Closing Roads To Traffic & Widening Pavements For Social Distancing

[RollingJ 2,026]

4 minutes ago, Andy C said:

I've not had any reason or opportunity to visit the City Centre myself but looking at comments online the new bus routes are operating reasonably OK but the following issues are highlighted:

• the council hasn't finished work to open the revised route via Furnival Gate to buses in time but closed Leopold Street and Pinstone Street regardless, this has meant a circuitous diversion via Moorfoot which is causing buses to run late and in the case of route 30 to run at a reduced frequency.
•  There is a lot of confusion as to which buses stop at which stops on Arundel Gate which has led passengers to wait for their buses at the wrong stop and see their bus go sailing past them. The numbering of the stops isn't logical and the information for passengers could be improved.

Buses and stops on Arundel Gate, in geographal order heading from Castle Square tram stop towards Eyre Street roundabout:

AG12 (near Castle Square) - buses 5, 43, 44, X17

AG9 (outside convenience store) -  buses 10a, 20, 24, 25

AG13 (outside Hallam University) - buses 80, X1, X10

AG123 (outside O2 Academy) - buses 1, 11, 11a

AG124 (outside Odeon Cinema) - buses 75, 76, 76a, 86, 97, 98

AG10 (top of Howard Street) - buses 5, 10a, 20, 24, 25, 43, 44, X17

CS1 (opposite Roebuck Tavern) - buses 5, 10a, 20, 24, 25, 43, 44, 80, X1, X10

CS123 (by roundabout) - buses 1, 11, 11a, 75, 76, 76a, 86, 97, 98

Why doesn't that crazy stop-identification/numbering policy surprise me? Answer to self: Because SYPTE (who masterminded it), couldn't  do anything which might help the public, especially in these far from ideal conditions.

[Andy C 86]

I may have listed one of those stops in the wrong order, here is the map https://travelsouthyorkshire.com/en-gb/news/f1e521f2-f2c4-4289-8914-947fb3628505

[RollingJ 2,026]

Thanks for the link - I still think they've made a pigs ear of it, but that's my biased opinion based on previous experiences with them.

[Cyclecar 24]

My wife needed to visit Boots on the High Street yesterday, for prescriptions and the optician. After noting all these posts, I drove to Norfolk Street to drop her off. Norfolk Street is now a dead end, with consequent U-turns, etc., but it now remains the only road adjacent to the city centre shops, other than the zig zag past John Lewis. 

 

As virus 'restrictions' are eased I can see this becoming a total log jam, as it is also the access for multi storey car parks.

 

All as planned, some will say............

[Andy C 86]

5 hours ago, Cyclecar said:

My wife needed to visit Boots on the High Street yesterday, for prescriptions and the optician. After noting all these posts, I drove to Norfolk Street to drop her off. Norfolk Street is now a dead end, with consequent U-turns, etc., but it now remains the only road adjacent to the city centre shops, other than the zig zag past John Lewis. 

 

As virus 'restrictions' are eased I can see this becoming a total log jam, as it is also the access for multi storey car parks.

 

All as planned, some will say............

To be fair I guess with time people will change habits as they become familiar with the new layout and may choose new favourite spots for drop off or pick up, on the other hand it may not be an issue as there shouldn't be any through traffic on there anymore, just access to businesses and the NCP car park. A potential problem is that on Arundel Gate approaching Castle Square there is now only one lane for traffic as the bus lane has now become the bus stops with the bus laybys now a pedestrian area (the Public Transport Experience blog I follow mentioned that today!  http://publictransportexperience.blogspot.com/2020/06/virus-variety-part-2.html ). There are already reports of the fact that if a bus turns up and has to wait for another bus already occupying the stop to depart then the whole road is now blocked - as well as the quality of the bus travel experience being degraded.

 

The council have maps here: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/roads-pavements/changes-footpaths-highways-covid-19.html

Edited June 17, 2020 by Andy C

[Planner1 437]

4 hours ago, Cyclecar said:

Norfolk Street is now a dead end, with consequent U-turns, etc., but it now remains the only road adjacent to the city centre shops, other than the zig zag past John Lewis. 

 

As virus 'restrictions' are eased I can see this becoming a total log jam, as it is also the access for multi storey car parks.

 

All as planned, some will say............

You’re exaggerating the issue more than a bit. The city centre shops stretch from Haymarket to Moorfoot, so Norfolk St is clearly not the only road adjacent to them.

 

You could have got even closer to Boots on High St by coming up Townhead St and either come down Church St to Vicar Lane and St James Row, or, turn up Campo Lane and come up York St. The point being that there are alternatives if you take the trouble to look.

 

Nope, Norfolk St isn’t an access for multi storey  car parks, it actually serves one only,  the NCP, which is mostly used for contract parking on weekdays and isn’t too popular with shoppers as it is pretty expensive (£4.50 per hour).

Edited June 17, 2020 by Planner1

[Martin C 81]

15 hours ago, Andy C said:

 A potential problem is that on Arundel Gate approaching Castle Square there is now only one lane for traffic as the bus lane has now become the bus stops with the bus laybys now a pedestrian area (the Public Transport Experience blog I follow mentioned that today!  http://publictransportexperience.blogspot.com/2020/06/virus-variety-part-2.html ). There are already reports of the fact that if a bus turns up and has to wait for another bus already occupying the stop to depart then the whole road is now blocked - as well as the quality of the bus travel experience being degraded.

 

That does seem a bit daft. The existing pavement there was reasonably wide so the only benefit of taking over the former bus 'lay-by' seems to be providing an opportunity for the more 'spatially aware' pedestrians to steer an even wider course away from any beggars and assorted lowlife lurking under the covered section

Edited June 18, 2020 by Martin C
quoting without comment

[Resident 1,185]

6 hours ago, Martin C said:

That does seem a bit daft. The existing pavement there was reasonably wide so the only benefit of taking over the former bus 'lay-by' seems to be providing an opportunity for the more 'spatially aware' pedestrians to steer an even wider course away from any beggars and assorted lowlife lurking under the covered section

That pic isn't representative of what they have done. They've created tarmac outcrops which makes me think they're intending this to be more permanent than they're letting on. 

[Martin C 81]

24 minutes ago, Resident said:

That pic isn't representative of what they have done. They've created tarmac outcrops which makes me think they're intending this to be more permanent than they're letting on. 

Yes, I noticed those and thought the same. Though they do sometimes make temporary tarmac 'slopes' to assist wheelchair/pram access where dropped kerbs can't be accessed due to road works etc.

[Andy C 86]

1 hour ago, Resident said:

That pic isn't representative of what they have done. They've created tarmac outcrops which makes me think they're intending this to be more permanent than they're letting on. 

Another picture lifted from the same blog better showing said outcrop, or more perhaps more accurately described as a pile of tarmac dumped between bus stops.

 

If we want Sheffield's public transport system to be a quality option then we really must do better than this!

 

Edited June 18, 2020 by Andy C

[RollingJ 2,026]

8 minutes ago, Andy C said:

Another picture lifted from the same blog better showing said outcrop, or more perhaps more accurately described as a pile of tarmac dumped between bus stops.

 

If we want Sheffield's public transport system to be a quality option then we really must do better than this!

 

I'm sure Planner1  will be along to defend this action, but as you say, they really must do better. To be honest I have no idea what they are trying to do there - bus lay-bye 'coned off', pile of un-compacted tarmac and severely obstructed road.

As I have better things to do than read blogs - especially the dross created by SCC - what road are we on?

[Andy C 86]

44 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

I'm sure Planner1  will be along to defend this action, but as you say, they really must do better. To be honest I have no idea what they are trying to do there - bus lay-bye 'coned off', pile of un-compacted tarmac and severely obstructed road.

As I have better things to do than read blogs - especially the dross created by SCC - what road are we on?

The blog is a public transport experience blog by a retired guy (with experience both in the industry and as a passenger) that lives in Seaton but retains an interest in Sheffield as he went to University here.

 

Its Arundel Gate.

 

It does frustrate me that the council and politicians lecture bus companies about the service they provide yet do things like this! Is there any point in operators investing in modern buses when the roads and stops are substandard?

Edited June 18, 2020 by Andy C