Salford Crescent-Media:City bus service

[northwichcat]

Will this bus become more popular than Metrolink, considering Salford University will have a campus at Media:City from September and how low the fares are?

Route 9 Salford Crescent - The Lowry/Media:City UK

Monday - Friday
Daytime: 7am - 8pm every 10 mins
Evenings: 8pm - 11pm every 15 mins

Saturday
8am - 11pm every 15 minutes

Sunday and public holidays
10am - 6pm every 15 minutes

Adult single: £1
Adult day ticket £1.60
Adult week ticket £6

(In comparison Piccadilly-Media:City by tram costs £2.40 for an off-peak return, £3.20 at peak times.)

 

[futureA]

^^^

I would not expect that many people to take a train from Salford central/Victoria to Salford crescent just to change onto a bus in order to reach media city. Since the train from Victoria to Salford crescent is £1.50 return once you have bought your day ticket for the bus it is £1 more expensive than the tram anyway.

Also bear in mind that these two services are serving completely different areas, the tram goes nowhere near Salford crescent.

So in other words this service being busier or less busier than the tram is irrelevant, they are not aimed at the same people, and I can't see many metrolink passengers switching to a service that is not direct and will cost them £1 more.

This service is really aimed at students and other people who live in Salford, metrolink is aimed at people coming from the city centre.

 

[northwichcat]

^^^

You are missing the point.

What's the point then?

 

[WatcherZero]

The bus route is in a totally different direction (North South from University to Media City Campus) while the Metrolink runs east-west.

 

[northwichcat]

The bus route is in a totally different direction (North South from University to Media City Campus) while the Metrolink runs east-west.

Well that'd be the thinking of TfGM. However, imagine you're arriving at Manchester Airport and going to Media:City.

Option 1 is train to Piccadilly and tram to Media:City (and will eventually have a third leg in the form of either a change at Cornbrook or a walk from Harbour City/Anchorage.) This will cost you £6.00 off-peak return.

Option 2 is train to Salford Crescent and bus to Media:City. This will cost you £5.20 off-peak return (and a greater saving on a peak return.)

You can't really say one option will be quicker than the other and if you had races at different times I would expect there to be different outcomes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

This service is really aimed at students and other people who live in Salford, metrolink is aimed at people coming from the city centre.

So you're not expecting anyone from Bolton to work at Media:City, despite reporters for BBC North West Tonight working at BBC Manchester at present?

 

[futureA]

Well that'd be the thinking of TfGM. However, imagine you're arriving at Manchester Airport and going to Media:City.

Option 1 is train to Piccadilly and tram to Media:City (and will eventually have a third leg in the form of either a change at Cornbrook or a walk from Harbour City/Anchorage.) This will cost you £6.00 off-peak return.

Option 2 is train to Salford Crescent and bus to Media:City. This will cost you £5.20 off-peak return (and a greater saving on a peak return.)

You can't really say one option will be quicker than the other and if you had races at different times I would expect there to be different outcomes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


So you're not expecting anyone from Bolton to work at Media:City, despite reporters for BBC North West Tonight working at BBC Manchester at present?

Ok, this service is also aimed at people who live in places like Bolton and anyone else who would happen to also pass through Salford crescent anyway.

But the point is that this service is still aimed at different people than the tram. For some people the tram will work out better. For others this bus service will work out better.

There is no point comparing them because even though they have a common destination, the points of origin are totally different. Its like tying to compare London to Manchester and London to Leeds.

Also, for the Sake of this argument, I believe that many of the BBC's staff up north (BBC staff making up the majority of the population at Media City) live in places like Chorlton, Sale, Altrincham and Didsbury. For these people the tram is the best option.

 

[northwichcat]

Also, for the Sake of this argument, I believe that many of the BBC's staff up north live in places like Chorlton, Sale, Altrincham and Didsbury. For these people the tram is the best option.

If you look at BBC North West and Granada reporters (who'll be moving in the next couple of years) who've publically said the town they live in then you have:

Gordon Burns (Hale)
Diane Oxberry (Hale)
Tony Livesey (Burnley)
Ranvir Singh (Preston)
Stuart Flinders (Bolton)
Heather Stott (Macclesfield)
Mark Edwardson (Haydock)
Fred Talbot (Bowdon)
Tony Morris (Ramsbottom)
Lucy Meacock (Chester)
Mike Hall (Wigan)
Chris Hall (Wigan)
Kate Giffard (Bury)
Rachel Townsend (Liverpool) - how easy will it be to get between Liverpool and Media City using public transport?
Amy Welch (Frodsham)
Mark Tatterstall (Preston)

Of course, on air-staff don't make up all the staff.

 

[WatcherZero]

From Traveline Airport as you stated:

Train, change to tram at Deansgate: 42 minutes
Train, change to tram at Piccadilly: 48 minutes

Train, change to tram at Pic to Vic, back to train and then bus: 1 hour 12 minutes
Train, direct to Salford Crescent then change to bus 57 minutes

Now as I live in Wigan it does make sense for me to change to bus at Salford Crescent rather than going into the city and back out and its what I will be doing tommorow, but from the other direction still seems to be in the trams favour.

 

[futureA]

Of course, on air-staff don't make up all the staff.

Key phrase.

I believe that many of the thousands of behind the scenes staff live closer to home.
I honestly don't expect 'the talent' will be getting a bus, train or tram with the great unwashed.

Also, you have posted a list of people who already work in the northwest and therefore won't be moving. People coming from London and other places may choose different areas to live in.

 

[northwichcat]

From Traveline Airport as you stated:

Train, change to tram at Deansgate: 42 minutes
Train, change to tram at Piccadilly: 48 minutes

Train, change to tram at Pic to Vic, back to train and then bus: 1 hour 12 minutes
Train, direct to Salford Crescent then change to bus 57 minutes

Traveline has never given accurate Metrolink times. I'm sure you're aware Metrolink works on a plus or minus two minute timetable, to try and keep them evenly spaced out even if the last/next one is late.

From the Metrolink pocket guide Piccadilly-Media City is 22 minutes and runs every 12 minutes and as I made the same journey on Saturday I think that's accurate for how long it took the tram I was on.

For a like for like comparison let's use the 13:29 departure from Manchester Airport. The Piccadilly arrival time is 13:46. The Salford Crescent arrival time is 13:56.

On Saturday I caught a Media:City tram at Piccadilly at around 14:05, meaning the previous one would have been between 13:50 and 13:55 - which does not allow the recommended 10 minute connection at Piccadilly- so we'll have to use the 14:05, which will arrive at Media:City at just before 14:30.

From Salford you would then catch the 14:05 bus and arrive at just after 14:20 (although add 3 minutes to allow for the bus stop being a longer walk than Metrolink.)

Therefore, at times via Salford Crescent could be quicker. As it said in my previous post it would vary depending on when you left the Airport as firstly Piccadilly has more direct services to the Airport and secondly I didn't allow a connection time of under 10 minutes at Piccadilly when it may be possible for someone to make that connection, depending on their fitness.

 

[futureA]

....

Therefore, at times via Salford Crescent could be quicker. As it said in my previous post it would vary depending on when you left the Airport as firstly Piccadilly has more direct services to the Airport and secondly I didn't allow a connection time of under 10 minutes at Piccadilly when it may be possible for someone to make that connection, depending on their fitness.

In other words, the journey times are virtually neck and neck and you are splitting hairs trying to find out which is faster since the possible difference in journey times is within 10 minutes which is hardly a deal breaker for most people.

Comfort, speed, reliability, regularity of the service, personal preference and cost are all other parameters that people will use to determine which mode to use. Different people will have different preferences. This may or may not change depending on what time someone arrives at a particular point.

Basically, anyone could suggest a hypothetical journey where one particular mode comes out on top.

 

[northwichcat]

In other words, the journey times are virtually neck and neck and you are splitting hairs trying to find out which is faster since the possible difference in journey times is within 10 minutes which is hardly a deal breaker for most people.

If you read the fourth post in this thread you'll see I said "You can't really say one option will be quicker than the other and if you had races at different times I would expect there to be different outcomes."

However, in reply you'll see Watcherzero posted that via Piccadilly is much quicker because an online journey planner said so, which is why I gave a more detailed explanation!

 

[futureA]

Ok then, lets cut to the chase

Will this bus become more popular than Metrolink?

depends how you define 'popular'.

There are too many variables to consider, for some people, the bus will work out better, for others the tram will.

As we have discussed, both services are clearly targeted at different groups of people and without knowing where they all begin their journeys it is very difficult to predict.

However, am going to predict that most people coming from the city centre will choose the Eccles or Mediacity tram.

If you are coming from other places, the train + bus wins but honestly, who knows?!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I thought some comment would have been made about the type of bus that was being used on this service, being of the new type that run the three Metroshuttle services in Manchester (which are free to use, of course). Perhaps someone more technically minded than I will explain about the type of bus being used on this service. The buses have a good quality moquette seat covering and a rather striking livery.

 

[185]

It will certainly be more reliable than Metrolink, another failure today.

Bet Jeremy will use it

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Will this bus become more popular than Metrolink, considering Salford University will have a campus at Media:City from September.

Where will the Salford University campus be situated in the area of Media City?

 

[WatcherZero]

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Thank you. The campus seems very close to the Media City UK stop in that map as being also well placed for the new bus service.

 

[northwichcat]

Thank you. The campus seems very close to the Media City UK stop in that map as being also well placed for the new bus service.

You'll also notice that the Media:City stop is closer to the Imperial War Museum and Lowry than Harbour City, which seems to be a further reason for Piccadilly retaining a direct Media:City service and the Eccles service turning back at Cornbrook opposed to the proposed way around.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

You'll also notice that the Media:City stop is closer to the Imperial War Museum and Lowry than Harbour City, which seems to be a further reason for Piccadilly retaining a direct Media:City service and the Eccles service turning back at Cornbrook opposed to the proposed way around.

I made a point very similar to this on the Media City services thread with my posting # 17 on 8th July 2011. My wife and I met people who had travelled from Huddersfield on the First TPE service to Manchester Piccadilly, then had taken the tram from Manchester Piccadilly direct to Media City UK. They said it was excellant that they made their connection without having to leave Piccadilly Station complex and that there was a DIRECT tram to complete their journey.

 

[tbtc]

Pie factory?

 

[northwichcat]

Pie factory?

It's a digital production agency that call themselves 'The Pie Factory.' They've not relocated the pie factories from Wigan to Salford Quays.

 

[tbtc]

It's a digital production agency that call themselves 'The Pie Factory.' They've not relocated the pie factories from Wigan to Salford Quays.

Aww; I had this lovely idea there for a moment of all the creative media types sitting down to some proper grub...

 

[WatcherZero]

Theres also another office block not shown on the map behind the Pie Factory called The Greenhouse. Originally a temporary structure made from those stackable portacabins due to popular demand from tenants they made it a permanent structure and cladded the outside with wooden panels .

 

[AndrewNewens]

There is always the long closed tunnel to walk through from Windsor Crescent to Salford docks. Does anyone know if it still exists? Too much to hope for a Metolink service to be introduced through it?

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....how easy will it be to get between Liverpool and Media City using public transport?[/I]....

Liverpool Lime Street-Eccles-Media City (Approx 1hr 30mins)
or
Liverpool Lime Street-Manchester-Media City (Approx 1hr 30mins)
or
Liverpool Lime Street-Wigan-Salford Crescent-Media City (much longer)

 

[WatcherZero]

Via Wigan, Salford Crescent 1hr 43min
Via Eccles-Tram 1hr 21m to 1hr 28m
Via Manchester city center 1hr 27m to 1hr 32m

Figures tally with yours Hairy

 

[northwichcat]

It will certainly be more reliable than Metrolink, another failure today.

That could be a key thing that affects which way people get there. They Metrolink's been well publicised so I don't honestly think a lot of people will use the Salford Crescent-Salford Quays bus except people from Salford. However, if people find the Metrolink unreliable they might start looking at what other options are available.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Aww; I had this lovely idea there for a moment of all the creative media types sitting down to some proper grub...

Pies will be very different to what is on offer at the cafe in one of the BBC buildings at Media:City. It's run by Booths Supermarket so has a lot of pricey organic local food e.g. sandwiches for £3, pressed fruit juice for £2 and a single cake for £1.

 

[WatcherZero]

Youve not been into a Coffee shop recently have you, their all more expensive in there
Heck if im paying £1.40 for a slice of cake I could swallow whole, and another 20p if its placed on a saucer!

 

[hairyhandedfool]

Via Wigan, Salford Crescent 1hr 43min
Via Eccles-Tram 1hr 21m to 1hr 28m
Via Manchester city center 1hr 27m to 1hr 32m

Figures tally with yours Hairy

To be honest, I thought via Wigan would be longer than that given the walk between stations.:roll: