The end of the mis-guided busways?
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My honest opinion is shared with Simons post above.The cost of the modifications to the buses, plus the staff training, plus the fact that guide wheel equipped buses can't be used on other routes, plus all the administrative and legislative palaver (guided busways are under the authority of Her Majestys Railways Inspectorate - or whatever it's called this week), simply serve to ensure that Worst have a monopoly on all the Guided routes.York Road is used by services operated by a wide number of companies (including Yorkshire Coastliner, Harrogate and District, Arriva, etc) which along with several Worst services DON'T use the guided busway, so you have (as has been stated above) the ridiculous situation of having to know in advance if you need to cross the dual carriageway to get to your stop. This situation is escalated when Worst are short of suitable buses / trained drivers and substitute non- guided buses on routes like the 40 which then stop on the ordinary carriageway bypassing everyone waiting in the middle. Or when the guided busway is blocked by a broken down bus or closed for repair / maintenance, but Metro don't bother to put notices up on any of the bus stops further down the guided route (as I've seen happen on York Road on several occassions) so the travelling public are again stranded as the bus passes by behind them, which must be fun on a Sunday or evening when the service is only half hourly.They should be renamed "The Emperors New Busway".
Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act – George Orwell
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Si wrote: Well, there must be some reasoning behind them? Think of the expense! I know the "decision makers" don't use the bus service, but they can't be that stupid, surely?Mebbe they are... With a few exceptions, party politics in this country has become the realm of the mediocre, of people who were middle managers before they were elected, and as such, they act in the same way, making decisions based on advice from experts and consultants. The main difference is that these consultants represent the businesses that will gain most from the decisions that government and councils make. First understand this above all, and make themselves available at all levels, so it was First who advised Alistair Darling as Transport Secretary that trams weren't a good idea, and that they could use their lovely 'new' technology that just happens to be articulated buses with nice coachwork, and First that promoted busways in this country. Busways are attractive to politicians as they look like something is being done for a relatively low cost - certainly noughts less than light rail or tram systems, but as they are being promoted by a vested interest, they tie routes to that interest, or, at worse, become white elephants. This is how government works.
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simong wrote: Si wrote: Well, there must be some reasoning behind them? Think of the expense! I know the "decision makers" don't use the bus service, but they can't be that stupid, surely?Mebbe they are... With a few exceptions, party politics in this country has become the realm of the mediocre, of people who were middle managers before they were elected, and as such, they act in the same way, making decisions based on advice from experts and consultants. The main difference is that these consultants represent the businesses that will gain most from the decisions that government and councils make. First understand this above all, and make themselves available at all levels, so it was First who advised Alistair Darling as Transport Secretary that trams weren't a good idea, and that they could use their lovely 'new' technology that just happens to be articulated buses with nice coachwork, and First that promoted busways in this country. Busways are attractive to politicians as they look like something is being done for a relatively low cost - certainly noughts less than light rail or tram systems, but as they are being promoted by a vested interest, they tie routes to that interest, or, at worse, become white elephants. This is how government works. I agree entirely, Simon.So long as politicians look to be doing something which fits with the public perception, why come up with ideas that really do make a difference? For example, the government are forever creating new laws to deal with perceived problems when there are already laws in place which cover them.
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raveydavey wrote: Could this be the beginning of the end for the expensive and unnecessary mis-guided busway on York and Selby Roads?When the route was finally opened, at great expense, Worst and Arriva purchased brand new buses complete with the necessary guide wheels to operate their services on these roads.Of course anyone who has travelled these roads will know that most of the route is actually plain old fashioned bus lane that buses from any company can use, without modifications. Metro have never managed to advise successfully why the expensive guided bit was actually needed, other than as a white elephant.Anyway, Arriva have recently had some brand new single deckers delivered and they are all liveried up for the routes 163 and 166 which previously used the mis-guided busway. Except these new "09" reg'd buses don't have the guide wheels fitted and are just travelling on the normal carriageway, avoiding the guided bit all together.Have Arriva pulled the plug on this farce? Is the busway destined to prove to be yet another expensive bit of kit installed by Metro for Worsts benefit? Sorry to inform you guys but the new 163 / 166 buses HAVE got the guide arms just not had the wheels fitted yet! so i assume the missing of the guideways is a temporary thing!! All other points in the thread i agree with!!
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Not quite the misguided buses but certainly the misguided mind!Has anyone driven round the Loop from Wellington street to the Headrow sinse the weekend?Turn into King Street and you are met with cross hatching here and there reducing lane width, three lanes have become two - the left hand on of course is occupied by busses standing at the stops with terminal stillness, leaving one and a bit new lanes for three lanes of traffic.The best bit is where they expect busses joining the road at the lights to do a little pirouette around (more) hatching to then go back to the right ready for their turn at the lights. Showing considerable foresight for the benefit of the passengers thrown abot by this manoevre, most of the drivers display a logic not possessed by the designer of this change - and go through in a straight line - good for them!I wonder what advantage all this is suposed to bring and, to whom (other than the white paint makers)?Shortly after this, yes, back to three lanes!
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chameleon wrote: Not quite the misguided buses but certainly the misguided mind!Has anyone driven round the Loop from Wellington street to the Headrow sinse the weekend?Turn into King Street and you are met with cross hatching here and there reducing lane width, three lanes have become two - the left hand on of course is occupied by busses standing at the stops with terminal stillness, leaving one and a bit new lanes for three lanes of traffic.The best bit is where they expect busses joining the road at the lights to do a little pirouette around (more) hatching to then go back to the right ready for their turn at the lights. Showing considerable foresight for the benefit of the passengers thrown abot by this manoevre, most of the drivers display a logic not possessed by the designer of this change - and go through in a straight line - good for them!I wonder what advantage all this is suposed to bring and, to whom (other than the white paint makers)?Shortly after this, yes, back to three lanes! mrs ravey works just near there and we're both astounded by the pointlessness of the new road markings or why there was any need to change things. Plus to drive from Quebec Street onto Park Place (virtually straight on) you also have to cross another pointless triangle of markings...Still, they do need to slow traffic down in the city so the powers that be can justify congestion charging, don't we. If they want to sort traffic out there, they'd be better off doing something about buses "laying over" opposite the Metropole Hotel and blocking the inside lane for 20 minutes at a time.
Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act – George Orwell
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I have often though that the two lanes exiting Quebec Street into the three lanes of East Parade was an accident waiting to happen although I have never actually seen one. With near side traffic having the option of straight on into Park Place or the nearside or middle lane of East Parade and the offside traffic having the option of the middle or off-side lane of East Parade I am amazed that 2 vehicles don't try to occupy the same space at the same time more often. Even if these two theoretical cars do avoid each other the braking and manouevering must cause potential mayhem behind.I suspect this is part of the reason. I also suspect the hatching is so that the buses, particularly of the bendy variety, then turning immediately right into Infirmary Street have a more comfortable bend to turn.It does bring it into consistency with the rest of the loop in that wherever the loop does spread into three lanes the nearside lane becomes a filter lane or for exiting the loop at one of the next two junctionsBishop Gate Street/City Square exit to Wellington Street/Aire StreetEast Parade exit to the HeadrowCalverley Street exit to continue up Calverley StreetUphill section of Great George Street exit onto Woodhouse LaneMerrion Street exit onto Wade LaneDownhill section of New Briggate exit on to North StreetA61 St Peters Street exit to continue on the A61 towards CrownpointThe Calls exit onto Bridge EndI am not sure if the pavement/road works on the corner of St Paul's Street are to extend the pavement out to enforce the two lanes until East Parade.Agreed that the lay over of Arriva buses on King Street is a big problem. A long time ago in York I did see a sign specifically aimed at buses telling them they must not wait more than 5 minutes at any stop. This would force them into either laying up before they reached York or slowing down to try and keep to the timetable
living a stones throw from the Leeds MDC border at Lofthousehttp://tykebhoy.wordpress.com/
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Sounds a bit like the white-line painters are following regs to the letter, rather than use common-sense and risk a bollocking. This happened at the Buckle Lane/Bingley Road and Bradford Road crossroads, near Highroyds, Menston.Behind the traffic-light stopline, was a designated space (about five feet deep) for cyclists, and just behind this was a keep-clear box for the ambulance station entrance/exit. This left about three feet in which to wait in your car for the lights to change!It's since been altered.