Limerick Bike Scheme

zulutango

Trouble in Galway ...

Labour councillor delays works on Galway bikes scheme
BY CIAN GINTY · OCTOBER 23, 2014

— Councillors claimed they wanted more docking stations in suburbs but majority sign motion to stop key station outside city centre
— Councillor admits being confused about location, then claims there was no consultation
— Nearly 200 people sign online petition asking for more not less docking stations

Labour councillor, Billy Cameron, is leading a campaign to stop work on three bike share docking stations in Galway City, just over two weeks ahead of the planned launch of the system in the city.

Connachttribune.ie reports that work has been “temporarily suspended” on docking locations at University Road, Merchants Road and Fr Griffin Road until after a meeting between council managment and counclors.

Cameron’s comments comes soon after his fellow city councillor, Pádraig Conneely, a member of Fine Gael who represents the same area of the city, branded cyclists as “cowboy cyclists” — although he gained more media attention for the generalisation last week, he has made the comments before, including at least once at a council meeting in 2012.

Cllr Cameron’s main focused is on the University Road stop outside NUI Galway, one of only two 30-space docking stations in Galway. He is calling the removal of car parking spaces to make way for the station “absolutely crazy” — also claiming people will not be able to put out their bins and that, if the station was on the other side of the road, users would not have to cross the road.

There has been large-scale, advertised public consultation on the location of the bike share stations, but Cllr Cameron claims there has been “no consultation whatsoever with local residents” — although talking previously to reporters he admitted that he was unclear about the location, in September he told the Galway City Tribune: “…When they talked about University Road I assumed it would be on the other side of the road across…”.

He also has claimed to the Tribune: “People who take the bikes will most likely be heading into town and they’ll have to cross the road. It will also affect the collection of refuse as the residents will no longer be able to put out their bins there.”

However, its unclear how the the claim of being unable to put waste bins out for kerb-side collection can be supported — a bicycle docking station will less obstructive that a less permeable row of cars.

Cameron’s comments on people having to cross the road seems to show that he does not know how public bike schemes work — in that people take bicycles in both directions and will have to cross the road regardless of which side of the road a station is place on.

In reaction to the stalling of work on the docking stations, nearly 200 people have signed an online petition in the last 48 hours asking for “More, not less, free public bike stands installed in the city”.

The news of yet another delay comes after updated launch dates for the three regional bike share schemes released by the National Transport Authority, it said last week that Galway is due to open the week of November 10; Limerick by the end of November and Cork in mid-December. It’s unclear at this stage of the Galway launch date will be affected.

zulutango

By the way, the bikes looks hideous :eek:

http://irishcycle.com/2014/10/23/labour-councillor-delays-works-on-galway-bikes-scheme/

Iranoutofideas

I wouldn't be seen dead on one, especially with that godawful coca cola logo on the back WTF! :mad:

As usual another great idea ruined by unimaginative morons who couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery.

The location for stations in Limerick looks like they got a map of the city and had a game of darts.



Why couldn't they have green bikes at least? If they must get sponsorship, an Irish company would have been better. Green Bike, sponsored by Aer Lingus, shamrock logo on the back. Done! Might at least look more attractive to tourists.

source

Who cares what they look like? It's not like you're spending €600 to buy the bloody thing.

You'll take one to get across town in a hurry and leave it at the nearest station. You'll be on it for less than 15 minutes at a time in this city.

zulutango

source wrote: »

Who cares what they look like? It's not like you're spending €600 to buy the bloody thing.

You'll take one to get across town in a hurry and leave it at the nearest station. You'll be on it for less than 15 minutes at a time in this city.

It probably does have an effect in terms of general public acceptance though. Perhaps not a big one, but I'd say there's some effect there.

Iranoutofideas

I'd rather they spent the money on putting bike friendly infrastructure in place and promoting cycling instead of what they are currently doing.

It doesn't make sense to me that they'd provide bikes like these when the city itself is not very bike friendly in terms of proper cycling routes and cycling lanes. In short, it's not safe cycling around Limerick.

Why bother putting these bikes and stations in place when they've been all but ignoring the people in the city who already have bikes?

zulutango

It's a bit of a chicken and egg situation though. Give people free bikes and then maybe you'll get more people cycling, and then those people will push for a better cycling infrastructure. It's not ideal. It's better that we're getting this than not getting it, in my opinion.

I agree that Limerick is not well set up for cyclists, but hopefully in time it will be. A huge change in how traffic works in the city needs to happen though.

And then there's the problem that not that many people live in and around the city centre, so we're incredibly car dependent unfortunately.

cgcsb

Iranoutofideas wrote: »

Why couldn't they have green bikes at least? If they must get sponsorship, an Irish company would have been better. Green Bike, sponsored by Aer Lingus, shamrock logo on the back. Done! Might at least look more attractive to tourists.

Cop yourself on

Iranoutofideas

cgcsb wrote: »

Cop yourself on

Thanks for your sterling input :rolleyes:

zulutango

Can anybody tell me where the docking stations are going to be?

There's a link on the city council website, but I don't know if all these stations are agreed.

http://www.limerick.ie/limerick-public-bike-scheme-due-autumn-2014-launch

Various media articles say that there will be 23 stations. The link above shows 24, so I guess one of these will be scratched from the list.

Poxyshamrock

I think the maps you have been looking at are correct. I have seen three under construction so far!

zulutango

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I think the maps you have been looking at are correct. I have see on three under construction so far!

There's one planned for near my house. Giggty giggity.

barrymanilow

Does anyone know if the membership card will let you use the bikes in the other cities and Vice Versa ?

Can't say I'm overly impressed with the docking station locations , they are all based in town which is pretty easy to get around already on foot ,while on a bike the one way road sytems in the city centre would mean you'd have to do big loops to get around . Seems that tourists are the main focus group for the bikes over local people living a longer trip outside town . Surely it would have made more sense to have half the stations on the edge of residential areas and the other half in town so people could walk to a local station , pick up a bike then cycle in ? One outside Thomond park would facilitate matchgoers and people from L.I.T ,Thomondgate , Moyross , Caherdavin, Mayorstone ,Shelbourne road etc .

zulutango

I think there's all kinds of logistical issues with having them spread out in the early days. But as there's a greater uptake they'll be able to extend the scheme further out. That's how it's been done pretty much everywhere else, so I don't see why the approach should be different in Limerick.

I think it is an advantage to tourists, but also to those living in or near the city centre. If it helps encourage people to live in the city rather than the suburbs, I think that's a good thing for Limerick to be honest.

hurpederp

I live in Limerick, very near O Connell Street and I'm really glad that they are introducing these bikes. Simple stuff like popping to the shops, meeting a friend in town or just freewheeling about on a sunny day would be a lot nicer with a bike available. The Dublin Bike setup works pretty well, as far as I know none/very few were vandalised ? As for the appearance of the bike, I really don;t think anybody cares.

wonderboy76

Can't speak for the plus or negative points of the scheme in Limerick, but with regards to how they actually look I can vouch that no, they're not going to win any design awards but really, I've not heard one person in Dublin say the look of them has put them off using them. I'd never personally buy a bike that looked like that or that had a basket on the front, but I'm rarely on one for more than 20 mins. With wind and good fortune behind me, I can be home in 15 minutes instead of the 40 or so it would take it walk and that's much more important to me than the bike's aesthetic. No one is looking at you on the bike - my stupid white helmet that makes me look like a beardy boiled egg looks worse than the bike. Honestly, no one gives two hoots about the bike's look so I don't think that wil be a problem. And they don't get nicked or vandalised either. They handle well enough and the scheme itself I think is fantastic value.

Even with the smaller demand in smaller cities, I hope it's a big success and you all get to use the bikes.

Limerick Dude

Considering launch is so soon, have they even set up a website where you can register your account and get set up etc.....

zulutango

wonderboy76 wrote: »

Can't speak for the plus or negative points of the scheme in Limerick, but with regards to how they actually look I can vouch that no, they're not going to win any design awards but really, I've not heard one person in Dublin say the look of them has put them off using them. I'd never personally buy a bike that looked like that or that had a basket on the front, but I'm rarely on one for more than 20 mins. With wind and good fortune behind me, I can be home in 15 minutes instead of the 40 or so it would take it walk and that's much more important to me than the bike's aesthetic. No one is looking at you on the bike - my stupid white helmet that makes me look like a beardy boiled egg looks worse than the bike. Honestly, no one gives two hoots about the bike's look so I don't think that wil be a problem. And they don't get nicked or vandalised either. They handle well enough and the scheme itself I think is fantastic value.

Even with the smaller demand in smaller cities, I hope it's a big success and you all get to use the bikes.

But the Dublin ones actually look ok compared to the god-awful Coke Zero ones that are being wheeled out in Limerick, Cork and Galway. Have you seen them? :eek:

wonderboy76

zulutango wrote: »

But the Dublin ones actually look ok compared to the god-awful Coke Zero ones that are being wheeled out in Limerick, Cork and Galway. Have you seen them? :eek:

I haven't but Coke Zero sponsors the Dublin ones too. I can't imagine they look hugely different. Have you a link to what the Limerick, Cork and Galway ones look like?

wonderboy76

I think I just found a picture - black and red? If it's those, then I vastly prefer them to the Dublin ones. They look sleeker. I don't like the weird #shelf' at the front though. The basket on the Dublin ones actually comes in handy, un-cool as it looks!

highlydebased

In all fairness the things that will put people off using them will be the price or the docking station locations- the look of the bike probably doesn't come into it

Poxyshamrock

I see they've started work (and then stopped) on a station by St Mary's Church.

Poxyshamrock

Just registered for the scheme on www.bikeshare.ie

€5 for the year if you register before January.

highlydebased

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Just registered for the scheme on www.bikeshare.ie

€5 for the year if you register before January.

I was just going to do it- but it looks as though they want "€150 guarantee against the securely stored payment card" - how does that work?

zulutango

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

Just registered for the scheme on www.bikeshare.ie

€5 for the year if you register before January.

Cheers for that.

As an mostly irrelevant and pedantic aside, I really hate when GAA county colours are linked to things that have nothing to do with the GAA.

Edit: It's not allowing me to register and is saying "Unable to register at this time". Anybody else getting that?

Poxyshamrock

highlydebased wrote: »

I was just going to do it- but it looks as though they want "€150 guarantee against the securely stored payment card" - how does that work?

I was under the impression that they would take €150 from your card if the bike isn't returned. They might take it at the start but I've been charged just €5 so far!

wingnut

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I was under the impression that they would take €150 from your card if the bike isn't returned. They might take it at the start but I've been charged just €5 so far!

Is your available balance still the same. I have notices sometimes when a hold is put on your account the money isn't taken but the available balance is lower.

Poxyshamrock

I'm in the red at the minute so even if they tried to get money, they wouldn't be able! I'll report when I'm back in the black on Friday!

IsaacWunder

The locations all make sense except nothing out by UL and LIT.

This is a staggering oversight. The Galway one has stations out by NUIG, the Cork one by UCC, and even the Limerick one has a stand near Mary I.

They'd be perfect for buzzing out to the university along the towpath by the canal, which is probably the nicest cycle route around the city: totally separate from cars, scenic route along by the river, and as flat as a sick child's 7up. That and the fact that the bus service out to Plassey is so hit and miss they'd be great for the literally thousands of students out around Castletroy to get to and from town if they had to be in by a certain time and didn't want to fork out for a taxi. Ditto LIT. It's so close to the city it's already popular for cyclists.

The nature of Limerick's weather makes a bike scheme like this perfect. The amount of times when, back when I was in college, I'd cycle in for a lecture on a sunny morning only for it to be pissing down rain when I needed to get home, or vice versa made bringing a bike regularly not worth the risk.

Poxyshamrock

The problem with UL is that it's a lot further out than NUIG and UCC, both of which are within walking distance of their city centres. To put bikes in UL, you would have to put them in a linear fashion all the way out the Dublin Road and that doesn't really work.