MetroBus

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

For fear of 'topic drift' he could pass for Ernst Stavro Blofeld Jnr. Back on topic, could he be behind the dastardly Metrobust?

 “As you see, I am about to inaugurate a little ordinary bus service. In a matter of hours when America and Russia have annihilated each other we shall see a new power rule the world. Possibly by 2021 or so.”

[Red Squirrel]

 “As you see, I am about to inaugurate a little ordinary train service: The 19:33 Bristol Temple Meads to Avonmouth, using a new(sic) ultra-reliable Thames Severn Turbo . Possibly by 20:21 or so.”

[TonyK]

Some while back, before the South Bristol Link Road started to be built, I said that the proposed 2 or 3 buses per hour MetroBust service along it would last a couple of years to prove it was all about public transport, then get quietly dropped.It seems I was being uncharacteristically over-optimistic. Look at the map of the MetroBust network that we all know and love:



with this new version, released without ceremony:



Not only has the SBL vanished like an old oak table, but nothing seems to be heading for Parkway any more. Those poor boffins from the science park won't be able to get to their closest mainline railway station by MetroBust after all, which I seem to remember being a major point in conning the money out of DafT.

[johnneyw]

Now why has that got me humming Talking Head's "Road to Nowhere" when I look at that?

[Bmblbzzz]

One of the problems with buses in Bristol (and lots of other places) is that you have to go through (and often change at) the city centre. Very few "tangential" or "circumferential" services. MetroBus does nothing to address this.

[simonw]

Yes, but not in the case of Cribbs Causeway to Hengrove Park!

A crazy route that should be split in two!, with separate allocated bus resources! If Metrobus does not work then people in North or South Bristol will be without buses trapped in traffic chaos in the other end of the city!

And whoever is responsible for missing out Bristol Parkway ....!

[TonyK]

One of the problems with buses in Bristol (and lots of other places) is that you have to go through (and often change at) the city centre. Very few "tangential" or "circumferential" services. MetroBus does nothing to address this.

I have often said that the problem needing resolution is long bus routes passing through the city centre. I have also said that spending £250 million on building new long routes passing through the city centre is not the best way to solve the problem.

And whoever is responsible for missing out Bristol Parkway ....!

Inept and incomplete planning seems, at first sight, to be the issue here. The new road into the northern end of Parkway, built especially for MetroBust, is too small for buses to use it. Good money will now be thrown after bad to rectify this problem, hopefully by 2021. (Yes, 2021!). Further delay arose to the launch of the service from Emersons Green and the Science Park when Bromley Heath viaduct was found to be rotting away and in need of serious work. This shouldn't really have come as a surprise, given its age and lack of maintenance over recent years. Other problems, most notably the delay in procuring the iPoints on which the whole service depends, mean that the Bromley Heath work is not holding MetroBust up, just providing a smoke screen to protect reputations.

The cynic may think that dropping Parkway rather than implementing a proper cross-modal ticket will add passengers to MetroBust services rather than see most of them change to train at Parkway if they are going to Temple Meads.

[johnneyw]

One of the problems with buses in Bristol (and lots of other places) is that you have to go through (and often change at) the city centre. Very few "tangential" or "circumferential" services. MetroBus does nothing to address this.

I would say it's direr than that, arguably the worst of both worlds. City centre entanglement and round the houses indirectness blended into a complete dogs dinner. I'm still trying to profile the sort of person who would want to use it and pay extra for it. Could be a rare species!

[rogerw]

Apart from the omission of Parkway, Temple Meads is also poorly served with only the inbound park and ride service stopping.  Howver don't worry Parson Street is served and Bedminster on outbound journeys only  .  So much for coordination of public transport

[grahame]

Not only has the SBL vanished like an old oak table, but nothing seems to be heading for Parkway any more. Those poor boffins from the science park won't be able to get to their closest mainline railway station by MetroBust after all, which I seem to remember being a major point in conning the money out of DafT.

Parkway is back on a map in the Bristol Post showing the Cribbs Patchway Metrobus Extension

Thousands of new homes along with schools, a new railway station and community facilities are set to be built at the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood (CPNN) in the next 10 years.

Land identified in the Cribbs-Patchway area will be developed into a new neighbourhood creating around 5,700 homes, around 50 hectors of employment land, open spaces and infrastructure including a dedicated MetroBus route.

[snip]

The Westgate application specifically covers the Charlton Road aspect of the proposed ‘North – South Public Transport Link’ on the former Filton Airfield.

Signing this S106 agreement between developers and local authorities creates the first planning permission for the site.

It also consents to having a new shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, a new bus only access and installation of a CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) bus gate, allowing for direct north-south bus connections across the airfield to the San Andreas Roundabout to the north of the site.

The council says the agreement marks another "key milestone for the CPNN development which will deliver much needed housing across the area".

[snip]

Councillor Colin Hunt, Cabinet Member responsible for planning, said: “The new communities planned here will be well-connected with key transport and employment hubs.

"A key feature of infrastructure identified on the former Filton Airfield plans is the proposed ‘North – South Public Transport Link’, which will provide a new bus link across the site connecting Merlin Road/Hayes Way to the north and Charlton Road in Brentry to the south.

"This link will bring significant accessibility and connectivity benefits to large areas of Bristol’s North Fringe, providing a direct public transport link from the parts of northern Bristol south of the airfield to Cribbs-Patchway and the Mall area," he added.

[TonyK]

Within a decade then.  A north-south transport link across the former airfield - wouldn't you expect a road through an estate like that? I happen to know that east to west is a little over 2500 metres, but north to south isn't such a big deal. It should be a nice stroll to the new railway station.

5,700 homes is a lot of busloads of people to shift to work and school, and you will need to get others to those 50 "hectors" of employment land. (Someone didn't proof read that press release).

[Red Squirrel]

"hectors"

I noticed them, too. I think they are Great Big Silly Old Hectors.

Within a decade then.  A north-south transport link across the former airfield - wouldn't you expect road through an estate like that? I happen to know that east to wet is a little over 2500 metres, but north to south isn't such a big deal. It should be a nice stroll to the new railway station.

Having a bit of trouble working out what you mean here, but the new route does seem rather indirect. Presumably most people living in this part of Greater Thornbury will be listening to the soundtrack of La La Land as they sit in their cars driving to work in Swindon or Cardiff.  I can't imagine many catching the bus into Bristol via all points of the compass...

[TonyK]

"hectors"

I noticed them, too. I think they are Great Big Silly Old Hectors.

I loved that programme! Even if I was well into my teens.

Within a decade then.  A north-south transport link across the former airfield - wouldn't you expect a road through an estate like that? I happen to know that east to west is a little over 2500 metres, but north to south isn't such a big deal. It should be a nice stroll to the new railway station.

Having a bit of trouble working out what you mean here, but the new route does seem rather indirect. Presumably most people living in this part of Greater Thornbury will be listening to the soundtrack of La La Land as they sit in their cars driving to work in Swindon or Cardiff.  I can't imagine many catching the bus into Bristol via all points of the compass...

The runway was orientated east to west (or, to avoid the pedants' step, west to east for runway 09), and was just a little short of 2500 metres in length. It was one of the widest in the country at 91 metres, and at the narrowest points had only about the same either side between the railway line to the south and the road to the north, so you won't be that far from a bus stop wherever you are.

As for catching the bus - 5700 is a lot of homes. By comparison, Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston together total around 8,600 homes. Lawrence Weston has a population of around 10,500. If we assume an average occupancy of 2.3 per home, the Bristol average at the 2011 census, that gives a potential population over 13,000. If half of those need to go to work or school in the morning, MetroBust alone won't cope, giving rise to more traffic on roads that are already busy. But that is nothing new - ask anyone from Bradley Stoke. Infrastructure and services always seem to be an afterthought when building new housing estates.

[Bmblbzzz]

... those 50 "hectors" of employment land. (Someone didn't proof read that press release).

Perhaps they left it in deliberately, to remind us to beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

[TonyK]

Perhaps they left it in deliberately, to remind us to beware of Greeks bearing gifts.

Or, in the science park, Geeks bearing gifts.

A lady from Arriva who operate some services on the Luton to Dunstable guided busway was on Points West recently, saying how their route was greeted with scepticism, but is now adored by all, who love the speed compared to buses on ordinary roads, and that Bristolians will fall in love with MetroBust as soon as they experience such speed in our gridlocked city. I wonder if she knew that, unlike her 7.7-mile guided section, following a disused railway line, the Bristol guided busway has been reduced to 1.2 non-continuous miles in length, with a theme-park skew bridge? Maybe not.