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Olympic Gold Medalist unveils Boris Bikes in E20

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Posted: 21.Jan.2016

 East Village welcomed the return of one of the London 2012 Team GB stars today as Olympic Gold Medal Heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill arrived to unveil the new Santander Cycles docking stations.

Eight new docking stations with 320 docking points now live in E20, with one situated next to Victory Park in East Village, so getting around the 560 acre postcode is now easier than ever.

Since launching in 2010, the cycles, often known as “Boris Bikes” have been hired around four million times. Get Living London helped the bikes arrive in the former Athletes’ Village, and teamed up with the partnership between TfL and Santander UK which is enhancing the Santander Cycles scheme to make cycling more easy, fun and rewarding.

"The venue is so iconic and holds lots of great memories for me, but above all there is so much to do and see around the park"

- Jessica Ennis-Hill

Jessica Ennis-Hill, who is also a Santander Cycles ambassador and showed off some special edition gold bikes to reflect the link to the London 2012 cycling legacy, said: “I am really happy to see that the Santander Cycles scheme has been extended to include the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The venue is so iconic and holds lots of great memories for me, but above all there is so much to do and see around the park.  New ways to encourage people to be more active and explore their city are always so welcome and here you can cycle and take in all the iconic Olympic venues – it’s brilliant.”

The eight new docking stations are located at:

  • London Aquatics Centre
  • Podium (ArcelorMittal Orbit)
  • Copper Box Arena
  • East Village
  • Timber Lodge
  • Lee Valley VeloPark
  • Monier Road
  • Stratford Station

The latest expansion of Santander Cycles brings the total number of docking stations within the scheme up to 761. Plans are also in place to introduce two docking stations at Here East, the new digital quarter at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, in the spring, as well as in Kings Cross, Stockwell and Vauxhall.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, added: “It is fantastic to see our iconic cycle hire scheme spread its wings to the glorious setting of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

“It’s a real boost for commuters, shoppers and tourists, and another shot in the arm for booming east London.”

 

 

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