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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

See the attached picture that I just took. I remember a debate about the quality of stands some time back. But as I don't drive or ride a bike I've forgotten the issues. Any thoughts?

Tags for Forum Posts: bike stands

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Alison, I reckon they're not fit for their intended purpose. A bike rack is about as utilitarian a piece of street furniture as one could imagine: not an objet d'art or sculpture.

It would be interesting to know the views of the local councillors about this recent incident.

I have tweeted two Harringay councillors giving them a link to this thread and asking them to find out more about the incident and when the damaged bike racks will be cleared away at least. It is to be hoped that one of them will get on the case to get us an update.
Agree. When the pavements are wet it is very easy to miss them altogether as the two greys just blend in together. The usual stands are shiny and often have a bright strip on them for exactly that reason.

So sad to see people's bikes trashed. I doubt the council can accept liability and replace them, but perhaps they can help via some of the local bike charities.

If the bike racks are inconspicuous to lorry drivers, and are inherently flimsy and so not fit for purpose, I can imagine a lawyer arguing that the council should compensate the bike owners on the grounds that, for instance,  the cyclists had a reasonable expectation their bikes would be safe.

@Strawcat - I'm not a fan of the stands by any stretch of the imagination but I think you're being a bit unrealistic here and not fair to the council.

No bike stand can withstand the force of a car or truck coming round a corner too fast and hitting them. They were: a) on a pavement and b) had a number of bikes locked to them - so it's not as though they can be called inconspicuous! The driver is the person at fault here, not Haringey.

The fact that the stands are not fit for purpose has been agreed by everyone involved (including the council) but is another question.

I'm pretty sure there's a yellow box junction camera at that junction. I imagine there's good likelihood that the incident was captured on camera. I suppose that the footage will be erased after a number of days. If someone could give the council an approximate day/time, they could take a look.

There is Hugh. A taxi driver told me he got a ticket for doing an illegal right turn into Warham Road from Green Lanes so he must have been filmed.

I doubt the Council will be willing to release footage. It may not release images of people to the public under the Data Protection Act.  I think the request has to come from the police who may not act if they believe the damage is too minor.

Lorry drivers shouldn't be mounting the pavements in the first place! 

In recent years the Council produced a “Streetscape Manual”. This was a glossy spiral-bound book that gave details of all the approved designs for street furniture and signage, including lamp-standards, footway paving, waste bins, bike stands etc. As I recall it, this was an admirable document produced after consultation across the borough. I wonder what happened to it!

The Streetscape Manual is here on the Council's website. It was launched in 2005. It's chunked up for downloading. Cycle Stands are described on page 47 of Chapter 5. It says:

"Secure cycling parking facilities will be provided in all of the Borough’s town centres and close to other popular destinations such as public buildings, supermarkets and rail stations. Secure and well located facilities will deter cyclists from parking informally (e.g. locking cycles to light columns and guardrailing), which may obstruct pedestrian movement and add to visual clutter.

"Wherever possible cycle stands will be installed on footways in locations where passive surveillance is possible and where they do not impede pedestrian movement. Stands will be installed 600mm from, and parallel to the kerb, to allow for the bike wheels to overhang the stand. A minimum continuous clear footway width of 1.2m will be provided, however, where practical, a width of 1.8m is desirable.
Any new cycle stands installed in the Borough will be of the black Sheffield type, except in Wood Green Town Centre where a stainless steel hoop (Hoop HSG 800) is being used.
It is good practice to attach the ‘P’ symbol used to denote cycle parking onto the cross bar of Sheffield stands, thereby negating the need to install dedicated posts."

When the Manual came out was said to be a time when: "our streets are noticeably cleaner and the quality of life for those who live, work and visit Haringey  has visibly improved".

For some people and some places, that was true; for others not. Looking back, I wonder why whoever drafted the manual felt obliged to fictionalise. When did the pretending begin? 

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