Does anyone have any info or speculation on what buses might run along
Exhibition Road and how well that might work given the proposed plans?
http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/110 might be useful as a bit of
shameless self-promotion.

They'll introduce buses once they've removed the street furniture, in an
effort to kill off even more students. Even better, stick bendies on it
and they can kill cycling students as well... K&C presumably don't like
all these students dropping their council tax income .

I can see the present routes down Queen's Gate being diverted to
Exhibition Road, particularly as K&C and Westminster repainted the bus
stops on Queen's Gate with parking spaces a while ago[1]. If they
introduced buses after removing street furniture, the former pavements
on Ex. Road would probably become parking spaces, leaving plenty of room
for bus stops[2].

The 70 drops me off right where I want to be at the moment, so I hope
they don't reroute that!

Is Queen's Gate - Prince Consort Road - Ex. Road viable? An extra stop
outside the Royal Albert Hall as well perhaps?

[1] Sadly, the bus stop flag outside Huxley building is also behind a
tree, so new Thorpes drivers tend to go sailing past then slam on the
brakes a bit down the road after shouts of "Oi mate, stop!" and "'Ang on
mate, you missed one!".

[2] Removing pavements seems to free up an awful lot more room for
parking spaces... Just a thought.

--
Ashley

Ashley Brown wrote:
Does anyone have any info or speculation on what buses might run along
Exhibition Road and how well that might work given the proposed plans?
http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/110 might be useful as a bit
of shameless self-promotion.

They'll introduce buses once they've removed the street furniture, in an
effort to kill off even more students. Even better, stick bendies on it
and they can kill cycling students as well... K&C presumably don't like
all these students dropping their council tax income .

I can see the present routes down Queen's Gate being diverted to
Exhibition Road, particularly as K&C and Westminster repainted the bus
stops on Queen's Gate with parking spaces a while ago[1]. If they
introduced buses after removing street furniture, the former pavements
on Ex. Road would probably become parking spaces, leaving plenty of room
for bus stops[2].

The 70 drops me off right where I want to be at the moment, so I hope
they don't reroute that!

Is Queen's Gate - Prince Consort Road - Ex. Road viable? An extra stop
outside the Royal Albert Hall as well perhaps?

I don't think right turns are currently permitted from Prince Consort
Road to Exhibition Road, although if they're undressing the street then
I guess that ban will disappear.

AFAIR, a right turn from Kensington Gore into Exhibition Road is
possible although rather annoying for buses in the same way as the
Harrington Road / Queen's Gate junction where vehicles pass
offside-offside - meaning a bus turning north tends to get stuck next to
a Range Rover turning south as they find it difficult to maneouvre past
each other. (I know whose side I'm on...)

[1] Sadly, the bus stop flag outside Huxley building is also behind a
tree, so new Thorpes drivers tend to go sailing past then slam on the
brakes a bit down the road after shouts of "Oi mate, stop!" and "'Ang on
mate, you missed one!".

And if you pick up a 360 from there, you have to step out past the
parked cars to make sure they can actually see you. Mind you, at least
now the buses don't have to pull in awkwardly amongst the cars, they can
depart more quickly. Not so good for any infirm passengers though.

[2] Removing pavements seems to free up an awful lot more room for
parking spaces... Just a thought.

How cynical :-) I don't think it really provides any new room for
parking spaces, if the street layout is to actually work.

Incidentally there was yet another taxi/pedestrian/zebra crossing
incident today, this time on the Queen's Gate crossing rather than the
Prince Consort Road one. I'm not sure if it was a student involved this
time.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

Is Queen's Gate - Prince Consort Road - Ex. Road viable? An extra
stop outside the Royal Albert Hall as well perhaps?

I don't think right turns are currently permitted from Prince Consort
Road to Exhibition Road, although if they're undressing the street then
I guess that ban will disappear.

This is true - Kensington Gore provides convenient access to the RAH, so
they may not want to use it anyway.

AFAIR, a right turn from Kensington Gore into Exhibition Road is
possible although rather annoying for buses in the same way as the
Harrington Road / Queen's Gate junction where vehicles pass
offside-offside - meaning a bus turning north tends to get stuck next to
a Range Rover turning south as they find it difficult to maneouvre past
each other. (I know whose side I'm on...)

I feel a junction modification coming on... Or a bus modification - I've
always been a fan of a big rubber bumper all round the bus to push
things out of the way .

And if you pick up a 360 from there, you have to step out past the
parked cars to make sure they can actually see you.

Assuming you don't get hit by a Range Rover when stepping out, with your
vision obscured by parked white vans (and aforementioned tree).

[2] Removing pavements seems to free up an awful lot more room for
parking spaces... Just a thought.

How cynical :-) I don't think it really provides any new room for
parking spaces, if the street layout is to actually work.

I'm going to reserve judgement on this one. I can see a situation where
they decide half way through that it's costing too much, so they put
parking spaces back into the design to help cover it.

Incidentally there was yet another taxi/pedestrian/zebra crossing
incident today, this time on the Queen's Gate crossing rather than the
Prince Consort Road one. I'm not sure if it was a student involved this
time.

Any citizens' arrest this time?[1] I quite often take a step back and
wave taxis through if I'm the only person at the crossing there.

[1] After a low-speed student vs taxi collision on the zebra crossing on
Prince Consort Road, the taxi driver attempted to place the student
under arrest.

Ashley Brown wrote:
Is Queen's Gate - Prince Consort Road - Ex. Road viable? An extra
stop outside the Royal Albert Hall as well perhaps?
(snip)
AFAIR, a right turn from Kensington Gore into Exhibition Road is
possible although rather annoying for buses in the same way as the
Harrington Road / Queen's Gate junction where vehicles pass
offside-offside - meaning a bus turning north tends to get stuck next
to a Range Rover turning south as they find it difficult to maneouvre
past each other. (I know whose side I'm on...)

I feel a junction modification coming on... Or a bus modification - I've
always been a fan of a big rubber bumper all round the bus to push
things out of the way .

As long as it can push Range Rovers out the way. Bus-mounted ballistics
might be more effective; whoever sits on the top deck at the front can
man a turret. If that doesn't get people on the buses, I don't know what
will...

(snip)
Incidentally there was yet another taxi/pedestrian/zebra crossing
incident today, this time on the Queen's Gate crossing rather than the
Prince Consort Road one. I'm not sure if it was a student involved
this time.

Any citizens' arrest this time?[1] I quite often take a step back and
wave taxis through if I'm the only person at the crossing there.

Not this time AFAIK. I'm afraid I believe in absolute pedestrian
priority at zebra crossings (these London drivers need to be trained to
stop!), so I only don't step out if I feel my life would be in danger if
I did so... I usually wave thanks to taxis letting me cross though.

I used to be a bit paranoid at zebra crossings as a few years ago as a
driver, I stopped at a zebra crossing to let a lady cross but the van
behind me didn't, and shunted me all the way across the crossing.
Luckily the lady hadn't stepped out, otherwise she'd have been very
badly hurt. Unfortunately, in London, if you just wait at a zebra
crossing, often drivers just don't bother stopping - hence the need for
them to be "taught" to be ready to stop...

Similarly crossing at crossroads where pedestrians are not protected on
a phase, I will always cross unless someone is indicating to turn. If
they don't indicate then they can just wait!

Some of the crossings where pedestrians have a protected phase that is
independent from the crossroad traffic lights and set back from them
(like Queen's Gate / Cromwell Road) can be quite dangerous, as some
drivers just assume the red light is for traffic heading straight on and
doesn't apply to them.

[1] After a low-speed student vs taxi collision on the zebra crossing on
Prince Consort Road, the taxi driver attempted to place the student
under arrest.

I still can't quite envisage how that happened. I'm inclined to think
the student was pratting around, but then the taxi should have been
travelling at an appropriate speed *not* to hit him.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005, Dave Arquati wrote:

[1] After a low-speed student vs taxi collision on the zebra crossing on
Prince Consort Road, the taxi driver attempted to place the student under
arrest.

I still can't quite envisage how that happened. I'm inclined to think the
student was pratting around, but then the taxi should have been travelling at
an appropriate speed *not* to hit him.


I've almost been hit on Prince Consort Road where empty taxis (and cars)
speed
up when somone starts to cross (to get passed before the pedestrian?).
Taxis with customers in seem to stop though


--
Chris

Laycock, Christopher wrote:


On Thu, 10 Feb 2005, Dave Arquati wrote:

[1] After a low-speed student vs taxi collision on the zebra crossing
on Prince Consort Road, the taxi driver attempted to place the
student under arrest.


I still can't quite envisage how that happened. I'm inclined to think
the student was pratting around, but then the taxi should have been
travelling at an appropriate speed *not* to hit him.


I've almost been hit on Prince Consort Road where empty taxis (and cars)
speed up when somone starts to cross (to get passed before the
pedestrian?). Taxis with customers in seem to stop though

Interesting... I sense a scientific experiment coming on.

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

Ashley Brown wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 10 Feb 2005:

[1] Sadly, the bus stop flag outside Huxley building is also behind a
tree, so new Thorpes drivers tend to go sailing past then slam on the
brakes a bit down the road after shouts of "Oi mate, stop!" and "'Ang on
mate, you missed one!".

You mean they actually do that? If drivers on any of the routes I go on
sail past a stop where people might have wanted to get off, they just
say "tough" and carry on to the next stop. It's all right for me, but
for those who have trouble walking, it's a long way back to the
supermarket (which is where this usually happens, as there's often a
delivery lorry parked either side of the bus-stop, making the latter
impossible to see unless you know it's there).
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 23 January 2005 with new photos

[1] Sadly, the bus stop flag outside Huxley building is also behind a
tree, so new Thorpes drivers tend to go sailing past then slam on the
brakes a bit down the road after shouts of "Oi mate, stop!" and "'Ang on
mate, you missed one!".

You mean they actually do that? If drivers on any of the routes I go on
sail past a stop where people might have wanted to get off, they just
say "tough" and carry on to the next stop.

They see the stop at the very last minute - you have to yell while
they're still thinking about whether to slam on the brakes or not. It
tips the balance in favour of pulling up a short way down the road most
of the time.

Most of the Thorpes drivers I've encountered seem to drive a bit fast,
but have a good amount of common sense when it comes to passengers. One
did manage to drive off with the rear doors open (which I thought wasn't
possible until that point), but thankfully ringing the bell quickly woke
him up.

--
Ashley

Ashley Brown wrote:
[1] Sadly, the bus stop flag outside Huxley building is also behind a
tree, so new Thorpes drivers tend to go sailing past then slam on the
brakes a bit down the road after shouts of "Oi mate, stop!" and "'Ang on
mate, you missed one!".


You mean they actually do that? If drivers on any of the routes I go on
sail past a stop where people might have wanted to get off, they just
say "tough" and carry on to the next stop.


They see the stop at the very last minute - you have to yell while
they're still thinking about whether to slam on the brakes or not. It
tips the balance in favour of pulling up a short way down the road most
of the time.

Most of the Thorpes drivers I've encountered seem to drive a bit fast,
but have a good amount of common sense when it comes to passengers. One
did manage to drive off with the rear doors open (which I thought wasn't
possible until that point), but thankfully ringing the bell quickly woke
him up.

I've noticed the fast driving too. It's quite exciting on the way down
Kensington Church St sometimes!

--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

Most of the Thorpes drivers I've encountered seem to drive a bit fast,
[snip]
I've noticed the fast driving too. It's quite exciting on the way down
Kensington Church St sometimes!

The "S" on Church St is quite amusing, particularly on the 52. I've seen
many people fall over one way, then back the other because they weren't
holding on tight enough when the bus takes it at speed (not so funny
when said people fall onto you).