Connected City finalised map

[notepanel]

I can't help but think us users of the 51/X51 etc have got a raw deal here!

We were shifted from our old stops way back in February, yet still won't be able to move to the new proper stops when the change is implemented!

The Albert Street stops are horrible, as the car park behind is a magnet for tramps. On one Saturday evening there were at least 20 people all swigging their alcohol and begging off people waiting for the bus.

In addition, the works site is alongside, and I'm surprised nobody has been killed by the way they drive about when they start shift at 7. On one day, a worker was reversing his digger the wrong way up Albert Street whilst on his phone.

Also as they are temporary, there is no real time information available at either stop.

[Tony]

They couldn't have kept that position as the road is being reversed. The advantage with using it for the Perry Barr services is they will be able to use the lower half of Corporation Street to Exit City. Saltley Services would have needed to go down Priory Queensway, so might as well have it's stops there

I hear what your saying but the Perry barr services could still could have had the shorter route round argos and the saltley services could have kept the position going round the other way, but can't please everyone.

The Dale end stop had used to be 33 anyway if that is the stop that you mean?

The 33/51/907/952/X51 are going to use new stops on the opposite side of Lower Bull Street eventually. Inititially at least the 934/934/997 are going to use a new stop opposite the original one on High Street initially, not sure if that is permanent or if they are also moving to Bull Street eventually

[andy]

I can see massive problems in Carrs Lane.  Especially while there is a stop outside Boots for the 997 etc.  The junction of Carrs Lane and High St is extremely tight anyway, and now you will have an endless wall of the longest single deck vehicles in operation making that turn one after the other...when you throw in the possibility of 2 vehicles being parked on the 'temp' stop outside Boots, reducing the angle even further, and also a vehicle being positioned on the top stop in Carrs Lane, again creating an even tighter manouvere. This on a junction where the pavement on either side is narrow and crowds often spill onto the road while vehicles are passing.

The sheer number of buses using this junction is going to be tremendous and I can really see an awful bottleneck developing here.  Anyone who is familiar with South Parade in Sutton will know exactly what I am talking about as there is a junction there that replicates this scenario, although that is 2 way, the Carrs Lane junction is far narrower and tighter. 

You will then have all the Stratford Road and south exiting services waiting to turn right onto Albert St with the very real possibility of a couple of 33's, 51's and a few others perhaps sat at the temporary stop one behind the other. Need I go any further??

[BU07 LGO]

Is Carrs lane not being reversed so it becomes a right turn by boots with the 997,935 etc being moved elssewhere?

[andy]

Is Carrs lane not being reversed so it becomes a right turn by boots with the 997,935 etc being moved elssewhere?

Yes but to begin with those services will stop outside Boots right opposite to where they are now.

[D10]

Had a stoll round the City today to see how things are going. I have to say that I am not impressed by the new shelters that are going in on Priory and Moor Street Queensways. It looks like you can only fit a couple of people in them and they will be very exposed to the elements.

Still at least they will look very pretty!

[MW]

The Carrs Lane and High Street corner will make an excellent spot for photographing vehicles though I think. You'll see a mix of everything! Omnilinks, Geminis, (Presidents till 2013), ALX400s, Enviro400s and Eclipse2's!

[Tony]

The Carrs Lane and High Street corner will make an excellent spot for photographing vehicles though I think. You'll see a mix of everything! Omnilinks, Geminis, (Presidents till 2013), ALX400s, Enviro400s and Eclipse2's!

I think it will be a rubbish spot for photography as the sun will never be in the correct place. The new opposite direction Moor Street Queensway flow should help though!

[andy]

Had a stoll round the City today to see how things are going. I have to say that I am not impressed by the new shelters that are going in on Priory and Moor Street Queensways. It looks like you can only fit a couple of people in them and they will be very exposed to the elements.

Still at least they will look very pretty!

This is one of the things they don't consider on projects like this....bus stops situated in streets like Corporation St offer the shelter of trees, shop canopies and other miscellaneous things for people to gather under when the weather's poor, they also aren't as exposed to the wind and cold.  When they get shifted to areas like this you get the bus shelter and that's it, the environment for the waiting passenger is going backwards unless you install masses of pavement furniture, which it would appear they're not.  I also think it's a crying shame that all of Corporation Street's trees will disappear for the trams, it will give the street a very different look and not a better one in my opinion.

[andy]

The Carrs Lane and High Street corner will make an excellent spot for photographing vehicles though I think. You'll see a mix of everything! Omnilinks, Geminis, (Presidents till 2013), ALX400s, Enviro400s and Eclipse2's!

I think it will be a rubbish spot for photography as the sun will never be in the correct place. The new opposite direction Moor Street Queensway flow should help though!

Well you will certainly have plenty of time to set your shot up as I predict nothing will be moving too quickly!

[Roy]

Had a stoll round the City today to see how things are going. I have to say that I am not impressed by the new shelters that are going in on Priory and Moor Street Queensways. It looks like you can only fit a couple of people in them and they will be very exposed to the elements.

Still at least they will look very pretty!

I couldn't agree more!  These new shelters may keep a single person dry when it's drizzling, but if there is heavier rain or wind, they will provide no shelter at all.   

[Roy]

I got off a train at Moor Street this morning and walked out to a scene from a slapstick movie.  With loads of Centro and NXWM officials looking on, a driver was taking 2123 through the new link road between the two carriageways outside Moor Street station.  It took him over 5 minutes to achieve the 180 degree turn and he was forced to use the paved area as well as the link road to do so.  When I remarked to a man in a Centro jacket that the new link road wasn't wide enough, he just shrugged his shoulders.

It should be fun next week !

[Gareth]

I always thought that road was far too narrow and far too tight for a bus!

[andy]

I always thought that road was far too narrow and far too tight for a bus!

I'm sure it looked extremely tidy and functional on whatever software the desk monkey was using when he came up with it! He had probably never seen a bus, or the junction, and was using the dimensions of a Trident or something that someone had Googled for him....not a full length Eclipse.

This will be another part of what could be a jigsaw of gridlock unfortunately. The Carrs Lane/High St junction, the right turn into Albert St with the possibility of up to 4 or 5 buses being parked there, the numerous extra traffic lights along the Queensway (complete with 3 or 4 sequences to accomodate pedestrians) and the cramming in of too many buses into such a small area.

It's also noteworthy that in bus stations there are rules about how many bus movements can take place per stand in an hour / or by frequency, yet there are no such restrictions or rules in evidence here? What would they do if a new operator came along and registered the same frequency as NXWM on 3 or 4 of these services? It doesn't bear thinking about!

[PM]

Itl be like that day in Manchester when it came to gridlock with GMbuses/UKNorth and Stagecoach and their antics