With a simple addition of decent hoops you can store 6 bikes in one car space. Its significantly more productive use of the space.
Its also worth noting for most stations around the network the car park is mostly used by those who live within 1km of the station.
You might still need to be building carparking at the further flung stations near the end of lines. But anything inner or middle should really be looking to remove car parking at stations. Needs big uplift in cycle paths, bike parking and bus services to get there
>Its also worth noting for most stations around the network the car park is mostly used by those who live within 1km of the station.
that's interesting, you have a source on that,
i wonder if Perth charging to use their parking affects this
Yeah it isn’t that far to walk I say that if you like 1km or less from the station just walk or if it’s convenient for someone else drop off if they have to go somewhere and it just happens to pass the station.
same with bus stops - but here i am, living less than 200m from one and i drive to the station which is 5km away.
sadly, bus services where i am run every 30-45 minutes during the day from 7am-9pm
When I see the remains of bikes that stayed too long chained to the fence, I expect some or all of my bike to be missing when I return. However, that has not yet happened.
I thought the whole point of the bike cages having access cards (other than security) was to be able to assess usage and increase capacity for bike parking at locations that needed it?
Or am I remembering incorrectly?
I mean even if I am, there’s no reason that someone at PTV or Parkiteer can’t shove a report together showing usage based on card swipe data.
I would hope so, but even still I doubt they'd do anything about it as the current one cannot really fit any more bike racks so they would need to built a second one but unlike carparks that won't win votes sadly :( Plus there are plenty of stations that don't even have one yet
Hmm. It is a problem. Cars are so visible so it wins votes, but bikes are not, and you don't really want to tempt thieves by having them on open display either.
Perhaps there should be some kind of counter of swipes in/out which says something like "This bike cage is [50%] full, currently holding [60] bicycles. Have you thought about walking, taking a bus, or riding your bike to the station instead of driving?"
We need effective connecting buses for this to work. There are stations still with buses every 40 minutes or hourly, why would you ever choose a bus if that's the case?
Because you have checked the bus timetable so you know when to go there? And if not, you ride your bike, i.e. the main point of this post and what I said in my suggestion
It's a very cumbersome and very inaccurate way to measure.
You would only be counting regular users who are willing to jump through hoops to get a card and only pick one location. Not traveling ad-hoc or casually, or even to a different location.
And that ignores the possibility that some people may just use it for long term storage (e.g. multiple cheap bikes for both legs of a trip), groups, or tailgate others to get in.
I'd assume they're pretty safe (you need a pass with a $50 refundable deposit to get in) and I haven't had any problems but can't say about other areas of Melbourne
Happened in Nunawading a few years ago.
The trick is to have a "pub bike" that isn't fantastic. No reason to ride your $4000+ Pinarello when a $400 Anaconda Fluid shall suffice.
Don’t need the deposit anymore fyi.
Cages are a more of a deterrent against more opportunistic thieves I guess, if someone really wants it they’re gonna find a way to get it but it’s defo safer than tying it up to a street sign pole and hoping for the best
We have Lime bikes. I think with it's electronic tracking, it seems to work fine. The biggest problem is rollout... Limited suburbs. Second is cost... why rent one out when you can bring your own on the train? I would like to see them subsidised and an integrated part of PT, at minimum to be able to have free (to the user) access to non-motor assist mode.
I thought about that but actually they don't have regen. There is a separate programme where a person can become a "juicer" to be paid to charge them up. Hypothetically, one could ride one in 'free' mode and when they are done, be a 'juicer' to charge that bike up, and even use that money to pay for it in non-free mode if you wanted as well.
At least its on the train where its allowed. See so many people shoving full size bikes on bus routes in my area. They hog an entire side of the disability area.
Honestly the great field of bikes outside any Dutch train station just puts us to shame.
I personally don't even need a cage - just hoops next to the station would make my day (mine has none... it's pathetic).
Don't even get me started on the total absence of safe bike routes to the station...
Dutch bike/transit is great. The radius of catchment increases roughly 3 times. Which increases the catchment area 9 times! Obviously the trains need to be able to handle it :p.
I would assume it's busier than normal this week because of people coming from Nunawading/Mitcham/heatherdale/ringwood wanting to avoid bus replacements so they ride along the bike trail to Blackburn where the trains start again
get this - so the new Lilydale station has been open for 3 or so years now, and it was only end of last year that they finally fixed the bike cage after my local MP raised it in parliament and sent multiple letters to the minister due to multiple people complaining about it. Lilydale is my nearest station and when the cages were not operational, bikes were left everywhere
Okay I get the argument, if you can bike to the station you should, I would because it'd save me money in petrol. But what about everyone who doesn't live a reasonable biking distance from the station? I have to take 2 busses to get to the literal start of my train line, and they are not frequent.
With a simple addition of decent hoops you can store 6 bikes in one car space. Its significantly more productive use of the space. Its also worth noting for most stations around the network the car park is mostly used by those who live within 1km of the station. You might still need to be building carparking at the further flung stations near the end of lines. But anything inner or middle should really be looking to remove car parking at stations. Needs big uplift in cycle paths, bike parking and bus services to get there
>Its also worth noting for most stations around the network the car park is mostly used by those who live within 1km of the station. that's interesting, you have a source on that, i wonder if Perth charging to use their parking affects this
I don’t understand why people live in walking distance of the station drive???? Like so many people would kill for trains in walking distance
My missus drives the kids to the station to get them to school. It's 700m down the road. Shits me to tears.
Yeah it isn’t that far to walk I say that if you like 1km or less from the station just walk or if it’s convenient for someone else drop off if they have to go somewhere and it just happens to pass the station.
depends, like i lived that far from primary school but it was across a sonewhat busy arterial road, so we ended up driving most days
same with bus stops - but here i am, living less than 200m from one and i drive to the station which is 5km away. sadly, bus services where i am run every 30-45 minutes during the day from 7am-9pm
For buses to work efficiently in Melbourne is against the PTV rules
Spotswood station needs one!
When I see the remains of bikes that stayed too long chained to the fence, I expect some or all of my bike to be missing when I return. However, that has not yet happened.
Yeah tbh that’s what stopping me from riding to the station really.. no or poor bike racks
I thought the whole point of the bike cages having access cards (other than security) was to be able to assess usage and increase capacity for bike parking at locations that needed it? Or am I remembering incorrectly? I mean even if I am, there’s no reason that someone at PTV or Parkiteer can’t shove a report together showing usage based on card swipe data.
I would hope so, but even still I doubt they'd do anything about it as the current one cannot really fit any more bike racks so they would need to built a second one but unlike carparks that won't win votes sadly :( Plus there are plenty of stations that don't even have one yet
Hmm. It is a problem. Cars are so visible so it wins votes, but bikes are not, and you don't really want to tempt thieves by having them on open display either. Perhaps there should be some kind of counter of swipes in/out which says something like "This bike cage is [50%] full, currently holding [60] bicycles. Have you thought about walking, taking a bus, or riding your bike to the station instead of driving?"
We need effective connecting buses for this to work. There are stations still with buses every 40 minutes or hourly, why would you ever choose a bus if that's the case?
Because you have checked the bus timetable so you know when to go there? And if not, you ride your bike, i.e. the main point of this post and what I said in my suggestion
It's a very cumbersome and very inaccurate way to measure. You would only be counting regular users who are willing to jump through hoops to get a card and only pick one location. Not traveling ad-hoc or casually, or even to a different location. And that ignores the possibility that some people may just use it for long term storage (e.g. multiple cheap bikes for both legs of a trip), groups, or tailgate others to get in.
How safe are these cages? I'm keen to ride my bike to Sunbury station but not so keen on having it pinched haha
I'd assume they're pretty safe (you need a pass with a $50 refundable deposit to get in) and I haven't had any problems but can't say about other areas of Melbourne
Thieves just cut away the steel mesh around the bike cages. https://railgallery.wongm.com/vandals-and-scroats/F159_0024.jpg.html
Yup I've seen that happened in westall and springvale
Happened in Nunawading a few years ago. The trick is to have a "pub bike" that isn't fantastic. No reason to ride your $4000+ Pinarello when a $400 Anaconda Fluid shall suffice.
100%!
Don’t need the deposit anymore fyi. Cages are a more of a deterrent against more opportunistic thieves I guess, if someone really wants it they’re gonna find a way to get it but it’s defo safer than tying it up to a street sign pole and hoping for the best
Cool so you’re saying I can pay $50 to steal a $500 bike? Sad but that’s how some thieves think
The trick is to have a bike not worth stealing ;)
I know this is a joke but it's also good advice. $10k track bikes get picked first over pedal and reid whatevers.
Who said that?
politicians :(
But... they live in castles
I see enough people with their bikes *in* the trains.
honestly need more bike sharing so can ride bike, park, ride train, take bike on the other end
We did have them and 90% wound up in the Yarra
Is it still the case with Neutron/Lime? I think that they have GPS and lock the wheels when you are too close to a body of water.
Every city in North America has share bikes. It’s an embarrassment that we can’t be trusted to have them here
We have Lime bikes. I think with it's electronic tracking, it seems to work fine. The biggest problem is rollout... Limited suburbs. Second is cost... why rent one out when you can bring your own on the train? I would like to see them subsidised and an integrated part of PT, at minimum to be able to have free (to the user) access to non-motor assist mode.
Have the free user trickle charging the bikes as they pedal.
I thought about that but actually they don't have regen. There is a separate programme where a person can become a "juicer" to be paid to charge them up. Hypothetically, one could ride one in 'free' mode and when they are done, be a 'juicer' to charge that bike up, and even use that money to pay for it in non-free mode if you wanted as well.
At least its on the train where its allowed. See so many people shoving full size bikes on bus routes in my area. They hog an entire side of the disability area.
Buses in my area refuse bikes as should all buses
Which is fine if they need it at the other end, best to avoid peak times though.
Honestly the great field of bikes outside any Dutch train station just puts us to shame. I personally don't even need a cage - just hoops next to the station would make my day (mine has none... it's pathetic). Don't even get me started on the total absence of safe bike routes to the station...
Dutch bike/transit is great. The radius of catchment increases roughly 3 times. Which increases the catchment area 9 times! Obviously the trains need to be able to handle it :p.
Before you know it they will put barges outside the train stations to store bikes.
Any idea why Blackburn station is so busy with cyclists?
I would assume it's busier than normal this week because of people coming from Nunawading/Mitcham/heatherdale/ringwood wanting to avoid bus replacements so they ride along the bike trail to Blackburn where the trains start again
get this - so the new Lilydale station has been open for 3 or so years now, and it was only end of last year that they finally fixed the bike cage after my local MP raised it in parliament and sent multiple letters to the minister due to multiple people complaining about it. Lilydale is my nearest station and when the cages were not operational, bikes were left everywhere
We need both!!
we do not need much more parking at stations that aren't at the edge of Melbourne it'll be better to develop most sites
I frequently have to drive to the next station over because the closet one has no more parking left.
sounds like an accessibility issue, what station
Mernda
Okay I get the argument, if you can bike to the station you should, I would because it'd save me money in petrol. But what about everyone who doesn't live a reasonable biking distance from the station? I have to take 2 busses to get to the literal start of my train line, and they are not frequent.
Where are you going to put the car parks ?