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Station bike parking

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Started 14 years ago by cb
Latest reply from chdot

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cb
Member

Hi all,

Great to see a new Edinburgh focussed cycling forum.

I've recently started making use of the bike parking at Edinburgh Waverly, mainly the racks tucked in next to the southern road entrance (I've scoped out the other racks towards the back of the station but they're not so handy for catching a west bound train!)

The racks seem to be permanently full, even at 7.15 in the morning. I'm guessing that there are bikes that have been abandoned here and/or people living nearby keep their bikes here as it's probably a fairly safe spot.
If I've not managed to grab the last space then I have had to lock up to a nearby bit of railing or other assorted ironmongery.

Anyone else had experience of leaving a bike at Waverly?

I'm considering switching to Haywmarket as it will shave 15 mins or so off my day. Anyone know what the parking provision is like here? Is it all on the pavement outside, or is there any in the carpark?

This is fairly lazy of me asking as I could easily cycle along and look, however it's good to hear of other peoples experiences.

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Simple answer is that it's all a bit of a mess due to tram works.

Bikes still park outside Ryrie's

I don't know if there is still bike parking in the car park - but suspect won't be for much longer due to new tram bridge construction.

Once upun a time there used to be bike parking ON platform 1 but it was removed for "security reasons".

Posted 14 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

I think Haymarket parking is now just on the street outside Ryrie's. It's always absolutely packed!!!

Posted 14 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

And here is the parking at Haymarket!

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Looks like there needs to be more....

Posted 14 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Looks like there needs to be more....

Most definitely. Spare bits of railing are being used all over the place...

Posted 14 years ago #
cb
Member

Well this forum is certainly powerful!

In just over a week from my original post additonal cycle parking has been installed at Waverly! This is by Platform 11 just next to the southern entry road. As usual I was running late this morning so I didn't have time to have a proper look, but I think there is an additional half dozen or so Sheffield stands.
Needless to say they were pretty much all full although I did get a proper space this morning (couple of minutes past 8).

I'll maybe have a look tonight to see if there is any new parking gone in anywhere else in the station. And I wonder if they've targetted Haymarket too? (Thanks for the photos Anth).

Posted 14 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

Build it an they will come! :)

Posted 14 years ago #
cb
Member

Hmmm.

Now a (reasonably permanent looking) portacabin has been plonked next to the bike racks and I can't be absolutely certain that they didn't remove any of the exisiting bike racks to make space for it. I don't think they have, but I've not been parking there for long enough to know for sure.

Anyhow the new stands (five of them as it happens) have resulted in an L shaped arrangements of racks. There is a large metal info stand within the L (if you see what I mean) and this now has bikes locked to it, whereas I don't remember this being the case before. Perhaps it's a psychological effect: a piece of station furniture becomes a viable locking point if suitably surrounded by other locked bikes.

I also took a wander round to Platform 3 where the main bike parking is. There were lots of bike and lots of free stands. However for the late-running-commuter it just isn't as handy as you have to wheel your bike for quite a distance to reach them (I was told off last night for cycling at 5mph down an empty platform)

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Posted 14 years ago #
cb
Member

Nah, never saw one of those!

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

By Platform 1/19 (or whatever it's called these days).

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Is there anyway to get a bike into Haymarket that's not down the stairs? I can do it if it is just me and bike, but it's almost impossible with child and child-seat.

Posted 14 years ago #
Wilmington's Cow
Member

There 'should' be a lift somewhere to account for diability laws I would imagine?

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

Still no lift.

Posted 14 years ago #
SRD
Moderator

Crazy! But thanks for the confirmation that I've not missed another way in/out.

Posted 14 years ago #
LaidBack
Member

The lack of a lift at Haymarket has been a source of embarrasement for years.
This after all is the station where you 'may catch a bus for Edinburgh Airport'.
In passenger terms it is Scotland's third (or fourth?) busiest station.

At one time you could get out of platform 1 closest to car park. Not sure if that is possible with tram works (was request button).

By European standards it is a good example of how not to spend money on anything much for many decades. If other countries in Europe had chosen to do this they would be as rich as we are now;)

Oddly enough it does now have an extra platform (0 - yes platform zero) to make it even busier - but still no lift.

Here's what it says at rail enquiry.
Level to platform 1 and 0. Stairs down to platformss 2, 3 & 4. No wheelchair access to platforms 2,3 and 4

Posted 14 years ago #
malandro
Member

I noticed the new portacabin at Waverley this morning after 2 weeks of not taking the bike to the station. I'm not sure they have replaced as many stands as they have taken out for the portacabin but needless to say, all the stands were full at 6.55am! The stands at the back of the station were just too far away to make 7am train so I am parked "illegally"....

Posted 14 years ago #
cb
Member

Parked the bike at Waverley this morning (first time this week) and found that by the platform 11 bike racks all the non-bike-rack bits of metal work had notices pinned up stating that bikes would be removed if parked there and that additional bike parking would be available on platform 3.

I managed to squeeze into the only empty space - the portacabin has been placed too close to one end of the racks leaving an awkwardly small space. Another cyclist who arrived just after me made his bike the 3rd to be attached to a Sheffield stand.

Until last week there was a large information stand that was adjacent to the bike racks. This has now gone (at least I *think* so - was in a ruch as usual). I'd love to see another 20 or 30 bike racks in this space, there's plenty room in my opinion.

I'd like to know if they are following up on the bike removal threat.
I wish it was possible to *cycle* to the platform 3 racks.

Posted 14 years ago #
chdot
Admin

According to the National Rail site Waverley is managed by Network Rail.

That site also says

Cycle Storage Availability Yes
Cycle Storage 74
Cycle Storage Sheltered
Yes
Cycle Storage CCTV Yes

I suspect that there are more than 74 bike spaces (37 Sheffield racks) perhaps someone could count...

Station Managers have been particularly 'cycle friendly' in recent years and have won various awards for it. Spokes has had good relations and some influence.

Clearly there are also 'commercial pressures' but also there is (and will be) increasing demand for more bike parking as more people commute by train. Space on trains will always be limited (that's another issue!) and it is not uncommon for people to have bikes at start and finish stations. (Some people even abandon them!).

It seems as though there is a need for a meeting between station users and operators. I will send this thread to various people to see if there have been any 'discussions' recently.

Posted 14 years ago #
Kim
Member

I think they maybe open to legal challenge if they were to carry through the bike removal threat. But it is not just at the stations, there is a shortage of cycle parking across Edinburgh.

Posted 14 years ago #
malandro
Member

I noticed last night that some bike parking had also been removed from Platform 3 at Waverley. Not that the remainder was fully utilised - its just too far away!

Posted 14 years ago #
DdF
Member

I was chatting to Mark from the Bike Station recently about this, as I'd noticed the noticeboard was getting rather tatty. The BS looks after the noticeboard - it was originally suggested to the Station by BS and Spokes, and spokes paid a contribution to its cost as a token gesture to help get the station interested.

Incidentally, there's now a higher quality board (though we are only allowed to change its contents twice yearly) at Linlithgow - an experiment by ScotRail with info provided by spokes and other local cyclists (see article/pic on back page of Spokes bulletin 105). It is regarded as a success and more are expected in 2010 in various East Lothian stations.

Mark meets the station manager from time to time, and had done so recently. Apparently the board has been removed in part for refurbishing (but presumably that is also where the portocabin now is).

The portocabin is temporary accommodation for certain staff whilst some other work happens elsewhere (I noticed the big shed at the far end of the station has gone, so maybe that).

Mark said the station manager is aware that bike parking in the convenient area is in high demand and is hoping to do something about it - no idea about timescales - presumably once the portocabin is gone.

Posted 14 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

The lack of a lift at Haymarket has been a source of embarrasement for years.

Progress! (albeit very ugly progress)

Posted 13 years ago #
cb
Member

I would appear to have entirely missed this development despite catching a train at Haymarket most days!

I have spotted all the new paintwork though.

Posted 13 years ago #
Stepdoh
Member

Have to go to aberdeen tomorrow and was wondering about cycling up to the station in the morning and either leaving the bike there, or taking it on the train.

Will there be a space there if I'm turning up about about 8.15? Or if I stuck my bike on one of those palrty bike holders on the train, do I then have to look after it for two hours rather than sit in my reserved seat?

Posted 13 years ago #
j_ane
Member

Hello, is there any update anyone could give on the Waverley bike parking situation? Is there a safe place I can leave my bike over a weekend, preferably nearish the platforms where London trains go from (platform 9 I believe). I've had a quick look around but couldn't really see anything muchh...

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

London trains often go from 19 the one nearest to the footbridge to Calton Road.

In spite of the station refurb there are still a lot of racks nearby.

Platforms 8+9 are the island ones near Market Street. The other main bike racks are by platform 11 - down the vehicle access ramp off Waverley Bridge and turn right at the bottom when you get to the Zebra.

All pretty secure really, lots of CCTV.

Of course you could just book your bike on the train and have fun riding round London! (Better than Edinburgh in a lot of ways.)

Posted 12 years ago #
kaputnik
Moderator

I thought all the bike racks had been moved down by platform 4 while they were working on the ramp? or has that been put back? (there was a sign pointing out the 300m walk to the racks from main concourse last time I was in)

Posted 12 years ago #
chdot
Admin

"I thought all the bike racks had been moved down by platform 4 while they were working on the ramp? or has that been put back?"

Don't know. Took this scabby vid a couple of weeks ago -

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Posted 12 years ago #