CYCLING 087
a locker. It needs to be convenient and that’s part of the design process.’
SPPARC is working on the masterplan at Olympia, which includes a high-quality bike park. ‘We have space for 1,400 cycles and we wanted to make it best-in-class,’ says Morriss. ‘You go up to level three where its fully glazed with natural light and views over London. T ere are lockers, a maintenance station with cleaning equipment and pumps for your tyres, and it’s fully inclusive so there are charging spots for electric bikes and spaces for tricycles.
We have four designated lifts to get in, then you go through the locker rooms and shower rooms into the building core.’ Alex Lifschutz has been working on a project at 33 Charterhouse Street. ‘You can cycle straight in, have a shower, get an energy bar from the vending machine and head to your desk. It’s all been thought through. Casual business wear makes cycling easier, and Ebikes will be a game changer especially in hilly cities like Bristol; as you don’t get sweaty and have to take a shower and get your
hair wet when you get to work, which is a real dealbreaker for some people. Where companies are hesitant about putting in cycling facilities as they are not sure if it’s going to be used, we try to put in fl exible space.’
Left
In the masterplan for Barking Riverside, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands included cycle lanes and busways as a central spine connecting with the new Overground station, as well as pedestrian-only paths by the shore. There is also plenty of leisure cycling available by the River Thames
Right, top and middle Scotrail’s new Highland Explorer train service between Glasgow and Oban finally embraces cyclists as customers rather than a nuisance, with a carriage that can accommodate up to 20 bikes, of any variety, and even provides charging for Ebikes on the way
Right, below
The art installation Natural Cycle at Coal Drop Yard by street artist Peter Gibson, known as Roadsworth, encourages children to practice city cycling in a safe environment
While cycling storage in residential developments is being led by planning policy dictating car-free housing schemes, in workplaces it is client-led, says Morriss. ‘T e demands for workplace facilities are coming from staff . We rarely get asked about car parking spaces any more. T ere’s been a cultural and generational change. I see it in our own offi ce where very few people on the team own a car, although that doesn’t mean they don’t drive. Running a car is not cheap, when it’s sitting outside your apartment for most of the month.’
A true cycling city also needs a joined-up transport system. ‘T e mentality in London is that people must travel either on a bike or by tube but not mixed modal; bikes on trains are seen as an inconvenience to others,’ says Morriss. In the French Alps buses have bike racks, and the new Highland Explorer trains from ScotRail have a whole carriage for bikes, but attempting to mix and match in London is fraught with diffi culty unless you’re blessed with a Brompton. T e alternative; secure bike parking at stations and hire bikes or e-scooters at destinations, goes part way to resolving the issue.
None one of this helps if people can’t ride. Only half of schools in England off er Bikeability – and then only to pupils who have a bike and can ride without stabilisers, while estimates suggest around 12,000 UK adults have never learned to cycle. Rob Miller, sustainability manager at the King’s Cross estate, recently opened a new art installation, Natural Cycle, at Coal Drops Yard by street artist Roadsworth featuring a giant cycling track that mimics real London road systems. ‘It has been designed to help children become confi dent cyclists in a safe environment and promote sustainable travel from a young age, while giving kids something fun and free to do,’ he says.
‘The image of cycling must be transformed to be seen as a daily means of transportation that’s reliable, safe, and ef icient.’
‘Cycling education and cycling infrastructure each have a critical role to play. At King’s Cross we’ve worked incredibly hard to develop an estate that maximises the opportunity for pedestrians and cyclists to feel confi dent,’ Miller continues, ‘We’re trying to get as many bike rental stations as possible on-site, and we off er free monthly bike MOTs with Dr Bike. It’s all about breaking down the barriers to entry so that more people feel confi dent and comfortable getting on their bike over other forms of transport, especially high polluters like cars. Ultimately, combining education with high-quality cycling infrastructure at both the building level and city-wide will help get more people on their bikes.’
‘I don’t think this is a passing phase,’ adds Morriss. ‘Designing for people on bicycles shouldn’t be an afterthought that we do grudgingly, it should a primary concern.’
COURTESY OF KING’S CROSS
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