In the debate about the trammyness of the Metrobus M1, proponents of the concept point to the stunning infrastructure at various points on the network. The bus only link road to/from the M32 is both spectacular and very useful for speeding the buses.
On the M2 (Park and Ride) there is another spectacular flyover ...
... but most bus watchers (and many professionals) are astounded by the uselessness of the guided busway which, effectively, makes buses slower than on ordinary roads.
The only infrastructure "improvement" in South Bristol is some sections of bus lane on the fast and stop-less sections of the fast Hartcliffe Way; outbound ...
... and inbound.
Note, again, a stop for service 76 not used by M1.
But on to Cribbs Causeway ...
But on to Cribbs Causeway ...
The M1 uses the M32 "bus gate" to get the the University of the West of England (UWE), arguably the main source of revenue for the route. Three alighted and trotted off to the home on the halls of academe, one boarded.
Metrobus had two hi-viz vested "helpers" on duty.
But they were not overworked. The three catching the bus in front (going IN to town) needed no help, and by the time they had been "helped" the one northbound passenger on fbb's bus was already on-board and content.
fbb did wonder whether it was wise to have buses in both directions using the same stop. With pre-bought or electronic tickets there is less interaction with the driver and more chance of directional errors. On his run back into town a very confused lady "of mature years" was in some angst at the Begbrook stop ...
... as she had already caught an M3 in the wrong direction and was trying vainly to guess where to wait for he bus to Cribbs Causeway.
Monoliths were in place, but, once confused, people cease to trust their eyes and brains and start to panic. Will this happen at UWE?
On sped fbb with just one passenger until (steps back in amazement) ...
... a lady and her three reined-in youngsters boarded at Harry Stoke. Harry Stoke, previously named mischievously and fictitiously by fbb after a local "character" and "man of the road".
The stop, seen below before the road was opened, is in the middle of nowhere ...
... with not a house to be seen in any direction. Where had they come from? The family was going to the Willowbrook Centre, Bradley Stoke's source of local retail therapy.
Significantly, these three were the only "local" passengers not travelling to or from the city centre or UWE. fbb suspects that Bradley Stoke locals will continue to use the 73 which goes much nearer more places where people live ...
... rather than the M1 which zooms down the spine road - limited stop. On Bradley Stoke Way, the 73 shares some stops with the prestigious M1 ...
... but serves additional stops that are 73 only. Confusing, possibly?
The 73 also parallels the M1 on Highwoods Road ...
... where, again, the 73 calls at all stops ...
... with the M1 zooming past, possibly to the consternation of some innocent potential customers?
Part of Highwoods Road is now buses only, relegating access to the houses via a service roads only.
As well as being nice to buses, this bit of traffic management attempts to ensure that flocks of motorists aiming for Cribbs Causeway do not bring horridness to the residential areas.
Although used as the destination, Cribbs Causeway is better described as an area. The shopping mall is named, with astounding originality, "The Mall"!!
"The Venue" is where the entertainment stuff is located. Such thrills do not impinge on life in Seaton; fbb would have to go all the way to Exeter.
And Charlton Hayes?
Charlton Hayes is a major mixed use development on land to the north of Filton Airfield. Planning permission to build 2,200 new homes housing an estimated 6,000 residents was granted by South Gloucestershire Council in 2008.
The Charlton Hayes name comes from the original village of Charlton, which was demolished in the 1940s for a runway extension at Filton to accommodate the giant (and unsuccessful!) Bristol Brabazon plane.
Here is where it was, and note that Cribbs Causeway was a causeway (of sorts?).
The new version of Charlton is, however, well to the east of the demolished old.
On arrival at Cribbs Causeway bus station ...
... fbb proceeded swiftly to the food court for a well deserved snack ...
... and a visit to the usual offices. (Aren't KFC pieces smaller than they used to be?).
The plan, then, was to observe arrival and departing loadings on the M1 before catching the aforementioned 73 back to Temple Meads and home.
This report will follow in a later blog, because tomorrow we must go to Merseyside.
Metrobus had two hi-viz vested "helpers" on duty.
fbb did wonder whether it was wise to have buses in both directions using the same stop. With pre-bought or electronic tickets there is less interaction with the driver and more chance of directional errors. On his run back into town a very confused lady "of mature years" was in some angst at the Begbrook stop ...
On sped fbb with just one passenger until (steps back in amazement) ...
The 73 also parallels the M1 on Highwoods Road ...
Part of Highwoods Road is now buses only, relegating access to the houses via a service roads only.
Although used as the destination, Cribbs Causeway is better described as an area. The shopping mall is named, with astounding originality, "The Mall"!!
And Charlton Hayes?
Charlton Hayes is a major mixed use development on land to the north of Filton Airfield. Planning permission to build 2,200 new homes housing an estimated 6,000 residents was granted by South Gloucestershire Council in 2008.
Below is a picture of the village with the white lines showing the line of the runway extension.
The plan, then, was to observe arrival and departing loadings on the M1 before catching the aforementioned 73 back to Temple Meads and home.
This report will follow in a later blog, because tomorrow we must go to Merseyside.
Next Lea Green blog : Thursday 17th January
One wishes Bristol well. But of course it isn't the first "mutton dressed as lam"/"bus pretending to be a tram" - the StreetCar concept has been tried before: https://tinyurl.com/ycp4lbpv
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