Transport for London has applied to Hammersmith and Fulham Council for permission to install the first docking station for "Boris Bikes" in Shepherd's Bush.

Residents were recently asked to suggest locations across the borough which could be suitable for docking stations holding racks of cycles for hire.

Now an application has been made for: Installation of a Barclays Cycle hire docking station on the footway of Westfield Access Road (under the West Cross Route Flyover) containing a maximum of 82 docking points and two terminals.

The status of the application is pending consideration, but the council is not expected to refuse permission as Westfield is proving funding. The bikes are expected to be in place by spring.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced earlier this year that Barclays Cycle Hire, as the project is officially known, would be wheeled westwards after the bank agreed to provide an additional £25 million towards expanding the scheme into the borough by the summer of 2013.

H & F Council is still working with Transport for London to identify locations for up to 60 local docking stations elsewhere in Hammersmith and Fulham, which each must be capable of holding at least 24 bikes.

While council transport officials draw up a list of possible locations, residents are also being invited to suggest parts of the borough that could accommodate the docking stations.

To be in with a chance of being approved by TfL the sites need to be at least 23 yards long and 2.2 yards wide, and meet other rules about footpath width, accessibility and closeness to trees. 

Cllr Nick Botterill, H&F Council Deputy Leader says: " Rolling out Boris bikes into our borough promises to relieve some of the pressure on our congested roads and jam-packed tubes, reduce pollution and give residents another option when choosing how to get around.

" Now the hard work starts in identifying suitable sites for the docking stations, and residents' input will be vital in getting these locations right.

" Once we have a comprehensive list of possible sites drawn up we will feed this back to TfL so that the suggestions put forward will include the ones that the community wants. It is then up to TfL to decide which suggestions are feasible."

To suggest a location for a docking station visit Hammersmith and Fulham's Get Moving pages.. The council says it will collate and monitor the suggestions and, if they meet TfL criteria, put forward the suggested sites for TfL’s consideration.

 

September 22, 2011