Cycle hangar on Goodrich Rd

[rendelharris]

I can't see anything on that page which implies there's external funding from the Mayor, Robin: it says "This is supported by the Mayor for London?s Vision for Cycling." I take that to mean it is the policy of City Hall to support (i.e. cheer on) boroughs which are installing hangars, not that they are funding them, surely it would use the words "funded by" rather than "supported by" if that were the case? Googling I can only find things saying the Mayor's policy is to have more cycling planning, no mention of funding for it.

[rch]

I guess I'm probably more used to translating "council speak"...

The whole Quietways 7 project that's about to start causing problems in the Village next week is funded by the Mayor, so I'm assuming that there are other "funds" for local councils to apply for in order to be "supported" by the Mayor for London's Vision for Cycling.

In any case, I think it's better that the cycle hangars are funded by internal Southwark funding rather than by CGS devolved funding, unless local residents specifically submitted a CGS bid for it.

[rendelharris]

rch Wrote:

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> The whole Quietways 7 project that's about to

> start causing problems in the Village next week is

> funded by the Mayor, so I'm assuming that there

> are other "funds" for local councils to apply for

> in order to be "supported" by the Mayor for

> London's Vision for Cycling.

That's rather a massive assumption given that you've offered no evidence for it, and that without that evidence your "astonishing update" is completely erroneous. Happy to be proved wrong but I can find no evidence that the Mayor is providing funding for cycle hangars.

"...about to start causing problems in the Village" - good to see the positive attitude!

[DulwichFox]

The main reason that cycle hangers are being installed is to encourage car owners to ditch their cars and cycle.

And yet we have people who have cycle hanger spaces and still have a car parked in the same road or nearby.

Whilst some people without cars cannot get a cycle hanger space.

Maybe it would be fairer if cycle hanger spaces would only be allocated to those who do not own a car.

DulwichFox

[Nigello]

I doubt that having a cycle hangar or even ten of them will persuade anyone who has a car (and kids and pets and lives to go with them) to his/her motor. I do think that people with cycles and nowhere to put them should be helped. If it encourages more cycling and deters crime, bravo. It beats having them chained to (and sometimes stolen from/abandoned there) railings, which is what happens a lot anyway.

I hope and expect that the council will keep them maintained. They are a decent size and pretty likely to attract taggers and other vandals.

[rch]

Just to be clear Rendal, the astonishing update comment was because just minutes after I posted to say that I thought the cycle hangars should be paid for by internal council funding and not devolved local CGS funding, I found a link confirming that the council was indeed paying for hangars in the area and therefore we didn't need to allocate CGS for this.

It's actually a good thing.

And if the council are being encouraged by the Mayor in one form or another, then that's even better.

Hopefully this means that councillors will approve CGS funding for things that residents actually apply for in the future... which is what CGS funding is supposed to be for.

Nigello... sadly, there was a situation a while ago where cycle hangars were cut open and the cycles easily stolen. And yes, I expect they'll be tagged as well. I wonder if there's a way that disused council garages can be converted into community cycle storage? On the other hand, I think Rendal's comment about in-garden storage is more practical, but not everybody has a garden. Maybe developers can be encouraged to incorporate cycle storage into new flats, etc?

[alice]

Someone is cashing in. But who?

[Sally Eva]

RCH -- re bike hangar security.

The bike hangars have been modified so that if they are cut open the bikes can no longer be removed.

[rch]

Thanks for the update, Sally. Being a geek, I would be interested in seeing the specifications of the hangars that the council are currently consulting on, as it's all a bit vague.

But on the other hand, I'm personally far more interested in seeing public money allocated to improving the roads, pavements, trees, and other public realm aspects that affect all the local East Dulwich residents, not just cyclists.

We all need to interact together.

[jbhwc]

Would love a place on Landcroft Road for bikes.

[James Barber]

Hi Tuffsteuff100,

College ward councillors would need to allocate funds. Best way would be for you to application for CGS funds for a BikeHnagar when the next round opens around October/November. I can help you complete the application form. If you email me I'll put something in my diary to contact you when applications are being accepted.

Best email to reach me is [email protected]

Tuffstuff100 Wrote:

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> Is money available for college ward too? We need

> hangars on Overhill road as well.

[James Barber]

Hi Robin,

We have not funded all BikeHangar CGS applications in the past. So we've taken this opportunity to do that now. Catching up. We have 9900 registered voters in East Dulwich ward. So far 6 BikeHangars or 36 bicycles can be safely stored. Clearly a strategic transport project would be needed to really provide cycle parking at scale. Sadly the current administration has decided not to do this when asked - repeatedly.

AS you know we now only have two opportunities a year to allocate or reallocated devolved funding under the new local democracy the current administration has introduced. We used the last Dulwich Community Council meeting to reallocate funds and they should be spent by he next decision making meeting.

But please do apply for the CGS projects you'd like us to support when the next round if funding opens in October/November.

Regards James.

rch Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just to be clear Rendal, the astonishing update

> comment was because just minutes after I posted to

> say that I thought the cycle hangars should be

> paid for by internal council funding and not

> devolved local CGS funding, I found a link

> confirming that the council was indeed paying for

> hangars in the area and therefore we didn't need

> to allocate CGS for this.

>

> It's actually a good thing.

>

> And if the council are being encouraged by the

> Mayor in one form or another, then that's even

> better.

>

> Hopefully this means that councillors will approve

> CGS funding for things that residents actually

> apply for in the future... which is what CGS

> funding is supposed to be for.

>

> Nigello... sadly, there was a situation a while

> ago where cycle hangars were cut open and the

> cycles easily stolen. And yes, I expect they'll be

> tagged as well. I wonder if there's a way that

> disused council garages can be converted into

> community cycle storage? On the other hand, I

> think Rendal's comment about in-garden storage is

> more practical, but not everybody has a garden.

> Maybe developers can be encouraged to incorporate

> cycle storage into new flats, etc?

[rch]

James, the logic in this reply is faulty.

Firstly, it appears from the url I posted above that the current administration is indeed consulting on locations requested by residents to provide cycle storage with internal council funding.

Secondly, you have allocated devolved CGS funding to provide 7 further hangars which, if provided, will benefit a grand total of 42 residents across the ward (in addition to the 36 that you claim already exist?). This is a very small percentage of the 9900 registered voters in this ward. Furthermore, I can't see whether any residents actually submitted CGS bids for cycle hangars, this appears to be a councillor initiative?

But, as far as I can tell, the reason WHY you had an underspend to allocate ?30,000 for cycle hangars is partly because councillors refused my CGS application for ?20,000 to re=pave a further section of Lordship Lane, which thousands of local residents would benefit from over the years...

But the bottom line is that devolved CGS funds are supposed to be available for local residents to make bids for funding that they feel are important in the local area... so, for councillors to intercept CGS funds to allocate for their own pet projects is creating obstacles for the residents who actually live in the ward and want to make their area better.

Just to be clear... I don't object to cycle hangars per se. I just think local residents should consult with their neighbours and submit bids accordingly. This is a democratic process.

And, this is exactly what I'm trying to do with the area that I live in - I'm even managing to have public realm discussions with council officers now - but it appears that I'm now being obstructed by local councillors, which I will continue to try to circumvent.

[Nigello]

How about funding for less elaborate structures, such as bike loops and/or subsidised extra-strong bike locks. At the bare minimum, smart water should be offered to all moped/cycle/motorbike owners and they should be encouraged to use it.

[rch]

The police have a Smart Water program which they are systematically rolling out throughout the whole ward (indeed, the whole borough), personally door knocking... so, that's paid for via that route and doesn't need local devolved CGS funding.

Bike loops are another viable solution, but there are technical issues that need to be complied with so that they don't block pedestrian access or car door opening.

But basically, there are lots of ways forward... it just needs a bit of connected public realm thinking, not ping-ponging.

[rch]

Just to add...

If anyone wants a Smart Water kit, you can contact your local SNT and they'll arrange to supply one and register you.

The East Dulwich SNT can be contacted by email at:-

[email protected]

Or you can call 020 8721 2447 and leave a message (they only answer the phone when they're actually on duty).

[rendelharris]

Nigello Wrote:

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> How about funding for less elaborate structures,

> such as bike loops and/or subsidised extra-strong

> bike locks. At the bare minimum, smart water

> should be offered to all moped/cycle/motorbike

> owners and they should be encouraged to use it.

Unfortunately loops and locks, while good outside shops etc, are no good for overnight storage unless the bike is really, really crap. Any halfway decent bike will attract the light-fingered buggers, a fairly basic groupset (the gears, brakes and drivetrain for the uninitiated) costs ?300+ and all the bits can be swiftly removed with a modicum of knowledge and a couple of very basic tools. Even if you slather the bike in chains it's not uncommon for the frame to be cut open so they can shove it on a van and take it away to dismantle and sell the parts at their leisure. Bike hangars, secure garden sheds or storing indoors are the only sure security for a bike in this day and age. I wish that weren't the case, but it is.