Times of Hammersmith & City Line Trains Leaving platform 6 at Barking Station

I haven't been able to find this information on line, and the TfL journey plannner isn't sophisticated enoug as yet to make the distinction between the bay road platform (3) and the normal through Westbound Underground platform - 6.

It would also be useful to know which H&C trains arrive at platform 3.

Pickering Road

Just in case there's ever a moment when parked cars aren't blocking the cycle track in Pickering Road, some posts have been installed sensitively in the middle of the track just to put cyclists off using it.

Some c2c trains diverted via Stratford on the weekend before Christmas

http://www.c2c-online.co.uk/travel_information/service_alterations/planned_service_alterations/saturday_22_and_sunday_23_december

The c2c web page explains in full, but to aid shoppers headed to Westfield Shopping Centre, some trains will call at Stratford instead of West Ham, meaning they will arrive at Fenchurch Street later than usual, or depart earlier.

The moral of this story is - plan your journey.

c2c use the term "semi-fast" on this page. They often use this term, but they never really explain it. They don't appear to use the term in their timetable booklet (I searched the pdf version), so how do we know which specific trains are classed as "semi-fast"?

We have a clue, we might think, in that the above linked page points to xx20 and xx50 trains from Shoeburyness as being "semi-fast" (though it is unclear from the wording whether all are are only some). But consulting the timetable, we find that there are four trains an hour during the main part of the day. The  xx20 and xx50 trains take 1:03 to get to Fenchurch Street, whereas the xx05 and xx35 take 1:07, but we don't know if these are classed as semi-fast or not.

The direct route Shoeburyness to/from Fenchurch Street comprises 17 stations. The xx20 and xx50 trains stop at 14 of them.

Stidybasa

I have had a bit of a crack at tidying up the events page on www.stibasa.org.uk. The new regular events page has now gone, as I didn't need a separate page now that most events are on meetup.com/hubbub. I hope it's a bit easier to use now!

.

Parks Events

Not a very handy format for on line use but there's a list of LBBD parks events - many active - here:

http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/LeisureArtsAndLibraries/Parksandcountryside/Documents/events-oct-dec12.pdf

State of our streets awards

Living Streets, the charity that campaigns for more walking, is holding its ''State of our streets awards". You can submit as many entries of the best and worst examples of streets you use. You need to upload a still or video image of the street, and an explanation of why you are nominating it.

Go to www.livingstreets.org.uk/sosawards for more details. The closing date is 2 November.

Orange bags and brown bins

As Barking & Dagenham Council changes its arrangements for recycling (for houses) again, there is again talk of what to do with all the orange bags that many people have accumulated large quantities of.

A young woman who was visiting properties on behalf of the counci about the new (brown) recycling bins said that the orange bags could continue to be used for recycling. Barking & Dagenham Council said (on Facebook) that unused orange bags may be handed in at any of the borough's public libraries.

c2confusion

http://www.c2c-online.co.uk/travel_information/service_alterations/planned_service_alterations/saturday_6_and_sunday_7_october

I have read and re-read this information, with my rail map by my side, but am still having problems understanding some of it. Rather than just explaining the revised service pattern (rather opaquely), why don't they refer people to a journey planner and suggest they replan their journey?

LCC B&D communication

Some people have asked to become members of the new Hubbub Meetup group (meetup.com/hubbub)  that I have set up in place of the events list on www.stibasa.org.uk. It isn’t necessary to join, because anyone can see the events listed without being a member of the group. If you do join, you will be e-mailed reminders and have access to other functions provided by meetup.

I can’t use it as a primary means of communication for the LCC group, any more than I can use Facebook, or my blog, because most members of the Google e-mail group have not liked the Facebook pages for Stibasa / LCC B&D branch, nor joined the Meetup group, nor followed my blog, so for the moment I’m sticking with e-mail as the primary means of communication.

If you don't want to miss out, please ask for your name to be added to the stibasa e-mail group.

LCC contact data clean-up

Please can you verify the contact information that LCC HQ holds about you, if you are an LCC member.

 http://lcc.org.uk/pages/update-my-record.

To encourage you, there’s a free prize draw to win a bike.

Goodbye stibasa rides/events lists

I have decided to list the events that were on www.stibasa.org.uk on www.meetup.com/hubbub. Meetup provides much better facilities, especially for repeated events. Stibasa is left with what amount to links to other sites listing rides, though I am hoping some organisers will come on board with my proposed centralised list.

As always, I am pleased to know details of any other events that fit the bill.

Hubbub is the name of the London Cycling Campaign Newsletter for the LBs north of the Thames and east of the R Lea or Lee, where rides/events are theoretically listed, though being designed for paper, it can't catch everything in its timeframe.

Hammersmith and City Line Departures from platform 6 at Barking

Most H&C trains use platform 3 at Barking (the "bay road" further west than all the other platform faces). There's a poster on the bridge listing which departures are from platform . I haven't been able to find this poster on the web, so I took a photo of it. I have also updated the Wikipedia article about Barking Station with the info from the poster.

The information is a bit ambiguous, because it isn't clear whether there are departures from platform 3 intermingled with these. Some are so close together that it seems unlikely, but others are more spaced apart.

If you're planning a journey this information could help - the TfL journey planner doesn't currently tell you which platform to use.

If c2c get their act together they will start to integrate dynamic LUL train information with their own. It would be extremely useful to know the departure times from platform 3 from information displayed near the steps from the bridge.

Cycle4All change of meeting day

The cycle4all.com group meeting will be held on Thursdays instead of Wednesdays starting from 27 September. The sunday meetings will continue as usual. www.stibasa.org.uk for further details.

How long before we can spend a penny?

An undated sign on sign on the door of the gents' toilets at Barking Station says that the toilets will be out of use "for the next few weeks". I hope you noted when the sign went up; otherwise not only will you have only the vaguest idea of the length of the closure ("a few weeks") but you will not know when this vaguely determined period started.

Thank you, c2c for this almost entirely useless information.

Ticket Machines

All 3 Shere Fastticket machines at Barking Station were out of action on Sunday when I called in to collect a ticket I'd ordered on line. There were queues for the Scheidt & Bachman machines:  They are Oyster compatible, so more people use them, but a Shere machine would have been OK for me.

When I called in today, the three Shere machines were out of action. The c2c man on the gateline said he had no idea why the machines ween't working and that it was something to do with a satellite. so I e-mailed Shere, as I have done before.

Update on 14/9. Shere tell me that "The three machines were turned off, by the staff, due to a printer issues. An engineer has attended site, and has resolved the fault. All three machine are now back in service."

So it seems that the staff didn't report the fault to Shere, but just turned off the machines. Not impressive.

The cost (price) of motoring

I got involved in a discussion on an internet group about the substantial increase in Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) fees and the differentiation of them acording to the CO2 emission rate of the vehicle.

As this conversation was continuing, the new IPPR report came out - see http://stibasa.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/motoring-taxes-need-to-triple-to-cover.html - having the conclusion that (in essence) the £ motorists pay out does not cover the cost of externalities and therefore is too low.

I introduced the IPPR report into the discussion, but the whole thing got bogged down. My opponent took the view that the CPZ charges were too high and unfair. I tried to make the point that if the £ paid out by motorists in total does not cover the total costs of what motorist should pay for, the fact that one element of the total cost is too high doesn't especially matter.

Of course there would be some disagreement about what motorists should pay for, but the principle still holds. Even if my opponent could show that the price of the CPZ permit was really too high, he couldn't simply ignore the fact that other prices are too low.

The list of things that motorists pay out for, and how much they pay, ought to be fairly easy to make, at least for an individual motorist, though I expect many don't keep a note and would have no idea of the total. This could help explain the focus on pump prices for fuel and parking prices, which are easy to see.

In her book "Cutting Your Car Use", Anna Semlyen gives, in chapter 6, a comprehensive breakdown of the elements of running a car that cost money. (She gives cost estimates, too; Even if these weren't at 1999 prices, there are lots of assumptions, but nevertheless, it gives a clue). It is complicated, and it's no surprise that people don't know.

Reasons against cycle tracks

The new DfT Local Transport Note on Shared Use Routes for Pedestrians and Cyclists is quite succinct in explaining this problem:

"A common reason for taking cyclists off the carriageway is the perception that it will improve safety. However, it is important to understand that a shared use route will not necessarily be safer than an on-carriageway alternative. In particular, careful consideration is needed where a cycle track running alongside a road crosses side a road [sc: a side road]... At these locations, there is significant potential for conflict, which can sometimes negate the safety benefits of segregating cyclists from motor vehicles."

Hybrid Cycle Tracks, and other animals

The UK Department for Transport have released a new Local Transport guidance note entitled 'Shared Use Routes for Pedestrians and Cyclists'.It includes guidance on hybrid cycle tracks, which are raised from the carriageway but lower than the footway. These are common in Copenhagen, but rare elsewhere.

Sign error

B&D council have installed an information sign in Ripple Road to reinforce the no motor vehicles signs that many motorists seem ignorant of. The problem is the new sign is wrong. It says "no vehicles beyond this point", but pedal cycles are vehicles and there are no restrictions on them here.

The error could give the wrong impression that pedal cycles are not vehicles, or that cycling beyond that point would be an infringement.

Roadsafe London

http://www.met.police.uk/roadsafelondon/

"Roadsafe London is an information and Intelligence gathering tool. It is the Metropolitan Police response to requests to provide a means for members of the public to advise us about criminal, nuisance and anti-social behaviour on the roads of London. It is part of the Road Crime Intelligence Unit and staffed by experienced traffic officers.
We want to know about people who; -

• Drive under the influence of drink or drugs
• Drive with no insurance
• Drive without a licence or whilst disqualified from driving
• Speed
• Use an un-roadworthy vehicle

We also want to know about:-

• Locations where there is a problem with anti-social driving e.g. vehicles racing on public roads."

Barking to Waltham Abbey

http://tinyurl.com/foec2012

Here are 46 photos that I took on our (indirect) ride from Barking to Waltham Abbey on Saturday 8 September. Many of the photos are taken with my camera mounted on my bike – some whilst in motion. Composition was a bit of guesswork, as I couldn’t see the screen on the camera, but some nice shots have come out (IMHO).  I haven’t tampered with them! This was experimental – my first attempt

As you may gather, my offer to ride as the back marker was taken up. It means many photos featuring the backs[ides] of the other 11 riders.

The second Saturday in September must be the biggest leisure cycling  day in the country as it is the day that bike rides in support of what's now called the National Churches  Trust take place all round the country.

Vandome Cycles

I've mentioned Vandome Cycles before. The company is run by B&D  LCC member Russell Coe. They offer free cycle training as part of their "extensive range of cycling services" and also host an over 50s cycling club in Barking Park in Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5pm.

Cycle4all.com

www.Cycle4all.com is a new venture aimed at getting people of all ages and abilities cycling. Come to Barking Park on Wednesdays and/or Sundays between 10am and noon for the change to try out a bike or trike or to get advice / encouragement.

If you need something other than a standard bike, contact Tony Harvey at Cycle4all and he will let you know what he can have available for you at one of the try out sessions.

Gascoigne family bike rides

The Sustrans led rides starting at the Gascoigne Children's Centre held successfully over the summer, will continue, though at the later time of 4pm to fit in with school. Bikes can be provided for those that don't have their own, and there are some child trailers too. It is helpful to know if you want to borrow a bike/trailer. Contact Christabel Buchanan / +44 7833 057603 for more details and to reserve your bike.

I'm not sure  yet how much longer the rides will continue - perhaps until the clocks go back.

The stibasa bike?

Riding the wave of enthusiasm for cycling post olympics, I have posted details of rides and events on www.stibasa.org.uk like never before, and set up a stibasa facebook page, to be a sister to the new B&D LCC branch Facebook page.

Whilst in may be the case that people have used this information and joined the rides featured (or intend to) the information has not resulted in any contact with me. There may be many reasons for this, but from talling to an old friend in the cycling world recently, I've come to the conclusion that people who want to go on rides are already in groups whether publicised or private and there is no supressed demand for rides.

In  a Sustrans meeting recently, someone observed that there are people interested in cycling, but who haven't got bikes. This led me to think of ny friends and acquaintances who don't cycle, but probably could - not on leisure rides particularly, but a bit of local pottering about.

This in turn leads to thoughts about the ideal bike and whether it exists. Mountain bikes with a low ticket price are going to be pretty poor quality and not good value for money in fact. Neither are mountain bikes particularly practical for local pottering around Barking. It seems to me that a simple folding bike is what is needed - one that has a low ticket price, but is not poor quality and therefore poor value for money.

A to B magazine, who I trust about such things, mention this Marine Compass 20" wheeled single speed bike http://www.compass24.com/web/catalog/shop/technics_comfort_bicycles/4857423# , which they say is a badged Dahon. It costs £125 + £13 delivery, and I wonder whether it could be the "stibasa bike".

Motoring taxes need to triple to cover externalities

From: Local Transport Today : Issue 604 31 Aug 2012

Motoring taxes need to triple to cover externalities, says IPPR

MOTORING TAXES cover at most a third of the costs imposed on society by car travel at, according to an analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research. The IPPR says that the 5.7p/km motorists pay in fuel duty and VAT only partly accounts for the externalities of car travel, which the think-tank identifies as 15.5p/km, although it adds that even this could be an underestimate. The analysis was conducted for a report that scrutinises and rejects the claim that there is a “war on the motorist”.

The report highlights that the total costs of traffic due to excess delays, accidents, poor air quality, physical inactivity, noise impacts and greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be £43-56bn a year. Moreover, this does not include “many costs that are difficult to estimate including severance of communities, degradation of landscape and the opportunity cost of land,” it says, urging the Government to update its accounts of the external costs.

Given these external costs, the IPPR urges the Government to “make every effort to avoid further delays in fuel duty increases,” which will cost the exchequer £13.9bn in total over the five years from 2011/12.

The think-tank acknowledges that motoring taxes are high and that fuel duty has increased in real terms by 4% since 2001 if VAT is included. However, it also points out that the proportion of the pump price that is tax has fallen from 75% to 60% in the last ten years and overall motoring costs have fallen by 5% since 1997 if the cost of buying cars, insurance and repair costs are factored in.

The IPPR rejects the AA’s “grossly misleading” claim of earlier this year that an average family spends more on petrol per week (£71.24) than on food (£70), as this assumes above average mileage or significantly below average car fuel efficiency. “Based on typical mileage and car fuel efficiency figures, the average family car requires 13.4 litres per week at a cost of £19,” it says. It also finds that motoring taxes are “broadly progressive,” although with a “higher impact on the poorest 10% of car owners”.

The report also highlights that two-thirds of the poorest ten per cent of households have no car and rely on public transport and bus fares have risen by 69% since 2001, compared to the 5% real terms decrease in motoring costs since 1997. The IPPR calls for the costs of bus travel to be brought down in order to both help these households and to continue to reduce the level of traffic following the recent downward trend.

IPPR finds “little evidence” that public transport programmes are sufficient to reduce traffic levels year-on-year and “considerable scope” for further action, given that every local authority applied for the £1bn Local Sustainable Transport Fund and that only one bid was allowed per area.


==

http://www.ippr.org/publication/55/9542/the-war-on-motorists-myth-or-reality

Sustrans on line mapping

www.sustrans.org.uk/map

Sustrans have their own mapping utility. You can draw a route on as with bikely - I found that quite easy to use.

Bikely uses the same base maps as Google maps, which seem to have been getting a lot more accurate lately. Paradoxically Sustrans worked with Google to produce the new facility on Google maps to calculate cycling routes, but the base maps used on their site are OS ones and one of the first things I noticed was that the footbridges over the railway lines near me aren't shown.

The Sustrans maps do show National Cycle Network routes which is useful. Sustrans tell me that they are crowd sourcing info for the maps (not just user added routes). Thus we have yet another apping utility seeking out inormation and competing with all the others.

They also use the term "train station" instead of the usual British English "railway station".

Bike "M" Checks

http://www.sustrans.org.uk/assets/files/free%20range%20kids/families/frk_bikemcheck.pdf

The basic ABC check of a bike  is often suggested ride organisers for quick checks of participants bike.

The M check is a more extended check regime devised by Sustrans.

Cyclists don't pay to use roads

My reply to a letter published in the London Evening Standard on Wednesday 15 August:

On Wednesday’s letters page (15 August), Elizabeth Wren opines that cyclists should not make “demands” as they do not “pay an equivalent amount to motorists to use the roads”. The idea of paying an equivalent amount sounds fair, but what does it actually mean? I assume Ms Wren was not referring to Vehicle Excise Duty, commonly but inaccurately called road tax, because VED is not a payment for using the roads. Churchill abolished Road Tax in 1937 precisely because he feared its payers would try to assert their right to use the roads over those of non-payers. Roads are (barring toll roads) paid for through general taxation, not by motorists specifically. So general tax-paying cyclists are as entitled to make “demands” as general tax-paying motorists. (Incidentally, I would be in favour of abolishing VED, which incentivises car use, and introducing a ‘polluter pays’ tax on fuel to cover the revenue shortfall.)

Perhaps Ms Wren  is tacitly suggesting including pedal cycles in VED. Given that VED for the lowest CO2-emitting band is zero,  it wouldn’t raise any money as pedal cycles emit no CO2. It would, though, cost money to introduce, enforce and operate.

Ms Wren may be hinting at some kind of usage related charges. I agree that that could be fair in theory, but it would have to account for the amount of wear and tear inflicted on the road  by the vehicle over time, and possibly also the amount of road space used by the vehicle over time.  Either way, this would result in motorists paying more and cyclists paying less – and so by Ms Wren’s argument, being entitled to make more “demands”.

More OTT cycling projects floated by Boris

The Mayor of [Greater] London, Boris Johnson, has - presumably as part of his bid to become leader of Britain's Conservative Party, floated the idea of installing cycle paths alongside London Overground rail tracks/routes.

Never mind whether this is technically doable - it is clearly a politicians's attention grabbing stunt, rather than any serious attempt to help cycling.

When I leave my flat to join the main road, I have to neotiate a kerb, up and down. This is because some kind soul has put a fence right across the roadway, with no gap for cycles to get through. At my nearest railway station, the steps up to the bridge where the entrance stands do not have a wheeling ramp. These are just examples from my daily experience. As in recent posts, in my local travels I find a lack of dropped kerbs, shrubs overgrowing cycle paths, blocked off roads, one way streets, no-entry points, steps without ramps and a general lack of permeability in the streets and paths of the area.

If Boris put some money into fixing these numerous glitches in the street/path network of London , he would have done something relatively quick, easy and cheap to help people cycle everywhere. But that wouldn't be bold and daring enough for him.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/mayor/stop-pussyfooting-around-cameron-boris-johnson-reveals-his-masterplan-to-boost-britains-economy-8049862.html

Poor permeabilty continues

Going down Fleet Road southbound I notice there are now “no through road except buses” signs before the “no entry except buses” signs are reached at Jenkins Lane. I don’t know whether these are additional to or replacement for the previous no entry signs, but either is bad.  As my thousands of regular readers will know I have bought up the issue of the restriction on cyclists here several times over several years. I don’t know why it persists and regard it as a clear indication of lack of consideration for cycling.

Stibasa - now far more rides

For the first time in years I've added a new page to www.stibasa.org.uk. It is to contain links to websites listing rides of which some are within reach of Barking, but that are not listed by date on stibasa (which will be because they are too numerous/frequent, or I haven't got around to it, or I didn't know). The link is near the top of the rides/events page (not in the menu, sorry).

At the moment, there are only two links, but I will try to add more - and you can help by submitting them to me.

To qualify, either a ride listed must pass near to Barking, or it must pass a point easy to get to from Barking (ie basically on a train line).

As always, if you plan to go on a ride, share the news, so that others can tag along. Make sure you meet the organising group's requirements - and it's probably best to contact the organiser, rather than just showing up.

Cycling Event at Barking and Dagenham College?

I hear rumours of a cycling related event at Barking and Dagenham College in Rush Green on 19 September 2012, but I haven't got any details. If you know anything, please pass it on. Obviously the event is aimed at students and staff at the college, but it may not be exclusively for them. Typically such events would include Doctor Bike, advice about cycling, bike try outs, sign up for training.

I don't know if there's a Bicycle Users' Group (BUG) for staff and/or students. That would be a good idea. Again, please get in touch with any information you may have.

Permeability and the scarcity of the dropped kerb

I devised a little circuit for the ride with Sustrans last Tuesday. Riding round it gave a sample of the types of problems that face cycling in Barking, though I'm sure they're not uinque.

The ride started off on a shared segregated path, segregated just by a white line. Pedestrians walk in the cycle bit all the time, and even when several of us rang our bells the pedestrians then resolutely stayed in the cycling bit. It's not illegal, but why?

Then we turned onto another segregated path to Gascoigne Road and beyond to King Edwards Road. This path is segregated by flowe beds, but the plants and shrubs are in much need of cutting back ob the outside of the cycle section. Oh and of course pedestrians are in need of "cutting back".

At King Edwards Road the path ends, but does not join the carriageway with a dropped kerb, or any attempt to keep parked vehicles clear.

We then crossed the Rover Roding by the barrage. On the west side the towpath is blocked by a 'temporary' fence so people cannot walk/cycle to the Town Quay that way. I believe that the fence was put there by local residents of boats moored on the River, as they do not want passers by. I could be wrong.

So, we proceed along the top edge of Handtrough Creek. Here again the shrubs need cutting back. I reported this via fixmystreet.com, who passed the report on to BD council, who told me (not FixMyStreet) that the problem was in LB Newham (which information is incorrect). I pushed it back to BD council who then said that the riverside path was on private property. All  I can hope is that someone goes down there with their secateurs.

That path ends at Fleet Road (that I called The Road to Nowhere before it was completed and named, again without a dropped kerb. Near this point, to either side, are the 'no entry except buses' signs that either BD or Newham (or both, I have never found out) installed before the road was even complete. Luckily for the Police who have their big station there, the rule doesn't apply to them. And so up Fleet Road, to join Highbridge Road at a dreadful mini roundabout, with a very wide circulation lane and fast traffic joining the A406. I objected to this roundabout, but was told that this road was not intended for use by cyclists, because there would be a leisure route along the river side. Well there would be, except for the fence mentioned above, but why shouldn't we be able to cycle along Fleet Road and Highbridge Road in safety anyway.

So through the Town Quay, across Abbey Road, and onto Abbey Green. The paths across this green were designd without cycling in mind, and the opportunity to improve this a bit at the Brodway end was missed, despite my contribultion to the consultation about the works. So we negotiate another undropped kerb and cross to Clockhouse (or is it Clock House) Avenue and thence to the Town Hall.

It isn't clear whether the path between the Library and the Health centre was intended to be shared use, but the signposting at Axe Street is for pedestrians only, so I'm guessing tjhey managed to forget cycling again, despite my input.

At St Paul's Road there is a crossing (a Toucan I think), "conveniently" placed between two motor vehicke free entrances to the estate, one of which was made in my campaigning period, and, you've guessed it, my suggestion of a dropped kerb for cycling was not taken up. Little wonder that the suggestion of a retro-fitted one at the other, older entrance wasn't either.

Facebook

There is now a Stibasa page on Facebook, please 'like' us there.

Also, to avoid confusion (or cause it, arguably) with the Barking and Dagenham Branch of the London Cycling Campaign, they now have a separate Facebook Page as "Barking and Dagenham Cycling Campaign". Please 'like' that, too.                                  

Nip Nip

http://nipnip.co.uk/

Nip Nip ofers electric bikes for sale or lease to businesses, and runs a mobile bike mechanic service, about which they say:

"Dr NipNip bicycle repairs and servicing facilities are between 30-50% cheaper than well known high street cycle stores" and

"All of our mechanics are recruited through a social enterprise scheme designed to help unemployed Londoners get back into the job market"

Worth knowing. If you use them, let me know how you get on.

Active Women Programme

According to The News (B&D Council Newspaper) there are hour long cycling sessions at Central Park Dagenham on Wednesdays at 12.30pm, free of charge. The numbe to phone is (020) 8227 3167. A little light Googling revealed this page:

http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/LeisureArtsAndLibraries/ActiveLeisureHome/Pages/WomensSport.aspx, which mentions Breeze Cycle Training, but the places on the p[age where you might click don't seem to be clickable, at the time of writing, and the contact is susy.davies@lbbd.gov.uk / 020 8227 3984.


susy.massey@lbbd.gov.uk / 020 8227 3984 seems tyo be the main contact person for the programme.

stibasa widens official net

I am now the local (ie B&D)  rep for http://www.20splentyforus.org.uk/ and a volunteer for www.sustrans.org.uk. Sustrans has a paid officer working in Barking (Gascoigne Estae, mainly)  and thios means there will be more cycling and walking events, to which all will be welcome (usually if not always). I will advertise these on Stibasa.

These organisations aims are compatible with LCC's and definitely fit into the stibasa philosophy. Threre's a formal lonk at local level now, though.

District Line and S stock

I had my first experience of the new and long overdue dot-matrix train describer at Barking station, platform 6, last Sunday. The trains (or more correctly, services) were all described as 'District Line'. I thought, Ok, maybe it's not a good idea to describe them as Ealing Broadway, Richmond or Wimbledon as the correct thing to do is to get the first train and change where appropriate (typically Earl's Court). However, the first train along was a C stock train bound for Hammersmith via Edgware Road.

Admittedly such trains do run on the District Line Wimbledon / Edgware Road Branch, but this was clearly a Hammersmith & City Line Train.

When the new S stock trains entirely take over, the platform and train descriptions will become more important as the type of train stock will not give a clue to its route. The trains on the Metropolitan line will be 8 coaches  long, and those on the District, Circle and H&C will be 7 coaches long. As things currently stand the Met doesn't come to Barking, so even that hard to spot difference won't help.

I say as things currently stand, because there is talk of returning the Met to Barking and running the Ham & City out of Aldgate. This is all rather academic, because all these lines are joined together and all the trains can run any route, in theory. When the trains are all S stock they can run Upminster to Uxbridge if they want.  As they run on largely the same tracks they use largely the same platforms, so changing is dead easy. All they must avoid is service patterns that confuse the customer.

Share car sharing social enterprises

I was perplexed to see gocarshare.com featured on BBC TV's 'Click' not because it isn't a good idea, but because www.liftshare.com/ has been around for years. As far as I can make out they do the same thing. Do we register our journeys on both?

Cycle Route Planning

As you may have noticed, Google maps now has a "get directions" option using cycling, to add to its walking, public transport and driving options. The feature is "in beta" meaning that it's being tested in real life use. Google are openly crowd-sourcing correctiona and improvements. This is not a bad thing in itself, except that

(i) Google's map layers are on a bas map created by TeleAtlas, which also accept corrections/amendments.

(ii) There are several other "get directions" options on the web, which having come into existence before Google's offering, have already made much progress with gathering user generated information.

In addition to Google, some contenders are: Cyclestreets.net, transportdirect.info and tfl.gov.uk/cycling. (This excludes cycle route maps, both on line and offline. These show predetermined links on a base map, to help you piece together a route in the traditional way.)

These each have their merits  and demerits, but I personally think cyclestreets.net is the pick of the bunch.

What's clear is that there should be collaboration here, rather than rival/parallel offerings.

Split train tickets and save money

http://splitticket.moneysavingexpert.com/

I saw this useful utitility - Tickety Split - reviewed in A to B magazine. I'm not sure whether fares oracle Barry Doe has reviewed it yet, but I'm sure he will.

A split ticket means instead of buying a ticket from (say) Dorchester to Plymouth, you buy a ticket from Dorchester to Exeter and another from Exeter to Plymouth. You don't have to change trains at the spliiting station (Exeter in this example) - the split is valid if the train stops there.)

Currently Tickety Split only works with walk up single fares, so anyone who really wants to save money on fares can only really use it to uncover where to try out splitting their journey, and then use the information to save on advance fares. Independent rail ticket site redspottedhanky.com says (according to A to B) that "its licence forbids it from selling split tickets, although changes in the pipeline may allow it to offer advice of this kind."

Extending the range of ticket typess that Tickety Split can explore is a work in progress, and given the incredibly complex train fare system in this country, it may be some time before it can handle a really useful range of ticket types, but having internet based information about where these splitting points are must surely start a reform of this paricular "quirk" in the system.

Wifi on the Underground

TfL have published this map showing where Wifi is available on the London Underground / London Overground, and where it is planned to be implemented. OIt is already up and running at West Ham and Stratford - in prepartaion for a certain sporting event, I suppose.

An apology

I've been neglectful in my duties to the Barking & Dagenham Branch of the London Cycling Campaign. It's been a long while since I updated my membership records. I ahve done so today, and invited the 'new' additions to join the stibasa Google group, which I hope they all do, so we can stay in touch. There aren't lots of postings to the group, so people aren't deluged with e-mails from it.

Welcome to all "new" members. Do get in touch / invoilved.

Nearest tube

People like to put "nearest tube" in publicity, and they often show "nearest rail" as well, by which they mean non tube rail. This can often get confusing. Eastbury House, for example. The nearest "tube" (ie Underground) is Upney, but it's a bit of a schlep to EH and there's no direct bus. If you're coming eastbound, you're better off getting a 287 or 368 from Barking Station.

Now Barking is denoted as "nearest rail". I don't know why the distinction is made generally, but Barking is one stop from Upney on the District line, and if you were going to Upney eastbound, the change at Barking is no big deal - its just across a platform in many cases. On these days of Oyster PAYG especially, who is going to travel only by "Tube" or only by "Rail", unwilling to change between the two?

So the nearest isn't always the best. This gets quite complicated in the case of Aldersbrook. It serves as an example as I have been working out public transport routes to the stop called Park Road but all the stations are possibly a bit too far to walk. It is served directly by buses 101 and W19  but also 308 (nearby). So I wanted to explain the logic of working out what stations to include and what not to. (It's all a but silly because with on line journey planners you can work out the best route for you, taking into account engineering works. Static public transport information is osolescent, really, at least for one off events).

It's difficult for me to genericise the algorithm for working out these links, so I'll use the actual example.

So we want to find the stations on different lines served by each bus that are nearest, checking in both directions of each bus route, unless it would be better to continue by train to another station, but bearing in mind that the bus may serve other stations along the line but still may be worth catching direct.

The 101 serves Wanstead, but no other station on that section of its route, so Wanstead makes it onto the list. In the other direction we come to Manor Park, on the NXEA line between Liverpool St and Shenfield, so that's on the list. Next it serves East Ham Station, on a different line, so that's on the list, and then it serves Beckton, on yet another line, so that's on the list. Next it serves Cyprus Station. This is borderline, becuse I don't know if it's quicker to do Cyprus to Beckton by DLR, or get the bus, but as the bus is direct, it is possibly more convenient. Similarly, the 101 next serves Gallions Reach - similar problem but oddly the bus goes Beckton - Cyprus - Gallions wherear the train goes Beckton - Gallions - Cyprus!

The W19 serves Walthamstow Central for both the Victoria Line (which is of doubtful benefit given its interchanges) but the NXEA line from Chingford qualifies it.Next, it calls at Leytonstone. Although Wanstead is nearer, it's not by much, so probably best to change at the first of the two reached.

On the other section of the route it serves Manor Park (see above) and that's it for stations.

The 308 serves Wanstead (see above) like the 101. On the other section it serves both Wanstead Park (London Overground) and nearby Forest Gate (same line as Manor Park, one stop west). Continuing it serves Maryland again on the same line, so you wouldn't get off the train to catch it there, but there again you may not get on the train here only to catch the 308 later. Then it comes to Stratford which is served by so many lines it may be convenient to change there for the bus, even though a train would take you nearer (would depend on what train you were on). Then it comes to Leyton. Again you might get on the 308 at Leyton, but you probably wouldn't get off the train at Leyton to get it, as it is calls at Stratford on its way to the venue.

Not very simple!

Train timetable and fares websites

Thanks to The Fare Dealer Barry Doe for this information in Rail magazine issue 696.

brfares.com - enables looking up of fares without selecting trains. Barry says that some of the validities information is not accurate.

trains.im - full schedules of direct trains stopping points. In detailed mode it shows the full working timetable with passing points and distances.

opentraintimes.com - Barry says this is similar to the above. I don't see the point of it in that case, but at the time I tried it it wasn't finding my test stations.

CO2 from cars

http://e-edition.metro.co.uk/2012/04/25/49.html

According to today's Metro free newspaper, B&D is second lowest in London (to Hillingdon) in CO2 emissions from cars. I'm not clear what exactly is being measured as I can't find the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Report in question. The metro article refers to new cars, but I can't find any regional information in the recently published SMMT report that appears to correspond.

London Bike Kitchen

http://www.lbk.org.uk/

"The London Bike Kitchen is an open DIY workshop where you can work on your own bike instead of giving it to someone else.

We're here to:

    a) Promote self-reliance and confidence through education
    b) Make cycling accessible and affordable
    c) Get more people of all backgrounds on bicycles

We have a full tool library, mechanics on hand to help and courses to build skills so that you can learn how to take care of your sweet two-wheeled machine: Intro to Bike Maintenance, Bike Building, Wheel Building, Total Overhaul and Long Distance Tour Preparation. To enhance your experience we'll also hold women + gender-variant nights, monthly rides, bicycle-related events (including the infamous Bicycle Bingo) and Members Only Perks.

As a charitable social enterprise, our goal is to create a workshop that is self-sustaining and open to everyone. The money that you spend here will subsidise classes and shop time for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, allowing them to gain access to bikes and bicycle education.

We are located at 28 Whitmore Road, N1 5QA, near the canal on the border between Hoxton and De Beauvoir [Town]"

Sporthouse

http://sporthouse.co.uk/

This is Britain's largest sports hall, apparently. I had a look at the outside today. Entering Mayesbrook Park (where it stands at the north end) from Lodge Avenue, in true B&D style the first thing I encountered was - yes a 1 way system! There's a newly built access road from the pre-existing park entrance to the front of the sports hall, and it has a nice wide footway, but again cycling has been overlooked in this element (hough there are Sheffield stands for bike parking at the entrance to the building.

I rode along the southern side of the building and came to a banjo, for motor vehicles to turn in I assume. There is no facility for cyclists to join the pre-existing park path that's right near it.

Academy Central

I've had a nose round Academy Central, the housing development at the former University of East London (or if you prefer NE London Polytechnic, or for the silver surfer, SE Essex Technical College) Barking Campus (in postal Dagenham, mainly). I saw that bikes are being stored on balconies. If this is because there is inadequate bike storage then this is another major disappointment.

Academy Drive, the new road into the development from Lodge Avenue, looks much like any estate road built in the last 20 odd years, except for the signs giving a 20mph speed limit and denoting a home zone. The physical design doesn't look like a home zone.

One of the reasons I wanted to visit was to look at the shared use paths that are there. These are narrow red brick that can be used by vehicles and pedestrians. Most of them seem to sport one way traffic signs, which is rather bizzare, unfriendly to cycling (surprise!) and in my view likely to increase motor vehicle speeds. I don't really understand why, according to the Barking & Dagenham Post, residents are objecting to them being made 2 way. The entrance to the site opposite Gainsborough Road is just that - an entrance. Try to leave through that gate in a vehicle and you're faced with no entry signs. Cyclists wanting to exit there need to do so as pedestrians.

So we see that the anti-cycling illness that pervades B&D is showing its symptoms here, despite the fact of a rather intriguing shared segregated cycle / pedestrian path that appears to run through the school site. It was gated / fenced off, so I could only view it - not go down it.

The road to nowhere

The road to nowhere, which I've blogged on many times, has opened to buses. I'm not a big bus user, but I did go on a 366 to Beckton and back on 31 March. I was trying to configure a friend's mobile phone, but I think I would have noticed if the bus went down Fleet Road, a the RTN is now called (as I noticed last year at some point, but apparently didn't note, blog, or photograph).

According to this site the buses started using the road on 9 January 2012. The writer says on 17 January) that he saw the bus stops in place, but they have been there for many years.

Monteagle Avenue, Barking

B&D Council do sometimes get it right. They are proposing to make Monteagle Avenue one way (SW) for motor vehicles between Faircross Avenue and Fanshawe Avenue, and banning right turns into Fanshawe Avenue from Monteagle Avenue for motor vehicles.

This proposal does not reduce permeability for cycling, so I have no problems with it, and hope it successfully alleviates the rat running problems.

Cycle Helmets: "Liberty or death; don't tread on me"

The journal of medical ethics has published a report on cycle helmets. The abstract is below, for convenience:

"Many jurisdictions require cyclists to wear bicycle helmets. The UK is currently not one of these. However, an increasing number of interest groups, including the British Medical Association, want to change the status quo. They argue that mandatory cycle helmet laws will reduce the incidence of head injuries and that this will be both good for cyclists (because they will suffer fewer head injuries) and good for society (because the burden of having to treat cyclists suffering from head injuries will be reduced). In this paper we argue against this position. We suggest that cycle helmets may not be especially effective in reducing head injuries and we suggest that the imposition of such a restrictive law would violate people's freedom and reduce their autonomy. We also argue that those who accept such a restrictive law would be committed to supporting further legislation which would force many other groups – including pedestrians – to take fewer risks with their health. We conclude that cycle helmet legislation should not be enacted in the UK unless, perhaps, it is restricted to children."

The ethical issues for me are:

1) Should people be compelled to take steps to improve their own safety, and to what extent?
2) If the answer to (1) is yes, then surely this must be applied  to all - in this context, pedestrians and car occupants as well as cyclists.

The technical issue remains whether cycle helmets are in fact a safety aid. It is desperately counterintuitive to say otherwise, but:

(a) There is such a thing as risk compensation: The safer you feel the more risk you are likely to take - you have (it is argued) a 'risk barometer'.

(b) A helmet's role in any neck injury could be that of making it worse. It is bigger than your head and therefore more likely to be hit and a loger lever in the twist.

And finally, we know that helmet compulsion leads to less cycling - a disbenefit that is lilely to outweigh any benefits of helmet wearing.

All ability cycling

Barking & Dagenham Access Group, working with Barking & Dagenham Council and Barking Park Users Group, will be holding fun packed, ‘all-inclusive cycling’ events for disabled people, their friends, families and carers.

Visitors can try out a wide range of bikes, trikes and group vehicles at Barking Park, Longbridge Road, Barking, IG11 8TA on Saturday 17 March and Saturday 24 March 2012. These taster events are FREE of charge and will be held near the park entrance on Longbridge Road, close to the cafeteria/Lodge, from 11am to 3pm on both days. You can also view a selection of bikes available in the ‘All ability cycling’ section on their website. For further details, please contact the Barking & Dagenham Access Group on (020) 8594 0409 e-mail: badaccess@hotmail.co.uk

Micro hire vehicles

Although I am basically a fan of micro hire vehicles, such as Zipcar (and the former Streetcar), I am rather disappointed by their pricing structure. I drive so rarely that I don't want to pay £59.50 for a year's Zipcar membership in case I never use it. I also note that they give you a free (at the point of use) mileage allowance, which expires after a certain time, and the daily hire fee includes up to 40 miles "free".

I was briefly a member of Streetcar, though I never used one of their cars. They were a commercial organisation (as is Zipcar) and they sent me plenty of e-mails to try to get me to drive one of their cars. There's a paradox here.

If anything, I need a true pay as you go microhire. I'm prepared to pay a small one off fee for joining - and this should stop (or reduce the amount of) people joining frivolously, but then I want to pay for only what I use - the Oystercard model. I accept that a modest one off fee per hiring will reduce hires for very short journeys. As things stand, whilst it will work out cheaper than car ownership, there's still the same incentive, albeit much smaller,  to use a car to get your money's worth.

I suppose in fairness the target market here is car owners, rather than non car owners, but I would quite like to have the insurance policy of having a nearby car for hire for short periods.