Strike special: We find the Lime parking bay with 411 bikes, explain why some tube lines are still running during a tube strike, and have the data on the Elizabeth line surge.
I cycle from on the C4 into central London three times a week, and one of the things that was already evident but the strike highlight further, is that the cycle lanes built are already inadequate. They aren't wide enough for the volume of bikes using them during the peak (e.g. you can't overtake easily) and the light phases aren't long enough at certain junctions for the volume of bikes to get through.
Very interesting. I'd love to understand, in even more depth, how the RMT calculates the costs and benefits of actions like this. Barring concessions from TFL, what will they count as a win or a loss in terms of this action? What's the constraint on further strike actions from their point of view? Is it members not keen on losing more income, is it possible shifts in public opinion? What's the internal debate they're likely to be having about how to proceed? I know there are plenty of informed readers who might have some answers.
When I read your headline of a 400+ Lime bike bay I guessed exactly where you meant! I had to park my own bike opposite it this week, and there were eight - just eight - Sheffield stands for the whole area. They were of course full. I used a dodgy signpost and was surprised to see my bike was still there each afternoon.
Sorry to hear about your battery loss. Journalism needs you to keep chasing these stories across London…
I'm covering quite a bit of distance in London this week, but had planned out my routes and felt pretty smug about the fact that I'd be able to do them all without being substantially affected by the strike.
Got to Tottenham Court Road just after 10pm last night and hadn't been banking on them having already stopped eastbound Elizabeth line trains. No Lime bikes anywhere near, so pottered over to a bus stop. No buses show up for 15 minutes, so a vast crowd of would-be Elizabeth line users had gathered by the time three busses came along within a ten minute period. Didn't manage to get on any of those, so just caught a different bus to get anywhere out of the area.
Then walked to find a Lime bike. Lime encouraged me to buy a Lime pass, but of course it was only *after* buying the pass that Lime told me I couldn't hire this bike. So, now, with sunk cost bias, I trawled around trying to find other Limes. Eventually succeeded, but what is usually a 40 minute commute took 2hr10m
I cycle from on the C4 into central London three times a week, and one of the things that was already evident but the strike highlight further, is that the cycle lanes built are already inadequate. They aren't wide enough for the volume of bikes using them during the peak (e.g. you can't overtake easily) and the light phases aren't long enough at certain junctions for the volume of bikes to get through.
Very interesting. I'd love to understand, in even more depth, how the RMT calculates the costs and benefits of actions like this. Barring concessions from TFL, what will they count as a win or a loss in terms of this action? What's the constraint on further strike actions from their point of view? Is it members not keen on losing more income, is it possible shifts in public opinion? What's the internal debate they're likely to be having about how to proceed? I know there are plenty of informed readers who might have some answers.
When I read your headline of a 400+ Lime bike bay I guessed exactly where you meant! I had to park my own bike opposite it this week, and there were eight - just eight - Sheffield stands for the whole area. They were of course full. I used a dodgy signpost and was surprised to see my bike was still there each afternoon.
Sorry to hear about your battery loss. Journalism needs you to keep chasing these stories across London…
I'm covering quite a bit of distance in London this week, but had planned out my routes and felt pretty smug about the fact that I'd be able to do them all without being substantially affected by the strike.
Got to Tottenham Court Road just after 10pm last night and hadn't been banking on them having already stopped eastbound Elizabeth line trains. No Lime bikes anywhere near, so pottered over to a bus stop. No buses show up for 15 minutes, so a vast crowd of would-be Elizabeth line users had gathered by the time three busses came along within a ten minute period. Didn't manage to get on any of those, so just caught a different bus to get anywhere out of the area.
Then walked to find a Lime bike. Lime encouraged me to buy a Lime pass, but of course it was only *after* buying the pass that Lime told me I couldn't hire this bike. So, now, with sunk cost bias, I trawled around trying to find other Limes. Eventually succeeded, but what is usually a 40 minute commute took 2hr10m