I'd second your opinions John, as I've used MK central largely as a transfer staging point between long distance coach and rail - I did eventually figure out the fastest route between MKC and Coachways and it certainly avoided the redways entirely, as at night many sections were I believe unlit, hardly an urban transport network to be taken  seriously when all the roads were lit to such a high standard.  I've done a last train to Newport Pagnall Services rather than cycle to the North Circular and start hitching from there, and Coachways to Bedford to get to Cambridge because the first X5 of the day started from Bedford Rather than MK. Most of these journeys were a combination of budget pricing/convenience when travelling to Rugby to see my father.

Reports coming in at present are of a reduced number of folding bikes using all LMR trains and a big brother regimes complete with PA announcements that folding bikes need to be carried from the station entrance to the train, a detail which seems laughable if it wasn't actually a serious 'demand' although the advertising tries to suggest it is only a 'request' this makes the foundations from which station travel plan programme is to be built up seem even more shaky, and I gather that MK Central has also been put forward as an entry for the Cycle Rail Awards this year, clearly the station has to sharpen up its act on cycling.  In 2003 the cycle parking survey noted 100 racks (200 spaces with between 140 and 158 bikes parked (3 surveyor reports)) The current station data still lists just 200 spaces 5 years later.  The location of the cycle parking lends itself to a link up with a poster media contractor to deliver lighting for security and shelter against the weather. The potential to deliver innovative solutions at MKC is greater than for many other stations, as I believe that MKC station and its environs is owned by MK Development Corp, (probably why it has a very different concourse area than most other stations.

Folding bike users report a noticeable drop in the number of bikes seen on their trains following this policy change.

Further down the line Leighton Buzzard (and Linslade) has proposals to build 150 additional car parking spaces. If it was a serious 'Travel Plan' those spaces would be created by drawing on the delivered experience of places like Surbiton where 10% of the new cycle users attracted to the expanded cycle parking gave up car parking spaces.  Now with those 150 car parking spaces not built, but delivered by getting 150 of the existing users to vacate their space and take up a cycle parking one - the delivery of 150 'new' car park spaces would be at around a tenth of the cost of building new ones, and 150 car drivers would be converted to cycling - a real piece of travel resources management.

I mention the 2003 cycle parking survey, and that drew on the high level of internet connectivity of the cycling community - in 2001 TRL 481 highlighted that over 60% of the 'cyclists' studied had PC connections against around 30% of the non-cyclists.  A higher percentage of the cyclists incidentally also owned cars and held driving licences.  Does this (internet use) make a topic that C&S group should keep track of?  Cyclists have certainly shown strong effects (around 50% of Highway Code responses by cyclists (11,000 e-mailing their MP's on this one in just over a month), and 80% of UK rail stations surveyed on-line in a month, plus all those bike is best votes.     

Dave Holladay

john meudell wrote:

Alex

 

I think it’s highly relevant to consider the issue of transport integration in discussion of this issue. 

 

I used to use Milton Keynes frequently when studying at Cranfield University….and it’s a bit of a joke on that score.  Although I would usually cycle from the station, occasionally I had to use the bus…..big mistake!  The bus station adjacent to the MKC is for local buses only….to catch a bus to any out-of-town destination you have to go to the other bus station, on the other side of the shopping centre about half a mile away.  Which means paying MK Corporation to board a shuttle bus.  There’s also no timetables at the station, so there’s no means of working out how long the shuttle bus will take to transfer you and, hence, how long a public transport journey will take.  Oooh, and the shuttle bus doesn’t (or at least it didn’t in those days) go to the other bus station, but drops you on the wrong side and you have to walk through the shopping centre to catch the out-of-town bus (that is if you know where to go).  I didn’t do that often (…just the once!).

 

On the bike front, there’s no signposting, even to the internal network of bike paths MK seem to be proud of.  Signposting is poor to non-existent and there’s no signposting at all to out of town destinations.  In fact there’s few, if any, good entry and exit points to Milton Keynes on a bicycle, and I’ve tried a couple.  I gave up trying to use the cyclepaths on the first trip to Cranfield, it being far quicker and easier (and probably safer, given the rumours of muggings on the cycle paths) to use the network of dual carriageways.  The M1 crossing was, however, hairy…and impossible for pedestrians.

 

Aaah yes, and back to the bus front.  To add to the misery, the long distance buses (National Express, etc.) aren’t allowed to use either of the two city centre bus stations, so have to use another bus station, some way out of town adjacent to the same M1 junction I used to pass.  For many years there was no bus service between it and the town centre and no taxi rank or phone.  It has improved slightly over the years, but given that the long distance coaches still cannot come into the town centre station/bus stations, and there very little in the way of services there (on a cold, wet, winters night it’s not a nice place to be), there’s been bugger all progress.

 

I have to admit to being more than a bit cynical about travel plans…what good a piece of paper without the ability to ensure the necessary joining up of thought and action to make it happen….unless there’s to be a single authority to bang head together.  Milton Keynes modern town planning….give me a break!

 

Cheers

 

John Meudell

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Veitch, Alex
Sent: 19 September 2008 14:29
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Station travel plan list

 

Hi folks – list of station travel plans here – let me know if you want to get in touch with any particular one

 

Obviously we are already in touch with Cycling England where there are stations in CDTs

 

http://www.atoc-comms.org/dynamic/atoc-press-story/997860/On-your-bike-and-bus-says-ATOC

 

Cheers

Alex

 

From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Veitch, Alex
Sent: 19 September 2008 13:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Bikes and rail

 

John

 

Thanks for this. Very good points indeed. As a starting point I’ll forward your note to our Station Travel Plan pilots (these are 31 stations where the TOC is working with the local Authority to try to improve sustainable travel to the station).

 

They may have picked up on these issues in their discussions already, but if not this will spur them on.

 

If you’re having particular issues at certain stations drop me an email outside of the forum and let me know, or give me a call.

 

Best

 

Alex

 

020 7841 8052

From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Parkin, John
Sent: 19 September 2008 12:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Bikes and rail

 

Alex,

 

Thank you for making yourself known to the group. Clearly, there are important issues connected with the interchange between bicycle and rail, and there are a number of important matters to consider, not the least of which is parking for bicycles.

 

This is a plea to point out that there are other very important issues in connection with the way a cyclist is allowed to proceed and progress from the public highway to the platform. Very often the nature of the link from the highway to the station forecourt and the location of any bicycle parking is such that a cyclist has to make an illegal manoeuvre (for example perhaps accessing the bike parking across an area which is otherwise pedestrianised or a bus interchange or taxi rank. There is also the issue of how a cyclist negotiates any ticket barriers where parking is on the platform. I think these are very important issues and say a lot, when not properly designed, about the way that a cyclist may be a “tolerated guest” rather than a “welcomed traveller” in such situations.

 

This email is merely to alert you to this whole area of inquiry.

 

Regards

John Parkin

Reader in Transport Engineering and Planning

University of Bolton, Deane Road, Bolton BL3 5AB UK

t:+44 (0)1204 903 027 m:+44 (0)7903 523 017

w: http://data.bolton.ac.uk/staff/jp10/

From: Cycling and Society Research Group discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Veitch, Alex
Sent: 17 September 2008 09:05
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Bikes and rail

 

Dear all

 

May I quickly introduce myself to the list – I work for ATOC, the trade body for train companies, and am the coordinator for a lot of work on cycling and rail. I also provide the secretariat for the Cycle Rail Task Force.

 

My focus is on cycle facilities at stations. I’m interested in any research on the following topics:

 

-          Whether better cycle facilities would increase rail passenger ridership. We are doing quite a bit of research on this ourselves, and I am in touch with Moshe at Oxford Uni, but any other examples please let me know.

 

-          I should also mention I’m in touch with Henrietta at UWE and well aware of her work on these issues.

 

-          I’m also interested in whether cyclists would pay to park their bikes securely, and if so how much (are there any real-world UK examples – I’m aware of Finsbury Park but I don’t think that is broadly applicable for various reasons). Any evidence on this would be very helpful.

 

-          On a more practical note, I’m looking for examples of double-decker cycle parking in the UK, as in the limited space available at rail stations this could be a serious option. We already know about the Dutch experience, as Ned Rail, who own Northern, are one of our members, but again I’d like to see if anyone’s installed any decked racks in the UK (possibly Cambridge?)

 

I also look at the thorny issue of bikes on trains. Please feel free to contact me about any particular issues you may be having and I can try to help or put you in touch with the right people at the TOC.

 

Just for completeness, my other day job roles are coordinating our project on Station Travel Plans, and managing our national bus-rail ticket product, PlusBus (www.plusbus.info)

 

Best regards,

 

Alex Veitch
Integrated Transport Manager

ATOC
Tel: 0207 841 8052
Mob: 07825 376 130

 

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