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AstBUG Update August 2011

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Cycle Shelters

There is now an additional bicycle shelter (providing 10 more spaces) and an additional motorcycle shelter (5 spaces) located in front of the new Aston Brain Centre building, adjacent to car park 6.

Aston Excellence Award

To say thank you to Tim for all of his hard work in running AstBUG, the Environment team nominated him for receipt of this year’s Aston Excellence Award for Contribution to a Sustainable campus.

Tim received the award at the July graduation ceremony and has also been invited to a lunch in September.

The award also came with a £1000 prize to be spent on related activities. Tim and the Environment team are working up a proposal to use this money to set up a bike-hire scheme that will allow staff and students to borrow bikes for personal use during the day. 

Cycle shelter locations
ABC Cycle shelter locations
Excellence Award
Tim receiving his Excellence Award

AstBUG Mountain Biking group

AstBUG is attempting to put together a Mountain Biking sub group. The group aims to organise rides once a fortnight, on a Wednesday evening, we would however try to be as flexible as possible. The rides would take place in the Midlands and would contain as much off road as practical but would almost certainly include some country lanes as there just isn’t that much continuous bridal way close to Birmingham. We may also try to get a little further afield with Cannock Chase and Wyre Forest as options.

I would suggest that you need to have a medium quality mountain bike and be comfortable riding 15-25 miles of mixed terrain. If you feel you would be interested but aren’t quite at that level still please get in touch and we can see what we can do. For more information or to join this sub group please get in touch with Tim Hooton.

http://www1.aston.ac.uk/about/directions/ast-bug/mountain-biking/

Cycling and walking route opens

The next section of the North Birmingham Connect2 cycling and walking route alongside Plants Brook, between Penns Lane and the Eachelhurst Road, is now open. It includes a link into Pype Hayes Park and a signed route to the Birmingham and Fazeley canal and Castle Vale. There'll be a formal opening and community walking and cycling event on 29 August. £4.1 million has also been awarded for a four-year programme of cycling activity within Erdington and Sutton Coldfield, through the government's Local Sustainable Transport Fund.  

For more information on walking and cycling routes, visithttp://www.connect2birmingham.org/http://blog.connect2birmingham.org/http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/bikenorthbirmingham

Bikes in Buildings

As a result of the June meeting of the University Health and Safety Committee, the Safety Team have been actioned to draft some guidance re bicycles / motor bikes / motor scooters. Following on from this, thank you to everyone who responded to the email regarding keeping bikes in buildings on campus. There was a significant response from members which Tim Hooton passed on to the Safety Office who are due to release the report shortly – watch this space!

For more info or if you have any questions, contact Tim Hooton t.m.a.hooton@aston.ac.uk or the Environment Team environment@aston.ac.uk