University of Birmingham

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Poorly designed cycle facilities.

There are sadly some facilities provided for cyclists where the design has not been so well thought out.

The Main Library/Arts cycle parking provision. 

From a popular and often full, albeit poor facility to a much smaller number of cycle racks that have not been well laid out.  These racks are too close and some are not correctly positioned.  Over half the racks outside this building are not secured to the ground!  Since they are individual racks, one could in theory come along and remove 7 cycles each attached to a part of the cycle stand!  And the rack at the far end has been hit by a car at some point!

Arts toast racks - not secured together or to the ground.

The IBR building (Medical School)

These two runs of front gripper racks at the IBR building are horrid!   They are possibly useable if you put your bike sideways across three grippers at a time...  A shame since there was plenty of room to have put a toast rack of Sheffield stands in this location.

Cycle locked across 3 sets of racks

The (very much) shared path from University Station to the campus ring road.

This path is somewhat improved now that the building work has been completed.  However the dangerous entrance / exit to / from the Munrow Sports Centre remains.  Vehicles entering or leaving the Centre cross both the cycle path and the pedestrian path and there have been a number of cyclists knocked off their bikes by vehicles crossing this path.

Shared cycle path near the Munrow Centre

Cyclists can't avoid using this shared path and sticking on the road as there are no dropped kerbs to come up from the road onto the path.

West Entrance car park barrier

The 'Cyclists Dismount' signs at the Grange Road gate. 

Before the University decided to add an extra car park cyclists and pedestrians had right of way here, now they have to dismount.

Cylcists dismount sign at the Grange Road entrance

The cobbled confusion of the West Gate ellipse. 

Add the flood of pedestrians that waft across here twice a day from the University Station and the vehicles that U-turn here when they realise that they can't get through the barrier, those that park between the bollards (i.e. across the path!) and the cyclists that cross the road to go down the cycle path past Occupational Health and you have a recipe for...

West Gate entrance with lots of cars and pedestrians

And just for the wry amusement...

How many pictures can you find in the University undergraduate / postgraduate prospectus that have cycles locked to those nice low railings that used to exist in Chancellor's square?  Doesn't it show a lovely campus with cycles neatly parked and not obstructing any accesses?   Pity they have all been ripped out!

Bikes on the railings near the Law department