Light Rail
From Pedalpushers
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Action Plan for Supertram Cyclists Specials
Update 27th March 2008
The Dft has announced plans for trials of hybrid Tram-Trains on the Penistone Line. Cycling organisations will be making representations about this as we would not wish to lose carriage of cycles on this route which has many points of access for cyclists - Sheffield, for the Peak Park Anniversary route, Trans-Pennine Trail and local cycle network; Meadowhall, where there is a direct link from Platform 2 onto the Trail; Elsecar, where a short road section leads to the Elsecar Greenway; Barnsley, where a short signed road link leads to traffic free paths and at Penistone, where a signed path from the platform goes onto the adjacent Trail. Other stations nearer Huddersfield have short road sections leading to the long distance Pennine Cycleway. The West Yorkshire Cycle Way crosses between Penistone and Denby Dale and Huddersfield gives access to the Narrow Canal and Aire & Calder towpaths, as well as the emerging network of Greenways in Kirklees.
The introduction of Metrolink led to the loss of cycle carriage between Bury and Manchester, and between Altrincham and Manchester (although an alternative heavy rail route exists for this) and we will have to be vigilant and ensure there are no losses arising from this otherwise welcome initiative.
Update 3rd March 2008 - Funding confirmed for Supertram Specials
Steve Marsden, our new CTC Cycling Development Officer for South Yorkshire, has gained agreement to make up any shortfall in cost for the Supertram Specials onwards - we just need to send him numbers of people and their names and postcodes as outcomes for his job, plus some photos for publicity.
Hope to see lots of you enjoying and supporting the Cyclists' Special on March 30th.
(p.s. (If you need to drive your bikes to Cathedral to take part in this event, see this map for parking. However, please cycle if you can - traffic is light in Sheffield City Centre on sunday morning and we'd like to keep it that way!)
Older Updates
We have agreement to put on "Cyclists' Specials" from the Cathedral to Waterthorpe (Rother Valley) on the last Sunday of each month - from September to November initially but with the aim of this becoming ongoing in the New Year if the numbers of cyclists using them are sufficient to make it cost-effective. They don't plan to cover the total cost, which - including wear-and-tear etc - would be prohibitive, just the electricity costs plus driver' s pay costs, so we have agreed £4 return for a cyclist and their bike (I didn't complicate matters by asking about tandems! but I guess it'll be £8 as there are 2 people involved). We need to get around 20 people each month for them to carry this initiative on into the New Year. The PP members on the Bike Week Cyclists' Special agreed we'd set up a series of short, 5 miles-ish, led rides around Rother Valley for those using the tram-assist if we managed to get agreement for further trams - so we need volunteers for this.
The dates will be Sundays:
- 30th September (when there will also be some publicity and handing over of a cheque with the money we raised last time to Sustrans donated by Supertram)
- 28th October (end of British Summer time! - co-inciding with the Pedal Pushers Autumn Ride) and
- 25th November - when the focus wlll be on the Connect2 proposals for the Rother Valley area.
I know we'd eventually like shared use with the general public on trams outside peak times but we're going to have to take it a step at a time and if we don't make this step work it might be harder to keep the dialogue going. So we need people to commit to using these trams on the dates above - probably 10am from the Cathedral and returning around 3pm from Waterthorpe: SIGN UP, SIGN UP, USE IT OR LOSE IT!
Actions
Newsletter item to Pedal Pushers (BEFORE the first date!) - along with membership survey.
Items in Star, Sheffield Telegraph.
Notfications to newsgroups: uk.rec.cycling, pedalpushers, brompton-talk, East Midlands Forum CTC SYNDDA, Right to Ride
Magazines: CTC, Cycling Plus, A2B, Velovision, Sheffield Uni Cycle Forum, City Cycle Forum, Hallam BUG (is there one?) Sheffield Urban Extremists Bicycology Sheffield Campaign against climate change FoE, Green Party,
Cycle Campaign Network (CCN Exchange) Greater Manchester Cycle Campaign. Sheffield Forum SYPTE
[A Connect2 Cyclists' Special leaves from the Cathedral to Waterthorpe (Rother Valley) on Sunday 25th November –10 a.m. departure returning at 3p.m.
Fare: £4 return for a cyclist and their bike (Tandems £8) Pay on the tram. Child trailers can be accommodated.
On board we will have Robert Stanley, Sheffield City Council Officer who will manage Sheffield’s Rother Valley Project if the bid is successful. This project aims to connect communities to the revitalised Chesterfield Canal, Supertram and the Rother Valley. It will utilise new bridges, lost ways, canal paths, disused railway lines and reclamation sites to create a network connecting communities to each other through attractive greenbelt terrain.
Alternatively use the tram for your own self-guided ride – there is no other bike-carrying transport to the East of Sheffield before 13:48 on Sunday!*
To register an interest please leave your name at http://axelrod.plus.com/cyclistspecialsignup or email ppmail@shu.ac.uk or Tel: 07854803195 A Connect2 Cyclists' Special leaves from the Cathedral to Waterthorpe (Rother Valley) on Sunday 25th November –10 a.m. departure returning at 3p.m.
Fare: £4 return for a cyclist and their bike (Tandems £8) Pay on the tram. Child trailers can be accommodated.
On board we will have Robert Stanley, Sheffield City Council Officer who will manage Sheffield’s Rother Valley Project if the bid is successful. This project aims to connect communities to the revitalised Chesterfield Canal, Supertram and the Rother Valley. It will utilise new bridges, lost ways, canal paths, disused railway lines and reclamation sites to create a network connecting communities to each other through attractive greenbelt terrain.
Alternatively use the tram for your own self-guided ride – there is no other bike-carrying transport to the East of Sheffield before 13:48 on Sunday!*
To register an interest please leave your name at http://axelrod.plus.com/cyclistspecialsignup or email ppmail@shu.ac.uk or Tel: 07854803195 Leaflets for general distribution
Can we get posters in tramstops?
Posters have been delivered to:
Fat Cat Kelham Island Tavern Langsett Cycles Butterworths Catchbar Lane Central Library
Volunteers to lead rides!
Info from Supertram:
Please note the understanding was that the special will run on 30 September,and that the October and November ones will be dependent on the uptake being sufficient to more or less equal the bare costs of running the tram from Depot to City then to Halfway, and a repeat of this later in the day for the return journey.
Polly Blacker felt that to increase the cost would be counter-productive in putting people off, so we would trial it on the 'use it or lose it' basis. I am anxious that you don't advertise a firm commitment for the 3 occasions and certainly not a firm commitment for 2008.
While we can't openly subsidise this venture, we can overlook wear and tear, maintenance costs, tram preparation (vehicle pre-checks), cleaning etc. We will also be dependent on providing a driver who is utilised elsewhere for the rest of the day rather than bringing in a driver specially which would escalate the cost considerably.
Presentation on the benefits of cycle carriage on trams
News from other Areas
21/08/2007
Edinburgh Spokes are pushing for cycle carriage on new Edinburgh tramway system.
30/10/06
Nottingham
With the confirmation last week of Government funding for NET Phase 2 (2 routes) the impact of bikes & trams is very much back on the agenda for cyclists in Nottingham so we are dusting down our detailed comments at the time of the last public consultation 2-3 years ago. The same rolling stock will be used as in Phase 1.
Notts LRT committee would like feedback on the out come of the specials - via Hugh McClintoch please.
West Midlands
Wolves on Wheels has done an excellent survey of bike facilities on the Nottingham NET system Here
Push Bikes, Birmingham Cycle Campaign have had a lengthy meeting with Centro regarding the two proposed extensions to the existing line 1 of Midland Metro. With the extensions comes new tramcars - and in fact, a complete replacement of the existing fleet of vehicles.
This is clearly an excellent opportunity to push for cycle carriage in the future. Sadly, it has ruled out any thought of carrying bikes with the current vehicles.
U.S.
Most Metro and Light Rail systems carry bikes, as well as many buses.
Europe.
Many Metro & Light Rail systems carry bikes.
Italy
Milan Metro accepts bikes.
