Birmingham Cyclist

Cycling in and around Birmingham England

1000 cycle spaces for New Street Station

New Street threat


Something that has bothered me for quite a while is the awful cycle parking at New Street station. 12 Sheffield stands for a station with 120,000 daily users is just pitiful. A couple of years ago I complained to customer services that all the stands were full, I was told there were no others and if I left my bike anywhere else on station property it would be removed with bolt cutters - probably the same bolt cutters that they lent to a bike thief who claimed he had lost the key to his lock according to a forum I read around the same time.

I have spoken to station staff a few times since and recently was told "they don't really want people cycling to the station".

I recently visited Bristol and found that Temple Meads station has 340 cycle spaces compared to New Streets 24. The population of Birmingham and the number of passengers compared to Bristol is roughly 2.5 greater (17.1 million / 7 million per year). If New Street had the same ratio of cycle parking/passengers as Bristol it would have 820 spaces instead of 24.

As New Street is about to be redeveloped I think that this issue should be addressed and suggest that 1000 spaces would be a suitable figure to aim for. I don't think this is unrealistic and is the same figure proposed for Paddington station.

Discuss....

Views: 94

Comment by Andrew Middleton on September 17, 2009 at 19:49
Where are the existing bike spaces? I've never found them!!
Comment by LS on September 17, 2009 at 21:08
Between pillars in the car park. There are 2x3 and 3x2 stands. Lookout for bikes with no wheels and wheels with no bikes. A guy on the enquiries desk I asked was not even aware they exist. A woman in the railtrack office said she has seen plans to add some more soon which is promising. I lock my bike to the railings outside TK Maxx which is not station property so they can't remove it and it is out in the open so less attractive to thieves.
Comment by George Riches on September 21, 2009 at 19:02
Have you contacted the Department For Transport? They say that they have announced a £5M programme to improve cycle storage at up to 10 major railway stations.
Since only 18 stations are considered important enough to be run by Network Rail, should Birmingham New Street have a chance.
How about a letter to the Brum Post about 18th (?) of out of 18 when it comes to cycle parking?
Comment by LS on September 21, 2009 at 22:00
It's on hold while i'm corresponding with BCC cycling regarding Mansell Road. So far they have ignored 3 emails.
Comment by Stuart Thompson on September 28, 2009 at 7:43
according to this article it looks as if birmingham is going to miss out on the dot funding a
Comment by LS on September 28, 2009 at 22:41
I emailed Lord Adonis and got a reply ---->

Dear LS

I am writing with reference to your email dated 15 July to Lord Adonis regarding cycle facilities at Birmingham New Street station. I have been asked to reply as lead policy official for cycle/ rail integration. 

The Department for Transport White Paper, “Delivering a Sustainable Railway”, seeks to address cycle/ rail integration through development of a modern and sustainable railway system that is accessible and easy for passengers to use. The passenger strategy includes proposals for improving cycling provision to and from stations, and to enhance cycle storage facilities at stations. As a result, an industry led working group has been meeting since the end of 2007 to promote best practice (particularly at stations) and encourage train operating companies to improve cycle services.

However, Birmingham New Street station will be specifically addressed through the Birmingham Gateway redevelopment project. An objective of this project is to improve access to the station in general but with a focus on cycling and walking. Secure cycle parking will be a key element of the redevelopment.
 
Yours sincerely

Sharon Goodsell
Passenger Benefits Manager
Rail Passenger Policy Division

I wrote back. The second reply mentioned the facilities announced today and gave me Network Rail address as they are a private company and the DFT can't intervene and make them improve facilities.
Comment by Graham Hankins on October 10, 2009 at 8:22
Cycle parking facilities at New Street Station are among the Capital Programme/Highway Infrastructure items on the agenda of Cycling Advisory Group meetings, held quarterly at the Council House and attended by parties with cycling in their 'brief' eg Push Bikes, NHS, Sustrans, BCC officers etc. Latest info. is that, indeed, extra facilities will be part of the New Street Redevelopment plan. Push Bikes puts reports of each CAG into its members' newsletter.

Graham Hankins
Comment by MartinW on October 24, 2009 at 22:31
Make sure those in charge of the redevelopment of the station get the message: go to: http://www.newstreetnewstart.co.uk and click on 'Have your say'.
Comment by LS on October 27, 2009 at 13:51

Comment by LS on November 21, 2009 at 0:56
Update: A report for the DFT on better stations recommends minimum cycle parking should be 5% of daily passenger levels. To meet this level New Street will need an increase from 24 to 2344 spaces so my suggestion of 1000 is pretty low. See CTC website.

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