Travel to the Stadium - Council Committee Report

[Lord Bracknell]

I don't doubt you at all Lord B. But will this excellent service be available after 10pm for our evening matches?

Whilst I have your attention, is there a service where I can study the timetables for the bus services? I already know the Brighton & Hove buses website.

Buses have been running ALL NIGHT from the Universities to Brighton for several years. Both B&H and Big Lemon.

If you want an alternative source of bus (and train) timetable information, try journeyon.co.uk - Brighton Hove - Journey Planner Step 1

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Esporta have told people that the gate will be manned and only people with teh Parking Permits will be let in ( actually this is in force now). We are hoping to do Pilates at 12:30, and I will stay in the club afterwards, the Mrs will probably go home after this ( or stay and have lunch) and leave me to wander up the ground. She will then return at around 4 to the club and I will meet her afterwards in there, ie wander down after the game.

So we could probably time it where we miss the traffic. As people have said, evenings will be a nightm,are, but again, I think I will get the bus from Chalky road on an evening and she gets to the club around 8ish when the traffic has gone.

We drove up on Sunday to go to the club and the traffic getting to the P&R over Woodingdean Hill was a nighmare getting up the slip road to cross the A27. I assume this will be repeated on match days with busses also trying to get over that road.

I think it will just be a case of it all settling down, BUT I have always said that if it is a hassle to do, people will not do it....luckily the first year we are sold out...it will be really interesting next year if we are in teh Championship, what the take up will be.

 

[Wilka]

The special buses mentioned above are more attractive than getting the 25 from Hove which takes over an hour to arrive at Falmer I believe. This might be my best option.

 

[DTES]

Are any of the posters above travelling down from (or via) London? The buses sound like a good plan, but is the best bet to come all the way into Brighton and get the bus from there, or would a better (quieter/shorter queues) bet be to get off earlier and get a bus from elsewhere? Hassocks?

Annoyingly, London-Lewes is over double the price of London-Brighton on the train (or was this season) so really don't fancy going that route - may make life a lot easier to do so though...

 

[perseus]

They'll enjoy their padded seat so much that they will spend the entire season sitting in it, waiting for the next game.

Exactly.

 

[Bozza]

Esporta have told people that the gate will be manned and only people with teh Parking Permits will be let in ( actually this is in force now). We are hoping to do Pilates at 12:30, and I will stay in the club afterwards, the Mrs will probably go home after this ( or stay and have lunch) and leave me to wander up the ground. She will then return at around 4 to the club and I will meet her afterwards in there, ie wander down after the game.

So we could probably time it where we miss the traffic. As people have said, evenings will be a nightm,are, but again, I think I will get the bus from Chalky road on an evening and she gets to the club around 8ish when the traffic has gone.

We drove up on Sunday to go to the club and the traffic getting to the P&R over Woodingdean Hill was a nighmare getting up the slip road to cross the A27. I assume this will be repeated on match days with busses also trying to get over that road.

I think it will just be a case of it all settling down, BUT I have always said that if it is a hassle to do, people will not do it....luckily the first year we are sold out...it will be really interesting next year if we are in teh Championship, what the take up will be.

You'd mentioned this quite a few times now Dave, and it sounds lovely. Very lovely indeed. If they do it, can I suggest bruschetta and a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio for your pre-match meal.

We were members of the David Lloyd near Ashton Gate for some years and the car park was a nightmare on match days. If you were a member wanting to go to the gym on a Saturday afternoon, you were lucky if you could get a space. I don't know the Esporta at all, but I think you'll be amazed at how many fans are suddenly members when they need somewhere to park. By that I mean they'll either already be members, they'll 'borrow' membership or they'll join "because we need to get fit anyway, and the fee is worth it for the parking alone."

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Annoyingly, London-Lewes is over double the price of London-Brighton on the train (or was this season) so really don't fancy going that route - may make life a lot easier to do so though...

You've been doing things wrong. If you buy a London - Falmer train ticket, the permitted route is via Brighton or via Lewes (with no fare penalty for going via Lewes).

 

[Publius Ovidius]

You'd mentioned this quite a few times now Dave, and it sounds lovely. Very lovely indeed. If they do it, can I suggest bruschetta and a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio for your pre-match meal.

We were members of the David Lloyd near Ashton Gate for some years and the car park was a nightmare on match days. If you were a member wanting to go to the gym on a Saturday afternoon, you were lucky if you could get a space. I don't know the Esporta at all, but I think you'll be amazed at how many fans are suddenly members when they need somewhere to park. By that I mean they'll either already be members, they'll 'borrow' membership or they'll join "because we need to get fit anyway, and the fee is worth it for the parking alone."

oops sorry...Its my age.

 

[DTES]

You've been doing things wrong. If you buy a London - Falmer train ticket, the permitted route is via Brighton or via Lewes (with no fare penalty for going via Lewes).

A London - Falmer day return (according to National Rail - obviously it was PP this season) is £22.90. A London Bridge (not Victoria, but it's just a tube journey) - Brighton day return is £10.00.

This is, of course, unless I've missed some other cheaper ticket to Falmer from London...

 

[Bozza]

oops sorry...Its my age.

How big is the car park and roughly what %age is it full normally?

 

[Notters]

You'd mentioned this quite a few times now Dave, and it sounds lovely. Very lovely indeed. If they do it, can I suggest bruschetta and a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio for your pre-match meal.

We were members of the David Lloyd near Ashton Gate for some years and the car park was a nightmare on match days. If you were a member wanting to go to the gym on a Saturday afternoon, you were lucky if you could get a space. I don't know the Esporta at all, but I think you'll be amazed at how many fans are suddenly members when they need somewhere to park. By that I mean they'll either already be members, they'll 'borrow' membership or they'll join "because we need to get fit anyway, and the fee is worth it for the parking alone."

Indeed, i've considered it myself. How much is membership?

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

2.5 or 2.6 people average per car seems high to me. That means for every car that only has a driver and no passengers there needs to be one with 4 people.

From the relatively few times I used the park and ride I would have said a fairly high percentage of cars only had one or two people in them.

 

[ROSM]

How big is the car park and roughly what %age is it full normally?

It holds about 150 to 180 cars and is usually rammed full.

I thought they were putting place a 4 hour maximum in the car park on a saturday and that the owner has to stay on site in order to get round the park and walk customers.

 

[Bozza]

It holds about 150 to 180 cars and is usually rammed full.

I thought they were putting place a 4 hour maximum in the car park on a saturday and that the owner has to stay on site in order to get round the park and walk customers.

Sounds very similar to the David Lloyd scenario at Ashton Gate.

4 hours is no deterrent for most - get in at 1:30 and you'll be well away by 5:30. A strict 4 hours is also difficult to enforce unless they have infrastructure in place already to monitor and some means of penalising offenders.

Dave, in leaving his wife to thumb through Heat and OK!, will also get round any 'need to have someone on site' rule although, again, enforcing that is very difficult: park up, go into the club, use the loo or have a quick pint, come out again, "the wife's in there mate" and off to the football you go.

There's going to be a lot of unhappy eSports customers.

 

[Set of Tracksuits]

Are any of the posters above travelling down from (or via) London? The buses sound like a good plan, but is the best bet to come all the way into Brighton and get the bus from there, or would a better (quieter/shorter queues) bet be to get off earlier and get a bus from elsewhere? Hassocks?
QUOTE]

I'll be coming from Leicester by train and I'm planning to get off at Hassocks and go from there. Haven't looked into the bus services from Hassocks onwards so would appreciate any info people may have.

 

[The Large One]

2.5 or 2.6 people average per car seems high to me. That means for every car that only has a driver and no passengers there needs to be one with 4 people.

From the relatively few times I used the park and ride I would have said a fairly high percentage of cars only had one or two people in them.

Could be wrong, but I don't think single-occupancy cars will be allowed to park in the nearby car parks.

I also suspect that the pricing will deter one or two-person occupancy cars.

 

[Big Mart]

That's my concern.

I'm sure for most adults and groups of adults, things will work out, but I really fear for those with young kids. Hanging around for up to a couple of hours after games is not a very workable proposition. Rammed into some monster queue for an hour or so, possibly in the wet, for a train or bus is also not very appealing.

All of which leaves the car. Even if you're gridlocked trying to get out of the area after the game - having your kids sitting down, in the warm with their Nintendo DS or something seems a far more attractive proposition.

How many young kids will make it to evening games, even a one-off 'for a treat'?

This is a concern for me. Will hv 3 kids with me and am relaxed about getting there on a Saturday from hove(by bus I expect) but getting home after the game will b tricky and can't see them wanting to hang around waiting for the masses to depart nor getting squashed onto a train. With evening games if they can't come I "could" be looking at a scenario where I have to sit somewhere else rather than the family stand. The stewards were relaxed at the withdean about this so I hope they remain the same at the Amex. Time will tell.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

How big is the car park and roughly what %age is it full normally?

Its a relatively large car park I reckon you can get around 100 to 200+ cars in there and I reckon its normally about 75% full on a Saturday, but a lot of it depends on the weather, time of classes and if the club has a tennis match/tourni going on.

In January its rammed with all the people going after Christmas excesses, but that tails off by Feb really.

( OOps just seen Ade's post)

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Sounds very similar to the David Lloyd scenario at Ashton Gate.

4 hours is no deterrent for most - get in at 1:30 and you'll be well away by 5:30. A strict 4 hours is also difficult to enforce unless they have infrastructure in place already to monitor and some means of penalising offenders.

Dave, in leaving his wife to thumb through Heat and OK!, will also get round any 'need to have someone on site' rule although, again, enforcing that is very difficult: park up, go into the club, use the loo or have a quick pint, come out again, "the wife's in there mate" and off to the football you go.

There's going to be a lot of unhappy eSports customers.

To be fair, she will be using the facilities, ie swimming pool and gym and as I said there are quite a few classes we do , so its not just sitting around, but I know what you are saying.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Could be wrong, but I don't think single-occupancy cars will be allowed to park in the nearby car parks.

I also suspect that the pricing will deter one or two-person occupancy cars.

My dad told me it'll be £20 a car.