TfL have just posted details of bus service changes for May, at:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/livetra...ce-changes.pdf

Scroll down to page 8, and note that (after the General and local elections)
the evening and Sunday service on route 464 is reduced from half-hourly to
hourly.

Other than seasonal service withdrawals (Lee Valley camp site, Hampton Court
etc), this is the first real 'cut' of a route or frequency* that I have seen
for, probably, years.

The first of many, I suspect.

Chris

*Also excluding Bendy conversions which reduced frequency, but not overall
capacity, allegedly.

"Paul Corfield" wrote:

However we are clearly not in the halcyon days of about 7-8 years ago when
considerable
improvement was being made.

The days of living beyond our means, both in London and nationally, are
drawing to a close. Although you wouldn't think that from the promises being
made by our politicians - of all parties.

Chris

Chris Read wrote:
"Paul Corfield" wrote:

However we are clearly not in the halcyon days of about 7-8 years ago when
considerable
improvement was being made.

The days of living beyond our means, both in London and nationally, are
drawing to a close. Although you wouldn't think that from the promises being
made by our politicians - of all parties.

Chris


I have two problems with this:

a) the almost lascivious tone adopted by people who use it - hides the
issue, which is a drop in tax revenue caused by recession, not overspending
b) the lack of any appreciation that public subsidy and investment (say,
in public transport) is wealth *creating*, if done right. See East
London Line, Crossrail etc.

I notice, however, that Wrightbus of Northern Ireland are in line to
build another 84 double deckers in the bendy replacement programme for
this year's two routes alone, so the days of living beyond our means
aren't over for everyone, are they?

Quite apart from the £11.4m on five Borimasters no one can afford to crew.

Tom

"Tom Barry" wrote:

Chris Read wrote:

The days of living beyond our means, both in London and nationally, are
drawing to a close. Although you wouldn't think that from the promises
being made by our politicians - of all parties.

Chris

I have two problems with this:

a) the almost lascivious tone adopted by people who use it - hides the
issue, which is a drop in tax revenue caused by recession, not
overspending

Except that we were running a budget deficit *before* the recession hit tax
revenues. That is the unfortunate truth, whether stated in lascivious tones
or otherwise.

b) the lack of any appreciation that public subsidy and investment (say,
in public transport) is wealth *creating*, if done right. See East London
Line, Crossrail etc.

I don't dispute that infrastructure improvements can be wealth creating, and
there is a good case to push ahead with these during recession, because you
can normally get the jobs done for better prices, in addition to protecting
employment. I don't accept, however, that *all* public spending is
'investment'.

I notice, however, that Wrightbus of Northern Ireland are in line to build
another 84 double deckers in the bendy replacement programme for this
year's two routes alone, so the days of living beyond our means aren't
over for everyone, are they?

Quite apart from the £11.4m on five Borimasters no one can afford to crew.

I don't dispute any of that, either. Bendys appeal to me as a bus
passenger - less so as a pedestrian, frustrated by Bendy junction-blocking.
They should have been allowed to reach the end of their useful lives,
whereupon various options for replacement could have been considered.
Bendy-phobia was not a 100% right wing phenomenon, of course.

Chris

This is nothing compared to the NYC MTA cuts .

http://mta.info/news/stories/?story=24

On Sun, 2 May 2010 20:26:05 +0100, "Chris Read"
wrote:

I don't dispute any of that, either. Bendys appeal to me as a bus
passenger - less so as a pedestrian, frustrated by Bendy junction-blocking.
They should have been allowed to reach the end of their useful lives,
whereupon various options for replacement could have been considered.

They won't have been wasted, as they'll end up being used elsewhere,
perhaps airports.

Indeed, the frequent replacement of London's bus fleet has benefitted
elsewhere in the country by providing a ready supply of newish
low-floor buses at far less than the new price.

Neil
--
Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK
To reply put my first name before the at.

On 02/05/2010 13:02, Chris Read wrote:

Other than seasonal service withdrawals (Lee Valley camp site, Hampton Court
etc), this is the first real 'cut' of a route or frequency* that I have seen
for, probably, years.

necroequineflagellation

Not been to the Croydon - Sutton area at night lately?

--
Arthur Figgis

On May 3, 2:07*pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 2 May 2010 20:14:22 -0700 (PDT), "

wrote:
This is nothing compared to the NYC MTA cuts .

http://mta.info/news/stories/?story=24

I would agree. Having ploughed my way through the various documents some
of the cutbacks look very serious indeed. *Others, though, may look
savage on a map but if the numbers of riders is as low as stated then I
am frankly surprised they've lasted quite as long as they have.

I note there has been a lot of responses to the proposals - what is the
reaction from New Yorkers? * Is the MTA back to the bad old days of
being bust and not being able to spend money to keep the vehicles and
infrastructure in shape?
--
Paul C

It seems to be a nationwide problem . Chicago L A have Increased fares
and did similar cuts. Yes there is a big outcry I live near the north
end of the new M train have to use different cars going from 8 75'
cars to 8 60' cars because the platforms cant accommodate the longer
trains between Essex st and Metropolitan and the 75' cars cant handle
the curve at the brooklyn end of the williamsburgh bridge