Can you solve an argument for us?

I say that on Friday morning it wasn't there (though I was driving, so couldn't see through the fence very well) and Mr Strix says he caught a bus there on Wednesday night, so it does still exist.

Ta

It's still there.

Shame the didn't demolish it with all the buses still in. :clap:

So, when did the big blue fence go up? When is it being demolished?

Only the lower half of the Interchange is being demolished. due to lack of use by the bus companies. It has been reported on this site several times.

I was just asking for clarification and the specific date of the 'disappearance', so older threads are unlikely to provide that info.

It's still there - that is where my National Express coach pulls in.
When you walk out, you are facing The Queen's Head (I think).

Alex

Yes, the Interchange is still there only smaller. The bottom bit has been sold off to be redeveloped and the top bit that remains has had some enhancements.

Thanks Andy. That makes things a little clearer.

Originally posted by Andy C
Yes, the Interchange is still there only smaller. The bottom bit has been sold off to be redeveloped and the top bit that remains has had some enhancements. What a total waste of time and money:mad: how long was it up and how much did it cost this council is barmy:mad:

It used to be great being able to ask a visitor to come to Sheffield. Directions were easy. Train and bus stations on top of each other, with an airport style info system for them.

Nothing in Europe to beat it.

So what the firkin ell appened???? :confused:

I've tried to plan a bus journey since I returned to Sheffield 3 years ago. FUTILE! The transport exec site tells you more about equal oportunities than it does about actually travelling by bus.

I e-mailed them to ask WHERE I catch a specific bus in town, and they gave me a busstop NUMBER. I e-mailed back. WHERE is this stop? and they said Aundel gate. HOW LONG IS ARUNDEL GATE???? I'm arriving by train, with luggage and a mischievous dog, and they expect me to trample up and down Arundel Gate in the pouring rain LOOKING for a firkin busstop???

I got a lift.

Originally posted by Bikertec
What a total waste of time and money:mad: how long was it up and how much did it cost this council is barmy:mad:

To be fair the land the Interchange is built on is probably worth a fair bit, so I would assume they made a huge wad of cash selling it off.

I know some of the proceeds are being spent on a couple of projects, one is the enhancements to the remaining bit of the Interchange, and the other is to provide an information office and public toilets at the bus stops by the Crucible (which actually sees a lot more departures than the Interchange).

Originally posted by Andy C
I know some of the proceeds are being spent on a couple of projects, one is the enhancements to the remaining bit of the Interchange, and the other is to provide an information office and public toilets at the bus stops by the Crucible (which actually sees a lot more departures than the Interchange). But wasn't the interchange built so all the buses could stop in one place instead of all over the place. We seem to be going back in time when buses stopped in numerous places around the city.:confused:

Originally posted by Bikertec
But wasn't the interchange built so all the buses could stop in one place instead of all over the place. We seem to be going back in time when buses stopped in numerous places around the city.:confused:

Exactly - there was a long distance bus station at Charlotte Road (very awkward to get to) and lots of little bus stations around the centre, like at the bottom of Snig Hill.
There was lots of back slapping when they finally got it all co-ordinated into one place.
So, what's changed? They were either wrong then to build a central station or they're wrong now. Which are they going to admit?
'Sheffield On The Move' - backwards!

The problem is buses just don't use the Interchange. They stop in the City Centre, as generally that's where the majority of people want to go - only those catching trains or coaches want to go to the Interchange.

Part of the problem is also perhaps that a lot of buses now do long cross-city routes for operational convenience, otherwise they could be routed to drop off in town then run down into the Interchange to terminate.

I think intergrated transport is no longer flavour of the month, judging by the fact that all the bus stops outside the railway station have gone and you now have to drag your luggage either over to the Interchange (which involves traversing two main roads and a walkway inbetween) or even worse up into town which is a ten minute uphill walk.

I thought one of the reasons the bus companies didn't use the interchange was because they were charged for the privelege.
I still think the interchange looks horrible and is horrible, I've moved around a bit in this country and most bus interchanges in other cities don't feel as isolated from the city centre and often have shops built around or above them, what a novel idea!!

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
I thought one of the reasons the bus companies didn't use the interchange was because they were charged for the privelege.

That probably doesn't help either, although you may remember as soon as the charge was introduced the bus companies put the fares up to cover it, including routes that didn't even go to the Interchange!

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
I still think the interchange looks horrible and is horrible, I've moved around a bit in this country and most bus interchanges in other cities don't feel as isolated from the city centre and often have shops built around or above them, what a novel idea!!

Although it's hardly a classical architectual masterpiece I wouldn't say as bus stations go it's that bad, and it serves it's purpose to a good standard.

Don't like those built into the undercroft of shopping centres or office blocks, as they are generally dark, gloomy, ugly and full of fumes!

It does feel isolated from the city centre, but there isn't anywhere suitable in the heart of the city centre to build a bus station (and of course it wouldn't be connected to the train station if there was).

:wow: I've just twigged. Aren't the trams making a loss? :suspect:

If we abolish buses in the area around the station, you have to get the tram to get out of the valley. :idea:

GET A CAR GET A LIFE

Originally posted by astraflash
GET A CAR GET A LIFE READ THE RULES! No 'shouting'! and I've got 2 cars thanks

Originally posted by Strix
:wow: I've just twigged. Aren't the trams making a loss? :suspect:

If we abolish buses in the area around the station, you have to get the tram to get out of the valley. :idea:

No - I believe the trams make a profit now Stagecoach run them.

Originally posted by Andy C
No - I believe the trams make a profit now Stagecoach run them. Oh, not since the busstation became deserted by buses then?? :suspect: bit of a coincidence if you ask me

Nobody really calls it 'Sheffield Interchange' do they? Sheffield city centre doesn't have a proper interchange - in the sense of being able to change easily from rail to bus and vice versa.

At Pond Street bus station you can change from one bus to er, another bus. The railway station is very nearby but you'd never guess. The pedestrian routes, signage, info screens etc are awful. It's much better than before but it's still a bus station isolated from the rail station and the city centre.

They could have used that bit of the bus station they've just demolished to integrate the rail and bus stations with a common ticket/info area and walkways/escalators to the platforms and tramstop.

I think they're doing something with a load of bus stops in front of the Howard, but not sure what.

They need to get rid of the Roxy building, that would make the interchange link a little better to the centre.

Originally posted by chri5
They need to get rid of the Roxy building, that would make the interchange link a little better to the centre. It would if thy weren't moving the city centre closer to west street

I know what you mean, but the centre will be expanding back to it's roots along the river too. That's what they say anyway!

Originally posted by chri5
I know what you mean, but the centre will be expanding back to it's roots along the river too. That's what they say anyway! How's that going to work when they're this far apart (http://www.multimap.com/map/aproute.cgi?qs=q&starttime=&client=public&itineraryxylist=434843%2C387076%3B435751%2C387827&desc1=Devonshire+Street%2C+Sheffield&desc2=&lang=&rn=GB&rt=route.htm)

That's by car going loop-the-loop round the one-way system though - they're much closer as the crow flies (or walking)!

Originally posted by Andy C
That's by car going loop-the-loop round the one-way system though - they're much closer as the crow flies (or walking)! Walking between the two doesn't get them any closer together! I had to put the streets into the search to get the right map out!