Citybike has announced that 13 new stations have come online across North Liverpool, as the initiative expanded to the northern heart of the city.
Stations have been set up at Lifestyles gyms in Walton, Ellergreen, Alsop, Everton Park and Lifestyles Peter Lloyd. There are also new stations at Gardner’s Drive, Prescot Road in Kensington, Stanley Park Anfield Road, Mere Lane Neighbourhood Health Centre, Everton Road Hostel, Tesco Old Swan, Edge Lane Old Swan and The Rotunda.
This expansion will help connect North Liverpool to the already existing citybike network, providing a convenient, cheap, low carbon transport link across Liverpool for commuters, students, visitors and residents.
At £3 a day for membership, citybike offers an efficient way to get to work, college or university. This latest expansion means that there are now more than 120 citybike stations across the Liverpool City Region.
Citybike has been part-funded by £1.5 million from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. These funds have been used to help improve green transport links for communities in North Liverpool, to help improve access to education and employment for local economies, and to help reduce carbon emissions.
The Rotunda provides alternative education provision for young people, a nursery, enterprise centre, heritage centre, café and Kirkdale Country Garden. Their citybike, which is run on behalf of the council by hourbike, was widely welcomed.
Maxine Ennis, chief executive of The Rotunda said:
“Citybike being installed at Rotunda fits in well with what we are doing for the community.
“Rotunda was the first organisation in Liverpool to receive a Workplace Wellbeing Charter. citybike supports our strategy to continue to improve the health and wellbeing of our staff, volunteers, business tenants and service users by making healthy choices easier. It provides an affordable and convenient transport solution for everyone using Rotunda.
“We are delighted to be on the citybike map. The scheme will help us increase our contribution to the regeneration of North Liverpool by improving transport links between Rotunda, local residents and the city centre.”
Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Transport and Climate Change said the expansion was crucial for the people of Liverpool:
“By extending the citybike network people will now be able to cycle to work or their place of study more easily,” he said.
“It is cheap to use and there are stations across the city so wherever you are heading, be it for a job interview, to hand in some college work or simply to enjoy a leisurely ride to some of our city’s visitor attractions, you can get there by citybike.
“Add to that the health and environmental benefits of cycling, for citybike users and the city. The expansion means there will be a station near you to dock your citybike when you return home from your journey. This is an important development for citybike.”
Words: Peter Cribley