North East Buses

Further photos:

https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threads/r...-178472474

After using this for a few months now, I've got to admit, I'm impressed at Gateshead Councils incompetence with this bus link. They've made it slightly faster for 4 buses an hour, whilst every other bus using Gatshead High Street now has to wait at a red light that doesn't automatically trigger when nothing is using Sunderland Road.

Fantastic work on bus priority, fantastic. /s

(24 Jun 2022, 5:27 pm)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]After using this for a few months now, I've got to admit, I'm impressed at Gateshead Councils incompetence with this bus link. They've made it slightly faster for 4 buses an hour, whilst every other bus using Gatshead High Street now has to wait at a red light that doesn't automatically trigger when nothing is using Sunderland Road.

Fantastic work on bus priority, fantastic. /s

but its 5 buses per hour.....which makes the how many millions worth it /s

(24 Jun 2022, 5:27 pm)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]After using this for a few months now, I've got to admit, I'm impressed at Gateshead Councils incompetence with this bus link. They've made it slightly faster for 4 buses an hour, whilst every other bus using Gatshead High Street now has to wait at a red light that doesn't automatically trigger when nothing is using Sunderland Road.

Fantastic work on bus priority, fantastic. /s

Sounds like a simple traffic signals fault. 
Wonder if anyone has reported it…. 

https://envirocall.newcastle.gov.uk/TrafficSignals

(24 Jun 2022, 7:24 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]Sounds like a simple traffic signals fault. 
Wonder if anyone has reported it…. 

https://envirocall.newcastle.gov.uk/TrafficSignals

I've just reported it now, see what happens. Had similar problems with the traffic lights at Carley Road/Southwick Road bus link in Sunderland, that doesn't detect buses waiting at the lights heading towards Southwick. That has been reported plenty but nothing has been done about it.

wonder if the bus link will remain if this happens

https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2022-...and-biking

(19 Dec 2022, 1:11 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]wonder if the bus link will remain if this happens

https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2022-...and-biking

I've heard the flyover is on its last legs.
This is just a nice excuse to get rid and not replace.

But knowing Gateshead Council, the tree line boulevard will be nothing but a load of white paint thrown around with wild abandon for a few weeks.
With a second lot thrown around to redesign the road not long after.

Wonder what bad news is coming out this week. Gannon has a tendancy to announce good things to try and cover up bad things.

The last time there was one of these announcements the leisure centre closure came out oddly a few days later and it's not the first time. 2

Its not really much of an announcement, is it? The so-called Gateshead boulevard has been part of their masterplan for ages, and as Andreos1 suggests, is just a nice excuse to get rid of something that needs removing/replacing anyway.

(19 Dec 2022, 4:20 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]Its not really much of an announcement, is it? The so-called Gateshead boulevard has been part of their masterplan for ages, and as Andreos1 suggests, is just a nice excuse to get rid of something that needs removing/replacing anyway.

"ambitious £500m plans" is quite an announcement to me. There's much more to it than just the boulevard. Most of it belonging in fantasy land especially the cycle highway from Carlisle to Newcastle. Who knows could spend the money on trains which aren't from the 80's which could erm take cycles aswell but yeah.

Anyone wanting to do that is very likely be doing the C2C as there's not exactly much commuter sense to it unless you really are barking mad especially from Greenhead to Brampton.

(19 Dec 2022, 1:11 pm)Rob44 wrote [ -> ]wonder if the bus link will remain if this happens

https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2022-...and-biking

Don’t see why not, I’m sure the bus link would’ve been planned with the long term boulevard plan in mind. 
Only difference is the top deck will be removed and the bottom deck turned into a boulevard with the bus gate still crossing over it.

(19 Dec 2022, 9:00 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]Don’t see why not, I’m sure the bus link would’ve been planned with the long term boulevard plan in mind. 
Only difference is the top deck will be removed and the bottom deck turned into a boulevard with the bus gate still crossing over it.

It would have to go. There’s no way you hold up the vast amount of traffic heading towards and out of Newcastle for a few buses an hour. 

like most Gannon projects, it’ll go

(19 Dec 2022, 10:15 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]It would have to go. There’s no way you hold up the vast amount of traffic heading towards and out of Newcastle for a few buses an hour. 

like most Gannon projects, it’ll go

But that's exactly what the one on the Felling Bypass at Wardley does.

(19 Dec 2022, 10:36 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]But that's exactly what the one on the Felling Bypass at Wardley does.

I don't think any bus services uses that now

(19 Dec 2022, 10:52 pm)Unber43 wrote [ -> ]I don't think any bus services uses that now

Just checked and it looks like you are right.
All that bleating on about bus priority measures, forcing the council over a barrel and now they've diverted the last remaining bus away from it.

Go North East in 2009: http://www.travelnortheast.co.uk/news/st...ugust.html

Now: *tumbleweed and a bus gate that doesn't have buses going through it*

(19 Dec 2022, 11:36 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Just checked and it looks like you are right.
All that bleating on about bus priority measures, forcing the council over a barrel and now they've diverted the last remaining bus away from it.

Go North East in 2009: http://www.travelnortheast.co.uk/news/st...ugust.html

Now: *tumbleweed and a bus gate that doesn't have buses going through it*

GNE changed the 57 route a couple months ago so it now goes the other way around. 

I dont think they told anyone, and just did it overnight.

(19 Dec 2022, 11:36 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Just checked and it looks like you are right.
All that bleating on about bus priority measures, forcing the council over a barrel and now they've diverted the last remaining bus away from it.

Go North East in 2009: http://www.travelnortheast.co.uk/news/st...ugust.html

Now: *tumbleweed and a bus gate that doesn't have buses going through it*

Virtually everything wasted on stuff like in the past 15 years is the same:

Silverlink Bus Link
Northumberland Park Interchange
Centrelink

Most 'traffic improvements' are a waste of money aswell:

Sandy Lane
Four Lane Ends
South Gosforth
Gosforth Salter's Road / Church Road
Haymarket
Findus Roundabout
Askew Road
Kingston Park Road

They're all worse than they've ever been. North East Councils, in particular Newcastle, North Tyneside and Gateshead should be banned from traffic planning as they're clueless. Not to mention anything done by them takes 10x longer than it should, the latest being Sandy Lane Roundabout and the paving off the side streets on Northumberland Street.

(19 Dec 2022, 11:36 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Just checked and it looks like you are right.
All that bleating on about bus priority measures, forcing the council over a barrel and now they've diverted the last remaining bus away from it.

Go North East in 2009: http://www.travelnortheast.co.uk/news/st...ugust.html

Now: *tumbleweed and a bus gate that doesn't have buses going through it*

GNE took the move to change the route as it's just far too dangerous with the speeds cars approach along the A184. Probably had more near misses now the speed camera has disappeared from there now. Never liked crossing it when I used to be at Riverside.

(19 Dec 2022, 10:15 pm)Ambassador wrote [ -> ]It would have to go. There’s no way you hold up the vast amount of traffic heading towards and out of Newcastle for a few buses an hour. 

like most Gannon projects, it’ll go

…..if it’s just a few buses an hour then the traffic will barely be held back at all then.

(20 Dec 2022, 7:24 am)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]…..if it’s just a few buses an hour then the traffic will barely be held back at all then.

If they install smart traffic lights - which they may - otherwise it would be chaotic.

(20 Dec 2022, 1:12 am)deanmachine wrote [ -> ]GNE took the move to change the route as it's just far too dangerous with the speeds cars approach along the A184. Probably had more near misses now the speed camera has disappeared from there now. Never liked crossing it when I used to be at Riverside.

That may have influenced the decision with the final route, but I can't see it having any impact on any of the others they cancelled.

But saying that, if they had any weight and credibility left, I'm sure it could have been used to influence the council.
Just like they could have done regarding Centrelink.

I've said it for years, but operators and local authorities need to work together and improve their working relationships, not just about things like this - but roadworks, road layouts, priority measures and anything else that matters.
They've got a common interest (usually financial or some other target) yet seem so far removed from each other.

Another example in that area, is the lights and road-layout changes made a few years back on the bridge over the Felling Bypass at Wardley.
All the pressure and then we see services diverted away from the section of road.

(19 Dec 2022, 11:59 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ] Virtually everything wasted on stuff like in the past 15 years is the same:

Silverlink Bus Link
Northumberland Park Interchange
Centrelink 

Most 'traffic improvements' are a waste of money aswell:

Sandy Lane
Four Lane Ends
South Gosforth
Gosforth Salter's Road / Church Road
Haymarket
Findus Roundabout
Askew Road
Kingston Park Road

They're all worse than they've ever been. North East Councils, in particular Newcastle, North Tyneside and Gateshead should be banned from traffic planning as they're clueless. Not to mention anything done by them takes 10x longer than it should, the latest being Sandy Lane Roundabout and the paving off the side streets on Northumberland Street.

It's bonkers that so much public money is thrown at this infrastructure, with seemingly no recourse for an operator shrugging their shoulders after however long and upping sticks when the money dries up or doesn't flow as well as they anticipated.

Time and time again we see it happen.

(20 Dec 2022, 10:20 am)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]It's bonkers that so much public money is thrown at this infrastructure, with seemingly no recourse for an operator shrugging their shoulders after however long and upping sticks when the money dries up or doesn't flow as well as they anticipated.

Time and time again we see it happen.

That's not how planning works. Operators give feedback to planners and take it away.

This whole thing about operators putting local authorities over a barrel is complete nonsense. There is nobody on the planet that would suggest GNE would diitch the 27 if the Sunderland Road bus gate never existed. The 57 still serves Wardley.

Maybe we need better local authority planners which are not enthralled to certain lobby groups or not willing to de-risk spending

(19 Dec 2022, 4:20 pm)Adrian wrote [ -> ]Its not really much of an announcement, is it? The so-called Gateshead boulevard has been part of their masterplan for ages, and as Andreos1 suggests, is just a nice excuse to get rid of something that needs removing/replacing anyway.

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...s-25802062

There we go, happens every time with Gannon it's predictable.

(21 Dec 2022, 12:34 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/nor...s-25802062

There we go, happens every time with Gannon it's predictable.

What we looking at here?

(21 Dec 2022, 5:37 pm)ne14ne1 wrote [ -> ]What we looking at here?

Basically every time Gannon lately announces some form of master plan worth millions of pounds which they don't have the funding for (and won't have the funding for) there's some very bad news coming from Gateshead Council around the same time almost as a cover up. Happens all the time lately, it was Skyscrapercity or RailUK (can't remember which) which noticed it and it's just happened again.

(19 Dec 2022, 11:36 pm)Andreos1 wrote [ -> ]Just checked and it looks like you are right.
All that bleating on about bus priority measures, forcing the council over a barrel and now they've diverted the last remaining bus away from it.

Go North East in 2009: http://www.travelnortheast.co.uk/news/st...ugust.html

Now: *tumbleweed and a bus gate that doesn't have buses going through it*

The bus gate at Wardley was blocked off completely today by Highways agency with the lights bagged over.


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(21 Dec 2022, 7:31 pm)pbjd wrote [ -> ]The bus gate at Wardley was blocked off completely today by Highways agency with the lights bagged over.


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The lights remained active until that point - meaning that, despite no (or very few) buses using it, the lights were phasing as the sensor wasn’t picking up any activity.

Now they’ve been bagged over, there’ll be no need for the contingency phasing and the bypass can run freely.


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(19 Dec 2022, 6:09 pm)Storx wrote [ -> ]"ambitious £500m plans" is quite an announcement to me. There's much more to it than just the boulevard. Most of it belonging in fantasy land especially the cycle highway from Carlisle to Newcastle. Who knows could spend the money on trains which aren't from the 80's which could erm take cycles aswell but yeah.

Anyone wanting to do that is very likely be doing the C2C as there's not exactly much commuter sense to it unless you really are barking mad especially from Greenhead to Brampton.

What I mean is, that this isn't new. See: https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/325...-2010-2030