“Enhanced traffic flow planning will help visitors leave the site more easily.”
Visitors could also walk; cycle (any parking?); get the Metro or take a bus on a very busy route - why no mention of these by the operator?
@mikecookson.bsky.social
@junasathian.bsky.social
@northeastptug.bsky.social
A view from the top deck of a bus of a local high street clogged with traffic. There is no cycle infrastructure, cars are parked on the pavements, and the bus is being delayed by a long queue of private cars.
While local councils don't control public transport, they do control the highway network. On the run up to the local elections, ask candidates wanting your vote what they would do to make YOUR;
*️⃣ neighbourhood HEALTHIER 🏡 🌳
*️⃣ active travel journeys SAFER 🚴🏼♀️🚶🏽♂️
*️⃣ public transport journeys QUICKER 🚍 🚆
We can almost guarantee that this latest 'relief' road will do nothing to alleviate congestion in Blyth. There's decades of evidence that building additional road capacity does not reduce congestion but induces new demand for car travel. And the plans don't take the Northumberland Line into account!
There’s also an interesting objection that the traffic figures date from 2023 & don’t include impact of the Northumberland Line: a line so popular that they are having to add extra carriages! Again, this would make an interesting investigation for @chroniclelive.co.uk
@northeastptug.bsky.social
We're concerned too, Mike. The mooted removal of the covered roof between the metro and bus stops would be a retrograde step. We've long asked for real-time information provision for bus passengers, which would be a better use of funds. And how will the project enable more use of park and ride?
Where can we view the proposals, Mike?
Obviously Elswick, Scotswood, Lemington and Newburn would be transformational if the line to the west of Central Station could be reopened. On existing lines, we'd agree with Heaton and perhaps Forest Hall or Killingworth on the ECML northwards.
‘North East must not lose out on transport investment’, by @northeastbylines.co.uk
NEPTUG Co-Chair, Alistair Ford, comments:
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be ambitious and explore trams or BRT here too for areas away from the Metro”.
northeastbylines.co.uk/news/transpo...
Our recently formed NORTHUMBERLAND branch will next meet on Wednesday 1st April, at 6.30pm via Zoom.
For more information and how to join, visit: neptug.org.uk/nlandapr26/
Anyone interested in improving public transport and active travel in Northumberland welcome!
🚆 🚊 🚍 🚴🏼♀️ 🚶🏽♂️
https://edinburghbususers.group/updated-bus-lanes-and-patronage-graph-3
Edinburgh's buses; 90% are publically owned by an arm's-length company, but ridership declined until a massive increase in bus lanes 1990s-2000s. Which levelled off after bus lane hours were cut.
While we strongly support having public control of buses, congestion delays buses equally whether they are run publicly or privately. This is something our councils can tackle NOW if they have the political will.
Unreliability caused by congestion won’t be solved by franchising. Bus priority please!
Kim McGuinness take note! Night buses are desperately needed in Newcastle.
I’m fed up of paying £13 for a taxi at 2300 because the last bus has already left.
Further coverage of NEPTUG and Climate Action Newcastle's opposition to plans to expand Newcastle Airport, increasing emissions and impacting local communities with air and noise pollution, traffic congestion, and road construction. It's simply bad economics
www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/2594464...
NEPTUG is against the further expansion of Newcastle Airport. There's no case for it, on economic, social, or environmental grounds. Half of UK residents never fly, and 10% of households are responsible for 57% of UK flights. Let's invest in alternatives.
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
Fantastic to see this go ahead with support from across the region and parties. This is an important step towards bus services that work for people, not private profit, and integration between buses, Metro, and local rail in the North East.
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
Thanks for contacting Nexus on this, Nick. This is a perfect example of why we need joined-up ticketing on bus (and other public transport) services in the region. If people currently rely on Stagecoach day or week tickets to connect to other services, they won't be able to do that next month.
Glasgow Subway has now rolled out contactless payments across its ticket gates.
No word on when passengers in the North East will be able to do so on @my-metro.bsky.social, or even when the long-delayed Next-gen Pop will launch. How can other regions achieve this but passengers here have to wait?
A great example from South Yorkshire, where the Mayoral Combined Authority is pushing ahead with plans to bring buses back under public control. We look forward to the North East Combined Authority doing the same. We'd also love to have trams in the region, and an e-bike hire scheme here too!
Not clear what will be provided for bus passengers beyond "improved shelters". We would like to see realtime information. The gate lines have been in for a while and are the only ones on the system equipped to take contactless card payments (,not activated, of course).
We fully support the move to bring North East buses back under public control, allowing residents to have a say in services and easier integration between buses, Metro, and local trains. We hope the plan is approved and keeps moving forward.
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
The coach station was downgraded to a "coach stop" several years ago by National Express, removing passenger facilities in the process. Flixbus use John Dobson Street because they are allowed to. We've been pushing for the council to take action and require their use of the station instead.
Bus movements through Newcastle city centre are extremely unreliable. This is what happens when you lose control of your road space. We'll continue to push for a full review of transport in the city centre, and will chase up the coach station situation again, Mike.
Sunday will see the opening of Northumberland Park station on the Northumberland Line, and also simple connections between Northern trains and the Tyne and Wear Metro. The Pop card will allow passengers to switch between the two, something we hope will come soon to Heworth and Sunderland.
mockups of the utterly generic and bland Rail Alphabet 2 version of "Ashington" sat above the correct and good Calvert branding for Nexus of the same running in board
A reminder that the entire Northumberland line is branded wrongly anyway...
It is irrelevant that the line is operated by Northern (who?), it is a suburban railway serving the Tyneside conurbation and should be integrated accordingly.
a tweet reply from Northumberland County Council reading: "The platform numbering won't be changing at Northumberland Park as it's two separate systems and there's a similar situation with the rail and Metro interchange at Heworth where both systems have platforms 1 & 2 on each station"
How long before both Northumberland Park and Heworth stations have their platform numbering corrected to create a single coherent interchange at each?
If we can get this tweet viral I'd say we can get it done in a month.
🎤We talked to @northeastbylines.co.uk about how better integration, modernising our local rail network and being able to safely walk/cycle to bus/Metro/rail stops could transform travel for North Easterners, and how we need strong visionary politicians to deliver.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...
Can anyone predict what will happen in the North East?
The Mayor is already burning through Bus Service Improvement money on subsidising fares and routes, while Councils slow walk any actual infrastructure changes to give buses genuine priority.
Cont.
The @my-metro.bsky.social fare cap helps to simplify tickets for passengers, even if some fares may rise as a result. Ultimately, we need integrated tickets, allowing people to move seamlessly and affordably between Metro, bus, and rail.
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
Very exciting news for public transport users in the region, with the Pop card finally starting to reach its full potential. We've long called for integration of tickets for public transport, where users can switch easily between modes with simple tickets.
www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...
More fare increases for passengers in the region, now from Arriva buses. Those travelling short distances under the £2.50 cap are the ones losing out, alongside daily users without a monthly season ticket. Public control of buses will give greater clarity for users.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...