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Messages - Smethwickian

#31
Arriva / Re: Questions for Simon from Arriva
November 21, 2018, 08:24:56 PM
Quote from: Simon@Arriva on November 21, 2018, 05:44:16 PM
The view is that the maps should be online only and not printed out unfortunately.


Sadly the way too many bus operators and local authorities are going these days. Comprehensive maps and timetables you can open up in front of you are an easy way to gauge possible connections and alternative routes, rather than trying to flip between different screens in different formats online. And don't get me started on the bizarre routings and peculiar stop location descriptions thrown up by asking Traveline for connecting journeys...
Seems Arriva is already ruling out making printed publicity available in places like Walsall and Wolverhampton bus station travel shops anyway - have not seen any Arriva timetables there for a year or more.
#32
Rotala / Re: Midland Classic
November 18, 2018, 11:20:31 AM
Quote from: MW on November 17, 2018, 08:41:16 PM
About 5 times in the past few weeks I've noticed a Midland Classic bus on the A435 around Becketts Farm & Maypole heading towards Birmingham between 7.30am and 8am.

This morning it was a Gemini. Probably the same one.
Presumably on its way back from the morning contract run to Redditch iForce logistics centre (which has a contract for John Lewis order fulfilment, hence the references to that department store) - timetable here http://www.travelinemidlands.co.uk/wmtis/XSLT_TTB_REQUEST?language=en&command=direct&net=cen&line=55JL1&sup=%20&itdLPxx_direction=H&project=y11&outputFormat=0&itdLPxx_displayHeader=false&itdLPxx_sessionID=EFA03_32604598&lineVer=1&itdLPxx_spTr=1&itdLPxx_operatorCodeForTTB=MDC
#33
Quote from: Kevin on November 10, 2018, 08:29:25 AM
I've noticed a fair few instances of this elsewhere, can't think of any of the top of my head, but where multiple routes go the same general direction they seem to be grouping them together on the timetable more, makes a lot of sense to me
The problem with the example quoted above, of the 12 and 13, is that they take a different route along the way, and are identified in the list of departure times by colour - not something necessarily easy to distinguish in poor light, or if the print has faded, or if one has less than perfect vision.
#34
Other Operators / Re: Claribels
October 25, 2018, 07:25:59 PM
Quote from: Steveminor on October 25, 2018, 12:56:15 PM
As I said Dom read your employers social media policy or I shall have someone read it to you which may put you in a slightly uncomfortable position with your employer given your role requires you to be impartial & some of your remarks on here are far from impartial......


As I said put it in a pm that's not too difficult to understand is it?
Rather threatening tone there. Is that within Claribels' social media policy?
Dom might be being a bit indiscrete on social media perhaps but not breaking the law, unlike a bus driver smoking at the wheel.
If I was a bus operator, I would use the info already given to start checking vehicle CCTV to instigate appropriate disciplinary proceedings against the culprit, not blaming someone  for noticing the infraction and commenting upon it.
If I were to see such a thing in future, particularly aboard Claribel, I'd be getting phone footage to send straight to police and the DVSA rather than troubling the company.
Oh, and whatever social media policy MY employer might or might not have is absolutely none of Steveminor's business.
#35
Quote from: Smethwickian on September 30, 2018, 10:23:22 AM
It's Cranford Street, not Cranston, TT90.
It is limited stop, ginger66, but the September 2 timetable leaflet's list of stops said new ones were to be installed on Heath Street and/or Cranford Street, without specifying exactly where.
One near all the new housing opposite the rear north end of the new hospital would make sense.
Today I noticed there are a temporary stops in both directions on Heath Street just north of the Winston Street junction. Presumably a suitable spot to plant permanent poles has been identified or will be installed in due course.
#36
Seen at 1710 today in Waterloo Road, Smethwick, heading from city: 82E "Bearwood Road Barleycorn". Unusual, and also another example of a long-established pub landmark no longer there or no longer with the original name, it now being 'Hadley Hall' banqueting/wedding venue.
#37
General Discussion & Questions / Re: Cross Country
October 09, 2018, 09:05:44 AM
Quote from: sonic84 on October 09, 2018, 08:02:38 AM
Rather than start a new thread, I got a XC train from international to new street about 11pm a couple of Friday's ago.

It diverted I think at Stechford and we ended up passing Aston, Perry Barr stations and entering New Street from the opposite side. Is this the usual route for this journey does anyone know?
f it was one of the journeys listed here http://www.psul4all.free-online.co.uk/2018.htm (possibly the 2145 Reading to Birmingham New Street?)   then it is a scheduled use of the line to help retain route knowledge for diversionary use.
It's the same reason at least one journey a day from the North East runs from Burton to New Street via the Alrewas and Lichfield route rather than Tamworth, and an early New Street to Cardiff departure trundles its way through Kidderminster every morning (see listings on that link for the Lichfield-Wichnor and Galton-Smethwick West lines respectively).
#38
Quote from: Sh4318 on October 01, 2018, 06:27:01 PM
Surely that would slow the route down, therefore making it a less attractive proposition?

It's bad enough negotiating traffic on the Dudley Road in a car, never mind a bus
Agreed - the stretch of Dudley Road between Summerfield Park/City Road and the city boundary at Grove Lane is always an appalling mess because of careless and inconsiderate parking, parking on double yellows, parking at bus stops, parking on crossing zigzags and much more. I walk down there two or three times a week, let alone catching buses, and sometimes wish I was a traffic warden because I would get so much satisfaction (and revenue) from ticketing blatant transgressor after blatant transgressor.
As for the consultation over Dudley Road improvements, looking at the details on the council website this covers the stretch between Spring Hill Island and Heath Street junction, with some wide pavements trimmed to improve road width, improved junctions and a new layout at Heath Street which should help. Parking provision and yellow lines will be reviewed, it says. Nothing specifically about bus stops and certainly no bus priorities.
#39
Quote from: Sandy Lane on September 30, 2018, 07:29:23 AM
But hang on!
Dont the Boris buses in London have multi doors? They take no cash so Is not the question a good one?
We are a very long way from cashless buses in the West Midlands or from a system where one touch-in would allow for travel any distance.
The fare system in London is essentially flat fare with capping or travelcards (on buses valid in all zones regardless of tube or rail zones held).
But here in the West Midlands we have individual operator tickets, multi-operator and multi--modal tickets, short hop, route-specific offers, local daysavers, exemptions-north-of-Coven-on-the-54, different child fares if you board outside the WM county boundary, Daytripper valid to some places in Warwickshire (Keresley) but not others (Coleshill)..... and so on and so on.
How would cashless one-touch boarding away from the driver validate all of those, select the right ticket or know how to deduct the correct sum?
#40
Quote from: TT90 on September 29, 2018, 11:41:14 PM
X7 is almost a month old and still no stops sited between Smethwick and City Hospital along Heath Street and Cranston Street. It's a long way without a stop.

Planning issues perhaps causing a delay ?
It's Cranford Street, not Cranston, TT90.
It is limited stop, ginger66, but the September 2 timetable leaflet's list of stops said new ones were to be installed on Heath Street and/or Cranford Street, without specifying exactly where.
One near all the new housing opposite the rear north end of the new hospital would make sense.
#41
Quote from: B.C Driver on September 27, 2018, 02:32:25 PM

After years of neglet and countless extra traffic lights, instead of improving the Bristol Rd they make a cycle lane.
The lanes on the Bristol Rd between Speedwell Rd and Priory Rd are inadequate, they are so narrow that buses have to straddle the white lines.
A few changes could make a big difference to traffic flow...
Every time they revamp roads anywhere in Birmingham they seem to (a) narrow the carriageway and (b) add more traffic lights. Seems to be the only solution the city's engineers have. Busy junction? Narrow all the lanes and add more lights, filters and crossings. Busy traffic island? Narrow all the lanes and festoon every entrance, exit and junction with traffic lights. Entrance to new development? Make sure all the approach lanes are narrowed and everything in every direction is subjected to lights that allow no more than two vehicles through at any time.
Add to that the lackadaisical enforcement of waiting and loading restrictions against taxi and white van drivers in particular who seem to be medically incapable of seeing the colour yellow when applied to road surfaces, and the city's traffic is, frankly, shameful.
#42
Quote from: 2206 on September 26, 2018, 04:59:45 PM
Consultation on service changes to Diamonds Signature Services and Igo's 69 - including extending Igo's 69 into Solihull to replace the S15 and extending the operating hours of the S1's replacement.
https://www.networkwestmidlands.com/media/2550/solihull-propsed-changes-october-v3.pdf
https://www.networkwestmidlands.com/campaigns/solihull-bus-review/
I see potentially the loss of the S3 service from most if not all of the Wythall, Grimes Hill and Hollywood area of Worcestershire - and knowing that the county council hasn't filled gaps in recent big cuts in the south of Worcestershire, that does not bode well.
Also, Chadwick End loses all its buses apart from three Warwickshire Flexibus journeys per week.
#43
National Express West Midlands / Re: Diversions
September 21, 2018, 08:34:25 PM
NXWM and Network West Midlands publicity did say that Hagley Road routes would be using the Cambridge Street diversion from Monday 23 September. But NWM then adds in its 'disruptions' list that security for the Conservative conference required Cambridge Street's closure from September 30 to October 4.
However, I went into the city centre today (September 21) and noted that Broad Street was already closed, but Cambridge Street was not accessible either, so that Hagley Road buses were using the Sandpits route instead! Not a mention of it on either transport organisation's website.
Does anyone, anywhere, actually have an accurate day by day explanation of what's going where in this part of Brum or do passengers just wander around on a daily basis hoping for they might see a bus, somewhere, heading in vaguely the right direction?
#44
National Express West Midlands / Re: Dudley Network Review
September 11, 2018, 08:28:20 AM
Kevin remarks that resumption of work on the Midland Metropolitan Hospital might impact the X7. All construction traffic should enter and leave via the gates off Grove Street by Grove Lane McDonalds. What has affected Cranford Street has been mainly utilities work for both the hospital and new housing on the opposite side of the road, as well as the awkward accesses for anything larger than a white van to existing light industrial and motor businesses in Cranford Street and the top half of Heath Street. Inconsiderate parking along the bottom end of Heath Street, near Lidl and the health centre, also causes a pinch-point.
If the X7 survives until the MM Hospital opens, it might in fact benefit from adding one stop on Cranford Street, between the new housing on one side and a rear access to the hospital on the other.
Other comments about lack of promotion for the route have some merit, as stopping places are not listed on timetables at stops so people tend to assume 'it's not for me'.
#45
National Express West Midlands / Re: Diversions
September 10, 2018, 05:38:37 PM
Quote from: OH25 on September 10, 2018, 03:13:03 PM
Is the X1 supposed to be on diversion from the A45 after the airport?

Came off at the Stonebridge Island near the Toby Cavery and then used Hampton Lane to get to Meriden.
Gas main repairs. Like many such diversions, it is listed here https://www.networkwestmidlands.com/plan-your-journey/disruptions/#/params?TransportModeA=5#5327_Centro or on the NX West Midlands website, so it is probably quicker and easier to check those in the first instance rather than asking the question on this forum and having to await a reply.
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