Star comment: Wheels in motion for Boris Bikes
Civic leaders need to be inventive if we are to make the best of our cities and towns.
And the idea to bring a rental bike scheme like the one in London to Wolverhampton could be just the ticket.
So-called Boris Bikes have been a huge success in the captial. And we see no reason why they could not be a real asset to the Black Country.
Wolverhampton has many great places to go from West Park and East Park to Upper Green in Tettenhall and Wightwick Manor and Gardens.
Up to 750 bikes could be available for anyone in the city.
If brought in, it could ease congestion and improve health and mobility in the city. And let’s be frank – congestion and health are both major problems in Wolverhampton.
Already, there are 120 such schemes around the world.
Certainly cities such as Glasgow and Houston in Texas have massively benefited from good cycling facilities and routes. Increasing cycling is one of the pledges of the new West Midlands Mayor Andy Street.
So if, as planned, this scheme is up and running by the autumn, Wolverhampton could be well on its way to getting more people on the saddle.
Of course, it remains to be seen how many people would ditch the car for the bike for commuting in and out of the city. The Great British weather obviously doesn’t help matters but with good and safe cycling provision we could see an increase of people using the two-wheel mode of transport.
The commute into Wolverhampton has become unbearable for many.
The roads are frequently gridlocked, sometimes without any explanation.
With the Black Country’s extensive canal network, the programme really could flourish.
We hope that Wolverhampton council and the company behind this project can come to an agreement.
Everyone knows that our city centres and high streets are struggling.
Scheme like this could be just the trick to revive and help boost local economies.
We hope this will be the first of a wave of bold new ideas that will give Wolverhampton a shot in the arm.
If successful we can see no reason why it couldn’t be extended across the Black Country and Staffordshire.
Encouraging more people to get on the saddle has much merit.
But for too long our infrastructure has been significantly lacking. Now is the time to try something new.
