Public Transport

• Trains – Special ‘cycle’ carriages where those using a bike have easy access to the train and possible discounted tickets.  Also special ‘bike shops’ available at/near the train stations to provide equipment as well as mechanical assistance.
• Cars – ‘Hitcher’ Zones – just like bus stops where people travelling can be giving a lift by car drivers who then get special right of way on certain roads, particularly in city centres.  Maybe there could be ‘shelters’ which provide some sort of security/ID management for protection, etc.

I love the idea of easy access for bikes on trains!

Bikes surely have to be part of the over all solution - exercise and zero carbon emissions (apart from building the bike) 

On the train idea... how about two extra carriages? One of the carriages can contain the bikes and the other can be a shower block? So you can arrive at your destination all clean and refreshed - then you can get the underground (in London) or  local public transport to finish your journey. You could charge for the shower as passengers will be saving on all other car costs - parking, petrol etc There may be some impracticalities for public showers but its an idea...

I am not sure about the logistics but you could use the train engine to heat the water for the showers? 

I think the bike shops at the train stations would be an added bonus. 

Here's another one for you on trains... Each train station can collect rain water from their roof and this can be used to in the toiles on the trains (or in the toilts in the train stations themselves) 

What about group discounts for traveling by train? in a car its simple - two people halves the cost of travel and 4 people makes it 1/4 the cost per person. If you go by train with 4 people you have to pay 4 times the amount - the maths is simple based purely on cost - go by car. For business you could offer a guaranteed table and use it as a meeting facility with a three pin power point and broadband would be nice.

Didn't they provide 'free' bycicles in Amsterdam some years ago.  I think they were white and you basically could cycle and leave them so that anyone else could use it after you.

Could this work in a UK city?

Phil:

Didn't they provide 'free' bicycles in Amsterdam some years ago.  I think they were white and you basically could cycle and leave them so that anyone else could use it after you.

 Could this work in a UK city?

 

I hope it can...

This was on the BBC a few days ago

"Bristol has become England's first "cycling city" in a £100m government scheme aimed at encouraging cycling.

The city intends to double the number of cyclists over the next three years with a series of innovations..."

 Read more about it here and watch the video

There are no new ideas… just those that are regurgitated!!!

I heard that 25% of car journeys are less than 2 miles.  That’s only 3,200 meters!

Other cycling ideas (I’ll get a new one soon if it kills me)…

• How about the government makes it mandatory that all pavements are double the width to allow cycles on.
• A Taxi service that uses a Tandem bike.
• Family bike consisting of four seats and a canopy to keep dry.

Any others?

I think the idea of improved cycle routes is a no brainier...Our kids dont ride to school because they have to go on a major "A" road to get there - then the road outside the school is barely wide enough to fit two cars down at some points. The paths also barely cope with the kids walking to school as they are so narrow.

They are also currently building a large development near the school which is only going to increase traffic... boo hoo. 

Are you currently allowed to cycle on a normal path? (I think you should be able to)

I often wonder if some of the roads near schools could be made one way? 

Many of the schools that I know of are on narrow roads that are off main roads. If the smaller road was made one way it would allow safer parking (all on one side) and extra room for bikes!!!!

It wont work at 100% of schools but some of them... 

What do you think of that? 

Under the Highways Act 1835, it is an offence to ride a bicycle on the pavement at the side of a road, and under the Fixed Penalty Offences Order 1999 a person who rides on a pavement can be fined on the spot by a police officer.  There will be no criminal liability where the 'offender' is under the age of 10 years old. So as long as any instructing adult is on the road at all time, there is no offence where a child of under 10 is riding on the pavement.

Thats really interesting...

I still think bikes should be able to ride on the pavement though, no matter the age - you should just give way to pedestrians.