New public bike parking standards launched for UK

1) It wasn't written by MPs. It was drawn up and checked by designers/planners, civil servants, and stakeholders from the cycling industry/community.

2) The standards may have drawn on European practices, but they will have been adapted to meet UK requirements (legal, practical etc). It builds on existing UK guidance (which may in turn have been influenced by European practices), so it's not a case of reinventing the wheel.

3) You can't just 'copy and paste' from other European countries - it has to be tailored to suit the situation in the UK. For a start, these standards reference current UK design guidance, which any planners using the guide should have access to, and which will already meet UK legal requirements. Similarly, some European designs wouldn't be suitable or legal in the UK. Using the example of the Dutch underground cycle parks in the video, most of those designs wouldn't meet the new UK standards because they aren't properly accessible (too reliant on stairs, not permitting cargo-cycles - although that might be mitigated by other parking not seen in the video)

but the thing I take away from that video that the UK should be copying isnt in the detail as yes you cant just copy & paste that, its the overall concept, its like looking into a parallel universe.

The Dutch there havent gone their cycle parking is the afterthought, the hidden round the dark corner bereft of security, the tick in the box option, theyve gone we need to provide cycle parking thats as good as people expect to park their cars, and just did it.

think how much of a culture shift that stuff provides, its suddenly not I need a pub bike I can afford to lose because some herbert with an axle grinder is just going to nick it, so Ill drive instead because my car isnt going anywhere when I park it,  its suddenly transformational in I can leave my bike safe and secure in a nice environment and its going to be there when I get back.

I was being flippant, ok?

Luckily our turnkey standards have produced arguably some of the worst bikepaths in the western world. If that is setting the standard I don't envisage this new set of guidelines will make anything better than they are now.

As the saying goes "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".

We could and should copy our European neighbours, they've been doing it for decades, but as ever we think we know better.

Owd Big 'Ead wrote:

Why do we fuck about trying to create our own way of doing things when our european neighbours, some of whom have been doing this for over 40 years, have a blueprint that will work 10 times better than a few pissed up MP's will ever manage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HdqTZs3vjU&ab_channel=NotJustBikes

Because the British have had plenty of success doing their own things. It was a British company that build the Titanic. It was another British company that helped create concorde and a British team even won a football world cup once. We also have some of the most significant/important people such as , Queen Elizebeth, Jeremy Clarkson and Jeremy Kyle.

Now that I think about it..................FUCK!

RoubaixCube wrote:

“The location should ideally be under passive surveillance (i.e. in a busy area or overlooked by occupied buildings) covered by CCTV and well lit. Sloping locations should be avoided if possible.”

Ive worked at a location where we had constant 24hr surveillance overlooking some bike sheds in absolutel clear view and people still had their bike stolen from there. A member of staff had her bike stolen at least 3 times.

Passive security means very little to thieves who carry angle grinders and can cut through a bike lock in a matter of minutes and arent afraid to be seen by any passersby because people are too afraid to confront them under the fear of being stabbed. By the time the CCTV control room have sent a security guard around to deter the bike thief, He's already cut through all the locks and half way down the road.

How many times have we all seen CCTV footage posted onto youtube of a thief in the process of stealing a bike and nobody walking up to stop him or even challenging them?? When the stars align you might get that one good samaritan who will challenge a bike thief while hes in the act but im sure once the samaritans back is turned and he's gone on his way that the thief will double back and finish the job. You cant rely on the rest of the public to defend your property from theft, Not unless they are part of a paid service to do so.

There is no substitute for actual manned security especially in a wide open public space like these when just about anyone and everyone can walk upto a bike and steal it if they have the right tools.

Yes there is. MacDonalds. Or possibly the moons of Venus. While nightclubs tend to have people up for the job, they won't be interested in the secuirty of your bike. Security people are generally old, fat, incompetent, lazy or a combination thereof. I'd feel safer betting money on a 3 legged rocking horse.

Suppose a venue required all visitors to leave their briefcase, handbag, satchel, backpack, etc "parked" outside. Would it be acceptable to have an open access system where it is already known the bags will routinely be stolen? Where ineffective CCTV and the public gaze were the only deterent?

None of these bike parks has any answer to the fact that a person with an angle grinder can simply take any bike they want. It is as if we are expected to just lean our precious bike against the wall, secure it with a shoelace, and hope it is still there on our return.

"Suppose a venue required all visitors to leave their briefcase, handbag, satchel, backpack, etc "parked" outside. Would it be acceptable to have an open access system where it is already known the bags will routinely be stolen? Where ineffective CCTV and the public gaze were the only deterent?"

That's how it works at my local swimming pool at the moment. So, yes, apparently it's acceptable

Minutes? You mean 20 seconds !! That was the last video on here.