Bike bus in Norfolk

See http://www.edp24.co.uk/content/News/story.asp?datetime=31+Jan+2003+08%3A50
&tbrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=NEWS&category=News&brand=EDPOnline&itemid=NOED
30+Jan+2003+20%3A44%3A18%3A983 or

http://makeashorterlink.com/?F4D725A43

Cheers, helen s

"'Bike bus' to connect tourist hotspots

STEPHEN PULLINGER

January 31, 2003 08:50

Tourism in the Broads is to be boosted by a new 'bike-bus' connecting main visitor attractions.

The service, called the Broads Hopper, will run from Blickling to Reedham via Aylsham, Wroxham, Acle
and Martham.

A 20-seat mini-bus will run along the route pulling a trailer capable of carrying 10 bikes.

Norfolk County Council learned yesterday that its bid to the Department of Transport for £473,000
of funding had been successful.

The grant is part of a £20m allocation announced by the Government in the fifth round of its Rural
Bus Challenge, a scheme to improve transport in the countryside.

Ian Hydes, from the council's passenger transport network, said: "The idea for the scheme came from
the council-subsidised Coast Hopper service from King's Lynn and Hunstanton to Cromer.

"That has built up and proved a tremendous success both with tourists and people travelling to work
in the villages."

Mr Hydes said the Broads Hopper would also serve both markets, and the bike-carrying facility would
be especially helpful to tourists.

The service – probably not starting until next year – would run at least three times a day in
both directions, seven days a week in the summer and six days a week in winter.

The idea is to link major tourist attractions, including Blickling Hall, the Bure Valley Railway,
Wroxham Barns, Fairhaven Gardens, South Walsham, Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens and Pettits Animal
Adventure Park.

The county will also receive around £390,000 from Rural Bus Challenge to improve bus services in
the Fenland area.

An interchange will be provided at Three Holes supporting a new cross-country route across the
border between Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

The service, also scheduled to begin next year, will link Downham Market with March in
Cambridgeshire by linking into existing services to Wisbech.

Part of the grant will be spent on 36 improved bus stops and 18 new shelters.

Suffolk County Council has secured £190,000 to set up a rural car scheme, using a network of
volunteer drivers and servicing villages that have one bus a day or less. The aim is that people in
such villages will be able to book a car journey for the same price as a bus."

~~~~~~~~~~
Flush out that intestinal parasite and/or the waste product before sending a reply!

Any speeliong mistake$ aR the resiult of my cats sitting on the keyboaRRRDdd
~~~~~~~~~~

 

wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter wrote:

> "'Bike bus' to connect tourist hotspots

Hurrah! The Fietsbus comes to Britain!

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter wrote:
>
> > "'Bike bus' to connect tourist hotspots
>
> Hurrah! The Fietsbus comes to Britain!

We've had one in the North for a couple of years, The Black Grouse (X84) runs between Newcastle and
Barnard Castle during the summer.

Colin

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> > wafflycathcsdirtycatlitter wrote:
> >
> > > "'Bike bus' to connect tourist hotspots
> >
> > Hurrah! The Fietsbus comes to Britain!
>
> We've had one in the North for a couple of years, The Black Grouse (X84) runs between Newcastle
> and Barnard Castle during the summer.

Talking about the NE,

http://www.cyclenorth.org.uk/

click on the pic for the story about the Tynebike

Colin

 

I like this idea. Are there any bike busses in the south east?

~PB

 

In message <[email protected]>, Pete Biggs
<pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> writes
>
>I like this idea. Are there any bike busses in the south east?
>

Why couldn't nearly all busses carry bikes? I was very impressed with the racks fitted to the front
of (apparently all) the busses in the San Francisco bay area, on a trip last year. Each one could
securely hold two regular bicycles and when not in use folded flat against the front of the bus.

My Airnimal looked a little unstable, but survived a couple of long trips without any damage - and
both the driver and I could see it all the time.

I've just looked at the manufacturers web site http://www.bicycleracks.com/ and it quotes a price
of USD 549. That seems a fairly cheap way of equipping busses to carry the majority of adult
bicycles easily.

Graham
--
Graham Glen

 

In article <[email protected]>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard of Graham
Glen <[email protected]> wrote:
> In message <[email protected]>, Pete Biggs
> <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> writes
>>
>>I like this idea. Are there any bike busses in the south east?
>>
>
> Why couldn't nearly all busses carry bikes?

Erm, because most buses run in urban areas, doing short journeys where cycling is already quicker
and time spent loading/unloading them would not be justified?

For rural and long-distance services, yes, it makes sense.

--
Wear your paunch with pride!

 

In message <[email protected]>, Nick Kew <[email protected]> writes
>In article <[email protected]>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard of Graham
>Glen <[email protected]> wrote:
>> In message <[email protected]>, Pete Biggs
>> <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> writes
>>>
>>>I like this idea. Are there any bike busses in the south east?
>>>
>>
>> Why couldn't nearly all busses carry bikes?
>
>Erm, because most buses run in urban areas, doing short journeys where cycling is already quicker
>and time spent loading/unloading them would not be justified?
>

Loading/unloading time is not (I believe an issue). The first time I tried one, the rack was folded
up so the driver had to get out and unfold it (a very quick operation). To put a bike on and secure
it then tool less than ten seconds. To take it off would only have taken slightly longer if it was
obscured by one in front, but not much of a difference.

>For rural and long-distance services, yes, it makes sense.
>
Yes, it probably doesn't make much sense for London buses (perhaps) but certainly in rural areas,
and definitely on long distance.

Graham
--
Graham Glen

 

>> For rural and long-distance services, yes, it makes sense.
>>
> Yes, it probably doesn't make much sense for London buses (perhaps) but certainly in rural areas,
> and definitely on long distance.

They could be very useful in suburban areas too. Many cyclists are unable or don't like to cycle
more than a very few miles (and even fit cyclists might occasionally like to start their ride miles
away from home for a change [inc me], or get home after knackeration!). Buses don't go everywhere so
it would be convenient to do part of the journey by bus, rest by bike.

Trains can be used sometimes - but not in enough cases, and there's the considerable added
expense & hassle.

~PB

 

In article <[email protected]>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard of
"Pete Biggs" <pLime{remove_fruit}@biggs.tc> wrote:

>> Yes, it probably doesn't make much sense for London buses (perhaps) but certainly in rural areas,
>> and definitely on long distance.

Well, London's the only UK city with significant distances. OTOH, it's also flat and congested -
precisely the conditions where bikes have their biggest advantage.

> They could be very useful in suburban areas too. Many cyclists are unable or don't like to cycle
> more than a very few miles (and even fit cyclists might occasionally like to start their ride
> miles away from home for a change [inc me], or get home after knackeration!). Buses don't go
> everywhere so it would be convenient to do part of the journey by bus, rest by bike.

Hmmm. I know someone who used to take the train Wokingham-Reading with bike in the course of a daily
commute. I'd have thought that journey better to cycle all the way (it's under ten miles and flat),
but .... Is that the kind of suburban thing you have in mind?

> Trains can be used sometimes - but not in enough cases, and there's the considerable added expense
> & hassle.

Once upon a time, trains were really useful ... sigh...

--
Wear your paunch with pride!

 

Nick Kew wrote:

>>> Yes, it probably doesn't make much sense for London buses (perhaps) but certainly in rural
>>> areas, and definitely on long distance.
>
> Well, London's the only UK city with significant distances. OTOH, it's also flat and congested -
> precisely the conditions where bikes have their biggest advantage.

They do, but Greater London is not all terribly congested all the time, and the distances can be
long, in normal-cycling terms. Loads of people are already prepared to spend ages travelling
relatively long-urban distances by bus. Some of these also ride bikes short distances so would
benefit by being allowed to start and complete their journeys by bike (if it was truly convenient
and quick to bung them on these racks (?)). Afterall, one bus often doesn't take you the whole way
and cycling can be much preferable to having to change buses or walk the rest of the way. Oh, and
London is not flat ...to Londoners! Seriously, plenty of hills in _outer_London_ to kill my
legs. It's only central and much of inner London that's "flat".

>> They could be very useful in suburban areas too. Many cyclists are unable or don't like to cycle
>> more than a very few miles (and even fit cyclists might occasionally like to start their ride
>> miles away from home for a change [inc me], or get home after knackeration!). Buses don't go
>> everywhere so it would be convenient to do part of the journey by bus, rest by bike.
>
> Hmmm. I know someone who used to take the train Wokingham-Reading with bike in the course of a
> daily commute. I'd have thought that journey better to cycle all the way (it's under ten miles
> and flat)

It may be better for fit/keen cyclists to cycle all the way, but ten miles (or twenty if both ways)
is a lot to some cyclists and potential cyclists. And in this context, I respectfully include
everyone who ever uses (or would ever use) a bike as a "cyclist". A great many cyclists in London
only ever do up to 6 miles in a day. These are the kind of people I primarily have in mind, although
as I said, I would use bike buses too - for when I simply didn't feel like cycling all the way to a
destination due to low energy or poor health, and sometimes just for a change of scene for my
round-leasure-rides: If I feel like doing no more than a 30 mile ride, say, then I'm normally
limited to a 15 mile radius from home - unless I get a train or lift in a car.

> but .... Is that the kind of suburban thing you have in mind?

Yes, and more.

~PB

 

Nick Kew <[email protected]> wrote:
>Hmmm. I know someone who used to take the train Wokingham-Reading with bike in the course of a
>daily commute. I'd have thought that journey better to cycle all the way (it's under ten miles and
>flat), but ....

... it is. I travel from Bracknell to Sutton's Business Park, which is under 2 miles from Reading or
Earley stations.

If I travel by bike, I can leave whenever I please. It takes 40-45 minutes for an 11 mile journey,
with the potential for a 5 minute delay if it is very windy and a 15 minute delay if I have a
puncture, a very infrequent occurrence (and in any case a puncture will similarly delay a bike/train
journey unless I get it very close to the station).

If I travel by train, I must aim for one of 4 departures an hour in the morning and 2 in the
evening. The morning departures are not evenly spaced through the hour; there is one 23 minute "dead
patch". _If_ the trains are on time this takes 40 minutes; 10 at each end, 15 minutes actual
journey, 5 minutes faff time for ticket buying and the need to leave a few minutes early in order to
be sure of not being a few seconds late. On the other hand if I have to ride in only 10-minute
chunks I can ride in my work clothes, and hence save 5 minutes changing; so realistically this
journey is 5-10 minutes shorter than the bike alone _if_ it happens to be convenient to leave at the
right time.

_However_ it is an extremely unusual morning when the train is not _at least_ 5 minutes late; the
lateness averages 5-10 minutes, which is the advantage of going by train evaporated. In the evening
it is a different story; often it is on time, often it is 5 minutes late; but sometimes it throws a
complete surprise with what is effectively a cancelled train delaying the journey by 30 minutes or
more (the next train is usually late on such a day.)

To add insult to injury one can read the posters proclaiming how they aim to have trains leave on
time to the second - surprisingly, it is not legal to shoot SWT executives as one would a rabid dog.

Of course it also costs 4 pounds to use the train...
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Kill the tomato!