1 Just discovered our local bus, the 76, has some electric hybrid
Volvos, those weird buses where the diesel engine cuts out at stops.
They are not that quiet though with the main engine running but a huge
improvement over the appalling Volvos that seem to be elsewhere now -
there is a God.

2 What's happening at Whitechapel - the outer platforms have been fenced
off.

3 Is the bus station and south entrance at Dalston Junction ever likely
to open? Could it be when the Highbury link starts?

4 Was on a business trip to Lyon last week and went on the metro - on
one line there are driverless trains and the tunnels are totally dark -
no signals or lights. It's like riding into a universe of dark matter
until you see a station ahead.

5 And at Heathrow terminal 5 business parking they are testing little
pod transporters - not ready yet so couldn't go on it but they are very
dinky.

E.

In article ,
Paul Corfield wrote:

On Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:59:32 +0000, eastender wrote:

Yes new Volvo B5L hybrids. 20 of them for route 76.

20 - that's good. Do you know why the 76 was chosen for them? I noticed
that the noisy Volvos had been diluted with Dennis and Wright types
anyway in recent weeks.

I fail to see why the entrance could not be opened with
appropriate guarding to keep people off the bus station area.

Yes,this is very annoying and possibly dangerous, as the narrow and
uneven pavement at Kingsland Rd/Dalston Lane is getting very crowded
with people heading for both the train and the bus stops outside the
main station entrance.

This is a very bad junction generally - a cyclist was crushed under a
truck the other day and we now have a ghost bike on the railings at the
crowded corner. The street/pavemeent infrastructure looks to have been
totally ignored in the Dalston plans.

E.

"Paul Corfield" wrote in message


This is a very bad junction generally - a cyclist was crushed under a
truck the other day and we now have a ghost bike on the railings at
the crowded corner. The street/pavemeent infrastructure looks to
have been totally ignored in the Dalston plans.

I thought there was a scheme to remodel the area outside both Dalston
stations - funded by Hackney Council and TfL?

checks

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj...mes/17464.aspx

But that doesn't touch the place you're referring to.

I think the big problem is that the junction is simply under capacity
for the volume of pedestrians and traffic. You could widen the
pavements into the carriageway but that would cause massive traffic
congestion and it's already pretty awful as you'll know better than
me. The alternative might be to knock down some more of the buildings
at the junction but I can't see that being popular.

I wonder if things will improve once the ELL H&I extension opens, and
fewer people will be entering and exiting at dalston Junction station?

In article ,
"Recliner" wrote:


I wonder if things will improve once the ELL H&I extension opens, and
fewer people will be entering and exiting at dalston Junction station?

I think it will get worse - there are what, five bus services at least
stopping outside DJ and no doubt a lot will use it as an interchange
rather than going on the 30/277 to Highbury Corner.

What will make a difference is opening the south entrance to folk like
us coming from that direction.

E.