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Mill Road Park & Ride. First and last time.
- Thread starter goldstone
- Start date
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
I certainly don't agree with all of the OPs comments, however that's not to say the P&R from Mill Road is perfect,because its not.
With a little common sense it could certainly be improved.
Pre Match:
(1) Dont take the busses to the stadium, but instead go up the slip road to Falmer (see 2 below) and back down the A27 and stop and drop off passengers at the bus stop.
(2) when busses go up the slip road in their way to the stadium, use the 'inside lane' which is always free, and then allow the busses to push in at the roundabout (there are plenty of spare stewards to organise this)
After matches
(1) load bendy busses at both front and back doors, having precounted people in the queue. Precounting would also ensure that busses don't leave with empty seats.
(2) see 2 above, it would help get busses back to the stadium quicker.
(3) load more than one bus at a time.
(4) maximum of 4 stops actually in mill road. Sometimes the bus will stop at least two or three more times than actually planned.
(5) steward at the top of mill road to ensure that at the roundabout traffic flows freely thus enabling busses to get back to the stadium as quickly as possible.
All of these would cost nothing.
On Saturday we went to the club shop after the game, thinking the queues would have more or less gone when we'd finished. In fact the queue was still over half an hour and we got back to Mill Road just after 6.00pm not a huge problem, nice weather and we're all pretty died in the wool fans.
But, let's assume its raining, and I'm a fan who can perhaps take of leave football, and I don't think it's great. My in laws, Forest fans, have been twice with me to The Amex for their games, and also commented on how they thought the P&R could so easily be improved.
I see there was a survey sent out by the club re P&R, unfortunately when I tried to complete it, it told me that the survey had closed. I have also emailed the club with my suggestions, but no reply.
With a little common sense it could certainly be improved.
Pre Match:
(1) Dont take the busses to the stadium, but instead go up the slip road to Falmer (see 2 below) and back down the A27 and stop and drop off passengers at the bus stop.
(2) when busses go up the slip road in their way to the stadium, use the 'inside lane' which is always free, and then allow the busses to push in at the roundabout (there are plenty of spare stewards to organise this)
After matches
(1) load bendy busses at both front and back doors, having precounted people in the queue. Precounting would also ensure that busses don't leave with empty seats.
(2) see 2 above, it would help get busses back to the stadium quicker.
(3) load more than one bus at a time.
(4) maximum of 4 stops actually in mill road. Sometimes the bus will stop at least two or three more times than actually planned.
(5) steward at the top of mill road to ensure that at the roundabout traffic flows freely thus enabling busses to get back to the stadium as quickly as possible.
All of these would cost nothing.
On Saturday we went to the club shop after the game, thinking the queues would have more or less gone when we'd finished. In fact the queue was still over half an hour and we got back to Mill Road just after 6.00pm not a huge problem, nice weather and we're all pretty died in the wool fans.
But, let's assume its raining, and I'm a fan who can perhaps take of leave football, and I don't think it's great. My in laws, Forest fans, have been twice with me to The Amex for their games, and also commented on how they thought the P&R could so easily be improved.
I see there was a survey sent out by the club re P&R, unfortunately when I tried to complete it, it told me that the survey had closed. I have also emailed the club with my suggestions, but no reply.
& queue multiple buses coming from different directions on the A27
They do.
To allow the people at the back on first leaving others stranded.
There's minimal empty seats left.
Just wouldn't work.
Each bus takes a minute or 2 to load in a fair and consistent fashion.
Anyway the 'next bus always begins loading before the previous one is full.
Isn't going to make any difference alighting is only a minute max, and there's always leaving traffic anyway.
Happens already.
- Thread starter
- #124
A very sesnsible post (if I may say so) echoing many of the points I made.
Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!
Primary data is fact
I know Ed, sorry.
- Thread starter
- #126
See the response from Insider to my question about using both doors on the Bendy Buses on Ask the Club. Basically he says that it would take two stewards to count people on through both doors and probably be no quicker. I disagree on both points, but there you are. At least (as usual) I didn't accept a stupid decision without at least questioning it.
Mellor 3 Ward 4
Well-known member
SB, with respect, having used MR pretty much every home game for the last 2 seasons I really have to disagree.
1. Don't understand your answer,
2. They don't. (In my experience anyway)
3. Pre counting means everyone gets on up to a certain point. Just quicker.
4. Of course it would speed things up. And I've never seen a second bus being loaded before the one in front is completed.
5. Re top of Mill Road, very rarely is there someone at the roundabout at the top (again in my experience anyway)
1. Don't understand your answer,
2. They don't. (In my experience anyway)
3. Pre counting means everyone gets on up to a certain point. Just quicker.
4. Of course it would speed things up. And I've never seen a second bus being loaded before the one in front is completed.
5. Re top of Mill Road, very rarely is there someone at the roundabout at the top (again in my experience anyway)
How very odd.
I used Mill Road for the first 2 seasons and that's always been my experience.
I don't understand the desire to have buses 'parked' on the inside lane of the A27, waiting for A to empty before B can pull forward to the layby?
Garage_Doors
Originally the Swankers
Have you thought of charging them a consultancy fee for the information to enable them to streamline their operations?
downham seagull
New member
Me and my 2 sons aged 8 & 10 left Norfolk at 9am to make the most of the "match day experience" and walked indoors at 9pm. We had a great day, I've taught my boys to enjoy the experience, if we win great, if we don't then it will make it worth it next time we do. Travel time never comes into it, you support your team or you don't. You parked against the clubs wishes for 2 seasons just thinking of yourself. We only got the stadium by agreeing to by laws and conditions. You have cost the club 10's of thousands and you have the audacity to moan about a few minutes. Your a disgrace!
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- Thread starter
- #131
The British are far too willing to accept authority and not question stupid decisions and ridiculous rules. Often all it takes is some common sense to improve situations.
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
Jeez man. You've given a LOT of thought to this.
Your talents in logistics and traffic management are wasted on the dickheads on NSC.
Why don't you and Golstone hire a church basement and hold a support group?
Oh...and Barber out, obviously.
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
Yeah? Well Mr. Smarty pants, travelling down from Partridge land is a piece ofpiss compared to queuing in the sunshine in East Sussex for upwards of 15 minutes at a time! Can't you just keep your rural dribblings for you and your inbred mates up there? Decent Folk in the civilised world DO NOT Queue up with the stinking masses like DOGS! Je Curse vous!
If I don't get back at 17.15 SHARP then I have to miss the start of celebrity wipe out and can only guess who got punched off the ledge by a giant boxing glove into the mud first...was it Joe Swash or Nadia Sawallah?...it's nigh on impossible to pick up from there!
Piss off back to tractorsville Wurzel!
blue'n'white
Well-known member
The OP is moaning about 4 hr 45 min to watch a match lasting 2 hours. To quote Monty Python - "You were lucky". I get the Seagull coach from Redhill at 12.45 and got home on Saturday at about 7pm. That's the norm. I know of people who see to sit in the North Stand at Withdean who came from Nottingham and from Devon - I should think they'd be delighted to only take 4hr 45 min to go to the football !!
I know it's not ideal but if you want to follow the Albion that's what you have to do. Simple as
I know it's not ideal but if you want to follow the Albion that's what you have to do. Simple as
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
You can do one an all.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
Fair enough Lord B. Thanks for the answer.
Could the Club not have made the case that Coldean was not nearby, in the same way as Woodingdean was not. There must have been a line defining "nearby" - who set that line ? Was Kingston village included ? How much of Coldean and Moulescombe ? I am only wondering were we so pleased to have found a site that we took on responsibility than we should.
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Only used park and ride once and that was enough (on a rainy day). May have improved since but the inefficiency of loading up the buses drove me spare. I don't understand this health and safety argument which sounds more like a convenient excuse. At other clubs, several buses sit with their doors open and you are told to get on any one of them. The driver is perfectly capable of policing the number of people on board. All he has to do is close the door when the bus is full. They then leave in convoy.
The major benefit of this system is that you don't have to stand in the rain/cold while you're waiting. Whether or not it's quicker, that's a huge bonus.
As it is, I'll be sticking with the train.
The major benefit of this system is that you don't have to stand in the rain/cold while you're waiting. Whether or not it's quicker, that's a huge bonus.
As it is, I'll be sticking with the train.
Dick Knights Mumm
Take me Home Falmer Road
Although actually the same voluntary arrangements around Withdean were not imposed. I do not recall seeing any stewards at the entrances to the Coldean roads (top end) as they were at the entrances to the Withdean residential roads off the London Road. In fact I am not sure that I remember seeing any/many of those yellow match parking signs stating residents only.
I should perhaps make it clear that I was not a regular parker in those roads. I did it for one game - the Palace home game. The games that I drove I would drive down Coldean Lane and then onto Mithras. I just have no idea why residents have a right to the parking in the road in front of their houses, and why the club are responsible for what happens nearly two miles miles from the stadium. And then two miles in one direction, but not another.
Lord Bracknell
On fire
The Club did attempt (successfully) to make the case that Coldean and Moulsecoomb could be dealt with by the same "voluntary" parking scheme that had been implemented around Withdean. That held initially, but has clearly fallen down. Whether the reason is too many fans ignoring the requests not to park, or simple growth in the numbers attending matches, is a matter of debate.
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
A very dull debate.