Park and Ride post Covid

[Man of Kent]

With Maidstone already shut down, Canterbury suspending 1 of its 3 sites and two of Guildford's four services now deregistered, is this trend of fewer, less frequent Park & Ride services being repeated elsewhere?

 

[Citistar]

Passenger numbers on P&R have certainly been hit hard by the lower number of commuters. I can't speak for the Kent services, but over in the West, Bristol and Bath's six services were primarily used as commuter services by those who didn't want to pay city centre parking rates whilst working all day in the city. Our local services have all been retendered (including a number of additional services to Bath's Royal United Hospital), but we're still waiting for results to be published. If the West of England Combined Authority go ahead with everything they've offered for tender, it'll cost several million pounds a year. There were much more efficient ways to do it, but the inflexible nature of their tendering system means that operators aren't allowed to propose alternatives.

Anyway, back on topic. The closure of Sturry Road in Canterbury seems odd to me. Given that it would need minimal adaptation to be served by the Triangles and Thanet services, the cost of running the site shouldn't need to be excessive. Perhaps the site itself is the problem as it sits too close to the city centre and after most of the traffic jams at Sturry?

 

[lachlan]

The last service that called at Craibstone Park and Ride in Aberdeen stopped doing so in the last couple of years, but the site was never a success even pre-coronavirus. The other Aberdeen sites are still served.

 

[dazzler]

All but one of York's P&R sites and services are running now, the exception being the Poppleton Bar P&R, (59) which was used as a drive-in Covid testing site and is still in the process of being cleared to be handed back for P&R use. The other P&R routes (2, 3, 7, 8 & 9) are all currently running at a 12 minute frequency - memory tells me that they were every 8 or 10 minutes pre-Covid, but I could be wrong given that I very rarely use them!

 

[Red Onion]

The last service that called at Craibstone Park and Ride in Aberdeen stopped doing so in the last couple of years, but the site was never a success even pre-coronavirus. The other Aberdeen sites are still served.

Yes, I believe that was the 747 which shut down as the pandemic hit. It was due for cancellation anyway but the pandemic brought it forward. It really was never a success and I can’t see services returning any time soon.

Bridge of Don doesn’t look like it’s doing too well either and I can see the mothballs being released soon. Kingswells seems to do ok for itself every time I’ve been past.

On the flip side, Ellon has had a whole new busway and car park extension completed so there must be some confidence in it.

 

[PeterC]

Last time I went onto Oxford the service from Thornhill was down from 5bph to 4 while Oxford Parkway has lost its dedicated service with city centre links provided by Stagecoach route 7.

 

[blackfive460]

Scarborough's two P&R services have both been running again since the beginning of April and will continue through to October though for some unknown reason the P&R site on Seamer Road is closed on Wednesdays.
When the service first started it was all year round with a frequency of every 12 minutes, it's now every 20.
Neither service is particularly well used.

 

[liamf656]

Derby had two park and ride routes, both of which were withdrawn during covid

 

[Bletchleyite]

Last time I went onto Oxford the service from Thornhill was down from 5bph to 4 while Oxford Parkway has lost its dedicated service with city centre links provided by Stagecoach route 7.

And just the minor point of, er, the railway. (I know the station is slightly peripheral but it's not miles out of the centre unlike Cambridge).

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Passenger numbers on P&R have certainly been hit hard by the lower number of commuters. I can't speak for the Kent services, but over in the West, Bristol and Bath's six services were primarily used as commuter services by those who didn't want to pay city centre parking rates whilst working all day in the city. Our local services have all been retendered (including a number of additional services to Bath's Royal United Hospital), but we're still waiting for results to be published. If the West of England Combined Authority go ahead with everything they've offered for tender, it'll cost several million pounds a year. There were much more efficient ways to do it, but the inflexible nature of their tendering system means that operators aren't allowed to propose alternatives.

Anyway, back on topic. The closure of Sturry Road in Canterbury seems odd to me. Given that it would need minimal adaptation to be served by the Triangles and Thanet services, the cost of running the site shouldn't need to be excessive. Perhaps the site itself is the problem as it sits too close to the city centre and after most of the traffic jams at Sturry?

Interesting to see what will happen to the Bristol and Bath Park and Ride services. Clearly, the car parks are not as busy as they used to be.

 

[markymark2000]

Chester is down 1 P&R too at the minute. Some buses being repainted into Stagecoach Local livery implying that the Sealand Road site won't return.

 

[alex397]

Anyway, back on topic. The closure of Sturry Road in Canterbury seems odd to me. Given that it would need minimal adaptation to be served by the Triangles and Thanet services, the cost of running the site shouldn't need to be excessive. Perhaps the site itself is the problem as it sits too close to the city centre and after most of the traffic jams at Sturry?

It seems odd to me too as a local in the area. But most of what Canterbury City Council decide baffles me. Sturry Road is a frequent bus corridor, with the 20 minute frequency on the Triangle and 15 minute frequency on the 8/8A. There is also the less frequent 6 and 9. Some of these buses could divert into the Park & Ride site (which is a lay-by off the main road).

Instead, the city council are mothballing the site completely. Presumably this will save on maintainence costs which will still be a cost if they diverted ordinary buses into the site rather than dedicated buses. This will be for a “minimum of 2 years”, so I dread to think what the site will look like after 2 years, with vandalism and anti-social behaviour being common in Canterbury and especially along the Sturry Road. There seem to be a lot of rock-throwing enthusiasts near the P&R site!

The location of the site could very well be an issue. Often, cars would have already sat in a lot of traffic before reaching the site, and bus lanes only cover small parts of the route meaning they frequently get stuck in traffic.
The other sites have some of these issues too, but are located just off the A2.

 

[43055]

Derby had two park and ride routes, both of which were withdrawn during covid

you could say the pride park site has had a slight improvement in that it has buses all day every day now and not just daytime Monday to Saturday just a a lower frequency.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Instead, the city council are mothballing the site completely. Presumably this will save on maintainence costs which will still be a cost if they diverted ordinary buses into the site rather than dedicated buses. This will be for a “minimum of 2 years”, so I dread to think what the site will look like after 2 years, with vandalism and anti-social behaviour being common in Canterbury and especially along the Sturry Road. There seem to be a lot of rock-throwing enthusiasts near the P&R site!

If it's anything like Swindon or Worcester, they will allow it to decline and then it can be sold for development!

 

[Andyh82]

Derby Park and Ride was always second rate and practically invisible. The Meteor Centre one in particular

It seems that towns which had these half hearted schemes are being withdrawn, and those that had proper high profile schemes are still running, but often with a reduced frequency

 

[PTR 444]

And just the minor point of, er, the railway. (I know the station is slightly peripheral but it's not miles out of the centre unlike Cambridge).

It does also have the route 700 to the city’s hospitals.

On a related note, how many other P&Rs are there where a rail station has subsequently been built next to it, and how has that affected their bus provision?

 

[Stephen1001]

On a related note, how many other P&Rs are there where a rail station has subsequently been built next to it, and how has that affected their bus provision?

Not quite the same but Ingliston in Edinburgh had a tram stop built next to it a few years after opening - the bus provision is still pretty good though as three routes to the nearby Airport call in. The Wallyford site is next to a heavy rail station but the station was there first so that definitely doesn't count.

On the more general topic, Edinburgh is one example where service levels are (I think) pretty close to pre-Covid levels. Near the other end of the scale is Guildford, with two out of four sites still closed and reduced services to the others.

 

[Mikw]

Leicester's 3 park and rides are still going strong. Cheap fares and brand new Yutong electric buses running a 15 minute frequency. I live 10 minutes walk away from one of them so often go on them as a foot passenger.

 

[Roger1973]

Reading Buses have announced that the Thames Valley Park P+R will end on 18 June.

Not entirely surprised - this was a temporary move from Winnersh Triangle (due to rebuilding of the car park to provide more capacity, based on pre-covid levels of use - car park served both Winnersh Triangle rail station and the P+R)

The service also used to carry a fair number of non-parking passengers from central Reading to Winnersh Triangle in the morning peak and home in the evening peak before Covid (presume workers at the office park round there, and also presume some at least working from home now).

Not sure how practical it would have been to combine the new P+R service with the Thames Valley Park shuttle (operated by Stewarts Coaches) which mainly carries passengers in the opposite peak direction to the P+R and runs more or less empty with the peak flow to / from Reading town centre. I think the TVP shuttle is a private contract rather than anything done through either of the local councils.

 

[Snow1964]

Seems that Salisbury Beehive Park and Ride reopens Monday 23rd and will be operated by electric buses

The buses are only every 30 minutes, but continue to 11pm to allow passengers to enjoy night-time economy (Presumably Salisbury night-life finishes by 11pm)

Salisbury's Beehive Park and Ride reopens - Wiltshire Council

Wiltshire Council's Beehive Park and Ride site in Salisbury will reopen to the public and buses on Monday 23 May 2022.

www.wiltshire.gov.uk

All of the council's Park and Ride sites are open from Monday to Saturday but are closed on Sundays and public holidays. Bus services run from 6am until after 11pm, allowing passengers to easily work in the city or enjoy Salisbury's night-time economy without driving into the city centre.