MetroBus

[whole diary]

[simonw]

So what can we expect to help deliver this worthy goal?

[Phantom]

So what can we expect to help deliver this worthy goal?

Monorail

[martyjon]

The Guardian states 2030 and references the recent report requiring major change within 12 years:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/nov/14/bristol-plans-to-become-carbon-neutral-by-2030

And at the rate BCC^» (Bristol City Council - about) does things they might be lucky to achieve it by 3020 aka Metrobust.

[martyjon]

I see now that you can purchase Airport Flyer tickets, singles or returns from the Metrobust I-Point ticket machines but you are now unable to purchase the West of England Zone day ticket (previously the Bristol Outer Zone day ticket which you could buy) from the same apparatus, you can buy a West of England monthly ticket at a cost of £80 though. I only want a West of England day ticket so do I say to the Metrobust driver the I-point is not working, it won't sell me the ticket I want ?

Further to the above revelation I have made further enquiries and I have recieved the e-mail reply from Metrobus/TravelWest ;-

Dear Mr. XXXXXX

Thank you for your email.  I have spoken to First today who have confirmed that unfortunately you are not able to purchase the West of England day tickets on the iPoints.  This is a decision by First Bus.  However, you can purchase these tickets online on the Travelwest website and can ‘collect’ them at the iPoints.  To do this you just need to put your card in the side reader of the iPoint any time from 2 hours’ after topping up and the tickets will automatically download.

I do apologise for the inconvenience this causes and if you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me on (tel. no. hidden) or email me directly on (e-mail hidden).  Our office hours are 9am-5pm Monday to Friday  If you contact us outside of these hours then we will endeavour to contact you as soon as possible upon our return.

 
Kind Regards,

 
XXXXXX

 
XXXXXX XXXXXXXl

Customer Support


end of e-mail.

So much for the buy before you board concept of Metrobust if at the first fares review following MetroBusts birth a ticket type previously available on the I-point ticket machines, the Bristol Outer Zone Day Ticket, is now not available as its reincarnation as the West Of England Day Ticket.

Annoying part of this is that when you press the I-point screen for information it displays the map in which the Bristol Outer Zone Ticket was valid and is I would say is 90% of the area which is covered by the expanded West Of England Zone.

Time for an e-mail to the Bristol Post to hammer once again First Bus ?

Is it within the remit of the Traffic Commissioners to investigate this anomony as its a discrimination against customers who wish to buy a day ticket from I-points which covers a wider area than that covered by the Bristol Zone Day ticket.

Last week I could turn up at the Lyde Green P&R^▸ (Park and Ride) and buy the Bristol Outer Zone ticket and load it onto my TravelWest card and ride the M3 to the City Centre, cross the City Centre and catch the Nailsea bus all on the one transaction. Now its 2 unless I go out of my way and pre-purchase one and have it loaded on my travelwest card in advance at the bus station or I can buy one at an extra cost of £1 on the Y1 service into Bristol but its the principle of being informed in First Buses 'Fares Are Changing' Booklet that the West Of England day ticket is available from I-points when actuality proves otherwise.

https://www.firstgroup.com/uploads/node_images/Fares%20Guide%2011%20Nov%202018_0.pdf


 

 

[metalrail]

Insane and disgusting.  For a group of services introduced which promised the latest technology to (supposedly) allow faster and easier journeys to then take a VERY backward step at the first opportunity is beyond baffling!  Someone seriously needs to step in and sort this mess out

[Bmblbzzz]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned already, but the Brizzle Post is reporting that the recently-struck Gypsy Patch Lane Bridge will be shut for two years (or perhaps 344 days, they mention both periods of time) while the bridge is rebuilt to allow the Metrolbus under it. But they make no mention of whether rail services will be disrupted.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/road-bristol-going-closed-two-2235378

[Red Squirrel]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned already, but the Brizzle Post is reporting that the recently-struck Gypsy Patch Lane Bridge will be shut for two years (or perhaps 344 days, they mention both periods of time) while the bridge is rebuilt to allow the Metrolbus under it. But they make no mention of whether rail services will be disrupted.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/road-bristol-going-closed-two-2235378

Just to be clear, this is not Hatchet Road bridge (the one by Parkway which was hit by a bus the other day) but Gypsy Patch Lane bridge, which is to the north-west on the South Wales line. I think this is another example of Metrobus money being used to fund a long-overdue road improvement - it'll be much safer for cyclists and pedestrians too.

[Bmblbzzz]

Sorry, that was my mistake. I'm not sure why I confused Gypsy Patch Lane with Hatchet Road.

[martyjon]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned already, but the Brizzle Post is reporting that the recently-struck Gypsy Patch Lane Bridge will be shut for two years (or perhaps 344 days, they mention both periods of time) while the bridge is rebuilt to allow the Metrobus under it. But they make no mention of whether rail services will be disrupted.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/road-bristol-going-closed-two-2235378

I have looked into this and seen the plans for the bridge. It is a four lane roadway with the two inner lanes being the Bus Lanes. The two years mentioned is for the roadworks and preparatory work for the new bridge itself which would allow the passage of double deckers. Network Rail were quoted as indicating the bridge overbridge itself would be installed over a prolonged block, probably Easter 2018, yes 2018 and the pre-fabricated box section was to be built on the adjoining former Rolls-Royce site but now, from my observations, construction of industrial units is taking place on the site now so Network Rail has missed the boat on that plan. More recently I've seen an artists impression of the finished new bridge and it shows a Metrobus vehicle in the illustration, a single decker. I'll try and post a link to the S. Glos. web site to view what i've described above.

[martyjon]

Took the Metrobus into Bristol today, front seat, top deck and thought Marv might like to enquire of Network Rail if he could hire a 'leaf busting train', convert it to a RRV^▸ (Road Rail Vehicle) set. He could then run it through the streets of Central Bristol to remove the annual autumn leaf fall before it causes the daily gridlocked Central Bristol traffic to slip and slid all over the place adding to that gridlock.

[Red Squirrel]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned already, but the Brizzle Post is reporting that the recently-struck Gypsy Patch Lane Bridge will be shut for two years (or perhaps 344 days, they mention both periods of time) while the bridge is rebuilt to allow the Metrobus under it. But they make no mention of whether rail services will be disrupted.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/road-bristol-going-closed-two-2235378

I have looked into this and seen the plans for the bridge. It is a four lane roadway with the two inner lanes being the Bus Lanes. The two years mentioned is for the roadworks and preparatory work for the new bridge itself which would allow the passage of double deckers. Network Rail were quoted as indicating the bridge overbridge itself would be installed over a prolonged block, probably Easter 2018, yes 2018 and the pre-fabricated box section was to be built on the adjoining former Rolls-Royce site but now, from my observations, construction of industrial units is taking place on the site now so Network Rail has missed the boat on that plan. More recently I've seen an artists impression of the finished new bridge and it shows a Metrobus vehicle in the illustration, a single decker. I'll try and post a link to the S. Glos. web site to view what i've described above.

Go to https://developments.southglos.gov.uk/online-applications/ and search for PT18/0986/F . Lots to see!

These plans were passed by South Glos in July 2018.

The Indicative Compound Layout, dated Feb 2018, shows access via a compound west of the railway and south of Gipsy Patch Lane.

The headroom looks to be 5.8m; more than enough to fit a decker through. This will be achieved by digging down somewhere around 1-2m below the current road level.

[Bmblbzzz]

Lowering the road that much does make me worry about flooding. I'm sure there are drains but even so, drain covers get overwhelmed by exceptionally heavy rain (the type of exceptional that seems to happen every spring), especially if they're bunged up.

[TonyK]

There may be planning permission for South Glos to convert the road from a single lane through a bridge to a four lane road connecting the former  Filton Airfield to where the people  who move there will work, but there is no railway need for the work to be done. I assume that Network  Rail, and only Network Rail, will commission the work, and that the Western Super Mayor will pay for it, including the cost of closure.
Wouldn't it be a better idea to reopen the railway through the airfield to passenger traffic instead?

[Red Squirrel]

Wouldn't it be a better idea to reopen the railway through the airfield to passenger traffic instead?

No.

When Gipsy Patch Lane bridge was built there was no airfield, no factories, no Regional Shopping Centre, no Bradley Stoke or Charlton Mead, no UWE; Yate and Filton were villages... as the area has developed, all this traffic has had to squeeze through a narrow arch designed to cater for a couple of horse-carts a day. It should have been replaced decades ago.

It goes without saying that I agree that the Henbury Loop should be reopened quickly, but actually if I had to phase it I would probably do Gipsy Patch first.

[martyjon]

As if by royal command I have just taken a look at the Bristol Post website on my mobile and there is a repeat of the artists impression of the GPL^▸ (Ground Position Light) bridge that I referred to in an earlier post this evening. This does. as my earlier post stated, show a single decker travelling towards the artist but as if to validate the artists impression a double decker has been added in this published version. Looking at the headroom remaining over the top of the single decker I doubt whether the double decker would emerge the other side of the new GPL bridge without conversion to a. err. open topper. Also artists licence has given the artist responsible for this impression the vision to install the overhead catenary over the projected rail overbridge. seemingly, just one Metrobus length apart.

By the way, January 9th is the start date of route m1, brought forward a week to coincide with the start of the University's new term. It was previously announced as commencing on January 16th.