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| absolutely definitely Purley in December 2019, zero doubts at all disasters before November |
Routes 439/S2 tender awards delayed back to coincide with other Sutton routes rather than being awarded not long ago around July wasn't suspicious per se as it was a sign of some change of plan in the consultation. Boy oh boy is there changes.
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| Sutton in 2009 |
The people of Cheam and Ewell receive an uplift in service from every 30 but no Sunday service to every 20 plus a Sunday service, except it's no longer called 470 but will be S2, and won't go further than St. Helier. Whilst 470 was undoubtedly indirect to Morden (for the Northern Line) let alone Colliers Wood which it's the only route to link to from the areas it serves for now.
The S4 I'm surprised but equally not impressed that it was changed. From a perfect split with S2/S4 both terminating in Belmont to S4 being truncated west of Sutton but keeping it's eastern extension to Waddon Marsh it largely retains it's original routeing.
As for 80 being truncated from Highdown and Downview, or if we're being honest Belmont Prisons, was losing a very frequent every 8 service to-be-DoubleDeck into an every 20 single deck route so was understandable as short as the distance may be, to the common people that's what we kids call a violation.
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| The disaster that brought Sutton to bring the pikes |
The 164 was only an extension so had nothing to lose so of course it was going through. Conversely S1 had some points raised on it losing a bit of closer access in favour of making it more direct, minor on a map it may be.
Small route S3 was the most vocal opposition out of the lot and understandably so with it's Sutton Common reroute taking out an eye watering amount of roads out, not to mention being curtailed south at Sutton Station, contrast to currently going to Sutton Hospital which the consultation's focus in Sutton is to improve hospital links. This is clearly detrimental. Of course Sutton weren't having it.
Yet it's still being rerouted in Sutton Common but they've silenced a few groups and some comments quelled at the least.
As a result of the above, 413 won't go Belmont as S3 will remain there. Puts vehicle size concern to bed now.
Likewise, as a result of S3's reroute in Sutton Common away from side roads, it is 470 who picks up Marlborough Road through Dibden Road and Stayton Road away from S3 which would be a slight bit more direct by being a lot less convoluted. Thus 470 is even more local.
Croydon
Meanwhile, the 166/312/455. The 312 is going Old Lodge Lane. The 455 is going bye bye. The 439 and 443 will be as planned.
The 166 however was amended so it isn't double running Purley Station like the 455 does now, whereas 312 wouldn't provide that. So for the people that do use the 455 from Old Lodge lose that handy and close door to station link which is convenient, but past term come next year. On the other hand, the long distance 166 users will have a slowdown in journey time coupled with extra traffic along the approach into/out of Purley's gyratory.
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| TLDR no 166 South Croydon Station. See 166 stop list. |
I mentioned S3 and Sutton Hospital. I wish the same were true for 166 and Purley Hospital because, well frankly however many comments were raised it dwarfed in comparison to Sutton. Fair play.
Though I doubt investigations to use Christchurch Road to cut from Pampisford Road directly onto Brighton Road to serve Purley's town properly as it does now would be done by the time the changes take full effect but that would be some positive icing on the cake of woes.
The woes addressed however were the Park Lane reroute one, the routeing currently belonging to 455 which allows it to closer serve South Croydon Station and serve a quicker (for 403) routeing bypassing Croydon town centre straight to Fairfield Halls. Without doubt 166 has a strong userbase in Croydon town centre so that was a misstep not taken, to my surprise once again.
All I can say besides 166/312 is repeating that Waddon Marsh suddenly receiving two routes to stop and stand at Sainsbury's stop is doubtlessly an apology to taking away the 289/455 double run there, as much as it saved a bus off their PVRs, it also made shopping at the retail park that much harder.
If you put me in charge as if I'm in Cities in Motion or Cities Skylines, then my plan of attack so to speak is this:
151: No evening service, see N213.
166: West Croydon - Banstead (every 15/30 M-Sun/eve) - Epsom General Hospital (every 30 M-Sun+eve)
312: Norwood Junction - East Croydon - Sanderstead - Purley (every 15/20 M-Sun/eve)
403: Sutton - West Croydon - Warlingham
405: West Croydon - Redhill (every 12/15/20 MSat/Sun/eve)
407: West Croydon - Caterham
433: Croydon Old Town - East Croydon - Addington Village (every 12/15/20 MSat/Sun/eve)
439: Waddon Marsh - Denning Ave - Pampisford Rd - Purley - Higher Drive - Whyteleafe - Caterham-on-the-Hill (every 30)
455: Purley Old Lodge Lane - Brighton Rd - West Croydon - Thornton Heath - Norbury - Norbury Hill - Norwood Crown Point - Central Hill - Salters Hill - Gipsy Hill - Crystal Palace (every 12/15/20 MSat/Sun/eve)
645: Purley - Pampisford Rd - W. Croydon - Waddon - Waddon Marsh - Roundshaw - Wallington. Total 2 trips AM+PM.
S4: Sutton - Roundshaw - Waddon Marsh - West Croydon
X26: every 15/15/30/60 MSat/Sun/eve/night
N213: Kingston - Sutton (every 15 evenings, 30 night) - via 151 to Wallington (every 15 evenings, 60 night)
As much as I've implied no limits, I can't deny that in this context of cost saving it's much cheaper keeping an established routeing than going on roads that don't have services, as beneficial as it would be.
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| Exhibit A: Sutton |
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| Exhibit B: Purley |
Then my vehicles of choice for 455 would be articulated single deckers because Old Lodge Lane has always had a low bridge, and since it always had a service something would've been done about it if it was feasible. Lowering road heights has been done in areas, Wallington Station not far away is one example. Whereas 166 could probably join but if giving a frequency increase it'd be cost effective to keep the existing allocation, as much as bigger vehicles would bring even more capacity and thus potential for more patronage.
Though the plan roadblock would be Old Lodge Lane where 10.8m Streetlites can't make the U-turn but 10.8m Enviro200s can, so it might not exactly be feasible, whilst 166 could probably be brute forced. Either way, I would brute force one and if given a one over the other option, the 14 mile long 166 it is.
As for 312, well, 412 already has doubles, 312 in it's South Croydon Bus Garage form can take doubles, the answer is without doubt, double deckers.
...
I guess as an addendum the 410 consultation that came in September alongside what is basically a 497 death message.
Whilst the double runs of Towpath Way and Christie Drive are minor inconveniences, it's not something that couldn't have been done. One stop each near Davidson Road but placed on those 'double runs' because really, inconvenient space to do so without upsetting even more car owners, as if the road isn't jam-filled with them as it is. Personally I'd have taken the obvious anger treatment to the residents with two stops in both directions but one stop in both directions leaves salty remains in the mouth.
What would've been a convenient follow up if taken was to reroute 410 in Crystal Palace directly along the full length of Auckland Road instead of the deviation via Sylvan Road and Maberley Road which serves Harris City Academy's main entrance, though it has a rear entrance for Auckland Road. The 410 inherited this routeing from Metrobus' commercial 361 (Crystal Palace - Norwood Junction - Marlow Road - Elmers End - Village Way - Ravensbourne - Bromley North). Whose remains are seen in 356 and 354.
Though in light of 410's consultation, I did toy of a [Purley Old Lodge Lane - South Croydon South End - Croydon Old Town - West Croydon - East Croydon - Norwood Junction - Crystal Palace] version of 410, with 433 taking over the Wallington section and going double deck with frequency changed just as the Old Town route I mentioned in my Cities Skylines-esque view of planning.
Meanwhile, the 633 as the first bus consultation on TfL's new site pretty much making 633 a full parallel of 463 without the Beddington side additions.
In any case, my mini rant comes to an end. Stayeth safe, and I bid thee farewell.
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| Original proposal |
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| Original proposal |
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| Revised proposal |
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| Revised proposal |
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| My plan to overrule the world, one step at a time |
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| I've actually questioned why I barely changed anything but you do not fix what has not broken |
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