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Title: Look out for Readybike Post by: stuving on May 04, 2014, 17:15:20 I'd missed this when first announced, but then started to notice mysterious steel erections appearing around Reading. So Reading is getting a bike hire scheme, due to start "spring" 2014, and with the inescapable name "Readybike".
The original item in the Reading Post (http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/new-scheme-provide-two-hundred-6191586) ends by saying this: Quote The council intends to expand the scheme to Wokingham and West Berkshire if it is a success. Not quite sure how to take that. Probably, it means covering the parts of greater Reading not in the borough (Woodley, Earley, Calcot, but coming closer in too). But I imagine the other councils will have to cooperate for it to happen. My picture shows what is billed as the Reading station north station, though it's out on Vastern Road. If you don't see very well, watch out for this obstruction in the pavement (note how carefully it has been coordinated with the traffic sign to achieve maximum obstruction). And if you can see just fine, watch out - the fittings on the station are this garish orange, while the bikes are a rather bright shade of purple. (http://i1.getreading.co.uk/incoming/article6598127.ece/alternates/s615/Boris-bike.jpg) Mmm, tasteful. Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: ChrisB on May 04, 2014, 17:28:20 MIssed a trick - Readibike would be a better name, surely?
Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: Phil on May 05, 2014, 18:25:46 MIssed a trick - Readibike would be a better name, surely? Already taken though. Here's a link to a (copyright) picture which explains all. http://kellybenton.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_6156_WM.jpg I've provided the website address in full as well, but please be aware there's another photo further up the same page which might not be good for your average trainspotters' metabolism.... http://kellybenton.com/blog/fort-the-love-of-cycling/ Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: Chris from Nailsea on May 05, 2014, 18:27:36 One fit lady. :-X
Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: bobm on May 05, 2014, 20:21:29 There was talk of a bike hire scheme starting in Swindon in the early part of this year, but it seems to have gone quiet.
Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: Phil on May 05, 2014, 21:06:12 SwineBike has a certain ring to it...
Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: ChrisB on May 14, 2014, 09:11:03 My suggestion stands - spelling different.
Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: stuving on May 17, 2014, 23:27:15 The bikes are now appearing, parked in the stations. However, they have stickers on saying "Launching soon - tests in progress". I'm not sure whether these tests are to find out if they get stolen or damaged...
Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: Chris from Nailsea on September 09, 2014, 22:48:41 An update, from the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-29126603):
Quote Reading cycle hire scheme 'not value for money' A cycling campaign group has questioned whether a ^1.2m cycle hire scheme similar to London's Boris bikes is proving value for money. More than 5,500 people rented a bike in Reading in the first two months since the scheme was introduced on 10 June - some 90 journeys a day. Adrian Lawson, of Reading Cycle Campaign, said money would have been better spent on improving cycle lanes. Councillor Tony Page said it was a "positive start". The first ReadyBike statistics were released ahead of Reading Borough Council's transport sub committee meeting. ReadyBike was launched on 10 June, with 200 bikes for hire at 27 docking stations. The local authority wants to see around 2,300 daily cycle trips across the town. The figures show 2,198 rentals were made in June and 3,365 rentals in July. Mr Page, the council's lead member for transport, said: "These are encouraging figures and they back up what we already know anecdotally - that ReadyBike is proving to be popular in Reading. They have very quickly become a fixture across the town." However, Mr Lawson said: "It is an extraordinary expensive way to get 100 more journeys a day, when they could have spent some of that money on the town's cycling infrastructure." The bikes can be hired for ^4 per day for members and ^7 for non-members. The council has identified a number of popular journeys, which include trips from Caversham to the town centre and Reading Station, as well as high use at the University of Reading's Whiteknights campus and Reading College. Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: eightf48544 on September 09, 2014, 23:14:07 There is already a set outside (across the road) at Burnham and in other palces in Slough. Think there may be some outside the main station as well will check.
Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: stuving on July 23, 2017, 16:41:43 Here's an update from the BBC on Readybike - basically it was still needing a subsidy from Reading Borough after three years, and this was going to stop.
Quote Future of Reading ReadyBike hire scheme secured (https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/8FD7/production/_97032863_readybike.jpg)Image copyright Reading Borough Council ReadyBike was launched with a £1.2m government grant in 2014 A public bike hire scheme has been saved from going bust after the scheme's operator said they will fund it without council subsidies. Hourbike has won a new contract to manage and maintain the ReadyBike scheme in Reading for three years. Reading Borough Council had said it would stop subsidising the scheme last year because of its high running costs. The firm said but there were no plans to reduce the number of 200 bikes available. ReadyBike was launched with a £1.2m government grant in 2014. After that funding ran out, the council started spending £10,000-a-month to subsidise the scheme. Hourbike had previously said that more sponsors were required to save ReadyBike, after the council announced they would withdraw their funding. The firm said they were "delighted" to continue operating the scheme, which will see them "review the number of rentals at existing docking stations", but not cut the total of bicycles available. That may include creating new locations for docking stations in West Reading. You'll see they are still using the same delightfully coordinated colours... Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: ChrisB on July 23, 2017, 17:07:33 Put off pax nicking them!
Title: Re: Look out for Readybike Post by: CyclingSid on July 24, 2017, 08:02:45 Most of the bikes recently have had JustEat colours.
I don't know about £4 a day to hire, I believe that last year somebody calculated that from the net cost to Reading Council (and us Reading tax payers) and the miles actually cycled that it was costing the council £4 per mile cycled. The original usage estimates were pure fantasy. Reading is not a cycle-friendly place, having just been close-passed on the way to work. Most of the council cycling "puff" has to be taken with a large pinch of salt. They opened the tunnel under the railway, east of the station roughly Huntley and Palmers used to be, with great fanfare. The accompanying photograph had to be taken with the photographer standing with their back against a No Cycling sign. This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |