Good and bad bus stations.

[gordonthemoron]

personally I liked the old Northampton Greyfriars Bus Station, it's not common to have a bus station that looks like an airship hangar

 

[bussnapperwm]

Merry hill. Designed for minibuses, not 45 seater Volvos or double deckers.

 

[MK Tom]

personally I liked the old Northampton Greyfriars Bus Station, it's not common to have a bus station that looks like an airship hangar

I liked it too. Many didn't though, for perfectly valid reasons, but it was far better than the current mess in almost every operational respect, from both a passenger and vehicle viewpoint.

 

[robertclark125]

Though it was shut in the mid 1990s, and demolished for redevelopment (it's now a shopping centre), Whitley Bay bus station was cramped, and often you had to go into the road to board the bus.

 

[Hadders]

Here's a cool idea - build a bus station that has a covered link directly into the town centre, has, I don't know, say 30-40 bays, maybe in the form of two lanes on either side of the passenger waiting area, which could perhaps be designed to have lots of space for people to walk around and mill about without slamming into each other. Create multiple vehicle entrances to allow buses from all angles to approach easily, with clear, wide views of where they're going. Build all of this under a ''roof'', to protect people from the water, ice and radiation that variously fall from the sky at different times of the year.

But you've forgotten to add the never working escalators, the dark, dank dingy subways to get to the place, toilets that are a health hazard and a general ambience that hasn't been updated since the 1970's.

North Gate's far from perfect but let's not view the past through rose tinted specs!

 

[MK Tom]

But you've forgotten to add the never working escalators, the dark, dank dingy subways to get to the place, toilets that are a health hazard and a general ambience that hasn't been updated since the 1970's.

North Gate's far from perfect but let's not view the past through rose tinted specs!

Haha, all valid points. Also all things that a refurbishment could've fixed though. My opinion of Greyfriars is exactly as it was when it was open , I always liked it. Equally I expected North Gate to be bad, although I had no idea JUST how terrible it would end up being.

Though it was shut in the mid 1990s, and demolished for redevelopment (it's now a shopping centre), Whitley Bay bus station was cramped, and often you had to go into the road to board the bus.

This sounds like the also closed Corby bus station, surely one of the worst creations of mankind as a whole.

 

[johnnychips]

Not strictly relevant, but could someone please get the answer to a long running puzzle in the Quizzes thread!

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=58108&page=154

 

[plymothian]

Plymouth Bretonside, like many 'bad' bus stations is bad because it's been allowed to get that way by neglect.

It is a good bus station in the sense of - it's big enough for buses and large vehicles to cohabit, either when manoeuvring or parking; it has relatively good road access; it's as central to the centre as you can get as well as being close to the historic areas; it has plenty of space for passengers to wait; and it has free toilets and retail outlets.

However, it is aesthetically bad and inaccessible, the passenger areas being underneath a leaky flyover accessed by stairs thus being dull and gloomy.

The council missed a huge opportunity when the new shopping centre was built (and another one before that when Staples/Gala was built), to integrate the station into the shopping area with direct access and lifts. But now instead they want to sell off the land (to raise money!) and built a smaller and IMO inadequate replacement coach station hidden round the back where a car park is currently falling down.

This coach station will displace the buses onto the over crowded Royal Parade, reduce the number of bus and coach parking spots and get rid of the overnight HGV parking altogether. Plus, the access road is narrow, overcrowded and even more gloomy than the current approach. Yet, like Northampton, it's progress (and did I mention a nice bulging pocket from the land sale?)

Instead, all I propose to make it better is the current passenger areas are stripped out, remodelled and enclosed with glass walls, making an 'airport lounge' with a lift installed from the upper level. This area can be locked at night if necessary (and it only has to be half the size of the current layout - so the other half can be converted to something else). A canopy erected partially over the open boarding areas, proper timetabling, real time departure info and a 24hr superloo installed, and a manned customer service desk.

 

[Robertj21a]

personally I liked the old Northampton Greyfriars Bus Station, it's not common to have a bus station that looks like an airship hangar

How on earth could anyone like the old Greyfriars Bus Station ? Probably the only prize it ever won was eyesore of the century. Dark, cold, draughty, damp and smelly with escalators that rarely worked and doors to the buses that wrenched your arm out of the socket.

Truly a ghastly dump. Good riddance.

Robert

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Haha, all valid points. Also all things that a refurbishment could've fixed though. My opinion of Greyfriars is exactly as it was when it was open , I always liked it. Equally I expected North Gate to be bad, although I had no idea JUST how terrible it would end up being.



This sounds like the also closed Corby bus station, surely one of the worst creations of mankind as a whole.

Let's get this right. Just because the NorthGate bus station is a pup doesn't mean Greyfriars was great. In fact, you had the dark oppressive nature and the fumes, irrespective of the lack of maintenance over the years.

Also, the NorthGate site is actually better in many respects for accessing areas other than the Grosvenor Centre (e.g. Market Place etc). It's just too small and was always going to be as retail was the driving force and buses don't make money for developers. Hence a badly designed solution hamstrung by an overly small, awkward site!

You mention Corby - there's was a whole raft of bad 1960's/1970's bus stations that were built under car parks and shopping centres from Corby, through to Rotherham, Doncaster, Colchester, Blackpool and even St Andrews Square in Edinburgh. All god awful! Not saying that what exists in those places is any better though

 

[gordonthemoron]

How on earth could anyone like the old Greyfriars Bus Station ? Probably the only prize it ever won was eyesore of the century. Dark, cold, draughty, damp and smelly with escalators that rarely worked and doors to the buses that wrenched your arm out of the socket.

Truly a ghastly dump. Good riddance.

Robert

I liked it's exterior from an architectural perspective, only used it a couple of times and it wasn't very good inside

 

[A0]

Let's get this right. Just because the NorthGate bus station is a pup doesn't mean Greyfriars was great. In fact, you had the dark oppressive nature and the fumes, irrespective of the lack of maintenance over the years.

Also, the NorthGate site is actually better in many respects for accessing areas other than the Grosvenor Centre (e.g. Market Place etc). It's just too small and was always going to be as retail was the driving force and buses don't make money for developers. Hence a badly designed solution hamstrung by an overly small, awkward site!

You mention Corby - there's was a whole raft of bad 1960's/1970's bus stations that were built under car parks and shopping centres from Corby, through to Rotherham, Doncaster, Colchester, Blackpool and even St Andrews Square in Edinburgh. All god awful! Not saying that what exists in those places is any better though

A number of valid points with regard to Northampton - but I'd balance it by questioning why everything should be centred on one site - I think the Northgate approach actually makes alot of sense e.g:

National Express - most passengers are being dropped off by taxi or car. Greyfriars was an absolute nightmare if you were dropping off or collecting someone, particularly late at night. Having a dedicated NX bay next to a car park / taxi area makes far more sense.

Similarly the gripe that some services don't serve Northgate - again if it makes more sense because of the direction it needs to take then fine - how many people arrive in Northgate on one service to continue on a different one? I don't believe it'll be many - most people are going into town / returning from town - so as long as their bus has a consistent stop that's far more important.

Greyfriars was a nightmare to get in and out of unless you went through the Grosvenor Centre - Northgate is much, much better in that regard.

And Greyfriars was well beyond a 'quick refurb' - It was a badly designed, badly engineered late 60s early 70s building, riddled with asbestos, poorly ventilated and badly lit. None of those shortcomings would have been easily fixed. Frankly demolition is the best option, though blowing it up might have been quicker than the piecemeal demolition it's going through......

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

A number of valid points with regard to Northampton - but I'd balance it by questioning why everything should be centred on one site - I think the Northgate approach actually makes alot of sense e.g:

National Express - most passengers are being dropped off by taxi or car. Greyfriars was an absolute nightmare if you were dropping off or collecting someone, particularly late at night. Having a dedicated NX bay next to a car park / taxi area makes far more sense.

Similarly the gripe that some services don't serve Northgate - again if it makes more sense because of the direction it needs to take then fine - how many people arrive in Northgate on one service to continue on a different one? I don't believe it'll be many - most people are going into town / returning from town - so as long as their bus has a consistent stop that's far more important.

Greyfriars was a nightmare to get in and out of unless you went through the Grosvenor Centre - Northgate is much, much better in that regard.

And Greyfriars was well beyond a 'quick refurb' - It was a badly designed, badly engineered late 60s early 70s building, riddled with asbestos, poorly ventilated and badly lit. None of those shortcomings would have been easily fixed. Frankly demolition is the best option, though blowing it up might have been quicker than the piecemeal demolition it's going through......

Taken to its extreme, you'd potentially argue that you don't need a bus station but can just relegate services onto streets? Not always a delight - Weston Super Mare is one place where dispersal onto streets is mixed with poor marketing/information. Having it on one site does enable interchange between services though that is something that is often over-stressed by enthusiasts. After all, just cos we enjoy public transport and tripping round on rover tickets and the like, that's not to say the general public will be as keen to change between services.

Greyfriars was long past salvation and a lot of the work was centred around concrete cancer and the ingress of water in the offices above the bus station. However, asbestos is a major part of the reason for the protracted length for the demolition

 

[Deerfold]

National Express - most passengers are being dropped off by taxi or car. Greyfriars was an absolute nightmare if you were dropping off or collecting someone, particularly late at night. Having a dedicated NX bay next to a car park / taxi area makes far more sense.

Really? I've seen that on very late and early services but otherwise my use of coaches has seen most people continuing their journey by bus or train - though I don't know Northampton well so it could be different there.

Certainly makes for less integrated transport having coaches away from buses.

 

[Rapidash]

I used Shudehill recently, not too shabby at all. Could do with something like that but about 3 times the size in Exeter and Plymouth.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Shudehill is nice and very conveniently located opposite the Hare and Hounds and not too far from the Marble Arch, hic...........

 

[MK Tom]

North Gate's biggest design flaw, notwithstanding technical issues like the absence of any form of climate control and the blind entrance, is the fact that it and the Drapery are supposed to act as one big 'interchange'. You can really do two things - either have all your bus stops in the street (like Milton Keynes or Oxford or so on) or have one big bus station (Greyfriars, High Wycombe, Leicester (sort of has two)) and so on. The half-and-half arrangement here causes confusion and inconvenience for anyone who needs to change services, not to mention the weather (but hey, at least while you're waiting for the screens to show you your bus info you get told the weather and the latest headlines! That has to be the daftest idea I've seen in a while.).

What's more is they've arranged services to all use North Gate in one direction and the Drapery in the other (same place in their minds remember). This causes endless confusion and a lot of conflicting movements. It'd be better if some services used Northgate both ways, and others used the Drapery both ways. Plus we could remove these arrangements where buses go up, round Northgate and back down again. That p***es of passengers and adds to the already serious congestion at both NG and on the Drapery.

Like I've said I don't have rose tinted specs about Greyfriars, I always loved it but I know many don't and I know the perfectly good reasons for that.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

I fear what Gloucester will get in the redevelopment though, it has to said, the existing one is very past its prime (though I quite like the 1960s Tilling feel)

 

[Hadders]

Greyfriars Bus Station in Northampton has finally been blown up today!

 

[bussnapperwm]

Greyfriars Bus Station in Northampton has finally been blown up today!

I like it when something as terrible as that gets blown up!

Found this video on YouTube

[youtube]5A-bDdrl9RE[/YouTube]

 

[overthewater]

I think there should build a bus station on that site :P

 

[pitdiver]

What about Milton Keynes Bus station. I know it's no longer used but it was quite good when it was in use. Although not a "Bus Station" but how about the "Old " Milton Keynes Coach way. Considering how many movements per day ( approx 260) the place was the absolute pits. I should know I was the Manager there!

 

[Andyh82]

Some bad bus stations aren't even that old.

Derby isn't great, stands are too close together, not quite enough, no alighting bays, no approach road so buses have to give way to reversing buses while still on the public road.

Wakefield, built on a slope so there is slim hope of a wheelchair being able to board as the front of the buses are stuck up in the air. Also seems to be a mirror image of most Metro bus stations so the signs above each door listing services from that stand don't correspond to the waiting area for each stand, some how it's all back to front. Arriva own it rather than Metro themselves.

 

[Rich McLean]

In Plymouth, the Mayflower Street Coach station has been given the go-ahead. All buses will start/terminate at Royal Parade (as is happening now apart from the X38), and all Nat Express Coaches will use the new Coach Station.

Visiting coaches will more than likely use Millbay for parking

 

[ian1944]

Has anybody mentioned Chichester? I spent a couple of hours in the city in December and did the walls (nice enough but nowhere near as good as Berwick, Chester or York), the open air market in East St and the JDW pub in West St, leaving time to inspect the bus station adjacent to the Stagey garage. It seemed OK, with info and leaflets available and I think a cafe. By the rail station and close to the centre, too.

 

[plymothian]

In Plymouth, the Mayflower Street Coach station has been given the go-ahead. All buses will start/terminate at Royal Parade (as is happening now apart from the X38), and all Nat Express Coaches will use the new Coach Station.

Visiting coaches will more than likely use Millbay for parking

We're going the same route as Northampton.
And that is an ugly prospect.

 

[Rich McLean]

We're going the same route as Northampton.
And that is an ugly prospect.

Yes, but the eyesore that is Brentonside will be redeveloped. That planning application will get approved drekly, and the HHP project will not go ahead at Home Park as a result

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

Has anybody mentioned Chichester? I spent a couple of hours in the city in December and did the walls (nice enough but nowhere near as good as Berwick, Chester or York), the open air market in East St and the JDW pub in West St, leaving time to inspect the bus station adjacent to the Stagey garage. It seemed OK, with info and leaflets available and I think a cafe. By the rail station and close to the centre, too.

Southdown had a policy of NOT building bus stations except in a few key locations of which Chichester was one (as were Lewes and Haywards Heath) because of the cost of having them!! However, agree with you.... it's quite nice really.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Yes, but the eyesore that is Brentonside will be redeveloped. That planning application will get approved drekly, and the HHP project will not ahead at Home Park.

Bretonside is one of the few remaining hellholes of bus stations. Not many tears will be shed when it goes, joining the ranks of....

High Wycombe
Darlington
Newcastle - Worswick St, Marlborough Cres, and predecessors at Eldon Sq and Haymarket
Doncaster
Leeds Central
Keighley
Blackpool - Talbot Road
Nelson
Hull
Newport
Chelmsford
Edinburgh - St Andrews Sq
Consett
Sunderland - Central
Birmingham - Bull Ring
Consett
Stanley

Note that quite a few were rebuilt on the original site, but their replacements aren't exactly brilliant either

How about an award for the most underwhelming bus station..... Cinderford, Monmouth, Ashbourne, Hartlepool?

Or the town that really should have a bus station but doesn't (instead relying on a selection of badly signed bus stops..... Weston super Mare, Salisbury, Burton on Trent?

 

[Robertj21a]

Southdown had a policy of NOT building bus stations except in a few key locations of which Chichester was one (as were Lewes and Haywards Heath) because of the cost of having them!! However, agree with you.... it's quite nice really.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Or the town that really should have a bus station but doesn't (instead relying on a selection of badly signed bus stops..... Weston super Mare, Salisbury, Burton on Trent?

Southampton, Stafford, Reading ?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

We're going the same route as Northampton. And that is an ugly prospect.

You are hereby awarded the Sergio Leone award for the best word-association on this thread...