Queen Square Bus Station

[E400]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station
That massive concrete barrier between the carriageways could really be replaced with painted lines so buses can at least move around obstacles if safe to do so. The angles of the stands should be less steep to allow the back end of buses to tuck in more neatly, and the large barriers running alongside stands should be removed to allow two buses to load at once. This obviously poses issues if the central barrier is removed from the carriage way in that people will cross willy-nilly, but there is surely some work around for this? They should also introduce smart traffic lights on the St George's Hall end, and all lights along Lime Street to allow for better traffic flow, as right now the lights prevent traffic from moving even when safe to do so. This would help ease congestion in and around the bus station.

Queen Square does need a lot of attention and it needs to be sorted quickly so that it meets the future needs of the city and can accomodate growth for the future. It'd be good to see Sir Thomas Street become better used, and Wirral services terminating at Liverpool ONE, running back via Cook Street and straight along Victoria Street into the tunnels. Alternatively, and I should imagine completely unrealistic, Stanley Street alongside the Metquarter could be opened as a bus only road for Wirral services, with The stretch of Whitechapel in front of The Metquarter re-laid as a one way road. Sir Thomas Street could then be used exclusively for services which run north out of the city completely bypassing Queen Sq such as the 47 and X2.

[wirralbus]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station
At present there is too many buses using Queen Square in either direction for most of the daytime for the concrete barrier to be replaced by painted lines , accident waiting to happen beetween buses i would say.

I would still prefer one vehicle loading at a stand only you risk someone getting injured trying to squeeze up the side of a vehicle if you allow multiple pick ups on stand , its also something i think merseytravel are dead against.

[MX12CFE]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station
I think Queen Square should have been left to the original layout as it was when it was the Roe street Gyratory and just refurbished there was 4 lanes each way with a long continuous row of shelters and loads of buses could get in with no problems whatsoever. The current layout is just not fit for purpose.

[E400]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station
While they're resurfacing the road, they should also get rid of that awful tiled pavement they've got going; its lethal when it's wet, especially when running for a bus.

[MPTE1955]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station

(13/02/2015 07:11)MX12CFE Wrote:  I think Queen Square should have been left to the original layout as it was when it was the Roe street Gyratory and just refurbished there was 4 lanes each way with a long continuous row of shelters and loads of buses could get in with no problems whatsoever. The current layout is just not fit for purpose.

The old way was a bit dangerous as you were taking your life in your own hands and you had general traffic going through as well. Just an extra lane either side would be better as things would move better and would be less chaotic in the event of a breakdown or something like that.

[Phil]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station
I think Merseytravel missed a trick when the old post office on Whitechapel (now the Met Quarter) was demolished. This would have been a perfect location for a bus station.

[Barney]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station

(13/02/2015 10:29)Phil Wrote:  I think Merseytravel missed a trick when the old post office on Whitechapel (now the Met Quarter) was demolished. This would have been a perfect location for a bus station.

They missed a bigger trick when they closed the Pier Head bus station and paved the whole area. If you look at archive photographs of that area, you will see that it was a tram terminus for decades before it became a bus terminus and it served its purpose perfectly.

The fundamental problem is that planners and politicians only ever think in the short term, especially when it comes to matters of public transport. The decision to abandon the tram system in most major cities in the UK would never have happened if the Suez Crisis had occurred two years earlier. Remember a certain Dr Beeching? His plans are now totally discredited and the privatisation of bus services and the railways has hardly been resounding success, has it?

[wirralbus]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station

(13/02/2015 07:11)MX12CFE Wrote:  I think Queen Square should have been left to the original layout as it was when it was the Roe street Gyratory and just refurbished there was 4 lanes each way with a long continuous row of shelters and loads of buses could get in with no problems whatsoever. The current layout is just not fit for purpose.

Some big property developer and Liverpool City Council saw a lot of ££££ signs before there eyes when the area was redeveloped , the Hood Street and Roe Street Gyratory did cover an awful lot of land , at certain times it was just like a free for all trying to drop off and pick up passengers .

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station
One of my "Controversially mad" idea's...

I've always thought that the 82 service would be better operating along Duke Street instead of Hanover, this would reduce some congestion allowing for South Liverpool Services (6/7/14/61/78/79/79C) to operate up and down Hanover Street to Liverpool One (139 calling at Great Charlotte St), freeing up Stands 1-2 which could then be used to disperse existing services across the stands, such as the 17 not calling at the 12/13 stop.

Of course this would then reduce the amount of buses serving both directions of the Bus Station, and the Open-top services should use the least used stand... 12.

[Raawwwrrr!]

RE: Queen Square Bus Station

(13/02/2015 11:11)Barney Wrote:  They missed a bigger trick when they closed the Pier Head bus station and paved the whole area. If you look at archive photographs of that area, you will see that it was a tram terminus for decades before it became a bus terminus and it served its purpose perfectly.

The fundamental problem is that planners and politicians only ever think in the short term, especially when it comes to matters of public transport. The decision to abandon the tram system in most major cities in the UK would never have happened if the Suez Crisis had occurred two years earlier. Remember a certain Dr Beeching? His plans are now totally discredited and the privatisation of bus services and the railways has hardly been resounding success, has it?

Pier Head or Mann Island is a really bad idea for a bus terminus, getting across 'The Strand' is chaotic due to the signalling of the traffic lights. the other problem is that there is nothing for the "regular passenger" at Pier Head. It isn't close to a Northern Rail/Mainline Station, and is merely an overpriced tourist attraction. In the current climate, if it was to be turned into a bus station, it would be very badly served passenger wise. Most people who alight at Queen Square, will get the return bus at Queen Sq or around Lord St as that is where the shops and amenities are. Likewise with Liverpool One, It tends to be that Hanover St and Lewis's are the main alighting stops with Lime St and Great Charlotte St taking the bulk of returning passengers. That's the current problem with Liverpool one it's at the a**e-end of the Shopping district, the business district, and no-where near an inter-city station.

It might have worked years ago when more roads were open to buses allowing greater traffic flow, but it just wouldn't work today. (Unless you want a ferry, a Liverpool souvenir, or an over-priced latté).