VERY Late running services

[MasterPlan]

The 61 and 63 bear the brunt of it. Bristol St down to one lane most nights, Edgbaston Park Rd / Bristol Rd same too.
Not to mention those traffic lights I mentioned delaying things too. Its unacceptable that traffic on a busy trunk road with 3 main routes should have to wait while the lights are on green for a CAR PARK often with no vehicles exiting. Not to mention the extra pollution of vehicles sat idling.

Oh I can imagine they do get the brunt of it, I just meant it has appeared to have had a knock on effect with the Uni buses too.

Any idea on how long these Bristol Road works will be going on for? Until the end of time like most of Birmingham probably.

[B.C Driver]

Oh I can imagine they do get the brunt of it, I just meant it has appeared to have had a knock on effect with the Uni buses too.

Any idea on how long these Bristol Road works will be going on for? Until the end of time like most of Birmingham probably.

Until the cycle lane is completed I guess.

[Smethwickian]

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.

[2206]

11C's seemed to be running late and awful this morning, no 11's turned up between 07:38 and 08:00 (Ward End), the bus turned up and was rammed (4638) just after 08:00 and couldn't cope with the loads on its own and then the driver ended up shouting "no more" (in response receiving certain passengers screaming at him and repeaedly pressing the stop button) and turning the engine of at every and waiting for a few minutes after they ignored him at nearly every stop between Stechford and Yardley Swan, it didn't seem to work though as after a few minutes he just kept turning it back on and carrying on.

[MasterPlan]

Until the cycle lane is completed I guess.

Yeah that's what I meant, how long until that's completed.

[Kevin]

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.
...

Should add to that a personal hate of mine, when they decide that pedestrian underpasses need to be replaced with a crossing just far enough from a major junction to warrant another set of lights

[CL]

If its the addition of traffic lights that gets on your nerves, then here's another one; new set of lights appear to have been added to Newhall Street, just round the corner from the Colmore Row & Bennetts Hill junction (outside Pret).

Not in use yet.

[Mike K]

If its the addition of traffic lights that gets on your nerves, then here's another one; new set of lights appear to have been added to Newhall Street, just round the corner from the Colmore Row & Bennetts Hill junction (outside Pret).

Not in use yet.

Pedestrian lights and to be fair they're needed. It's a bugger trying to cross Newhall St in rush hour, cars travelling too fast, not indicating etc.

[2206]

Atrotious level of service on the 11 this afternoon.
Crowds of passengers were waiting at every single stop on the 11C route.
4290 turned up at 16:30 (first bus since 15:55) - but just drove past crowds of people as it could not cope with the loads with SK51AYC following closely behind.
4645 then turned up at 17:00 terminating at Ward End on an 11E.
With 4663 in a 11E to Acocks Green and another B7TL ALX400 on the full circle not far behind.
So for the majority of passengers using the 11C this afternoon there was no bus for over an hour,

4516 turned up on the 11A this afternoon the driver was shouting "no more due to there being more people trying to get on than is physically possible.

Something needs to be done to improve reliability and capacity on the Outer Circle in my opinion.
Maybe run peak time extra shorts locally on the route (eg Acocks Green to Ward End and Erdington) to keep the service running. 

Edit - wrong thread sorry - meant to post this in the very late running services thread.

[2206]

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=x22q89&s=9#.W65WgKTTXYU
Pic of departure screen at 15:57
Bus due in 25 minutes turned up at 16:30 - not stopping.
Bus in 35 minutes was 4645 terminating at 17:00.
And the buses due in 36 and 38 minutes were 4663 and another ALX400.

[MasterPlan]

When was the last time any changes were made to the 11A/C?

[Trident 4194]

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=x22q89&s=9#.W65WgKTTXYU
Pic of departure screen at 15:57
Bus due in 25 minutes turned up at 16:30 - not stopping.
Bus in 35 minutes was 4645 terminating at 17:00.
And the buses due in 36 and 38 minutes were 4663 and another ALX400.

Get the other operators bus then???

[Stu]

Atrotious level of service on the 11 this afternoon.

Nothing new there then!  ;D

There is obviously something wrong somewhere on the route to be causing this, yes the 11A/C is a very frustrating route at the best of times. Last month during my house move, I was frequently travelling between South Yardley and Billesley and actually hated getting the 11 due to the very long layover times the buses were having in Acocks Green village, due to them ironically running on time.

I've said it before, and I hate to be the one to say it again, and I know its an iconic route, but I do think the only way to realistically save the 11 is to split it into two or three seperate routes.

Edit - wrong thread sorry - meant to post this in the very late running services thread.

Magic wand waved! ;D

[fleetline6477]

11 A/C has always suffered from timekeeping and capacity issues. I used it daily 20 - 25 years ago and the problems were the same then. Very long circular route largely along narrow roads, through busy centres, crossing many busy main roads. Looks like many journeys only have about 5 minutes layover time, Acocks Green and Bearwood, built into timetable. There are so many factors which can cause delays due to roadworks, RTAs, diversions etc between different timing points along the route. Timetabling must be a real issue getting the balance right so to avoid too many delays and too much waiting along the route which can be frustrating. Maybe adding 2 - 3 minutes layover time at key points such as Perry Barr, Cotteridge could help but then that requires extra buses, drivers pushing costs up.

I have often wondered whether at peak times a few journeys which only stop at key points - Bearwood, Harborne, Selly Oak, Bournville, Cotteridge... could help but that would cause other issues.


Sadly, no easy solution too many unpredictables. 

[Trident 4194]

11 A/C has always suffered from timekeeping and capacity issues. I used it daily 20 - 25 years ago and the problems were the same then. Very long circular route largely along narrow roads, through busy centres, crossing many busy main roads. Looks like many journeys only have about 5 minutes layover time, Acocks Green and Bearwood, built into timetable. There are so many factors which can cause delays due to roadworks, RTAs, diversions etc between different timing points along the route. Timetabling must be a real issue getting the balance right so to avoid too many delays and too much waiting along the route which can be frustrating. Maybe adding 2 - 3 minutes layover time at key points such as Perry Barr, Cotteridge could help but then that requires extra buses, drivers pushing costs up.

I have often wondered whether at peak times a few journeys which only stop at key points - Bearwood, Harborne, Selly Oak, Bournville, Cotteridge... could help but that would cause other issues.


Sadly, no easy solution too many unpredictables.

I think AVL try to rectify any isssues with the route fairly quickly. The other day I went to cotteridge and 4668 was turning left from the Hagley Road onto Lordswood road saying NIS before changing to a full 11 upon arriving at the bus stop. Made a change getting on an empty 11!