Closing Roads To Traffic & Widening Pavements For Social Distancing

[Martin C]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[RollingJ]

16 minutes ago, Andy C said:

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?

OK, thanks @Andy C- I do have that blog saved in my links, so I'll have a read later.

 

The problem with most councils and politicians is they live in a world far removed from real life - their only intention is to hold onto 'power' by appearing to satisfy the current perceived issues, without considering their wider impacts - even just a few months down the line.

Edited June 18, 2020 by RollingJ

[RollingJ]

Forgotten how entertaining that blog is, but I have set myself a reminder to check it every couple of days.

[Planner1]

8 hours 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?

Sooooo, let me get this right.

 

You haven’t got a clue where the photo is taken

 

You haven’t got a clue why it is being done ( despite posting on a thread called “Closing roads to traffic and widening footways for social distancing” )

 

You haven’t got a clue what is actually being built there.

 

Yet you feel the need to slate the council for it and say they need to do it better.

 

Hmmmm.

 

Lets start at the beginning.

 

The works being done around the city centre are temporary, emergency works, funded by the government,  being done to help with social distancing and to encourage people to keep walking and cycling.
 

There isn’t a great deal of space under the colonnades at that location for people to:

• Queue outside the shops
• Queue for the buses
• Get past the people queuing 

So, the council have temporarily taken the adjacent bus bay out of use, so it can be used by people waiting for buses, which frees up some space under the colonnades.

 

You clearly haven’t considered that the tarmac in question might be the first part of a bigger piece of work. It’s not finished yet and you’re already complaining!

 

What facilities  do they normally have at bus stops, to help folk get on and off the bus? Raised footway and kerbs, to form what is known as a “bus boarder” That’s exactly what they are building. There will be some temporary kerbs installed  along the old edge of the bus bay at the end of these raised areas. The PTE will be installing some markings on the ground at the stops to show people where to queue at suitable distances apart.
 

It must be emphasised that these are very temporary installations which are being put in as a response to an extraordinary situation. You therefore would not expect them to be built to the same standard as a permanent installation. They don’t have to be pretty, they just need to be safe and functional.

 

8 hours 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 really expected better from someone like yourself who has knowledge of the bus industry and normally posts quite sensibly on here.

 

The thought didn’t occur to you that they are In the process of building bus boarders and making space so people can wait for the bus and stay a safe distance from others?

[RollingJ]

@Planner1Your comments are noted, and I will respond later - I have other things to do tonight.