South Yorkshire Bus Service Needs Improvement

[RollingJ 1,974]

4 minutes ago, Michael_N said:

Pretty much. Says a lot when even Meadowhall is better connected and catered by public transport than the city centre. SCC seem hell bent on turning all roads into cycle ways... How long before the Parkway has 1 lane removed for a cycle super highway?  

Don't give 'em ideas, you never know, they might think that is a good idea - although think and SCC and its overlord don't quite gel.

[Baron99 772]

The recently closed off roads / pedestrianised bits like the end of Surrey St & Norfolk Row wouldn't look half so bad if ornate gates were used to stop vehicle access rather than those ugly concrete blocks but I suppose they're also to protect the pedestrians from terrorist vehicle attack?

 

It's a shame that wedding parties are now unable to pull up outside the main Town Hall entrance.  I suppose that the concrete blocks on Surrey St would only be lifted for the likes of a Royal visit? 

 

[RollingJ 1,974]

2 minutes ago, Baron99 said:

The recently closed off roads / pedestrianised bits like the end of Surrey St & Norfolk Row wouldn't look half so bad if ornate gates were used to stop vehicle access rather than those ugly concrete blocks but I suppose they're also to protect the pedestrians from terrorist vehicle attack?

 

It's a shame that wedding parties are now unable to pull up outside the main Town Hall entrance.  I suppose that the concrete blocks on Surrey St would only be lifted for the likes of a Royal visit? 

 

I sincerely hope those ugly things are permanently removed in the not too distant future - the whole city centre looks like a badly organised  building site at the moment - certainly doesn't encourage me to visit it unless absolutely essential.

[Planner1 427]

33 minutes ago, Michael_N said:

Pretty much. Says a lot when even Meadowhall is better connected and catered by public transport than the city centre. SCC seem hell bent on turning all roads into cycle ways... How long before the Parkway has 1 lane removed for a cycle super highway?  

The city centre isn’t any less well connected than it was before. The bus routing and stops have moved a bit, that’s all. 
 

SCC are doing the same as every other city in making the city centre more people friendly and easier to get around on foot or by bike. If we are going to meet the very demanding carbon reduction (and air quality) targets that have been set, we are going to have to change the way we travel for some journeys. SCC are putting the facilities in place to help that happen, just like everywhere else ( because that’s what central government wants and they are giving councils the money to do it) 

[RollingJ 1,974]

@Planner1- see my comments just above your post - and I am not the only one with these thoughts, believe me.

[Planner1 427]

22 minutes ago, RollingJ said:

@Planner1- see my comments just above your post - and I am not the only one with these thoughts, believe me.

So what would you like? The council to not put those blocks in place and leave the centre vulnerable to terrorist attack? I’m afraid “ornate gates” aren’t going to work if, as they have done elsewhere, attackers decide to try to hit people with an HGV. To stop those you need something very solid.

 

This kind of thing is just a factor of modern life in city centres everywhere. Doesn’t look great but not something I would even think about when deciding whether or not to come into town.

 

Yes, parts of the city centre have a lot of building work going on. You heard the one about omelettes and eggs? When a lot of change is happening, there’s usually a bit of disturbance and inconvenience in the process. 

[RollingJ 1,974]

6 hours ago, Planner1 said:

So what would you like? The council to not put those blocks in place and leave the centre vulnerable to terrorist attack? I’m afraid “ornate gates” aren’t going to work if, as they have done elsewhere, attackers decide to try to hit people with an HGV. To stop those you need something very solid.

 

This kind of thing is just a factor of modern life in city centres everywhere. Doesn’t look great but not something I would even think about when deciding whether or not to come into town.

 

Yes, parts of the city centre have a lot of building work going on. You heard the one about omelettes and eggs? When a lot of change is happening, there’s usually a bit of disturbance and inconvenience in the process. 

What are the current official terrorists threat levels? I didn't suggest 'ornate gates' - think that was another poster?

 

So what do you think about when deciding to visit the city centre - how easy it is to mow down a few pedestrians whilst on your bike?🙂

 

I am aware there is a considerable amount of building work going on - nothing against that, as the sites actually look quite tidy - I was referring to the - as you claim - 'terrorist 'deterrents' which are not that 'people friendly' if you happen to have sight/mobility problems.

Edited April 15, 2021 by RollingJ

[Andy C 85]

On 15/04/2021 at 13:35, Planner1 said:

The city centre isn’t any less well connected than it was before. The bus routing and stops have moved a bit, that’s all. 
 

SCC are doing the same as every other city in making the city centre more people friendly and easier to get around on foot or by bike. If we are going to meet the very demanding carbon reduction (and air quality) targets that have been set, we are going to have to change the way we travel for some journeys. SCC are putting the facilities in place to help that happen, just like everywhere else ( because that’s what central government wants and they are giving councils the money to do it) 

concern I have at the moment is people should be encouraged to use public transport for environmental reasons but it is being made less attractive - buses have gone from having a quality facility in an attractive location by the Peace Gardens (spacious pavement, well lit, large bus shelters with seats, electronic departure boards and timetable information on a road suitable for buses) to having to navigate difficultly around Carver Street, Division Street and Rockingham Street and serve temporary stops with no facilities in what feels almost like a dark, unsafe back alley away from anywhere at the bottom of Rockingham Street.

 

The council really should have had a plan to create proper route and facilities for buses when they decided to close off Pinstone Street and Leopold Street, it appears that regularly changing temporary facilities will be a feature for a few years until the new alleged "quality bus hub" is constructed at the top of Rockingham Street, all the time whilst the council and B.I.D. seem to enthusiastically promote discounted car parking in the many multi-storey car parks the council gave planning permission to.

 

This seems to confirm the findings in the bus report that the council was using the fact that SYPTE looks after public transport to shirk their own responsibility to consider the needs of bus users in their own planning in terms of infrastructure etc, which they committed to do as a member of the bus partnership yet councillors seem happy to publicly criticise the bus operators whose services have suffered.

Edited April 16, 2021 by Andy C

[RollingJ 1,974]

Sounds about right, @Andy C - proper, joined up, co-ordinated planning by all the concerned bodies - not!!

[Michael_N 36]

20 minutes ago, Andy C said:

concern I have at the moment is people should be encouraged to use public transport for environmental reasons but it is being made less attractive - buses have gone from having a quality facility in an attractive location by the Peace Gardens (spacious pavement, well lit, large bus shelters with seats, electronic departure boards and timetable information on a road suitable for buses) to having to navigate difficultly around Carver Street, Division Street and Rockingham Street and serve temporary stops with no facilities in what feels almost like a dark, unsafe back alley away from anywhere at the bottom of Rockingham Street.

 

The council really should have had a plan to create proper route and facilities for buses when they decided to close off Pinstone Street and Leopold Street, it appears that regularly changing temporary facilities will be a feature for a few years until the new alleged "quality bus hub" is constructed at the top of Rockingham Street, all the time whilst the council and B.I.D. seem to enthusiastically promote discounted car parking in the many multi-storey car parks the council gave planning permission to.

 

This seems to confirm the findings in the bus report that the council was using the fact that SYPTE looks after public transport to shirk their own responsibility to consider the needs of bus users in their own planning in terms of infrastructure etc, which they committed to do as a member of the bus partnership yet councillors seem happy to publicly criticise the bus operators whose services have suffered.

Bang on. Quality response and what many are thinking. This is the reason why many now don't find travelling into town appealing. 

[Baron99 772]

1 hour ago, Andy C said:

concern I have at the moment is people should be encouraged to use public transport for environmental reasons but it is being made less attractive - buses have gone from having a quality facility in an attractive location by the Peace Gardens (spacious pavement, well lit, large bus shelters with seats, electronic departure boards and timetable information on a road suitable for buses) to having to navigate difficultly around Carver Street, Division Street and Rockingham Street and serve temporary stops with no facilities in what feels almost like a dark, unsafe back alley away from anywhere at the bottom of Rockingham Street.

 

The council really should have had a plan to create proper route and facilities for buses when they decided to close off Pinstone Street and Leopold Street, it appears that regularly changing temporary facilities will be a feature for a few years until the new alleged "quality bus hub" is constructed at the top of Rockingham Street, all the time whilst the council and B.I.D. seem to enthusiastically promote discounted car parking in the many multi-storey car parks the council gave planning permission to.

 

This seems to confirm the findings in the bus report that the council was using the fact that SYPTE looks after public transport to shirk their own responsibility to consider the needs of bus users in their own planning in terms of infrastructure etc, which they committed to do as a member of the bus partnership yet councillors seem happy to publicly criticise the bus operators whose services have suffered.

My bold. 

 

The buses that generally serve the south side of the city, which used to have stops in the High St, Leopold St, Peace Gardens, (as you state, with proper bus shelters, etc), such as the 75; 76; 97; 98 and all the 80's, now have to stand on Arundel Gate, just after the O2 building with no coverings or bus information.  This has been like this since around June last year, plenty of time to provide such facilities.  Hardly conducive to the customer experience. 

 

In the meantime, on the other side of Arundel Gate, where the pavement ls were already a good 20 feet wide, whoever is responsible, has seen fit to basically remove one lane by adding red & white ballads & extend the pavement out into the road at most stops to meet buses at their stops.  Great idea, except when one bus pulls up, meaning that a second bus, trying to pulling into the stop after, then has to wait along with impatient passengers behind the first bus, because the driver can't let passengers off due to the ballads blocking their exit.   

 

Brilliant thought out planning all round.  In one fell swoop, managed to inconvenience both passengers, buses & add to the traffic congestion problems on Arundel Gate. 

 

I can understand that SCC are probably, purposely trying to discourage the motorist from driving through the city centre but to also seemingly wanting to discourage public transport operators & the vast majority of Sheffield citizens who rely on buses to get them to places where they actually want to be & on time, seems perverse? 

[Resident 1,180]

I've said it before and I'll say it again after today. 

We may need better buses but buses need better passengers. 

Today I got an X5 at the interchange. Whilst I was waiting there was a woman moaning that the last driver drove off without her. Bad form on the driver I hear you thinking. What she said next dropped my jaw.

"I was only a minute late I don't see why he couldn't have stopped at the junction and let me on".

I've since found out that the missed bus actually left the bus stand bang in time.

How are the drivers and the companies meant to win in Sheffield? 

They're late - They're crap
They don't turn up  - They're crap

They turn up and operate on time - They're crap 

 

😑