Travel Plan Performance Indicator

I have been wondering about a performance indicator (PI) for travel plans. I think what might work is.

Distance travelled BY motor vehicles (except scheduled buses) to, from or for work / Number of full-time equivalent employees.

This avoids having a PI for public transport and a PI for cycling and a PI for walking, and a PI fpr working from home, etc.

Note that this is the distance travelled by motor vehicles, not people. That way if car sharing goes up, the PI value goes down. This should work for the whole council and any office or department.

It would be better to use fuel consumption, or better still CO2 emmissions, but distance travelled is easier to measure.

Haringey Council's Travel Plan

This (to be clear) is the council's travel plan for the council itself (ie not the borough).

It is written and to be considered for approval by members around July 2007. It contains numerous recommendations, including participation in the bike2work salary sacrifice scheme, pool bikes, a review of allowances and support for the BUG. Away from cycling, it also recommends various measures for reducing the need to travel, and for encouraging public transport use - in summary, many things to reduce car use - more exactly the effects of car use.

Cycle to Work Scheme / Ride to Work Scheme

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Information.aspx?TranslationLargeID=34

Chain Reaction Cycles have joined the Cycle to Work Scheme, calling it "Ride to work" (possibly by mistake)

General details of the scheme and facilitators here

http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/19878/Buy-your-bike-free-of-tax

National Liftshare Day - Thu 14 June 2007

http://www.liftshare.org/nlsd.asp

A chance for all those car driving, non cycling colleagues to do their bit

Bikely

www.bikely.com

This is a system for sharing bike routes with others. You can record your routes by mousing points onto an on line map, or you can upload data from a GPS unit (.gpx format).

I tried out the mouse-map combination and found it pretty easy to use.

Smartmoves newsletter

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/smarterchoices/smartmoves/yourtravelplannews

16 page newsletter about travel plans

Commuter Doctor Bike sessions in Haringey during Bike Week (16-24 June)

Commuter Doctor Bike sessions in Haringey during Bike Week (16-24 June)

During National Bike Week Haringey Council has organised additional Doctor Bike sessions for cycling commuters every weekday morning between 8am to 9.30 am at the following locations. Useful cycling accessories and free leaflets will also be available at these locations.

June
Monday 18 8 - 9.30am Finsbury Park - Outside cycle parking shed in Stroud Green Road N4.
8 - 9.30am Tottenham High Road N17 - Southbound location near junction with Monument Way

Tuesday 19 8 - 9.30 am Finsbury Park - Outside cycle parking shed in Stroud Green Road N4.

Wednesday 20 8 - 9.30am Finsbury Park - Outside cycle parking shed in Stroud Green Road N4
8 - 9.30am Wood Green N22 - opposite Wood Green Library

Thursday 21 8 - 9.30am Tottenham High Road N17 - Southbound location near junction with Monument Way
8 - 9.30am Crouch End N8 - Outside Hornsey Town Hall green.

Friday 22 8 - 9.30am Wood Green N22 - opposite Wood Green Library
8 - 9.30am Crouch End N8 - Outside Hornsey Town Hall green.

Doctor Bike Sessions 2007. Saturdays, 12-3pm

Haringey Council is pleased to announce that regular Doctor Bike sessions providing check-ups and minor repairs to bicycles will take place every Saturday afternoon from 12-3pm throughout the summer at the following locations:

2nd June 12-3pm Priory Park N8
9th June 12-3 Finsbury Park N4
16th June 12-3 Priory Park
23rd June 12-3 Finsbury Park
30th June 12-3 Priory Park
7th July 12-3 Finsbury Park
14th July 12-3 Priory Park
21st July 12-3 Finsbury Park
28th July 12-3 Priory Park
4th August 12-3 Finsbury Park
11th August 12-3 Bruce Castle Park N17(by tennis courts)
18th August 12-3 Finsbury Park
25th August 12-3 Priory Park
1st September 12-3 Finsbury Park
8th September 12-3 Bruce Castle Park (by tennis courts)
15th September 12-3 Finsbury Park
22nd September 12-3 Priory Park
29th September 12-3 Finsbury Park
6th October 12-3 Bruce castle Park (by tennis courts)

Please come along for free maintenance of your bicycles, and sign up for free cycle training (available to anyone over 12 years old who lives, works or studies in Haringey). Also pick up free cycle maps and literature.

For further information contact Cycle Training UK on (020) 7231 6005 or visit www.haringey.gov.uk/cycling/doctorbike

Haringey Council BUG relaunch - Tu 19 June, 10am-11am

I’m very pleased to announce that there will be a formal relaunch of the BUG this summer. Bike Week - www.bikeweek.org.uk – (Sat 16 June – Sunday 24 June) – was selected as an appropriate time.

Cllr Brian Haley has kindly agreed to attend.

Please try to keep this time free so that you can come along and help put on a good show. The venue isn’t confirmed, but is likely to be in Wood Green.

If you have anything relevant going on that you think might be worthy of a presentation, bearing in mind the relatively short time slot and intended “showbiz” mood for the event, please do let me know.


Colin Newman

Haringey Council BUG

http://haringeycouncilbug.blogspot.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/haringeycouncilbug

New Highway Code

Two things to do about the highly problematic new Highway Code:

1) Sign the petition - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/roads4bikes/

2) Ask your MP to sign the Early Day Motion:

EDM 1433: "That the alterations in the provisions of the Highway Code proposed to be made by the Secretary of State for Transport, dated 28th March 2007, a copy of which was laid before this House on 28th March, be not made."

Ministers do not sign EDMs, but they still need to be told their consituents' views.

Details of the campaign are here: http://www.cyclenetwork.org.uk/latest/latest.html#hcedm

Haringey Critical Mass Ride - Saturday 9 June 2007, noon

Starts from Manor House and ends at Chestnuts Park with a picnic.

Poster / Flyer at http://groups.google.com/group/haringeycouncilbug/files

More details at www.haringey.org.uk

Cycle Campaign Network

The Cycle Campaign Network (http://www.cyclenetwork.org.uk/) is an umbrella group for cycling campaigners and cycle campaign goups.

I have registered our BUG with them and also joined their e group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ccnexchange/ so that I can pass on anything relevant from them.

Everyday Cycling

http://www.everydaycycling.com/

"Everyday Cycling started life three years ago [sic] as an idea in the mind of British Cycling’s Ian Drake, who saw the need for a bright, vibrant online cycling community where you could find out everything you needed to know about leisure cycling; places to ride, leisure events, charity rides, what to ride, advice on kit. Moreover, Ian foresaw a virtual place where leisure cyclists could meet, chat and interact – a website that would at the same time stimulate and record activity. Thus, the Everyday Cycling concept was born."

I think this site is mis-named - who goes leisure cycling every day? Even so, it looks good and may be useful.

Haringey Sustainable transport map

http://harinet.haringey.gov.uk/haringey_public_transport_map.pdf or
http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/transport.htm


More general information here:


http://harinet.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/transport.htm or http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/transport.htm

Pool Bikes for Business

"a practical guide to setting up a bike pool"

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/businessandpartners/Pool-bikes-for-business.pdf

There is also a CD-ROM around called "Ready to Ride? | A step by step guide to checking your bike | For pool bike users and bike fleet operators" containing c. 19 minutes of video and some other bits and pieces, but it doesn't seem to be available on the internet.

Too large for me to upload here or on the e-group site, I think.

Be++er Haringey Awards

http://harinet.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/better_haringey/better_haringey-awards/betterharingeyawards.htm

http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/better_haringey/better_haringey-awards/betterharingeyawards.htm

6-8pm, Friday 29 June 2007 at Alexandra Palace after the first day of the Green Fair

The deadline for nominations is Friday 8 June.

Haringey Green Fair - Fr 29 & Sa 30 June 2007, Alexandra Palace Park

http://harinet.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/better_haringey/betterharingeygreenfair.htm

http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/better_haringey/betterharingeygreenfair.htm.

Cycle Trainer Required

We need to locate a qualified person to assess potential users of pool bikes. If you are that person, or know someone, please contact Adam Hunt x 4502.

BUG relaunch

Excellent news – we’re going to re-launch the BUG. We have the backing of a senior manager, Jo David (an AD in Urban Environment) but we need the formal input of someone in Transport to lead the group.

We have a council travel plan underway and part of any travel plan I’ve ever encountered includes an active Bicycle Users’ Group that has status and recognition.

There are several key issues to be discussed that the BUG wants to see taken forward to help the council realise the cycling parts of its travel plan. These can serve as an agenda. If you have other issues appropriate for an inaugural meeting, please pass them to the new BUG chair once s/he is identified.

1. Electric pool bikes – an update on the scheme – how to access the bikes and promotion of the scheme
2. Recycled pool bikes – a new project being led by Adam Hunt
3. Salary Sacrifice Scheme (tax free new bikes). We need to move forward with this
4. Cycle mileage allowance. The need for an allowance that caters for occasional and regular users, but that is manageable.
5. Showers/lockers. Availability, access, convenience, improvements.
6. Social aspects – rides and other social events for the BUG.

We're looking to hold a meeting in late June, in River Park House - exact date to be set/agreed by whoever in Transport steps forward to lead the group.

Regards

Colin Newman

Haringey Council Bicycle Users' Group

Desk phone: 020 8489 2548
Fax: 020 8489 2533

Buy your bike free of tax

http://www.bikebiz.co.uk/news/19878/Buy-your-bike-free-of-tax

This is a good summary / overview of the various "salary sacrifice" schemes (and Bike Biz is quite a good cycling e-zine).

These schemes are regularly raised as an issue in our BUG. If anyone makes any progress, do let uis know.

Campaigning

Any BUG members interested in influencing how London's streets can be improved for cycling may like to get in touch with their local London Cycling Campaign Branch.

http://www.lcc.org.uk/index.asp?Pageid=31

BUGs are primarily about how employers treat their employees who cycle - an how they promote (or not) cycling amongst their employees.

If you cycle for work, of course there's an overlap as you use the borough streets.

If you want to be in the Haringey LCC branch's e-group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/haringeycyclists/

Haringey Council BUG e-group

All those who were on the Outlook / Exchange e-mail list fro the BUG have been added as members of the Google e-group. Once Google approves the new group, we can start to use it instead of the Outlook / Exchange e-mail list.

The group's address on the web is here:

http://groups.google.com/group/haringeycouncilbug

Cycle Training

Haringey Council arranges cycle training for anyone over 12 who lives, works or studies in Haringey (delivered by Cycle Training UK):

Charges:

£5 for 2-4 hours training (minimum two hours – up to 4 at trainer's discretion)

£10 to (optionally) hire a bike for the whole 2-4 hours training time. Other boroughs have similar arrangements.

More info:

http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/environment_and_transport/travel_awareness-2/cycling.htm#02

http://www.haringey.gov.uk/index/jobs_and_training/resources_for_teachers/better_haringey-road_safety.htm

www.cycletraining.co.uk / 020 7582 3535

Welcome

Welcome to the new blog for Haringey Council Bicycle Users' Group. Please use this facility in accordance with Haringey Council's computer use policies.

History and status of Haringey Council BUG

Chris Bainbridge from Transport Planning used to run the group until something like 2001 when he left and went to H&F. Back in those days we had regular meetings in the flesh, in council offices (typically the Civic). After Chris left it became apparent that Transport Planning weren’t going to [be able] to keep on running the BUG, so I came up with the idea of having a page on the bulletin boards that used to be on Harinet.

Harinet bulletin boards were withdrawn, so we moved to e-mail. I’m thinking of having a wiki and/or a blog and/or an e-group * (in any case based on the internet) – but one way or the other most of our activities have been supported by electronic means.

[* blog and e-group started 30 April 2007]

Most of what we have done has been supporting and helping each other with advice/tips and other information. We’ve had the occasional informal social gathering (pub). On one occasion we were asked to gather information for the council – something to do with parking at council buildings from what I can remember – (can anyone else remember more?)


Many organisations have BUGs – they are there to represent to their employer people who cycle to/from or for work. They work on issues that will encourage people to cycle to/from or for work more. So things like secure parking, showers, mileage allowance, and cycle purchase schemes come up as issues quite often.


Other BUGs are much more active than ours (!) and more actively engaged by/with their employer. My personal role arose from my history as a cycling activist/advocate not wanting the Haringey Council BUG to fizzle out completely – to keep the ashes that we might one day emerge phoenix like from as glowing embers, at least.