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Tell town planners where cycle parking is most needed

Tom Bogdanowicz and Mike Cavenett, October 7, 2010, Guardian via Planetizen

Something wonderful is happening in London every weekday: something that should be indicating to politicians and civil servants that they'd be mad to cut cycling expenditure now.

Each morning, thousands of commuters pick up what's been dubbed a "Boris bike" from the outskirts of zone one, to ride into the city centre. Within walking distance of Euston, Waterloo, or King's Cross, and the racks are empty.

Mayor Boris Johnson at the launch of the Barclays cycle hire scheme in London. Its huge uptake has demonstrated the latent demand for cycling in the capital. Photograph: Matt Crossick/Empics Entertainment

Mayor Boris Johnson at the launch of the Barclays cycle hire scheme in London. Its huge uptake has demonstrated the latent demand for cycling in the capital. Photograph: Matt Crossick/Empics Entertainment

 

During the evening rush hour, the signature flashing lights of hire bikes head back the other way, emptying the docking stations in commercial districts such as Mayfair, Soho and Farringdon and filling those near mainline stations.

To cope with demand, Transport for London is even shuttling trailer-fulls of hire bikes in the opposite direction.

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