commuting to rbh - i know...long shot!

[pheo]

Hello, Does anyone happen to ride to the rbh and know if there's showers and lockers there to use? I know it's a very long shot!!! Cheers pheo

[Pax]

Not a long shot at all!

I used to ride with a group who commuted there daily. I worked at RCH the others worked at RBH. I had access to a great change room with all the facilities I needed. They also had access to similar facilities in the adults hospital (they worked in ICU and surgical units).

One of them lobbied the RBH to put in bike lockers and they did .

None of us work at the hospital campus any more (I work in town and commute there now, the others work in oposite directions unfortunately).

There are a lot of bike racks in the hospital and a lot of bikes there so I can only assume that there are still commuters to the hospital. The reality is that all hospitals are full of showers both for staff and patients I doubt that you'll have any trouble finding some. I assume you are staff. If worse comes to worse, I am sure you could access the change facilities at the Children's hospital (basement of the Coles/Woolworths building). You need a security code that you could get from the HR dept I assume or from hotel services/wardies.

Good luck. Which direction do you commute from ?

If you cannot track the facilities down, give me a message as I still have contact with a couple of the guys, they could give more details.

[beauyboy]

While I am not sure what is there here is what is planned for RBH. A cycle center is planned under the RBH busway station.

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Wednesday, November 26, 2008

New Cycle Centre for RBWH


Minister for Transport John Mickel has today announced plans to build a new $8 million, 750-bike cycle centre at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital as part of the Queensland Government’s Toward Q2 plan.

It’s no secret that Queensland’s rapid population growth is putting our roads and public transport under stress.


That’s why the Queensland Government is working in many ways to tackle traffic congestion and improve our road network.


“Our Toward Q2 goal is to preserve what we love about Queensland, and then make it even better, even greener, and even smarter,” Mr Mickel said.


The new cycle centre will be constructed with the Northern Busway section from Herston to Windsor.

Located next to the hospital, the cycle centre will be accessible to the thousands of people that pass in and out each day; it will be close to the Bowen Hills Urban Development Area; and close to Airport Link connections and the North South Bypass Tunnel.


“We recently announced an $18 million boost for 89 new cycle projects across South East Queensland, which will make it easier and quicker to commute for work and leisure,” Mr Mickel said.


“Cycleways can make a significant contribution to reducing traffic congestion and cutting exhaust gas emissions.


“Cycling is smart and it’s green.”


To make cycling and walking a more attractive choice, the Queensland Government is delivering end-of-trip facilities with secure bike storage, showers and ironing areas.


The Government has already provided these facilities in some of its own buildings, and has established the popular King George Square Cycle Centre in cooperation with Brisbane City Council.

Mr Mickel said that when facilities such as these are built, results are seen.

“We make a real difference by putting our plans into action,” Mr Mickel said.

“The cycle centres and bikeways we have built have resulted in a seven-fold increase in bicycle mode share in the past 20 years.

“The wheels are in motion on the new cycle centre at Herston, and I’m advised construction will start early next year.”

-ends-

26 November 2008

Media contact: Jane Rowe 3406 7664 or 0409 588 302

[pheo]

Hey - Thanks Pax and beauyboy - sounds like cycling in will be a great idea!! I'll try HR and see about the security code for the facilities at the bottom of rch - that's going to make life a tonne easier!! I'm only coming from ashgrove so it's not that far - I'm hoping to alternate between running and cycling.......maybe - the running could just be a little too ambitious!!

[mark31]

You seem to have got all the information you already need, but to the best of my knowledge there is an RBH Bicycle User Group there, with, if memory serves me correctly 100+ members.
Not sure how you'd go about contacting them, ask around when you're there I suppose.
Also, the end-of-trip facilities under the busway, as far as I know, will be modeled on the King George Square model. i.e. fancy, but they'll want your dollars. On the plus side, you won't have to be a RBH worker to get access.


And now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to gripe about this statement

“The cycle centres and bikeways we have built have resulted in a seven-fold increase in bicycle mode share in the past 20 years.

The seven-fold figure could be more or less correct for travel to the CBD, the focus of the bikeway network. But overall, this is just plain wrong.
Currently, the percentage of all weekday trips made by bike is ca 1.5%.
They're trying to tell me that 20 years ago 0.2% of trips were made by bike??