Diversions

[Tony]

Park Street will almost certainly be shut for the rest of today and Most likely some of tomorrow until a Structural engineer deems the remains of the building safe

[monkeyjoe]

Are you expecting carnage on return to work Monday with all of that. Also the Aston Expressway works and Paradise circus etc. I will be on that M6 for 0600 to make my escape up north.

[John]

But at least today, buses can go round Hotel LaTour to reach Moor Street unlike yesterday. And yes, I imagine it will be fun around there in the morning rush hour if it is not reopened by then, I could see the Dale End Saturday diversion been used again for the applicable services

[notepanel]

Are you expecting carnage on return to work Monday with all of that. Also the Aston Expressway works and Paradise circus etc. I will be on that M6 for 0600 to make my escape up north.

There is the potential for quite a bit of disruption starting over the next few weeks, if I've understood the planned works correctly.

Starting tomorrow there are roadworks on the M6 SB from J9 and then onto the M5 slip roads. Access onto the M5 will be down to one lane, there will be a speed restriction on the M6 & traffic will not be able to access the M6 SB from J9. 

Then there will also be the works on Spaghetti, which again if I've understood correctly, will see the sliproads from the 'motorway island' onto the M6 NB & SB closed. Traffic wishing to use the M6 will be required to use the Expressway (and turn at Park Circus if necessary). In addition, the sliproads from the Expressway onto the M6 (NB & SB) will be down to one lane with 30mph speed limits.

Then you've also got the Paradise Circus works.

The M6/M5 works will most likely result in queues of traffic on the M6 backing onto the J10 island and therefore potentially causing delays to the 529.

If the traffic is too bad, traffic coming from the south or joining at J10 may choose to divert via Walsall and join the M6 at J7. Traffic which would normally join the M6 SB at J9, will have a choice of either coming up to J10 and turning, or travelling via the Broadway/A34 to J7.  This will likely see the A34 becoming very congested as a result of traffic queuing to join the M6, potentially delaying the 51/X51 services.

The works at Spaghetti are more likely to effect the Sutton & Lichfield Road services directly. However, if the Expressway gets completely clogged up, the whole City Centre & Ring Road can become clogged up, delaying virtually every service. People are also more likely to use the A34 the whole route into Birmingham, which could create further delays to all Perry Barr services as well.

And that's before Paradise Circus works start!

It will be a few weeks before we find out the full impact - I believe the Spaghetti works start on the 11th, and Paradise Circus fully comes into force the week after.

[Kevin]

I expect chaos and will love every minute of it :-D

[Westy]

Wonder what fun I'll have on the 311/313 then, as that goes down by M6 J9?

[Liverpool Street]

I expect chaos and will love every minute of it :-D

Join the club of being a fan of discord!

[Kevin]

Coming into the city from Lancaster Circus is chaos at the moment, currently on one in a row of three 65s, there's two 952s next to each other by the Aston Uni stop, and 33s & 51s coming from the underpass.

Jennens road looks fun as well, about 3 vehicles get a chance to get through the lights before they turn red again. And Priory Queensway heading down to Moor st is an entire row of Deckers trying to turn right

[Steveminor]

17,97,60, 900 & 957 now diverting up carrs lane and down dale end back onto moor street Queensway & straight out of city. Strangely the 73 still using its normal stop

[Liverpool Street]

17,97,60, 900 & 957 now diverting up carrs lane and down dale end back onto moor street Queensway & straight out of city. Strangely the 73 still using its normal stop

Why strangely? It'll turn left at the bus gate up Priory and a U-turn at Old Square and back out of city the the rest of them.

[Steveminor]

Cause it's at the same stop as the 17 & that's diverting up carrs lane due to the congestion up priory Queensway

[Liverpool Street]

Cause it's at the same stop as the 17 & that's diverting up carrs lane due to the congestion up priory Queensway

So the 73 with its less frequency will use Priory to avoid too many issues for intending passengers and reduce congestion slightly around Carr's/Albert.

[Liberator9]

76 was on diversion this afternoon - I was rather concerned at first when 4393 (which I was on) proceeded to carry on past Robin Hood Island towards Hall Green/Birmingham! Turned left at Hall Green College, then down to before Sarehole Mill along the 11 route. Then turned left into Sarehole Road and proceeded down there onto Cole Valley Road, which led to it turning right back onto normal line of route just down from Yardley Wood Station. Some unusual looks on the 11C passengers at stops as we went past! Amazingly only took 3-4 minutes longer than normal route.

[Russ Smith]

Concerns me a bit that drivers aren't informing passengers when the buses are on diversion. I imagine it'd be a bit hard telling people as they got on (as quite a few wear earphones etc), and not very practical to get out of the cab and tell down and upstairs, but could something be but on the destination blind? Say with the 76 just mentioned, could it show on an inverted display something like

On Diversion                76
towards QE Hospital

maybe alternating with

Ask Driver                76
towards QE Hospital

I know some routes are programmed for snow diversions, but could there not be a display in use for all diversions year-round?

[Liverpool Street]

Concerns me a bit that drivers aren't informing passengers when the buses are on diversion. I imagine it'd be a bit hard telling people as they got on (as quite a few wear earphones etc), and not very practical to get out of the cab and tell down and upstairs, but could something be but on the destination blind? Say with the 76 just mentioned, could it show on an inverted display something like

On Diversion                76
towards QE Hospital

maybe alternating with

Ask Driver                76
towards QE Hospital

I know some routes are programmed for snow diversions, but could there not be a display in use for all diversions year-round?

I second this notion.

One should be "Alighting Only", another "On Diversion, Enquire", another "Changing Driver" - and they all should be on the route select option on the blinds, so for instance you'll type in "76" and you'll have the option of 76 Solihull, 76 Q.E.H, 76 Diversion, Then Changing driver, diversion, alight only etc etc rather then keying in 0000 for the not in service/special options menu. NXWM could really utilise their flip dot /LED destinations. A lot of good use gone to waste.