Coast Road - Matchday services for evening kick offs

[Andreos1]

 From a Sunderland ST holder point of view, it's a hard one to crack but ideally what is needed is some form of transport which stops outside of the ground which takes people to a decent P&R site outside the city for next to nothing subsidised by the clubs.

There's not really any alternative for us other than drive and parking in the streets then getting stuck for 10-15 minutes heading North and it's the same for those heading from the South.

I don't really expect any direct public transport from where I live either (SE Northumberland) so it would have to be some form of half way house but being dead honest you probably won't change us over whatever happens but I certainly wouldn't get on a bus which does the same traffic as the car as what's the point.

Multiply that with fans from every single Durham Pit Village, Ashington, Gateshead etc then you see where the problems start.

For Southern Sunderland fans there ideally needs to be some P&R at South Hylton and Ryhope which people can park at and get the Metro / Shuttle Train (Ryhope). They'd be handy for parking anyway for the city all week anyway.

Northern fans like us it's more difficult as the Metro is already slammed heading North so not sure what you could do but tbh the traffic heading North isn't too bad anyway. GNE having single deckers on the 24 at Crush Load (we passed one) on a 30 minute frequency doesn't help though mind.

Always thought you had a sensible head on your shoulders. One of the sensible posterss... Lost all respect I had for you Storx. Extremely disappointed.

*walks away slowly, shaking head with a look of dismay*

But in all seriousness, again, that's something the club and operators have the ability to resolve.
Whether that's working directly with operators or supporters clubs, there must be an offer of some sort of affordable and viable alternative to the car to take supporters from several key locations. 
In an ideal world, there's going to be an alternative that goes from north of the river.

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The only GDPR concerns would be from someone who doesn't understand GDPR, though I appreciate that it's sadly far too common and it has become something that organisations hide behind. The only data required would be the (even partial) postcodes and numbers of holders in each area. There's no personal data there - it'd be impossible to identify individuals from it.

And any proactive operator coming up against those sorts of barriers will be able to overcome those challenges with ease.

[F114TML]

I thought there was a park & ride for SAFC that left from (or near) hylton riverside? Certainly was a few years ago (it was Stagecoach deckers - probably Olympians - running it when I was on)

[Adrian]

I thought there was a park & ride for SAFC that left from (or near) hylton riverside? Certainly was a few years ago (it was Stagecoach deckers - probably Olympians - running it when I was on)

Still is, apparently: https://safc.com/matchday/getting-to-the-sol

[F114TML]

Still is, apparently: https://safc.com/matchday/getting-to-the-sol

Interesting. Wonder where the mythical 2 and 15 bus routes go.

[Storx]

Always thought you had a sensible head on your shoulders. One of the sensible posterss... Lost all respect I had for you Storx. Extremely disappointed.

*walks away slowly, shaking head with a look of dismay*

But in all seriousness, again, that's something the club and operators have the ability to resolve.
Whether that's working directly with operators or supporters clubs, there must be an offer of some sort of affordable and viable alternative to the car to take supporters from several key locations. 
In an ideal world, there's going to be an alternative that goes from north of the river.

Ha we all have a dark secret

Seriously though taking away the football, travelling across the Tyne in general is just a problem. There's about 100 buses, probably more? curious now, across the 4 bridges in the centre of Newcastle then there's 3 to the West (6, 7, 84A?) and 2 to the East (11). I'm not counting the 12 as it doesn't go anywhere bar straight into town and a ferry at a bottom of a bank with dodgy connections and at the wrong end of the town for the buses

It's been a massive problem up for here for ages and it's no wonder there's 100k or so cars (I believe is the number) travelling on the A1/A685 to the West and 40k or so to the East on the A19. Not to mention the cheap bastards who will use the Tyne Bridge to avoid the tolls, ignoring the fact they're paying more in petrol.

Lot of people there and tbh there's no alternative really without a diversion via Newcastle which if your journey is Throckley to the Metro Centre is a long one (ignoring changing buses in random places) or Cobalt to Hebburn.

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I thought there was a park & ride for SAFC that left from (or near) hylton riverside? Certainly was a few years ago (it was Stagecoach deckers - probably Olympians - running it when I was on)

Yeah there is, but it's not exactly any use. Might aswell just park in Southwick / Roker instead and walk and save the bus journey which a lot of people do. It's at the wrong end of the traffic on Wessington Way so you get stuck either way with an additional inconvenience in waiting for a bus. Believe it was a condition of the Stadium of Light so it's there because it has to be there rather than to save traffic.

[Andreos1]

Ha we all have a dark secret

Seriously though taking away the football, travelling across the Tyne in general is just a problem. There's about 100 buses, probably more? curious now, across the 4 bridges in the centre of Newcastle then there's 3 to the West (6, 7, 84A?) and 2 to the East (11). I'm not counting the 12 as it doesn't go anywhere bar straight into town and a ferry at a bottom of a bank with dodgy connections and at the wrong end of the town for the buses

It's been a massive problem up for here for ages and it's no wonder there's 100k or so cars (I believe is the number) travelling on the A1/A685 to the West and 40k or so to the East on the A19. Not to mention the cheap bastards who will use the Tyne Bridge to avoid the tolls, ignoring the fact they're paying more in petrol. 

Lot of people there and tbh there's no alternative really without a diversion via Newcastle which if your journey is Throckley to the Metro Centre is a long one (ignoring changing buses in random places) or Cobalt to Hebburn.

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Yeah there is, but it's not exactly any use. Might aswell just park in Southwick / Roker instead and walk and save the bus journey which a lot of people do. It's at the wrong end of the traffic on Wessington Way so you get stuck either way with an additional inconvenience in waiting for a bus. Believe it was a condition of the Stadium of Light so it's there because it has to be there rather than to save traffic.

Genuinely amazes me that operators ignore all of those potential passengers in cars and insist on following each other in to and out of the town in some sort of multi-coloured conga.

But here lies the problem and it goes back to what I was saying earlier. 
Something needs to be done, which is radically different to what has gone on since the days of the horse drawn tram.
And obviously the bonus is ensuring the end to those puzzled and bewildered looks on the commercial teams, who spend their lives wondering why they see constant traffic jams and falling loads.
A puzzled and bewildered commercial team no more! Just a successful one!

[Ambassador]

Matchday traffic from the South of the Tyne into Newcastle has been a problem since before Covid and shortages.

Newcastle remains a destination so aside the 50k you've got heading in you've got

- a horrendous road layout in Gateshead that doesn't seem to speed anything up. Without fail the lights change to red at the ped-x-ing on the Tyne Bridge as the buses turn onto it.
- Low Fell which from Chowdene Junction to the Cannon is a traffic jam and the bus priority at the Cannon causes more problems than it solves.
- Traffic being funnelled through Low Fell - again due to poor road planning and now the A1 roadworks.
- Birtley's 37,000 set of traffic lights which can easily add 5-10 minutes onto running.

Buses then run so far behind they are loaded to the brim by the time they get to Allerdene going north and Wellington St (change here for Micropub) going South and you've no hope of boarding any more.

Ideally you'd have some short 21s to to run Newcastle-Harlow Green or even Newcastle-Angel relieving the pressure on the corridor and allowing more give when buses heading further South inevitabley snarl up

On a plus there's no longer a restriction on the Magpie Mover post game - it's now valid until last bus

[Unber43]

The road between Gateshead & A19 has always been an awful issue, it hasn't got better.

It doesn't help that there is only 1 bus an hour going along their onto the A19, none to Boldon. GNE needs to target that area I was stuck on a 94 ( i think) coming from Saltwell to Heworth for 25 mins stuck in traffic

[Adrian]

Matchday traffic from the South of the Tyne into Newcastle has been a problem since before Covid and shortages.

Newcastle remains a destination so aside the 50k you've got heading in you've got

- a horrendous road layout in Gateshead that doesn't seem to speed anything up. Without fail the lights change to red at the ped-x-ing on the Tyne Bridge as the buses turn onto it.
- Low Fell which from Chowdene Junction to the Cannon is a traffic jam and the bus priority at the Cannon causes more problems than it solves.
- Traffic being funnelled through Low Fell - again due to poor road planning and now the A1 roadworks.
-  Birtley's 37,000 set of traffic lights which can easily add 5-10 minutes onto running.

Buses then run so far behind they are loaded to the brim by the time they get to Allerdene going north and Wellington St (change here for Micropub) going South and you've no hope of boarding any more.

Ideally you'd have some short 21s to to run Newcastle-Harlow Green or even Newcastle-Angel relieving the pressure on the corridor and allowing more give when buses heading further South inevitabley snarl up

On a plus there's no longer a restriction on the Magpie Mover post game - it's now valid until last bus

I may be completely imagining this, but didn't this used to happen in some carnation of the 21 or other? 

Even having that on a Saturday (or when there's events on) would be a massive improvement.

[Storx]

The road between Gateshead & A19 has always been an awful issue, it hasn't got better.

It doesn't help that there is only 1 bus an hour going along their onto the A19, none to Boldon. GNE needs to target that area I was stuck on a 94 ( i think) coming from Saltwell to Heworth for 25 mins stuck in traffic

Not sure there's more demand for that tbf. There's already the X34 and the Metro. Both Brockley Whins and East Boldon are in the Boldons which covers most of it.

[Unber43]

Not sure there's more demand for that tbf. There's already the X34 and the Metro. Both Brockley Whins and East Boldon are in the Boldons which covers most of it.

Clearly there is demand off that road, have u seen the traffic at 5pm

[Andreos1]

Clearly there is demand off that road, have u seen the traffic at 5pm

Where's it going to and from though? Is it turning off at Whitemare Pool towards Shields?
Straight on towards The Boldons or Sunderland?
Right towards Washington or Chester?
Somewhere else? 

What about the North bound trips? Newcastle? Saltmeadows Road? Various other points? Team Valley?

That's why analysing the traffic flows and finding out where these people are travelling from is key to an operator succeeding in getting cars off the road. 
Guess work won't make the buses work. We've seen that already.
I agree public transport needs to be improved along that section btw. It's obvious by the number of cars that there's either no alternative or a very poor one.

[cbma06]

Interesting. Wonder where the mythical 2 and 15 bus routes go.

More likely safc never bothered to update there site with newer bus information.


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[F114TML]

More likely safc never bothered to update there site with newer bus information.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well when did the 2 and 15 last run (presumably both were Stagecoach)? Latest I can find for the 15 from 2002.

[cbma06]

Well when did the 2 and 15 last run (presumably both were Stagecoach)? Latest I can find for the 15 from 2002.

The 2 and 3 was streamlined into a 3

The 15 and 16 was streamlined into a 16, there choosing the 16 as it went via Somerset road in springwell rather than the 15 via grindon mill as there was other buses going up the broadway and grindon mill.

It was because a new MD came up from a stagecoach division down south and got rid of the midi bus services and streamlined all the normal bus services and got rid of the 18/19 evenings and Sundays frequent circulars, and got a Pat on the back and giving a pay bonus as the MD did the same at there last location.


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[stagecoachbusdepot]

Well when did the 2 and 15 last run (presumably both were Stagecoach)? Latest I can find for the 15 from 2002.

Both finished on 28 May 2005 as part of the "turn up and go" approach - just don't necessarily go where you want to anymore!

[Storx]

Clearly there is demand off that road, have u seen the traffic at 5pm

It's one of those roads Andreos has rightly said is hard to tell where people go as it splits up everywhere. Nissan will be a big one though no doubt.

I know it goes against the buck on here but it's one of those roads which needs improving for cars rather than public transport, there's always going to be car traffic about and just pretending you can make it disappear with a click of a finger will never happen.

Then when you move all the traffic on the road where it should be on then you can start to make improvements to stuff like Sunderland Road and Lingley Lane and even potentially Durham Road / Old Durham Road with the A1 improvements in the West aswell which are all just glorified rat runs. I know as we use them all the time to avoid Heworth, the A1 and Nightmare Pool in particular.

Instead we seem to have obsession in making major roads worse and thus displacing cars to the total wrong places gaining absolutely no benefits. Askew Road in Gateshead with traffic displaced to Bensham Bank is a big one even known it's more about environmental reasons but still or the mess in Gosforth which has made it worse for everyone.

[Andreos1]

It's one of those roads Andreos has rightly said is hard to tell where people go as it splits up everywhere. Nissan will be a big one though no doubt.

I know it goes against the buck on here but it's one of those roads which needs improving for cars rather than public transport, there's always going to be car traffic about and just pretending you can make it disappear with a click of a finger will never happen.

Then when you move all the traffic on the road where it should be on then you can start to make improvements to stuff like Sunderland Road and Lingley Lane and even potentially Durham Road / Old Durham Road with the A1 improvements in the West aswell which are all just glorified rat runs. I know as we use them all the time to avoid Heworth, the A1 and Nightmare Pool in particular.

Instead we seem to have obsession in making major roads worse and thus displacing cars to the total wrong places gaining absolutely no benefits. Askew Road in Gateshead with traffic displaced to Bensham Bank is a big one even known it's more about environmental reasons but still or the mess in Gosforth which has made it worse for everyone.

It's the mindset that making a car journey more difficult or slower will mean people have to switch to public transport.
And tables, titivations and paint jobs will wow those making the switch.

Of course the majority don't make the switch. Because there isn't a public transport option that meets their needs.
The very basic fundamentals of a network that works for passengers and potential passengers is what is needed before anything else.
They're pissing in to the wind if they think otherwise.

[Rob44]

I made the switch from my car to bus due to diesel being so expensive but also the buses i needed to get connected ( somewhat) on the way to work and it was cheap at 4.10p per day. Not used the bus since the change but im sure the price of a ticket has gone up, ive gone from a choice of 2 buses to one bus per hour and more problematic are the time it would take me to get to and from work has increased due to the buses not conecting anymore. then there is the the fact that all the above doesn't matter if the buses aren't go9ingt o turn up so im now back with me car to commute to work

[stagecoachbusdepot]

It's the mindset that making a car journey more difficult or slower will mean people have to switch to public transport.
And tables, titivations and paint jobs will wow those making the switch.

Of course the majority don't make the switch. Because there isn't a public transport option that meets their needs.
The very basic fundamentals of a network that works for passengers and potential passengers is what is needed before anything else.
They're pissing in to the wind if they think otherwise.

This is exactly the issue.  Complete morons making the case for discouraging car usage while at the same time decimating the already pretty crap alternative that is public transport in the 2020s.  All any of the attempts to make car travel less appealing actually deliver is increased emissions/congestion as people queue longer or drive further to get to the same place.  If this wasn't the case, we wouldn't see endless service cuts "to better match demand" as the roads get busier.

A bit like how not so long ago MG was demonising the motorist, claiming there was no need for anyone to own a car...interestingly the narrative has now evolved into needing "car sized solutions" when there's not enough profit in it for the shareholders to run "public" transport service in a given area, and when the LA coffers are bled dry.