Should there be one big Nottingham Bus Station?

[harry42]

My idea ()

-Broadmarsh ground floor could easily fit another 4 bays in to get 21.
-Car park above could be closed for another 20 bays.
-Collin Street could be re built and connected with the huge building here with a further 10 bays.
-3 bays at the front of the station.

around 55 bays. This would be enough to house all of TB, most of NCT and smaller companies like Yourbus, Doyles, Stagecoach, Paul S Wilson, Kinchbus etc.

Derby has one, Mansfield has one even.

Don't shout at me..just an idea!!!

 

[CallySleeper]

Yup I share in the idea but I won't happen. Nottingham's too big a city and the city centre even is too big. I'm most concerned about buses to the north, to get from Mansfield Road to the Broadmarsh would easily add on 5-10 minutes. Not sure if the roads around the centre could cope with an increase in bus traffic. Derby and Mansfield bus stations are fairly central to the city centre, I'd say the Vic and Broadmarsh were more polarised. Unless you were to build somewhere new between the two but that's not going to happen. Alternatively, demolish the building opposite the Vic BS and rebuild the bus station itself into the bigger space?

 

[harry42]

Yup I share in the idea but I won't happen. Nottingham's too big a city and the city centre even is too big. I'm most concerned about buses to the north, to get from Mansfield Road to the Broadmarsh would easily add on 5-10 minutes. Not sure if the roads around the centre could cope with an increase in bus traffic. Derby and Mansfield bus stations are fairly central to the city centre, I'd say the Vic and Broadmarsh were more polarised. Unless you were to build somewhere new between the two but that's not going to happen. Alternatively, demolish the building opposite the Vic BS and rebuild the bus station itself into the bigger space?

It does need to happen at one point I think. I was looking on google maps very quickly and Broadmarsh just popped up. I'm sure there are more central locations which could be used possibly...

 

[radamfi]

Cities the size of Nottingham generally build their bus network around the tram/metro system. Out of town buses generally terminate at tram/metro stations around the edge of the city, improving the air quality in the city centre. That's where the bus stations usually are.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Victoria Centre is now the major shopping centre in Nottingham - with the smallest bus station. Broadmarsh is currently a white elephant, though with a decent bus station.
Broadmarsh is better located as a bus-train interchange. Can't see it happening unless something dramatic happens with the Broadmarsh shopping centre.

 

[edwin_m]

NCT have never used bus stations - probably also a legacy of the tram network. Until the 2000 network reorganisation most of their buses were cross city but now they all terminate by making various loops round the city centre. All of these terminating points are more convenient for the majority of the passengers than either of the bus stations would be. As mentioned this generally means getting as close to Victoria Centre as possible, and unfortunately therefore only the buses going south have decent interchange with trains.

Victoria bus station seems a loooong way from most of the city centre, Broadmarsh is nearer but an uphill walk through the grotty Broadmarsh Centre to get to most places people might want to go. Many of the TB buses that use Broadmarsh or Victoria also serve on-street stops that are more convenient than either bus station, so for these routes the bus station is perhaps more of a glorified bus stand to wait for time than an important boarding point. TB's Derby Road buses use Broadmarsh so this area at least has a reasonable bus connection to the trains.

Unless someone is planning on re-purposing the Old Market Square I'm not sure where a better bus station site would be found. There are some sites to the east, including the area east of the tram viaduct which was planned to be the bus station under the abandoned Broadmarsh redevelopment, but any of these would be at least as far from the city centre as the existing bus stations.

 

[howittpie]

When NCT was council owned in the 80's the 48's from Clifton used Broadmarsh bus station.

 

[overthewater]

Is there not a free bus which connect the two bus stations via the shops?

 

[CallySleeper]

Is there not a free bus which connect the two bus stations via the shops?

Yes, 7am-7pm Mon - Sat.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Before deregulation most NCT clifton services left from Broadmarsh except the cross city ones. Certainly I remember the 48, 67, 68 amongst others from the Bus Station.

Services to Gedling via Colwick joint with Trent 321-23, became 20-23?, left from the old Victoria Bus Station.

 

[WillPS]

There was also a route run jointly with Barton - the 78 I think - which historically used Victoria Bus Station (the proper one, as in where The Disney Store etc. are now).

Something I didn't realise - but there was in fact a third bus station (and a third shopping centre - no, not West End Arcade!) - Mount Street, used by Midland General.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Bartons 1966 timetable only shows joint services with Trent, Skills & Gash. I don't recall any joint working with NCT and 78 was a Aspley Lane route number surely...

Barton used Mount Street in 1966 on their 3s,4s,5s,10s,11,27,38,X42,50,51 - though East Circus Street was still used on routes such as the 1A & 29 (Rylands),31,32,33/40. Huntingdon Street on the 7s,8,12,25,28,54.
Broad Marsh on all south of the city routes, except 12 and the 54(though on Sundays that served both Huntingdon & Broad Marsh!).

Mount Street was used by ALL Midland General routes in 1972. Trent & Midland Red used the then new Victoria Bus Station. Barton X42 was also at Victoria & I suspect Bartons Huntingdon St services would have also moved their.

 

[tom1649]

When NCT was council owned in the 80's the 48's from Clifton used Broadmarsh bus station.

NCT is still majority council owned.

 

[WillPS]

Bartons 1966 timetable only shows joint services with Trent, Skills & Gash. I don't recall any joint working with NCT and 78 was a Aspley Lane route number surely...

Barton used Mount Street in 1966 on their 3s,4s,5s,10s,11,27,38,X42,50,51 - though East Circus Street was still used on routes such as the 1A & 29 (Rylands),31,32,33/40. Huntingdon Street on the 7s,8,12,25,28,54.
Broad Marsh on all south of the city routes, except 12 and the 54(though on Sundays that served both Huntingdon & Broad Marsh!).

Mount Street was used by ALL Midland General routes in 1972. Trent & Midland Red used the then new Victoria Bus Station. Barton X42 was also at Victoria & I suspect Bartons Huntingdon St services would have also moved their.

I'll check it out for you - it was a route that served Rise Park.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

Ah, you are thinking of Trent 87 Victoria Bus Station to Big Wood via Rise Park . At some point it might have been joint with NCT - but isn't in my 1982 & 1983 timetables.

There was also a 72 Rise Park to Arnold that was nct - Trent joint.

 

[WillPS]

You're absolutely right on all accounts.

 

[Mitch in Notts]

You're absolutely right on all accounts.

Thanks !

 

[Deerfold]

NCT (and South Notts) used Broadmarsh for the 48 and 68 services from Clifton until the competition from Kinchbus (who also used Broadmarsh bus station) went away in the mid-to-late nineties.

I agreee that NCT are unlikely to use a bus station of any size - this is one of the reasons that the Victoria bus station is a shadow of its former size (and now just about full, which I feared might happen at the time they shrank it).

 

[WillPS]

NCT (and South Notts) used Broadmarsh for the 48 and 68 services from Clifton until the competition from Kinchbus (who also used Broadmarsh bus station) went away in the mid-to-late nineties.

I agreee that NCT are unlikely to use a bus station of any size - this is one of the reasons that the Victoria bus station is a shadow of its former size (and now just about full, which I feared might happen at the time they shrank it).

[pedant]NCT use Bulwell, Beeston, Loughborough and possibly other bus stations[/pedant]

 

[Robertj21a]

[pedant]NCT use Bulwell, Beeston, Loughborough and possibly other bus stations[/pedant]

[/pedant] Where exactly is the bus station in Loughborough [/pedant]

 

[AndyW33]

Archaeologists in future generations will find it buried under the foundations of The Rushes Shopping Centre....

 

[Deerfold]

[pedant]NCT use Bulwell, Beeston, Loughborough and possibly other bus stations[/pedant]

OK, a bus station of any size *in Nottingham*.

They use the other bus stations as they're handy places to wait or pretty much on a through route. In Nottingham they've got used to looping most services so they spend little time waiting.

 

[alwaystouchout]

I rather like having the stops (for NCT at least) dispersed throughout the centre rather than having a single unified terminus. Plus buses going north of town would be disadvantaged if it was sited at Broadmarsh.

Would benefit buses heading south though. Used to catch the bus (Green Line I think) from outside Victoria Centre and would take about 10 mins just to get to the train station..

 

[edwin_m]

The Green Line provides a link to the Broadmarsh and railway station for those routes that only serve the Parliament Street area. This is a useful feature, and if you're quick you can catch the bus at Broadmarsh that you've just missed at Long Row.