MetroBus

[whole diary]

[martyjon]

Seeing it was a nice sunny day got the bus and went for an afternoon stroll around Metrobusland, the Apartment Town of Lyde Green, yes, apartments galore in blocks of eight served by one communal door. If every apartment owner(s) had at least one car I don't know where they all would park and as for washing lines I'm still guessing where they would be BUT I did espy something new, A METROBUS INFORMATION POINT AND TICKET MACHINE at the Lyde Green Park and Ride Citybound stop. All connected up and live but the screen was showing a NOT IN SERVICE message. One of the long sides has a white background / display which I presume will be where the timetable will be displayed and which I surmise can be varied from a central control when timetable changes are made/Sunday/bank holiday timetables operating. On the narrow side facing the road is a point where travellers can charge up their contactless TOUCH cards (Bristols answer to OYSTER) and there is also a microphone / speaker grill on this side bit too. On the other long side is the touch screen with the usual slot and keypad for credit cards and there is also a contactless touch pad. I didn't get round to the fourth side as a bus came which I boarded.

I did a count of the vehicles parked in the park and ride car park, 14.

Walking part of the 'route', well the roads that had bus shelters erected on them I did notice how faded the yellow road markings delineating the bus stop areas and the words BUS STOP are, probably need a revisit from the road markings painters before too long but having compared the route I walked and the route as printed in the timetable leaflet ;-

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/travelwest/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/m3-timetable-May-2018.pdf

they're not the same. What I did notice was that the 'bus stop flags' attached to the lamp posts had 'temporary stop' written on them and follows the printed route map as per the timetable but the bus shelters are installed on the other route, the route I walked, ahmm.

Seems the bus drivers are unsure of the currently operated routes in this Apartment Town too. One First bus went straight down past the NCC (National Composites Centre) building and then past the science park building onto the Westerleigh Road entering the current Lyde Green terminus by way of the bus only road off of the ring road whilst the next First bus came past the NCC building turned into the terminus area, dropped off its passenger, yes passenger and then did a U-turn utilising a pedestrian area which has no raised kerbs in doing so. A Wessex service bus arrived at the terminus from the bus only road off the ring road, no passengers did a U-turn, parked up by the Metrobus inbound stop to await time and then did a second U-turn following the alignment used by the earlier First bus. A Stagecoach service never even bothered to come into the terminus.

Two weeks tomorrow it all kicks off with FREE travel until June 9th, but no service on Sundays. 

[TonyK]

I'm all for criticising JustaBus, but let's not get away from the fact that the roadworks at The Centre constitute an improvement - it has been a hellish mess since they put the Inner Circuit Road through, so the upheaval of finally burying that was well worthwhile.

As you may have guessed, I'm all for slagging off MetroBust, too. I agree - the layout of the Centre now is, whilst not perfect, a vast improvement on the previous design - at least for me in the car. The previous incarnation, when it first opened, saw some very serious accidents between pedestrians and buses, leading to a swift redesign of the parts they shared. But making it easier for private vehicles to get across the Centre is hardly the job of a quarter-billion quid public transport, is it?

I say not perfect because of some anomalies. First off, I don't think I've been through from Lewins Mead to Anchor Road yet without seeing someone turn left into Baldwin Street. That's clearly a no-no, that needs to be nipped in the bud quickly. Because secondly, pedestrians crossing Baldwin Street outside the soon to be closed Santander bank do not yet seem to have adapted to the way the traffic approaches them from the Hippodrome end. Those cars doing the right-turn legally leave a traffic light synchronised with the pedestrian lights on the opposite side of the Centre. I have seen several people start walking, not realising that the lights they are crossing at only control traffic coming from Baldwin Street in the opposite direction, and I have seen a couple of close calls. Anyone doing the illegal left turn into Baldwin Street will also arrive at the crossing with the pedestrian lights on green.

Finally, there is my favourite new foible. The A1 airport bus, which I was on last month and will be again soon, used to simply turn left into Baldwin Street from Colston Avenue. It can't now, so passes Baldwin Street into Broad Quay, then doubles back along Marsh Street to join Baldwin Street. As it might one day be able to use the misguided busway to regain some of the time lost in making the detour.

I have said it many times, Metrobus will fail because it does not integrate with a frequent rail service!

A bus every 5 minutes, with connecting trains every 10 minutes ... and so on, all on one ticket!

When Metrobus starts in Bradley Stoke, I'll have a twenty minute stroll to Willow Brook shopping centre, and then a 35 minute bus journey to Bristol Centre, or a two minute stroll and get 73 bus for 50 minutes bus journey, or a 12 minute cycle ride to Bristol Parkway for a 15 minute train journey.

Will I get Metrobus?, yes once to try it out, and then back to my bike and train.

You assume the continuation of the 73 service. First have said they will withdraw the X73 as soon as MetroBust starts running, becasue it won't be commercially viable any more. They will make some slight alterations to the 73, then monitor usage. They can't guarantee keeping it at the same frequency for long if numbers drop off.

[simonw]

This is true, but the new MetroBus route travels along Bradley Stoke Way and does not visit any large population areas of Bradley Stoke, or anywhere for that matter.

Nearly all customers of Metrobus will have a good walk to get to the metrobus stop, for me it will be 20 minutes.

The key fault of metrobus is that it appears to be a 'Trunk' bus service that does not connect with customers, great for going places, but not from communities. The easy fix for this was Bristol Parkway, but alas not!.

So, I think the 73 will survive, they may change the frequency a bit, but so long as it better than every 30 minutes it should be ok

[TonyK]

So, I think the 73 will survive, they may change the frequency a bit, but so long as it better than every 30 minutes it should be ok

Hardly an improvement though. MetroBust was supposed to improve public transport by opening routes nobody thought were commercially viable, not compete with what is already there.

[simonw]

Just announced this morning further Metrobus delays.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/metrobus-confirm-further-delays-south-1572004

Should just cancel the whole project and tell First Bus to run an extra two or three 'X' services

[Bmblbzzz]

I wonder what would happen to those bridges and bus lanes if the whole project were cancelled?

[Red Squirrel]

Cycle paths! 

[martyjon]

I wonder what would happen to those bridges and bus lanes if the whole project were cancelled?

An instant motorway junction for UWE Frenchay Campus.

[Bmblbzzz]

I wonder what would happen to those bridges and bus lanes if the whole project were cancelled?

An instant motorway junction for UWE Frenchay Campus.

Is I fear what it will become in several years anyway.

Cycle paths! 

They'd make good roller coaster rides I reckon!

[TonyK]

I wonder what would happen to those bridges and bus lanes if the whole project were cancelled?

An instant motorway junction for UWE Frenchay Campus.

It's being used for that already! Friends in the area have reported seeing many cars leaving the northbound M32 at the bus-only junction, some apparently unwittingly if social media is to be believed. I was directed to a post in Another Place by a lady who had obeyed the satnav order suggestion to "Leave at the next exit", and was frightened witless that CCTV^▸ (Closed Circuit Tele Vision) may have recorded her egress. It didn't, but the council were there with a camera wagon yesterday, and someone was apparently issuing tickets. Others have mentioned seeing multiple vehicles joining the motorway from the Stoke Lane bus entrance, which surely cannot be done by accident.

Cycle paths! 

There's been enough name-calling already, thank you, young Red Squirrel!

Just announced this morning further Metrobus delays.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/metrobus-confirm-further-delays-south-1572004

Should just cancel the whole project and tell First Bus to run an extra two or three 'X' services

To address the final sentence first, I'm sure one of the leading bus companies would have done that already had it been commercially viable. Aye, and there's the rub.

Going back to the Post Life article, you have to wonder at whether it is chutzpah, fraud or just incompetence at work.

Bosses have now confirmed the M2 service, from Ashton Vale to Temple Meads, is not expected to be up and running until Autumn this year. They added: "When we have a more definite date we will let you know."

The Metrobus route from Hengrove to Cribbs Causeway, or M1 service, has now been delayed again until January 2019.

A statement from organisations involved in Metrobus, including Bristol councillors, the managing director of First and the chief executive of HCT which runs Bristol Community Transport called this announcement "good news".

Councillors Mhairi Threlfall, Colin Hunt and Elfan Ap Rees, First managing director James Freeman and Dai Powell from HCT said in the joint statement: "With the preparations for the start of the first Metrobus service the M3 from Emersons Green into the city centre on May 29, are well underway, we are all pleased to give you more good news about the M1 and M2 services.
 
"We can now let you know that the M2 service, from Long Ashton Park and Ride via Temple Meads to the city centre, will start in Autumn, and the M1 service, from Hengrove to Cribbs Causeway, will start in January next year."

Whilst I have long harboured doubts about Messrs Hunt and ap Rees, I had always thought of Mhairi Threlwall as being a reasonably intelligent young lady of the type not prone to taking vast quantities of illegal hallucinogenic substances, and, despite being a councillor and in charge of the transport brief, of at least about average soundness of mind. It seems you can't judge a bus by looking at the livery after all. With the project way over budget and years late, not even Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf, aka Comical Ali, at the height of his prowess would ever have described yet more delays as "good news". A quarter of a billion quid, and we can't even organise a replacement for the X73? Not good news at all, if you're a council tax payer in the West of England.

[johnneyw]

More Justabus accusations and denials flying around today according to BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) Radio Bristol. Local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) criticising the Western Super Mayor of not helping with the dropped South Bristol route and said Mayor claiming it was nothing to do with him. Correct me if I'm wrong but did he not have plans for more Justabusses recently? Is transport not in his remit?
I predict the political bloodbath is just hotting up.

[chuffed]

Strange.....First bus have the launch of metrobus 'All systems Go' on their website with dignitaries, brass bands ( ok, I made that up) and local schoolchildren travelling on the route for the first time...

But that esteemed organ the Bristol Post leads with the forgotten metrobus route that no-one wants to run .....

[johnneyw]

Had a look at the Posts article on 'the missing link' that local MP^▸ (Member of Parliament) Karin Smyth has been speaking about. Seems that Metrobust initially claimed the route was 'aspirational' despite having built a road from the park and ride which is standing disused. Now they are saying the route is dropped as no operator in the country could be found to run it without a subsidy. There was further bluster about new houses in years to come to generate demand and this was all 'future proofing '. Seems Metrobust's PR^▸ (Public Relations) people are as confused and disorganised as the rest of the outfit.

[martyjon]

....    Seems Metrobust's PR^▸ (Public Relations) people are as confused and disorganised as the rest of the outfit.

I well and truly second that.

WHERE WAS I ?

This is one for the members of this forum whom are well acquainted with the central shopping area of Bristol.

I was sitting at a bus stop which from May 27th will become a stop of the inaugural Metrobus route M3 and opposite to me on the other side of this one way thoroughfare is a large cycle shop which trades under the name of Evans. This bus stop is designated as B1.

Yes I guess you've all got it, Lewins Mead.

Translating the bus stop B1 into English it means Broadmead area (B) stop 1, translating the B1 into Metrobus speak it means Broadmead, Broadmead.

From information gathered online other  'B' stops are as under and where I can confirm their usage in timetables I have done so.

Stop B3 is described in timetables as Broadmead, Nelson Street ;
Stop B4 is Rupert Street ;
Stop B5 is Nelson Street ;
Stop B6 is Rupert Street ;
Stop B7 is described in timetables as Broadmead, Haymarket ;
Stop B10 is described in timetables as Broadmead, Haymarket ;
Stop B11 is described in timetables as Broadmead, Horsefair ;
Stop B12 is described in timetables as Broadmead, Union Street ;
Stop B13 is The Horsefair ;
Stop B14 is described in timetables as Broadmead, Union Street ;
Stop B16 is Union Street ;
Stop B18 is describes in timetables as Broadmead, Wine Street ;
Stop B19 is described in timetables as Broadmead, Union Street ;

It so happened that as I arrived and seated myself at the stop a technician was packing up his gear after connecting up the electrics and communications of the Metrobus I point and I pointed to the word Broadmead on it and said that's wrong this is Lewins Mead. "No, replied the technician, this is Broadmead and the next stop is Cabot Circus". "Yes", I replied, "seeing its by a pedestrian entrance to Cabot Circus but Broadmead is 150 metres up to Primark, cross the dual carriageway into Union Street and then another 150 metres to the Tesco Express and Broadmead is the Pedestrian area which runs through from Union Street to Penn Street ". Failure to agree.

So come on forum members, what do you think ?  With all the other bus stops within the 'B' series having them described as Broadmead followed by the actual street name or landmark of the stops location am I right in my assumption that yet again the outfit overseeing this project have got it wrong once again on this issue.

Imagine a visitor to Bristol armed with the free Central Bristol map looking to travel around the area, they look at the timetable to visit Cribbs Causeway,  find the stop is the B7, Broadmead, Haymarket, find Haymarket on the map, tramp there, find the stop and wait for the next bus to Cribbs.

Next day they would like to visit the S. S. Great Britain, find the stop is B18, Broadmead, Wine Street, find Wine Street on the map, tramp to Wine Street, find the stop and visit the attraction.

The following day and the purpose of their visit to Bristol they wish to visit UWE at Frenchay as they are considering enrolling there for a University Degree Course. They find the quickest way to get there is on the M3 and looking at the timetable they establish that the stop for that service is B1 Broadmead, Broadmead and so tramp to Broadmead looking for stop B1, walk up and down the length of Broadmead looking for stop B1 without success and no wonder, Broadmead is a fully pedestrianised area, asking fellow pedestrians where stop B1 is without success they spy an off duty First bus driver and enquire of him. "Oh, you want Lewins Mead", replies the off duty bus driver.

Now where was I sat, Broadmead ?, quick a photograph, caption it me sat at the Broadmead Metrobus I point / bus stop and when I show it to everyone they'll say, " that's not Broadmead, looks more like Lewins Mead ".

Confused ? not me it's those arrogant idiots guiding or not Metrobus. 

By the way whilst I was sat at the stop I did notice that there was a very clear impression of the sole of a boot as if someone have already tried to put the " boot in " on this I point already.

[grahame]

So come on forum members, what do you think ?  With all the other bus stops within the 'B' series having them described as Broadmead followed by the actual street name or landmark of the stops location am I right in my assumption that yet again the outfit overseeing this project have got it wrong once again on this issue.

We have a perfectly good national system - Naptan - which gives a unique code to all bus stops.   I live a few yards from wilamdad, for example. Also known as 4600WIA10813 (AtcoCode) . See https://geopunk.co.uk/bus-stop/4600WIA10813.

The first three letters of the Naptan code are the local transport area, which means that locally you could refer to bus stops with a unique 5 letter name.   So get on the D3 and ask for a ticket to "Amdad" ...


Edit to add - see also https://bus.traveluk.info/stop-finder/postcode/sn12+7ny - to translate postcodes to bus stops and bus routes.