MetroBus

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

...wondered how beautiful this area would have been when Duchess Lake was there before it was drained to make way for the M32.

Grade II listed, it is. Wouldn't get away with it now...

[rogerw]

Although Duchess Pond was to be drained for the construction of the M32, mother nature intervened before that took place as during the bad storms in late July 1968 the pond overtopped and eroded its banks with the water flowing across Park Road and down Broom Hill, across the river bridge then back to the river through the adjoining houses.  If you know the area you will appreciate how shocked the residents were.  I was working on the M32 at the time as a student and as far as I can remember I think that the contractor and consultant liaised with the residents to assist.

[TonyK]

I took a look at MetroBust's website this morning, and found

We have recently been testing the Metrobus busway with First.  Our testing has identified a requirement for minor (20mm) adjustments to the road height at three of the bends along the 3km route. These adjustments are planned for mid-summer. This will be followed by a further round of bus testing and we are working together for the m2 service to start in Autumn this year.

I suppose 3km sounds more impressive than 1¾ miles, but it does seem rather pointless having to adapt buses to run on such a short guided busway, especially when it will lengthen the journey from the park and ride for many people. I think the reason is that without the guided bit, MetroBust wouldn't be "special", and would look just like a bus route.

[martyjon]

My Metrobus insider e-mailed me today :-

Service Change 16 September 2018

Service M3 – First Bus (Emersons Green – UWE – Bristol Centre) introduction of Sunday and bank holiday service operating every 30 minutes between UWE Frenchay Campus and Bristol Centre.

New late evening/early morning journeys introduced Monday to Saturdays every 20 minutes between UWE Frenchay Campus and Bristol Centre. Last journey from Bristol Centre at 0412.

Timetable amended but frequencies remain the same during the day Monday to Saturdays. No change to route.

Service U3 – First Bus (UWE – Bristol Centre) new service between UWE Frenchay to Bristol Centre via Coldharbour Lane. Service operates Monday to Friday every 20 minutes during the day and more regularly during peak times. Metrobus service M3 operates from UWE to Bristol Centre on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.


Comment.

So the "successful" M3 service is not, according to the above, having the hours of operation to Lyde Green / Emersons Green locations extended unless this is covered by the phrase, "Timetable amended". Sunday and Bank Holiday service only to operate between UWE and City Centre so still no indication of a Sunday service to Lyde Green / Emersons Green in this announcement.

Interesting the introduction of the U3, will this be interleaved with the M3 and thus provide a 10 minute interval service from UWE to City Centre.

End of comment.


Also further changes revealed ;-

Metrobus type services to be introduced to operate to the Yate / Sodbury area as follows ;-

Y1 replaces 47/X47 running at 30 minute intervals on route of X47 but NOT serving the Bus Station, operating to and from Bristol Centre Colston Street(opposite the Colston Hall) instead;

Y2 replaces 47 running at 60 minute intervals between Bristol Bus Station and Yate Bus Station only serving Fishponds and Downend as the 47 does at present.

Y3 replaces X46 running at 60 minute intervals deviating at the Stover Road roundabout to operate via Stover Road and Yate Station to Yate Bus Station thence a loop round North Yate back to Yate Bus Station before returning to Bristol as outward deviation, Evenings the Yate loop will be covered by the Y4.

Y4 replaces 46 running at 60 minute intervals deviating to operate direct to Yate Bus Station and not serving the Airfield Estate. Evenings this service will provide the North Yate loop.

Y5 replaces X49 running at 60 minute intervals M - S and 120 minute intervals Su.

Y6 replaces 82 running at 60 minute intervals M - S and 120 minute intervals Su.

Whilst in Yate today saw a red liveried Metrobus vehicle, probably on a driver route familiarisation duty as it didnt enter the Yate Bus Station on its two passes of the Bus Station entrance.

Still no definitive news on start of M2 but there is a meeting arranged between Metrobus and Karin Smyth MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) to see if anything can be salvaged out of the proposed and then abandoned route from Hengrove the the LA P&R^▸ (Park and Ride).

Hope I haven't confused anyone with the above info, might have more info after tomorrows meeting in Kingswood.

[Red Squirrel]

...NOT serving the Bus Station, operating to and from Bristol Centre Colston Street(opposite the Colston Hall) instead;

So what were they thinking when they built the (original, but on the same site) Bus Station back in 1958? Plainly they gave no thought to integrating buses with rail services; it's a good 20 minute walk from Temple Meads. Nor did they care much about integrating the country buses and coaches that terminate at the Bus Station with local services; it's a 10 minute walk from The Centre, where most city buses either terminate or pass through. Prior to 1958, long distance services terminated at Prince Street, which at least had the benefit of being sort of between Temple Meads and The Centre...

Maybe now that The Centre has been remodelled, more services to Bristol's outer northern suburbs could terminate there? They could even build a tower from which Temple Meads was visible, thus providing Metrobus-levels of integration with rail services.

[grahame]

So what were they thinking when they built the (original, but on the same site) Bus Station back in 1958? Plainly they gave no thought to integrating buses with rail services ...

At that time, railway passenger services were seen much more as a declining relic ... Bristol far from alone; I don't know when it dates from, but Chippenham bus and train station are at opposite ends of the town too, and I don't think the bis station in Salisbury (when it had one!) was designed for rail interchange.

Loved seeing the Irish system last month.  Amongst characteristics of the fingers that stretch out west from Dublin is that they terminate at a station where you can walk straight out to the buses waiting in the bus stations that leave soon after the train has arrived for towns and villages in the hinterland.  As those same buses have come in, passengers have been disgorged to connect into the returning train to Dublin.

[martyjon]

.... Prior to 1958, long distance services terminated at Prince Street ....

and also on the Centre near the War Memorial on Magpie Park, opposite Eagle House. I used to travel home from school (Cotham Grammar) on one of the 5 services which ran beyond Downend where the family moved in 1955. I had the choice of the 25, Chipping Sodbury to Clevedon, the 131 Chipping Sodbury to The Centre, the 31 Swindon to Bristol, the 32 Cirencester to Bristol and finally the 400 Stroud to Bristol which I had to leave at Downend Horse Shoe pub and walk the last mile or so home.

[martyjon]

.... They could even build a tower from which Temple Meads was visible ....

Its built, Colston Tower from which you can see Temple Meads from the top.

[Red Squirrel]

.... They could even build a tower from which Temple Meads was visible ....

Its built, Colston Tower from which you can see Temple Meads from the top.

Aha, I see that we could kill two birds with one stone here: instead of naming the tower after a historical figure who made his money by transporting millions of people against their will to places they didn't want to go where they suffered unimaginable cruelty, they could rename it the MetroBus Tower!

[martyjon]

One very big Czech HGV got lost on the M32 this afternoon and ended up exiting the M32 on the bus only exit and only just managed to negotiate the bus exit route. A very exasperated Czech driver was happily put on the right track to the ring road by motorists travelling down Stoke Lane. Probably he was obeying his sat-nav which told him to, in Czech, "take next exit", and couldn't read the English "Buses Only" and translate same into Czech.

[martyjon]

Just watched a cyclists video of his ride along the Ashton Metrobus Guided Busway, the work of graffiti artists can clearly be seen already on the bridge section.

[rogerw]

the work of graffiti artists can clearly be seen already on the bridge section. I wonder if that should really read the work of graffiti vandals??

[johnneyw]

The Beeb and Bristol Evening Click Bait are both reporting that the next Metrobust route will start on 2nd September. For example:

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/metrobus-exclusive-south-bristol-m2-1850640

Claims made in the article that the route connects to Temple Meads seem a little exaggerated and it means that First will be pulling an existing service which further dilutes the benefits.

Everybody concerned still seems to be vague about the original route's uptake since the so called free rides intro period last April. For example do the 120,000 journeys said to have been made on Metrobust include the two weeks council taxpayer paid for "free" fortnight?  Given the "huge uptake" claims made during the intro period, the same voices have been rather more muted since then about usage.

[Red Squirrel]

The new cycle path alongside the busway between Brunel Way and the Ashton swingbridge is yet another example of how investing just £300,000,000 in high-quality public transport can have knock-on benefits for other travellers. I've found it shaves several seconds off my journey. However I have one minor observation: Looking at these, what for want of a better work I shall call 'rails', I can't help thinking that if they got rid of them it would be possible to run any old bus, and perhaps even taxis down this, what for want of a better word I shall call 'road':

[eightf48544]

Is there room for buses to pass the 6' doesn't look that wide.