[Albion] Sensible, cheap and realistic solutions to the evening travel "issues".

[um bongo molongo]

shuttle service from amex to Brighton . Few buses or coaches . Would massively make a difference if

I’d add to this: there could possibly be a pick up/drop off point 10-15 minutes walk south of the Amex to avoid everything getting snarled up. Shuttles from there to say, The Level, would be able to get up and down quickly.

 

[Balls of Steele]

There are 2 additional shuttle services put in every single home game on top of the existing service, every game there is 6 trains per hour in each direction on top of the existing 4 trains per hour. The line is at capacity the trains just need to be longer.

Fair enough but the west coast way service is an absolute shit show often before and always after the game . Few services post match and no longer than 4 carriages

 

[Whitechapel]

If you can’t find the extra carriages to improve the train journey out of the Amex then you need to make the wait as comfortable as possible.

Others have already said about trying to keep it as warm and dry as possible, but some extra screens along the queue showing how long until the next train will also help.

It’s much easier to stand there knowing there’s trains coming in 6, 16 & 26 minutes than struggling to connect to the southern app because it feels like you’ve been waiting ages for a train and only one has turned up in that time.

Likewise, you can track busses on the B&H bus app, is there no way to relay this information to people in the P&R queue? Seeing that there’s two busses on their way back from the drop-off point at least lets you know they are coming. One of the main pluses of getting an Uber over a cab for years was the fact you could see exactly where your driver was without having to stand by the window keeping an eye out for a Skoda Octavia. The same logic applies to getting away from the Amex.

 

[Seasider78]

What would I do if I was Paul Barber?

I would introduce a premium ‘gold Albion travel card’ available for only £300 a season for ST holder and MyAlbion+ can get it for £450. It entitles you to queue jumps on bus and trains, priority entrance to the Terrace and a free umbrella for when it is raining

 

[um bongo molongo]

No idea of the feasibility but with that money I'd buy a fleet of buses, deck them out in Albion livery and have them running back and forth from the ground to the back of the station.

No stopping anywhere en route, could make use of the bus lanes (guess the council would need to sign off on that), no away fans allowed on 'em, just back and forth and back and forth.

Other than needing to start a little away from the ground to avoid getting snalrled up, I agree with this. Google tells me a new bus costs around £300k. So twenty of those leaves £4m for training up and paying enough drivers from your £10m budget. And there’s no doubt opportunities for private rental also.

 

[Giraffe]

Part of the issue is that all transport starting points are at the AMEX. Set up three large bus depots about half a mile away. People walk the first 15 mins to get away from the stadium then get on a bus. “Walk and ride”.

 

[BNthree]

As the hire bikes in Brighton are also sponsored by American Express make it so there’s no fee for not using a docking station if parking one at the Amex. Low impact but easily achievable with minor cost. Also have loads available in Falmer on match days.

*edit* or even include the use of one in the travel scheme

As improving the trains isn’t possible it is either find land/sites locally for more parking or re-instate a third P&R site. Whilst we have parking at Sussex Uni and the Bridge we don’t have any at Brighton uni Falmer or Lewes Rd sites. As a lot of unis have financial problems from next academic year surprised Brighton uni isn’t looking to make money on this parking.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Don’t 1901 get those already ?

Or maybe just make it an Amex card perk?

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I don't really agree with the Coldean Moulsecoomb parking restrictions either. Yeh, condition of the ground being built, blah blah blah. But that was years ago now. Are they going to be protected for the rest of the Amex's lifetime? And why should they have preferential treatment? It's just creating problems elsewhere.

The the trains, I get the point there may be technical reasons why you can't have 8 carriage trains etc etc. But there's no excuse for the number of 3 carriage trains which turn up at that time of night. They just can't be arsed to sort it out

As for people shoving down the trains. People have to take individual responsibility here. But they could have a loud speaker which drones incessantly, "Get all the way in the carriage you total bell ends" playing as you wait in the queue.

I agree with those saying buses should be picking up direct from the A27. You would have to cone off the lane and maybe reduce speed limits for that stretch of road. But no reason why you couldn't have a lot of buses lined up ready to go

I agree also that lanes should be cordoned off for buses coming in and out of the existing park and ride

Bridge car park is always going to be slow, not much you can do here. But the 49 bus is a great resource, which we should be making use of. Maybe a special service or two now.

In any case, we should be more forcefully making cases to get these changes done. We're not the club we were in 2010, we're one of the richest clubs in the world now. The city of Brighton has a massive income from the club and has a massive strategic interest in the fortunes of the club. Club and council need to change their mindset

 

[Barham's tash]

1. More buses. Pay more and they will turn up. It’s worth it.
2. A big ugly roof over the P&R queue bit next to Bennett’s Field. Or make it look nice, like a pergola or an arcade or something. Anything, just stop so many old people shivering their poor arses off for 45-60 minutes at 10.30pm in January. Then stick some beer garden heaters under it in the winter.
3. Do something about that sagging Meccano bridge at the station before it collapses onto the track because a bunch of polyester-stretching Wolves fans all jump up and down at once. Actually that area would seriously benefit from a roof too.

Any or all of the above would cost less to implement than the purchase price of Moises Caicedo’s left testicle. Do it Tony.

Honestly I think all of these are fully valid and easiest to achieve.

Honestly if you knew there was a cover from egress to entry of your preferred mode of travel let alone having it heated it would cut early leavers significantly.

This and insist the council find 3 more viable park and ride sites with capacity for at least 500 vehicles each.

 

[amexer]

There are oads of frustrations with travel to and from Amex. I have always just wanted PB to show some concern about this instead of Out of our Hands. If capital outlay is needed on say new buses or lengthening station platforms with £200m profit in last 2 years you can understand bus/rail companies thinking Albion should make a sizable contribution to any upgrades.

 

[Gwylan]

I don't get the parking restrictions in Moulsecoombe/Coldean thing. Given there will only be about 24 home games a season, that averages one every 3 weeks or so. Hardly something for the residents to hyperventilate about.

You're completely wrong on that: the residents certainly hyperventilate about it. In the first couple of seasons, people could park there and the residents went berserk. There's no chance that parking will be reintroduced there. In fact, at a local residents meeting, there was talk about Coldean becoming a permanent parking zone as there are so many non-residents parking there.

All these people talking about extra buses, can you get in touch with Brighton Buses as there's a desperate shortage of drivers ( hence the dreadful service in the past couple of years).

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

You're completely wrong on that: the residents certainly hyperventilate about it. In the first couple of seasons, people could park there and the residents went berserk. There's no chance that parking will be reintroduced there. In fact, at a local residents meeting, there was talk about Coldean becoming a permanent parking zone as there are so many non-residents parking there.

All these people talking about extra buses, can you get in touch with Brighton Buses as there's a desperate shortage of drivers ( hence the dreadful service in the past couple of years).

The rail network seems to be able to rustle up huge numbers of buses out of seemingly nowhere on Replacement Bus Service weekends. And they invariably run like clockwork. It can be done

 

[Stuart Munday]

If you put up a roof over the PandR queues how about attaching a few tvs showing Skysports etc like in the concourse's

 

[amexer]

You just feel all the time we sell out PB doesnt care. If they were that concerned they would have purchased Bennetts Field to give 100s of extra spaces but of course whilst an extra facility for fans not enough income for club.

 

[brighton_tom]

Part of the issue is that all transport starting points are at the AMEX. Set up three large bus depots about half a mile away. People walk the first 15 mins to get away from the stadium then get on a bus. “Walk and ride”.

This is a great idea, if sites could be identified.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

You're completely wrong on that: the residents certainly hyperventilate about it. In the first couple of seasons, people could park there and the residents went berserk.

Maybe the residents will go beserk. Frankly, who cares? They don't have the god given right to stop people parking on a public road near their house.

The only reason the ban exists, is because of some apparently eternally binding negotiation which happened well over a decade ago.

But things have changed. The club has more power and more leverage over the council than it did then. This should be the first "transport improvement" the club should be looking at

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

You just feel all the time we sell out PB doesnt care. If they were that concerned they would have purchased Bennetts Field to give 100s of extra spaces but of course whilst an extra facility for fans not enough income for club.

Historically this have have been the case, but evening attendances have been so dismal, despite us playing good opposition and being in good form, this must be hitting the club in the pocket

If I were a sponsor or potential sponsor, I'd be looking at those pics of empty seats and thinking, WTF? Other matchday revenues will be affected as well

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

You just feel all the time we sell out PB doesnt care. If they were that concerned they would have purchased Bennetts Field to give 100s of extra spaces but of course whilst an extra facility for fans not enough income for club.

This, absolutely. Club knows damn well that the trains are THE number one issue with the 'matchday experience'. But until it starts to have a measureable impact on the bottom line, the club will continue to not give a shit

 

[North of Robertsbridge]

Sorry to point a hole in this one, a big issue is that Lewes Platforms 4 and 5 ( the only reversible lines) only has a 6 car limit, and that’s why they are reduced to 4, as there are no 5 cars in the south of the network, as well all 3 car units are in use to run a 6 car.

Southern do run 8-car trains from Brighton to Eastbourne though. Maybe they could do what SE do at stations like Tunbridge Wells where some trains don't fit on the platform, and they message passengers to pass along the train to the carriages that do open at the platform, on order to disembark

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