The Bike Scheme thread

ratracer

Is it just coincidence that all the work that started before the end of last year has suddenly ground to a halt and not finished??
This seems to be the case for the east city stations at Galway Hospice and at the huntsman.

what_traffic

ratracer wrote: »

Is it just coincidence that all the work that started before the end of last year has suddenly ground to a halt and not finished??
This seems to be the case for the east city stations at Galway Hospice and at the huntsman.

Construction of the Bike Station at Galway Hospice & Huntsman is finished from what I see. They just need to be opened? I guess they will only open once all the stations are completed?

ratracer

what_traffic wrote: »

Construction of the Bike Station at Galway Hospice & Huntsman is finished from what I see. They just need to be opened? I guess they will only open once all the stations are completed?

I understand why they would need to wait for all stations to be competed on the first phase, but the two I mentioned could be opened now if they are finished.

joeKel73

ratracer wrote: »

I understand why they would need to wait for all stations to be competed on the first phase, but the two I mentioned could be opened now if they are finished.

They could be waiting for a electrical or data connection and updates to their system. Or they might be allowing the concrete to strengthen, typically give it 28 days before use.

joeKel73

Storm 10 wrote: »

Another bike station under construction beside the church in Westside

It seems to be a game of spot the bike station. Surely there are drawings and planning documents that specify exactly what is being built where - I've searched but no joy.

yaledo

I emailed them to ask, they said there are 8 new stations opening:

"Bodkin
Glenina
Kingfisher NUIG
Lough Atalia
NUIG Park & Ride
O'Shaughnessy Bridge.
Seamus Quire Road
University Hospital Galway.
The date that these will opened will be available soon"

Unfortunately this was 3 weeks ago - so 'soon' doesn't mean much.

joeKel73

Wouldn't be surprised if it got dragged out to launch the expansion in Bike Week in June. :rolleyes:

gordongekko

I wonder why they didnt add Salthill this time around

joeKel73

I'd assume they're trying to target as many regular daily users as possible. They want commuters.

You can see they're expanding around NUIG and reaching out towards GMIT - if the student population embrace it that will really boost the usage numbers. A lot of students live within cycling distance of their college/university.

Salthill stations will require multiple bike stands out that direction so the recommended distance between stations isn't exceeded (you don't want to cycle out to Salthill to find the station is full or out of service and have to cycle back to the city). If they have funding for 8 stations, they'll likely be able to serve more users with the current selection.

ceatharloch

Time to re-activate the petition!

https://www.petitions24.com/bikesinsalthill

ceatharloch

J o e wrote: »

I'd assume they're trying to target as many regular daily users as possible. They want commuters.

You can see they're expanding around NUIG and reaching out towards GMIT - if the student population embrace it that will really boost the usage numbers. A lot of students live within cycling distance of their college/university.

Salthill stations will require multiple bike stands out that direction so the recommended distance between stations isn't exceeded (you don't want to cycle out to Salthill to find the station is full or out of service and have to cycle back to the city). If they have funding for 8 stations, they'll likely be able to serve more users with the current selection.

I'd say two more bike stands is all this is required to get you out to Salthill - its less than 1km from the existing stand at GTI. Also - the students are not around in May, June, July, August, when hundreds of tourists arrive in Galway train and bus stations, and many would no doubt cycle to Salthill on a fine day, its a 20 minute cycle. Some of the new stations are well chosen (I think in particular Westside), but some are not.:)

joeKel73

ceatharloch wrote: »

Also - the students are not around in May, June, July, August, when hundreds of tourists arrive in Galway

Also - there aren't as many tourists around in September, October, November, December, January, Feburary, March, April, when thousands of students arrive in Galway.

Sniipe

I like their expansion but I'd have to say that Salthill, Parkmore, Dangan and Terryland needs some lovin

joeKel73

Sniipe wrote: »

I like their expansion but I'd have to say that Salthill, Parkmore, Dangan and Terryland needs some lovin

NUIG Park & Ride is Dangan?

schemingbohemia

How many people are likely to want to cycle to Salthill in the mornings from the centre? System requires natural churn of bicycles not just one-way journeys. Otherwise the vans will just end up driving from town to Salthill all the time to replace bikes, that costs.

Sniipe

J o e wrote: »

NUIG Park & Ride is Dangan?

Sorry, I missed that. I was thinking the Dangan IDA. I'll have to look at the park and ride place.

Mrs OBumble

schemingbohemia wrote: »

How many people are likely to want to cycle to Salthill in the mornings from the centre? System requires natural churn of bicycles not just one-way journeys. Otherwise the vans will just end up driving from town to Salthill all the time to replace bikes, that costs.

You'd be surprised. Prom walkers go out at all sorts of times.

I can see why salthill isn't done yet - there are too many unknowns with how the network will operate there vs the other more predictable places with more like daily users. But it will be done eventually I'm sure.

gordongekko

schemingbohemia wrote: »

How many people are likely to want to cycle to Salthill in the mornings from the centre? System requires natural churn of bicycles not just one-way journeys. Otherwise the vans will just end up driving from town to Salthill all the time to replace bikes, that costs.

About the same as cycle from Nuig into town

what_traffic

gordongekko wrote: »

I wonder why they didnt add Salthill this time around

Its a good point. I could not figure it out, but I guess what JOE says about targeting GMIT/NUIG students & staff is the best explanation that I have read.
Salthill has the best cycling no's when looking at the CSO data so building stations out in Salthill would work for sure.

schemingbohemia

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You'd be surprised. Prom walkers go out at all sorts of times.

I can see why salthill isn't done yet - there are too many unknowns with how the network will operate there vs the other more predictable places with more like daily users. But it will be done eventually I'm sure.

Yes but unlikely at the same time. Say station has 15/20 bikes, all of the Salthill bikes will be gone within 30 minutes of station opening time in morning. How many people will cycle from town to Salthill at that time of the morning?

gordongekko

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Yes but unlikely at the same time. Say station has 15/20 bikes, all of the Salthill bikes will be gone within 30 minutes of station opening time in morning. How many people will cycle from town to Salthill at that time of the morning?

You could say the same about nuig or gmit theyll all be full in the morning. People do live in town and work in salthill as well as the other way around.

Mrs OBumble

gordongekko wrote: »

You could say the same about nuig or gmit theyll all be full in the morning. People do live in town and work in salthill as well as the other way around.

Indeed. And lots of salthill people own their own bikes already so don't need to use rentals.

Ruben Remus

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Indeed. And lots of salthill people own their own bikes already so don't need to use rentals.

I'm a 'Salthill person' who doesn't own a bike and would use the scheme if it was extended there.

joeKel73

They seem to be on a real go-slow rolling out the new stations. I've seen lads pottering around at random stations for a day here and there then disappearing for a few weeks.

what_traffic

J o e wrote: »

They seem to be on a real go-slow rolling out the new stations. I've seen lads pottering around at random stations for a day here and there then disappearing for a few weeks.

It must be just two/three construction workers contracted to do all 8 stations I reckon. Very slow in completing them all.

joeKel73

The new "Glenina" stand beside GMIT has been added to the map and they were deploying bikes on it this afternoon. Still showing offline on the map but looks ready to go.

Zzippy

The one at Fisheries Field has been progressing very slowly but looks almost ready now. Room for 30 bikes!

what_traffic

Zzippy wrote: »

The one at Fisheries Field has been progressing very slowly but looks almost ready now. Room for 30 bikes!

Is that located close to the pedestrian bridge into NUIG Campus?

topcat77

yes

Zzippy

what_traffic wrote: »

Is that located close to the pedestrian bridge into NUIG Campus?

Right beside it.