Birmingham Central Garage

[the trainbasher]

Alas it's the contrast between no one using a free bus that just serves the stations in the city centre (notable when a chunk of the city centre was still open) and people now making use of buses that do all that and serve other important places ie Broad Street (22/3/4/9) and the markets (16)

Other parts of the expanding city centre (Aston Uni / Eastside) are crying out for something similar. Look at how many people get the 66 from town and get off before the ring road, or how many people are boarding buses at Aston Uni heading inbound
The X61 is the only bus that comes close to doing this with where it terminates, but I'd say something needs to do more than that, say extending out via Jennens Road, looping round Aston Uni campus to come back in via Lancaster Circus

That's where Manchester have done right with their metro shuttle services

[Jack]

Alas it's the contrast between no one using a free bus that just serves the stations in the city centre (notable when a chunk of the city centre was still open) and people now making use of buses that do all that and serve other important places ie Broad Street (22/3/4/9) and the markets (16)

Other parts of the expanding city centre (Aston Uni / Eastside) are crying out for something similar. Look at how many people get the 66 from town and get off before the ring road, or how many people are boarding buses at Aston Uni heading inbound
The X61 is the only bus that comes close to doing this with where it terminates, but I'd say something needs to do more than that, say extending out via Jennens Road, looping round Aston Uni campus to come back in via Lancaster Circus

The X61 on the extension is a waste of time. I've never seen more than one person one it. May as well share a Stop with the 63 on Carrs Lane.

[Tony]

The X61 on the extension is a waste of time. I've never seen more than one person one it. May as well share a Stop with the 63 on Carrs Lane.

And block the whole of the city up?

Under the AQPS only a certain amount of buses can use each stop per hour

[Jack]

And block the whole of the city up?

Under the AQPS only a certain amount of buses can use each stop per hour

Block the city up? Rubbish. The 61 served it and was fine, Carrs Lane is  always full so it barely makes a difference. It makes sense sharing a terminus with the 63 as it would probably ease the workings out abit. The current terminus is abit pointless.

The same went for the 73, when it shared a Stop with the 17 it eased the 17 in the Peaks, then got shoved to Priory Queensway just to interwork with the 70.

The 50 Stop is awful, with 3 buses fighting to get to the stop with a 35 half in the road. No it's fine obviously.

[Tony]

Block the city up? Rubbish. The 61 served it and was fine, Carrs Lane always full so it barely makes a difference. It makes sense sharing a terminus with the 63 as it would probably ease the workings out abit. The current terminus is abit pointless.

You've just contradicted yourself there, You have put Carrs lane is always full, so yes more buses stopping and changing drivers would block it up even more. and as I said the SQPS prohibits it

[Jack]

You've just contradicted yourself there, You have put Carrs lane is always full, so yes more buses stopping and changing drivers would block it up even more. and as I said the SQPS prohibits it

But was difference will it make with just 1 extra service going up there. The current city layout for buses is just cr*p. Those traffic lights at the top of Bull Street are a nuisance, sit on red for 5 minutes.

The Bull Street stops are a pain, the 907/X51 half the time can barely properly pull in at their Stop while the Unlimited Stop Services sit at there stop for 5 minutes laying over.

Prior to 22nd July 2012 everything was fine and worked well, now catching buses in the city is terrible.

[Tony]

But was difference will it make with just 1 extra service going up there. The current city layout for buses is just cr*p. Those traffic lights at the top of Bull Street are a nuisance, sit on red for 5 minutes.

The Bull Street stops are a pain, the 907/X51 half the time can barely properly pull in at their Stop while the Unlimited Stop Services sit at there stop for 5 minutes laying over.

Prior to 22nd July 2012 everything was fine and worked well, now catching buses in the city is terrible.

One extra bus makes a big difference. If the 63 stop is occupied and the X61 arrives that's Carrs Lane stopped and multiple other services delayed blocking Moor Street Queensway up.

The Bull Street lights don't sit on red for 5 minutes. Because of Tram priority it can be up to 3 minutes if a tram goes either way.

You are arguning against your original point again at point 3, moaning about having too many buses on stops in Bull Street, but seem to think it is alright for a route you want moved?

Have you had some of whatever 4194 drinks?

[Jack]

One extra bus makes a big difference. If the 63 stop is occupied and the X61 arrives that's Carrs Lane stopped and multiple other services delayed blocking Moor Street Queensway up.

The Bull Street lights don't sit on red for 5 minutes. Because of Tram priority it can be up to 3 minutes if a tram goes either way.

You are arguning against your original point again at point 3, moaning about having too many buses on stops in Bull Street, but seem to think it is alright for a route you want moved?

Have you had some of whatever 4194 drinks?

No I haven't and don't plan to. It would make sense for the 907 to serve the 93* and 99* bus Stop and swap the 33/51/52/52A with the X51 Stop then buses wouldn't be blocking the road. What tram priority. So buses are selfishly going to career off the road and run into a moving tram. Crap, or better, move the unlimited Stop services back to Albert Street where they aren't blocking buses from Bus Stops. The Pershore Road/Bristol Road/Stratford Road buses will easily overtake them. At least the 97 has a lay-by.

People moaning about late buses in the City, don't blame them.

[Tony]

No I haven't and don't plan to. It would make sense for the 907 to serve the 93* and 99* bus Stop and swap the 33/51/52/52A with the X51 Stop then buses wouldn't be blocking the road. What tram priority. So buses are selfishly going to career off the road and run into a moving tram. Crap, or better, move the unlimited Stop services back to Albert Street where they aren't blocking buses from Bus Stops. The Pershore Road/Bristol Road/Stratford Road buses will easily overtake them. At least the 97 has a lay-by.

People moaning about late buses in the City, don't blame them.

Before you accuse me of posting crap get your facts right.

The Tram priority means that the lights turn green for a tram as soon as possible, as road vehicles can also be either infront or behind the tram and therefore coming out of the junction in front of buses to go up the side of the square peg. If you haven't realised the point of traffic lights is to stop conflicting movements. There's also a pedestrian phase for pedestrians to cross Bull Street.

[Jack]

Before you accuse me of posting crap get your facts right.

The Tram priority means that the lights turn green for a tram as soon as possible, as road vehicles can also be either infront or behind the tram and therefore coming out of the junction in front of buses to go up the side of the square peg. If you haven't realised the point of traffic lights is to stop conflicting movements. There's also a pedestrian phase for pedestrians to cross Bull Street.

The pedestrian phase is pointless. People just walk into the traffic like they have a death wish. Buses shouldn't have to wait 5 minutes for a tram to pass.

In my opinion, Birmingham needs more 'Bus only roads', like the road in Solihull, heading towards the town centre.

[Tony]

The pedestrian phase is pointless. People just walk into the traffic like they have a death wish. Buses shouldn't have to wait 5 minutes for a tram to pass.

In my opinion, Birmingham needs more 'Bus only roads', like the road in Solihull, heading towards the town centre.

Try telling someone who's blind pedestrian crossings are pointless. Buses don't have to wait 5 minutes for a tram to pass as I said in my original reply.

[Jack]

Try telling someone who's blind pedestrian crossings are pointless. Buses don't have to wait 5 minutes for a tram to pass as I said in my original reply.

The pedestrian crossing on Carrs Lane is another waste of time, it use to be a zebra crossing, of which was more safe.

[Tony]

The pedestrian crossing on Carrs Lane is another waste of time, it use to be a zebra crossing, of which was more safe.

So, you reckon a pedestrian crossing where pedestrians have right of way 100% of the time meaning buses do not move for several minutes at a time when there are lots of people crossing is good.

Oh wait a minute, no, another contradiction that's what you are moaning about 100m away.

[Jack]

So, you reckon a pedestrian crossing where pedestrians have right of way 100% of the time meaning buses do not move for several minutes at a time when there are lots of people crossing is good.

Oh wait a minute, no, another contradiction that's what you are moaning about 100m away.

That crossing is misused most of the time anyway, zebra crossings are way safer.

[Tony]

zebra crossings are way safer.

OK, Mr know it all.

Statistics, and the traffic control experts who I work with will tell you differently.

What job do you do, what field do you have expertise in?