[Albion] Mill road P&R

[Rugrat]

So many little things could be implemented to improve the transport system, but I'm afraid the club aren't interested.

The club do have a Full Time Transport Manager and 4/5 years ago he thought the (suggested) idea of meeting up with a group of fans who use different methods to get to and from the ground was a great idea. Take feedback, kick around ideas and explore the practical ones in more detail.

Of course it never happened

There's a solution for most of the persistent transport issues but the lack of interest is possibly motivated by the knowledge that fans have to get in and out of the stadium regardless, so no need to go to too much effort

 

[Jam The Man]

Sainsburys is a great option when available, but the reason it's not more regular is:

a) Sainsburys cant guarantee availability too far in advance (Paul Barber told me this) - so I guess that makes it unreliable for us
b) They are having major reconstruction works at the mo

 

[WATFORD zero]

I would have thought ticketing the Mill Road P&R like the Sainsbury’s one to limit numbers would help. Loads of people now seem to park elsewhere and walk to Mill Road which isn’t what it was designed for.

So you want me to drive 300 yards up the road to get a ticket early, then wander Home, play on NSC, walk back up and get the bus?

I think my way is greener

 

[Bob!]

So you want me to drive 300 yards up the road to get a ticket early, then wander Home, play on NSC, walk back up and get the bus?

I think my way is greener

No, I'd guess what he's suggesting is that you would need to book in advance the number of car spaces you need (could be zero) and the number of bus spaces you need.

 

[Driver8]

So you want me to drive 300 yards up the road to get a ticket early, then wander Home, play on NSC, walk back up and get the bus?

I think my way is greener

No, you order a (free) ticket in advance same as for Sainsbury’s P&R.

 

[WATFORD zero]

No, you order a (free) ticket in advance same as for Sainsbury’s P&R.

So walk ups are ok, they just want prior warning of numbers

(I thought my nearly door to door service was an integral part of the transport planning )

 

[swindonseagull]

No, I'd guess what he's suggesting is that you would need to book in advance the number of car spaces you need (could be zero) and the number of bus spaces you need.

I would be happy to pay £5 per game to guarentee Mill road parking... never happened yet but the last thing I want after a 120 mile trip is to drive to the racecourse.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

I was home in Eastbourne by 4.20. Good old Seagulls Travel.

Yep, and I was in Cowfold by 4.00. Good old North West Sussex Seagulls.

 

[dazzer6666]

The traffic all round was busier yesterday - the normal 'sunny Sunday' stuff anywhere near Brighton plus the trains for the game being buggered meant all the roads were much busier. Imagine the racecourse P&R returns were slower than usual as well as the queue of traffic along Falmer Road back to the Amex went all the way to the top of the hill at Woodingdean after the game. I ambled back to my car some time after the end of the game, probably got there around 4.15, took at least 45 mins to drive home (past the racecourse to avoid the Falmer Road queue). The A27 was queuing/v slow moving westwards from Hollingbury when we went over it.

 

[crabface]

I did notice that alot more people seemed to stay till the final whislte this week, perhaps due to not trusting the trains. Meaning that everyone was trying to leave at the same time.

 

[portlock seagull]

Used Mill Road a few times and yesterday was the 'worst', but still not TOO bad. I overheard stewards apologising about the delays when we arrived, so figured something had gone wrong – that and the fact the queue was bigger than normal. Waited about 30 mins from parking to bus, which seemed OK to me. Left at the full-time whistle, ran up to the P&R queue and on a bus within about 10 minutes.

I don't think any system is going to be perfect – not just at the football, but any time you are trying to 'evacuate' more than 30,000 people from one place.

When fans say “nothing going to be perfect...” or words to that effect it just give the club and authorities a free hand to be shoddy. Expect more, demand more! This is a multi million pound business, with fixed factors not variable and they really, in summary, just need to get their shit together. It’s not acceptable and ironic that we the fans can predict the regular calamities yet they can’t. Season after season...it’s the British mentality. More in common with our shrug shoulders French neighbours than get on and fix it Germanic cousins.

 

[jaghebby]

I was the first car that they turned away at Mill Road after it was full! Zipped over to the Race Course with some trepidation as used it for the Everton match and the traffic queue to the stadium along the Falmer Road was solid from Woodingdean! However, this time round there was no traffic queue and was in the ground and hour before kickoff for a leisurely pie and a pint!

 

[Greg Bobkin]

When fans say “nothing going to be perfect...” or words to that effect it just give the club and authorities a free hand to be shoddy. Expect more, demand more! This is a multi million pound business, with fixed factors not variable and they really, in summary, just need to get their shit together. It’s not acceptable and ironic that we the fans can predict the regular calamities yet they can’t. Season after season...it’s the British mentality. More in common with our shrug shoulders French neighbours than get on and fix it Germanic cousins.

But nothing IS going to be perfect when – like I said – you are trying to move THAT many people out of one location. You could have all the buses in the world there, but there would still be congestion because there are so many buses! The same with the trains. You can't just expect to have a whole load of trains lined up JUST for the football and to ensure that the queues don't build up. That would mess with the wider train network. Of course they can predict what goes wrong with it, but they are managing it within their own capabilities. If it makes you feel better, I've been in HORRENDOUS queues in Germany at airports, exhibitions, shops – all sorts of places.

 

[portlock seagull]

But nothing IS going to be perfect when – like I said – you are trying to move THAT many people out of one location. You could have all the buses in the world there, but there would still be congestion because there are so many buses! The same with the trains. You can't just expect to have a whole load of trains lined up JUST for the football and to ensure that the queues don't build up. That would mess with the wider train network. Of course they can predict what goes wrong with it, but they are managing it within their own capabilities. If it makes you feel better, I've been in HORRENDOUS queues in Germany at airports, exhibitions, shops – all sorts of places.

I guess it depends on your expectations. There’s definitely room for improvement in my book, and an unwanted barrier towards that goal are fans excusing the frequently disappointing transport service.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

I guess it depends on your expectations. There’s definitely room for improvement in my book, and an unwanted barrier towards that goal are fans excusing the frequently disappointing transport service.

You probably have a point. I kicked up a fuss with a delivery company on Friday having had no response from anyone about a failed delivery and today I've been inundated by messages from so many members of said company asking if they can help out, that it's actually becoming quite annoying!

 

[Hastings gull]

Massive queues today, looks like loads will miss KO.

Having read much of this, my experience is as follows - I am NOT trying to be clever dick, just wishing to help. Ever since the Amex opened, I have driven to the larger University of Brighton car park opposite Mithras House - it has never been full when I arrive 90 minutes before the match. The P&R bus takes just under 30 minutes, given that it has to go round the Giratory and navigate the queues the closer to the stadium we get. I am in the stadium for a pint and a pie about 50 minutes before KO and take my seat 20 minutes before the start to be involved with fanzone. This routine has never been a problem, and suggest you try it. Fortunately, I am fit enough to walk back - about 35 minutes - and about 50% of the cars are still there, presumably still waiting at the stadium for the bus.

 

[Weststander]

The traffic all round was busier yesterday - the normal 'sunny Sunday' stuff anywhere near Brighton plus the trains for the game being buggered meant all the roads were much busier. Imagine the racecourse P&R returns were slower than usual as well as the queue of traffic along Falmer Road back to the Amex went all the way to the top of the hill at Woodingdean after the game. I ambled back to my car some time after the end of the game, probably got there around 4.15, took at least 45 mins to drive home (past the racecourse to avoid the Falmer Road queue). The A27 was queuing/v slow moving westwards from Hollingbury when we went over it.

The M27/A27 then Mill Road was the obvious choice for Stains fans, which must have made the problem worse.

That's an awful rail journey simply to go 55 miles as the crow flies, even worse on a Sunday.

Meaning the overwheming majority of the 30,564 travelled by road.