New E-Bike Loan Scheme for South Yorkshire Set to be Approved

[SheffieldForum]

3 minutes ago, Resident said:

Ah yes, MORE tax payer's money wasted. You'd think council's were flush with money to throw money away like it's confetti. These schemes have worked REALLY well in other areas haven't they?.....

Actually, yes they have.

 

Sheffield is now the only major city in the country without an e-bike loan scheme, so we’re playing serious catch up on this one.

 

In most cities the loans became over subscribed in just a couple of hours of becoming available, so they are indeed REALLY popular.

 

(I think some people are understandably confusing an ebike loan scheme with a bike rental scheme — they are different things).

[SheffieldForum]

For instance: https://ebiketips.road.cc/content/news/the-e-bikes-in-manchester-s-free-loan-scheme-were-all-booked-out-within-hours-3797

[MJ01]

46 minutes ago, SheffieldForum said:

Actually, yes they have.

 

Sheffield is now the only major city in the country without an e-bike loan scheme, so we’re playing serious catch up on this one.

 

In most cities the loans became over subscribed in just a couple of hours of becoming available, so they are indeed REALLY popular.

 

(I think some people are understandably confusing an ebike loan scheme with a bike rental scheme — they are different things).

Why  hasn't Sheffield got an e-bike loan scheme - all other major cities have - we are falling behind again - grrr shakes fist clutches pearls

 

Why has Sheffield got an e-bike loan scheme - what a waste of money - grrr shakes fist clutches pearls

 

I guess you just can't win in some situations

[Planner1]

5 hours ago, Resident said:

Ah yes, MORE tax payer's money wasted. You'd think council's were flush with money to throw money away like it's confetti. These schemes have worked REALLY well in other areas haven't they?.....

The councils are cash strapped. The money for this one has come from government specifically for that project. It can’t be spent on anything else.

 

Would you rather they didn’t bid for funding to boost active travel?

 

You may well think that money spent on active travel could be better spent elsewhere, but the government decides how taxpayers money is allocated and what it is spent on. Councils just get to bid for what’s available from very specific funding pots.

 

As others are pointing out to you, schemes like this have been successful elsewhere. There used to be similar ones in South Yorkshire a few years ago till the funding dried up.

[hackey lad]

15 minutes ago, Planner1 said:

The councils are cash strapped. The money for this one has come from government specifically for that project. It can’t be spent on anything else.

 

Would you rather they didn’t bid for funding to boost active travel?

 

You may well think that money spent on active travel could be better spent elsewhere, but the government decides how taxpayers money is allocated and what it is spent on. Councils just get to bid for what’s available from very specific funding pots.

 

As others are pointing out to you, schemes like this have been successful elsewhere. There used to be similar ones in South Yorkshire a few years ago till the funding dried up.

Well done the Government. 

[pfifes]

I would love an e bike in theory. There are two main reasons I don’t have one.

1. Safety.  There aren’t enough dedicated cycle lanes and there are too many poor drivers (in ability and/or attitude)

2. Theft.  E bikes are a  prime target for thieves.  I don’t know how this scheme addresses this issue.

[peak4]

There's a bit about it here
£4.86M CASH BOOST FOR WALKING, WHEELING AND CYCLING IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE   South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has successfully secured a total of £4.86m from the government agency, Active Travel England, which has announced a £101 million pot of funding for high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling routes that will benefit people in South Yorkshire. 
£3.36 million of £3.9 million worth of schemes asked for from the Active Travel Fund 4 Extension funding has been secured which will transform walking, wheeling and cycling routes in the region. 

Nearly £1 million from the Capability Fund has been allocated for South Yorkshire for bike hire, training and maintenance schemes, with SYMCA securing nearly double what it got last year. The aim of the Fund is to support the development of infrastructure plans and community engagement and training initiatives.  
Half a million has also been allocated to help South Yorkshire become a national leader in its e-bikes offer to residents with a pilot for a free e-cycle loan scheme. SYMCA is one of only a handful of authorities in England to receive this funding. 
This funding has provided a welcome boost to the region in support of its plans to ease congestion, transform the school run, create healthier communities and better places. 
South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said:
“Getting people in South Yorkshire moving more and moving differently is key to my ambitions for improving our region’s health, wellbeing and happiness. 
“Today, we took a big step toward that ambition. Last year we applied for Active Travel England funding but got much less than we hoped for. That was a fair reflection of where we were on our journey. 

[crazyhorse]

On 29/05/2024 at 08:57, ads36 said:

 

you just know, that when you see the word 'encourage', the project won't work.

 

we don't need 'encouragement' to walk or cycle more, we need better infrastructure.  What's the point of more bikes if there aren't safe, connected routes near where people live?

We went to the Cambridge St food hall at the weekend, we didn't even discuss cycling to the city centre - because there isn't a decent route for us to use. (last week, on holiday, we rode 300km in Austria - because they have good cycle routes).

 

i'm unfashionably libertarian at times: don't waste time telling us what to do - we're not listening. Give us genuine options and let us figure it out for ourselves.

 

Totally agree. It won't work, unless road space is taken from motorists and segregated off for cyclists.

I am a motorist and I am also a cyclist (having also ridden hundreds of miles with my family on wonderful Dutch cycle routes in the past)...but I honestly believe I will never see that transformation in this country...until climate change forces us to the brink and then it will be too late to act.

I have waited (and campaigned) for action on this for 30 years and the lack of provision is still as bad as it always was.

 

Trouble with cycling in this country is the class thing.

Cycling is treated as a sport only and not viewed as a way to get around the city.

Cyclists are obviously too poor to afford a car, which is why they ride a bike and so can make do with buses.

 

Plus the DoT considers forcing cyclists and pedestrians off the streets to improve "road safety" to be great policy, even when their NHS counterparts over the road are begging to get people walking and cycling before obesity destroys the NHS.

 

Improve safety by taking road space from cars and physically segregating it and you will be astonished by how many more will get out on their bikes...just like during COVID lockdowns.

 

The Government (of whatever type) will do nothing however...because they are idiots.

This country is a joke.

 

 

 

 

 

[Planner1]

1 hour ago, crazyhorse said:

 

Totally agree. It won't work, unless road space is taken from motorists and segregated off for cyclists.

I am a motorist and I am also a cyclist (having also ridden hundreds of miles with my family on wonderful Dutch cycle routes in the past)...but I honestly believe I will never see that transformation in this country...until climate change forces us to the brink and then it will be too late to act.

I have waited (and campaigned) for action on this for 30 years and the lack of provision is still as bad as it always was.

 

Trouble with cycling in this country is the class thing.

Cycling is treated as a sport only and not viewed as a way to get around the city.

Cyclists are obviously too poor to afford a car, which is why they ride a bike and so can make do with buses.

 

Plus the DoT considers forcing cyclists and pedestrians off the streets to improve "road safety" to be great policy, even when their NHS counterparts over the road are begging to get people walking and cycling before obesity destroys the NHS.

 

Improve safety by taking road space from cars and physically segregating it and you will be astonished by how many more will get out on their bikes...just like during COVID lockdowns.

 

The Government (of whatever type) will do nothing however...because they are idiots.

This country is a joke.

 

 

 

 

 

Where have you been for the past few years?

 

For a start, it isn’t the DoT, it’s Department for Transport (DfT) and has been for many years.

 

Segregated facilities are pretty much universally recognised as being the optimal provision for cycling. The government’s published design guidance has had a preference for segregated facilities.

 

Theres a new body, Active Travel England that vets all major transport schemes to ensure they have the right facilities and are well designed.

 

In recent years, most of the major government transport funding streams available to local authorities have been about improving the walking and cycling environment ( Transforming Cities Fund, City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement etc ). Billions are being spent on active travel infrastructure and initiatives across the country. 

 

We’re playing catch-up with places like the Netherlands as they have been actively promoting cycling for circa 50 years. We won’t achieve what they have overnight.

 

Segregation doesn’t have to mean road space reallocation. You can build segregated facilities into a scheme where there is space. In some places there physically isn’t enough space for segregated facilities to the latest design guidance, so we need to be realistic and pragmatic.

[AndrewC]

3 minutes ago, Planner1 said:

so we need to be realistic and pragmatic.

 

Unfortunately this too often results in 'do nothing, leave it to cars' etc.

 

There have been improvements in this country recently, and yes, Netherlands, Denmark are light years ahead the UK but some of the advancements made in other places across Europe and in fact some UK cities put the majority of the UK and Sheffield to shame.

 

There is a complete lack of bravery about the whole thing at the moment, this also goes for public transport investment too. There's a very clear pandering still going on to the car. No one has the political bravery in this country to start upsetting motorists by saying, 'actually, despite how hard-done-by you think you've been, you've actually been getting it pretty good for 80 years, so now it's time to redress the balance'.