Transport News July 2009
New trains
Residents will benefit from new trains on the North London Line as a brand new £223 million fleet is rolled out across the London Overground network by the end of 2009.
Passengers using Dalston Kingsland, Hackney Central, Homerton and Hackney Wick stations should start to see the new trains – which are being gradually being phased in as the old ones are retired – from 20 July.
The trains will have more space for passengers, improved CCTV and air conditioning. With three carriages, they will be able to carry almost 500 people – an eight per cent increase compared to the old ones.
The fleet has more flip-down seats, giving more standing room to allow for hop-on, hop-off journeys.
The arrival of the new trains is a crucial stage in Transport for London’s ambitious plans to build London Overground into an orbital railway around the capital by 2012.
New trains will also be rolled out on the extended East London Line when it is reopened next year, with new stations at Shoreditch High Street, Hoxton, Haggerston and Dalston Junction.
Improvements to the East and North London lines mark the culmination of a four-year campaign by the Council, led by Hackney’s Mayor, Jules Pipe, to secure better public transport for the borough.
The Mayor said: “These new trains will be welcome news to the many Hackney residents who use the London Overground.
“We have been lobbying hard for many years for improvements to the North London Line. These new trains will be followed by an increase in the number of trains next year, and longer trains in 2011.”
How to cycle with confidence
Free cycle training, quick bike check-ups, and the chance to see how a cyclist looks from the cab of a lorry were among the events on offer during the Council’s summer campaign Cycle with Confidence.
Hackney is ranked number one in the UK in terms of growth in cycling, but to help even more people get on their bike, the Council has been holding a series of events aimed at all levels of ability.
Highlights so far include free cycle training for all ages and abilities at Fellows Court Estate; free bike health checks at Northchurch Terrace, E8; and an HGV awareness morning at Kingsland Fire Station.
Cllr Alan Laing, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said:
“The Council is proud of its cycling reputation and achievements over recent years.
“This campaign will give everyone the opportunity to build confidence to safely enjoy our excellent cycle routes.
“Cycling is also a great way to keep fit and to do your bit to help make Hackney a greener, cleaner place.”
Hackney was recognised as the 2009 London Transport Borough of the Year, and has the highest level of cycling among its residents in London, double the next highest borough. It also has greater numbers of women cycling than men, a reverse situation to other boroughs.
More information
There will be bike checks on 23 July from 4-7pm, at at Bouverie Road, N16. For info visit the Move by Bike page.
Put Hackney in the poster
Local artists are being urged to let their creative juices flow by entering a competition to design a transport poster for Hackney.
The Outer Limits - Beyond Zone One competition has been launched by the London Transport Museum, Transport for London (TfL) and other partners to illustrate the discoveries, pleasures and excitements on offer beyond the city centre.
Entrants are encouraged to use a variety of media and current technologies but the poster must work in TfL’s busy public display spaces.
The winning design will be bought for the museum’s collection and reproduced as a TfL poster with a view to being shown on the poster circuit. The best entries will be exhibited at the museum during the London Design festival in September.
To find out more go to www.tfl.gov.uk/shop and click on poster competition. The deadline for entries is 27 July.
Cheap fares for job seekers
Unemployed people in the borough are being invited to take advantage of a half price bus fare scheme to help them while they are looking for work.
People who have been unemployed for between 13 and 26 weeks are eligible, but the latest figures for Hackney show that only 23 per cent of those had taken advantage by the end of May.
The Bus & Tram Discount photocard is available if you receive Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance payments and you must be aged between 18 and 60, and not have any other travel concession such as a Freedom Pass or New Deal.
If you are eligible for the Bus & Tram Discount photocard, you can download the application form by going to www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets and selecting adult under the photocards and discounts section.
Alternatively job seekers can pick up a copy from any Post Office in Greater London.
Staying street safe
Hackney pupils who promote road safety in the borough were treated to a day out at the London Transport Museum as a reward for their hard work.
Year Five and Six Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs) from Jubilee Primary School in Stoke Newington and Tyssen Community School in Stamford Hill were among pupils from across London invited to the fun-packed ‘Street Safe Live’ event.
The day included workshops in which children got to build a balloon-powered bus and a performance of an audience participation quiz in which road safety was the theme.
JRSOs promote road safety issues in their classrooms, and their efforts have helped to reduce the number of children killed or seriously injured on London’s roads.
In total 17 Hackney primaries are involved in the scheme.
Cllr Alan Laing, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said:
“Our JRSOs are doing a fantastic job and this is just reward for the hard work they put into teaching their classmates to stay safe on the borough’s roads.”
Felix, 10, a JRSO at Jubilee Primary, said: “I’m one of two Junior Road Safety Officers at my school.
“One of the most important things I teach is how to cross the road safely by being careful.”
More information
For details and resources available to JRSOs visit the JRSO page or www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/jrso
Mini inspectors
Pupils from Berger Primary School in Homerton were treated to a close up of the borough’s four new East London Line stations at Hackney Museum.
Classmates Max, Brianna, and Mustafa all six, and Gokdeniz, five, saw the 1:100 scale models of Dalston Junction, Hoxton, Haggerston and Shoreditch High Street on the first day of the Past Present and Future exhibition, which was at the museum last month before going on tour around London.
The line will provide Hackney’s first proper link to the Tube by 2010, and a link to Highbury & Islington is due in 2011.
The exhibition also has a display of artefacts found during building, including Stone Age daggers, and the largest collection of marbles yet found in London.
More information
To find out more about the East London Line extension visit the Transport in Hackney page or www.tfl.gov.uk
A chance to get on your bike
Residents of all ages have been picking up cycling tips at Evelyn Court in Amhurst Road, E8.
The free STA Bikes project on Saturday mornings offers the chance to learn to ride, brush up skills, or improve confidence cycling on the road, with help from professional instructors. The Bike Doctor is also on hand to give cycles a health check.
STA Bikes’ Director Sally Haywill said: “The sheer joy on people’s faces when they master a skill gives a clue to the increase in confidence and all-round feeling of wellbeing achieved through the cycling.”
STA Bikes is a not-for-profit organisation based at Sir Thomas Abney Primary School, N16. It aims to improve the lives of children and families through cycling and related activities. For info, visit: www.stabikes.org.uk. There are still places available for Evelyn Court sessions on 11, 18 and 25 July. To book, call Maggie Cook on: 077 40647486; or email: ecat.hackney@hotmail.co.uk
Police promote safer cycling
Hackney police urged cyclists and motorists to take care on the borough’s roads during a safer cycling day last month.
Police officers were outside Shoreditch Fire Station to give out road safety leaflets and offer cyclists the chance to experience a driver’s eye view from the cab of a lorry.
At Stamford Hill, Lea Bridge Roundabout, the Narroway and Homerton Row, police gave advice and were on the look out for people driving or riding recklessly. For info about cycle training in the borough, visit the Cycle Training page.
Plan a greener journey to work
Staff at Dalston’s Arcola theatre have been making the most of new bike storage facilities, the result of its workplace travel plan.
The theatre developed its plan with help from Transport for London (TfL) ,which helps towards sustainable travel options for businesses. Funding was provided by TfL, with a dedicated team drawing up the plan with Arcola staff.
The aim of the travel plan is to give staff more options to get to work including advice on car sharing, public transport, cycling, walking and reducing the need to travel through home and flexible working. For more info about the scheme, call: 020 7126 3229; visit the Workplace Travelplans page or email: worktp@tfl.gov.uk
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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