Victoria Square Bicycle Hub - Your input please?
If you've got something to say about the Bicycle Hub in the Victoria Square redevelopment now is the time to say it. All input is welcome.
This morning I attended a meeting on the Victoria Square Bicycle Hub on behalf of the Bicycle Institute of South Australia. The meeting was called by the project management consultants for the Victoria Square redevelopment and involved the architect, Adelaide City Council, the Office of Cycling and Walking, Bicycle SA and BISA.
The big picture is that the Master Plan for the Victoria Square redevelopment has been approved by Adelaide City Council and that plan includes what is being called a Bicycle Hub. Over the next eight months the detailed design work for the redevelopment will be conducted. Input you provide now can influence the design. There will be another meeting in a month's time where BISA can raise your ideas, concerns and support. We can also forward a link to this discussion to project managers and architects.
The following is background picked up today:
- The location is the South West corner near a tram stop and a cafe.
- Most of the facility will be underground.
- The number of bikes the facility will park has yet to be determined, as has the number of lockers, showers, toilets, etc.
- The range of services to be provided at the facility is yet to be determined.
- The King George Square Cycle Centre in Brisbane was raised as an example.
- Adelaide City Council are paying for the facility to be developed and while they acknowledge there will be sunk costs they want to see the Bicycle Hub be financially self supporting.
Over to you Adelaide Cyclists. If you had your way what would you develop and how would you use it?
Tags: Adelaide, Bicycle Hub, Victoria Square, advocacy, feedback, input, redevelopment
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gus K on -
I think this is great. I'm not 100% convinced it will work but as an acknowledgement of Adelaide as a cycling city it's a must have.
There are lots of cyclists who don't ride to work because their workplace doesn't have the showing and change facilities or somewhere safe to store an expensive bike. If I had just one bike and it was worth a lot of money I wouldn't want to leave my dream ride in the street. Same reason I wouldn't want to own an prestige car - someone would key it out of spite.
I also wonder what the weekend opening times would be. If cyclists new they could ride to town to see a show at the Fringe or Festival or just have dinner and their bike could be stored somewhere safe would be of interest to some. But perhaps just riders who travel to the markets on the weekend might also like a safe place to lock up and change.
Saying all that I'm not sure how much I would use it. Depending on cost I guess. I don't work in the city but it would still be cheaper than a car park.
I think this is a great thing to get behind and with some say now it should be set up to cater for everyone without going out of business.
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Permalink Reply by Gus K on
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That is a really really really! great point Andrew. Somewhere to park a bike with a trailer (for kids or shopping or dog) that is safe but more importantly out of the way so no one trips over it as they would at standard 'hoop' locking points.
Being able to transport small kids into the city by bicycle is something I would do more if I could have somewhere to get all the stuff sorted I need to where the kids won't get into trouble (ie step out onto busy roads) and I can change a nappy etc.
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Permalink Reply by john mills on
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I don't like the idea of kids being taken along on a bike or behind a bike. Too dangerous IMO. Babies and young children are not old enough to say 'Yes Dad, I am happy to risk my life on a bike trailer/balanced high up above the road on a child seat/on a coss bar seat . . . ".
Probably a bit off topic, but you got me going with your comments there!
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Dickson on -
Interesting point. A few quick replies from my perspective:
- my son enjoys riding in the bike trailer and dinkying on the back of my cargo bike (http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/photo/imag0397?context=user)
- I think that if we all take our kids off the roads, and instead drive them everywhere, we miss the chance to plant the seed and excitement about cycling, and make it more likely that they won't become cyclists
- If we all drive bigger and bigger cars in the hope that it makes us safer, it's a race to the bottom.
Like anything, there are risks (which can be managed and mitigated), and there are very clear benefits.
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Permalink Reply by GlenM on -
I'd like to see showers and secure bike lockups. The facilities for parents with small kids sound like a really good idea
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Permalink Reply by Luke on -
Showers, lockers and secure bike parking are the core of the facility. The big question is how much? Parking for how many bikes? How many showers, toilets and lockers?
As someone who is 190cm tall I'd like to see lockers that you can hang a shirt in and not have it wipe the bottom of the locker or accidentally clean your shoes. Tall locker please. And somewhere to dry towels. Nothing worse than a wet towel in a locker with all your clothes.
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Permalink Reply by Torbjorn van Heeswijck on -
Agreed with Andrew, there needs to be at least some space for bicycles that hold more than one person, including bikes with trailers and "Christiania" bikes (the ones that have 2 wheels and a box at the front - not sure what they're called in Australia!). These are great not just for transporting kids but for shopping and many other types of transport that people might otherwise need to use a car for.
My biggest question is this: what exactly is meant by making the hub "financially self-supporting", and what options are being discussed for this? I think it would be an incredible shame to see a great cycling facility made unattractive by steep parking costs. One of the great social benefits of cycling is the huge increase in mobility it affords people who are too young to drive themselves around, and they would also probably among those least able to pay for parking, cycle maintainence etc.
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Permalink Reply by Luke on
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To be financially self-supporting the facility will have to make enough money to cover ongoing running costs. In order to achieve that it will need to be a user pays system. How much users will pay is also an unknown.
If you rode to the city every day for work how much would you pay for secure bike parking, a shower and a locker?
If you rode to the city on weekends or occasionally during the week how much would you pay to park your bike for the day? Would you want a shower or somewhere to change clothes?
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Permalink Reply by Chris Hutchinson on -
guess I am one of the lucky CBD workers who has shower facilities & bike parking so I wouldn't use it at this stage. But fantastic for those who are contract workers/students/non CBD workers. And yes to have the facility open at the weekends would be great. Would like to see a mechanic/floor bike pumps & basic bike supplies (tubes & lights especially) And a bike node for the Adelaide City Free bikes. And coffee! And filtered water....and a water bottle washing station (not where people wash their hands) And for the building to be solar powered somehow
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Permalink Reply by Michael Warner on -
Any chance of free massages and leg waxing?
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Permalink Reply by Gus K on
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Ha... but also on a serious point electric bikes are going to be a part of our future and a place to recharge for a few hours might interest a few users.
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Permalink Reply by Luke on
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Thanks for your feedback so far. Please keep the ideas coming.
Opening on weekends has been raised. What about using the Bicycle Hub and nearby cafe as a start or finish point for group rides, be they during the week or on the weekend?
How many different levels of fees would be required? Student use and casual use have already been raised. I presume there would be a standard fee for someone to reserve a space on a permanent basis. Are there any other user groups that need to be catered for?
Would you want self service or would you like to see someone behind a desk if you were parking your bike, showering and going to work?
© 2013 Created by Gus K.
