Hospital lays foundations for healthy travel

32 Cycle hubs

Enfield council worked in partnership with North Middlesex University Hospital to develop a new style, high quality bike hub, writes Craig Nicol

The NHS has been through one of the most difficult years in its history. Sadly, this was exacerbated by the prevalence of pre-existing conditions that had already weakened health resilience within the population.

A leading cause of susceptibility to Covid-19 was a lack of physical activity. Active travel is one means by which this can be incorporated into everyday life. It is also a means of reducing air pollution, another factor exacerbating Covid mortality and morbidity.

Prevention before cure

The London Borough of Enfield has been working with North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH) to provide hands on support to those considering cycling to the hospital, be they patients or staff. This is just one example of how the council and the NMUH are working together to not only cure ill health but prevent it in the first place. Enfield has led on this collaboration with NMUH to ensure best in class staff cycling facilities were sourced to encourage active travel by Trust staff to the hospital.

The hospital needed to reconfigure remaining parcels of land to relocate the workforce from recently sold buildings. The Council Healthy Streets team initiated travel planning discussions with NMUH to reduce the dominance of staff parking and encourage active travel to the site. The long-term objective is to achieve 10% mode shift to active travel.

A portable facility was required, which was easy to implement to avoid disruption at a busy hospital and was adaptable to the growing needs of the staff and changeable nature of the site.

The facilities need to be secure, inviting and provide: cycle parking; washing and changing facilities; clothes drying facilities; and personal storage lockers for running or cycling equipment.

This proposal was supported by TfL, which fully funded the equipment for this innovative cycle parking project. This is the first time TfL has granted funds to a local authority to fund an NHS scheme.

Traditionally, cycle hubs are installed at highvolume destination such as a Tube or rail station to provide secure short-term parking to commuters.

But it is less typical to see the same quality of provision in the workplace. We understand that one of the key barriers to cycling to work is having a place to wash and change at the end of your run / walk or cycle. Equally, we know that space is a premium at any hospital, so we needed to break the mould.

A new type of hub

The Council Healthy Streets team officers have a great depth of knowledge and expertise in cycle parking implementation. This knowledge took us instinctively to Active-commuting, supplier of secure bike parking, lockers, showers and changing rooms for the commuters. This product - built using modular construction - is portable, adaptable and scalable. It had never previously been implemented in London.

The key stakeholders were Enfield council, TfL and the NHS. We approached TfL with a bid that aimed to change the perception of how cycle parking facilities can be delivered and what they could provide. The same proposition was put to the NHS to support their aspirations to create an active travel culture.

The council devised the project, acted as the lead consultant and led on project management and communications throughout the lifecycle of the project.

Overcoming obstacles

There were major challenges in carrying out the enabling works, site clearance, foundations, drainage, water and electrical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic at a busy acute hospital site. The challenges included enclosing the proposed site and ensuring safety for the contractor, staff and patients not only from the usual safety risks but from Covid as well. The site was enclosed with Heras fencing to minimise contact between the contractor and hospital staff and patients.

Constructing the foundation and raising the existing footpath to the correct level to obtain level access was successfully achieved by working closely with Active Commuting in setting out the correct levels.

A further challenge was the delivery of the units to the location, which was accessed by a narrow road and having to lift the units over existing street lamps and trees into a tight space adjacent the maternity unit.

The work was carried out on a Saturday when there was less vehicular and pedestrian traffic, which was diverted via an alternative route. This enabled NMUH and Active Commuting to install the units safely with minimal disruption to the hospital. Additionally, the installed units fitted the foundation pads exactly and ended up flush with the raised footpath thanks to the close collaboration between Active Commuting and the Trust.

34 Cycle hubs

It’s a wrap!

The Active Commuting Hub is of a very high standard. It features racks for 56 bikes, male and female changing rooms, which include toilet, showers, lockers, changing benches and even a hair dryer, plus there is a separate drying room. The final touch was a vinyl wrap highlighting the collaborative efforts of Enfield Council, TFL, Active Commuting and North Middlesex Hospital in providing an excellent facility for cyclists.

The provision of this new facility aligns with the Trust’s policy of encouraging staff to use public transport, cycle and/or walk to work instead of using their cars and will be monitored by the trusts travel plan.There is an application form for access to the cycle facility, which is open to all staff and our contractors. The access to the facility is by swipe card, which allows the Trust to monitor the usage. Some 64% of the staff at North Middlesex University Hospital are from BAME background and 70% of the workforce are female. So, this all leads to a great opportunity to improve and promote cycling and walking to underrepresented demographics.

The hub has racks for 56 bikes, male and female changing rooms, which include toilets and showers, lockers and changing benches

But that’s not all...

It’s important to get cycle parking right, but we need to sit these types of measures alongside other interventions. In the summer of 2022, the Healthy Streets programme will deliver new segregated cycle tracks and a bus gate as part of an extension of Cycleway 1, running directly outside the hospital. Later this year, the Council and a local cycling group, the London Cycling Club based in Edmonton (established originally with a TfL cycling community grant) will launch a bicycle loan scheme for both clinical and non-clinical staff working at the hospital.

Those staff who already have a bike, they can continue to use the increasingly popular Dr Bike service that the council hosts once a month in the hospital grounds. The Healthy Streets programme in Enfield takes a comprehensive approach to enabling more active travel.

By blending together infrastructure projects, engagement and supportive services and working in partnership with other organisations, we’ll be able to positively influence future transport choices. Enfield Council are committed to becoming a carbon neutral borough, there will be more bold choices to make as we continue on the journey. n Craig Nicol is a project manager in the healthy streets team at the London Borough of Enfield

HUB FACTS

The North Middlesex University Hospital cycle hub project was planned and executed in collaboration with:

l NHS facilities team – procurement

l Hendry construction – Ground works

l Active commuting – Product design, supply chain and delivery logistics

l Westhill – Digital design content, external vinyl wrap