from experience. I used Boris bikes in London when I worked there and they were great if I got to the office by 8.30. If I was later than that, however, I could easily spend 30 minutes cycling around looking for a vacant stand. Unless, there are hundreds of stands around the uni and the Amex, that's not going to be option.

That's the point I intend to raise - can we have some more?

 

[ewe2]

I love the concept,however too many hills in Brighton ........

 

[yxee]

It sounds good in principle, the problem is that if the bike stands at the Amex are all full, the punter then has to cycle all the way back to the next free bike stand.

I speak from experience. I used Boris bikes in London when I worked there and they were great if I got to the office by 8.30. If I was later than that, however, I could easily spend 30 minutes cycling around looking for a vacant stand. Unless, there are hundreds of stands around the uni and the Amex, that's not going to be option.

Can you not just dump it at a stand? I remember seeing a photo of this in London on the day of the tube strike.

 

[theboybilly]

Can you not just dump it at a stand? I remember seeing a photo of this in London on the day of the tube strike.

No, you have to log in to release the bike at the start then 'log out' at the end. You do that by locking the front wheel into the docking station otherwise you will carry on paying a hire fee. If the system is similar to London and you can manage Brighton to the Amex in under 30 minutes you will only pay £2 for a days hire. You can keep using bikes for up to 30 minutes a time all day for the small daily cost. No doubt, as with the London scheme, an app will come out so you can keep track of your rental time and also where docking stations are and how many bikes/ parking spaces there are at each. You can also plan your route

 

[Garage_Doors]

All sounds very good in principle, but i'm out, i'll stick with my cars and motorcycles thank you.

 

[Gwylan]

No, you have to log in to release the bike at the start then 'log out' at the end. You do that by locking the front wheel into the docking station otherwise you will carry on paying a hire fee. If the system is similar to London and you can manage Brighton to the Amex in under 30 minutes you will only pay £2 for a days hire. You can keep using bikes for up to 30 minutes a time all day for the small daily cost. No doubt, as with the London scheme, an app will come out so you can keep track of your rental time and also where docking stations are and how many bikes/ parking spaces there are at each. You can also plan your route

I had two apps for this and they were both completely useless. They didn't update in real time so you'd find every stand full. The app once told me there were seven spaces available - when I got there ten minutes later there were none.

If there were, say, 40 stands at the Amex, people who had bikes 41 and onwards will be miffed. And even if there were 40 at each uni, there could well be more disgruntled users

 

[Stoichkov]

I think it's worthwhile introducing this but, with the hills, usage really will be limited to up and down the Lewes rd and along the seafront. I can't see many venturing up hills.

I assume they've factored in the nightly lorry runs of vans taking bikes back to their modelled 'start' destination for the next day?