Clocking a docking station

Last week I was walking out of Liverpool Street station to meet a friend at one of those 'trendy' Shoreditch bars and I walked past one of the newly installed docking stations for the Mayor’s new cycle scheme. I stopped a while to look over this new piece of street furniture since it has received so much publicity in the press and not least because our agency did a lot of the preliminary design work. I was not alone in giving the bikes and the pay box the once over. Other people were walking round the bikes and pointing and prodding as well.

Having lived with the scheme over several months, as one of TfL's (Transport for London) design roster agencies, it was a real joy to see the scheme in the flesh. Since our work the scheme had obtained a sponsor, Barclays Bank, and the cycles were standing there resplendent in their new Barclays' blue livery. The cycles themselves look very robust. I understand they each cost a few hundred pounds.

This scheme is just what this traffic choked city needs and I am sure it will be very successful. When I walked past, several of the docking points were empty so several of the bikes were already being used. I was very tempted to take one out myself and impress my friend of my green credentials by cycling to the restaurant but then again I am not sure that there would have been a docking station at the other end. I made a mental note to get a map of where all the docking stations were.

Thanks for reading!

You can see the TfL Cycle hire work we did by visiting our site: http://www.minaletattersfield.com/