Bristol: Airport Road, Rail & Access Issues

[superking]

They opened a new road a couple of days ago as well. It runs from winterstoke road to locking moor road using the old Weston airfield runway. The pinch point is the motorway junction 21 as every thing runs to it. There has been talk of putting a new junction south of junction 21 at Knightcott on the out skirts of Banwell. This new junction would help to get traffic out of Weston. Weston over the years has expanded with houses and industry,they have put new roads in for the development but as I have said still all leads to junction 21.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

They opened a new road a couple of days ago as well. It runs from winterstoke road to locking moor road using the old Weston airfield runway. The pinch point is the motorway junction 21 as every thing runs to it. There has been talk of putting a new junction south of junction 21 at Knightcott on the out skirts of Banwell. This new junction would help to get traffic out of Weston. Weston over the years has expanded with houses and industry,they have put new roads in for the development but as I have said still all leads to junction 21.

Weston is growing at a rapid rate. Its population is now well over 80,000 and it is likely to overtake Bath within a few years. The urban spread now extends to the M5 (as of course you will know better than me, but others who read this might not) and if it goes on like that it will be joining up with Bristol. Not really, but it's certainly getting closer.

I find that amusing given the antipathy towards everything Bristol by the North Somerset Council's deputy leader, Elfan Ap Rees (I was at school with him but we were never particular mates).

Cllr Ap Rees is of course a major figure in the Weston Helicopter Museum and a longstanding helicopter pilot himself.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Plans for a train line to Bristol Airport launched

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/plans-train-line-bristol-airport-1587200

As is so often the case the headline needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. It's really a re-statement of the consultation that has taken place which will lead to a detailed assessment culminating with a Surface Access Strategy published alongside the draft master plan in the winter.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/ab...ort-bus-route-celebrates-one-year-anniversary

Airport press release today. The presence of the A3 (like the A1 Bristol Flyer it's operated for the airport by First) has resulted in the closure of another route from the airport to Weston (A2 which was also operated by First but as a commercial service, albeit with substantial subsidy from the local authority).

The A2 has been partially replaced by a new A5 service operated by Carmel of Nailsea which links the airport with about ten local villages in the Chew Valley, Wrington Vale and Mendip foothills, but this service does not go as far as Weston. It's a public commercial service but I've been told that it's heavily subsidised by the airport, although unlike the A1 and A3 it's not run by the airport. The A5 will not take many passengers to/from the airport so if the airport is subsidising it (someone is because passenger numbers are low and not expected to be high) it's another of the services to the local community that the airport provides.

Airport bus route celebrates one year anniversary
Created: 14th Jun 2018

The A3 AirportFlyer bus service commenced in 2017 and has recently celebrated its first year anniversary. The route has proved successful for both passengers and staff as the service links the Airport to the villages of Cleeve, Congresbury, Worle and Weston-super-Mare railway station.

Since the service commenced over 40,000 passengers have used the hourly bus service which operates daily Monday to Sunday and Bank Holidays with the exception of Christmas Day. The Airport Flyer runs every hour from 0400 to 2200 daily, stopping off en-route at Worle, Congresbury and Cleeve.

The vehicles are wheelchair accessible and passengers are able to take their luggage on board with them, providing peace of mind and speeding up the boarding process.

Tickets for travel can be booked in advance online, via mTickets or by paying the driver on the day of travel. Tickets will cost £5.00 single or £7.00 return, with concessions available. Further information available from www.bristolairport.co.uk Tickets purchased can subsequently be used on the wider First network within Weston-super-Mare.

Paul Baker, Surface Access Manager, Bristol Airport said:

“This is a major milestone connecting Weston-super-Mare, local villages and the Airport. The Airport is able to provide a public transport hub network needed to support passengers and staff using public transport. We are delighted with the success of the service and look forward to developing the public bus service network further in the future.”

 

[TheLocalYokel]

This notice appears on the airport website regarding traffic from Bristol being diverted via the A370 and Brockley Combe this coming weekend because of surface dressing being applied to the A38.

Road surface dressing will be carried out on the A38 between the South Bristol Link and the junction with Downside Road between 5am and 12 midday on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 July. Traffic heading out of Bristol towards the Airport during these hours will be diverted along the South Bristol Link Road, A370 and Brockley Combe. Passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journey to/from the airport.

 

[Red Flyer]

The work has now been postponed.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-underground-could-you-bristol-1829979

Bristol underground could get you to Bristol Airport or Emersons Green in 25 minutes

This is the latest piece about the metro/underground Mayor Rees would like for Bristol. It's only a concept and would take many years to come about - if at all (say the cynics).

The outline idea is for three routes radiating from the city centre initially, one of which would reach the airport.

The current A1 Airport Flyer is timetabled to reach the airport from Temple Meads in around the same time as the underground/Metro would get you there from the centre, although the Flyer is subject to the vagaries of the traffic

 

[TheLocalYokel]

A1 Airport Flyer

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/metrobus-exclusive-south-bristol-m2-1850640

According to this newspaper report the M2 Metrobus route will commence operations on Monday 3 September this year. This is the route between Ashton Vale Park and Ride and Temple Meads with a circular tour of the central area tacked on. It should have commenced operations last autumn but a series of problems including the wrong specifications for the guided busway section held up the start.

Reports in the past have indicated that the A1 Airport Flyer will use the route between Temple Meads and Ashton on its journey to and from the airport. However, the newspaper report states, "Unlike other sections of the Metrobus lanes, the guided busways can only be used by Metrobus vehicles fitted to a set specification."

I don't know whether this rules out the A1. You'd have thought they would have been aware of this long ago, even before the spec problems raised their head, so perhaps this is just loose newspaper reporting. After all, the Bristol Post is not exactly a paragon of the Fourth Estate when it comes to content and accuracy.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

A1 Airport Flyer

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/exclusive-metrobus-never-meant-be-1856068

The latest newspaper report on the Fiascobus saga states that, "And the restored Swing Bridge (Ashton) itself is too low for regular buses - and only specially adapted Metrobus M2 buses can ever use it. The M2 route has been delayed so long, in part, because First Bus discovered that its regular buses will not be able to fit under the Swing Bridge."

So yet another reason/excuse for the delay - the bridge is too low for normal double-deckers, to go with the guided busway section that was built to the wrong spec and (originally) the ticket machines that weren't in place.

On the face of it this does mean that the A1 double-deckers will be too high, yet they look to be the same design as the Metrobus double deckers.

At the end of last year the same Bristol Post reporter was telling us that the A1 would use the M2 Metrobus route for part of its journey.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/7-ways-metrobus-change-south-989513

 

[superking]

I wonder what the next excuse will be. A private firm would have got every thing sorted before allocating money towards the project.With the councils funding it they don't worry how much money to put things or alter things so it will work properly. Private firms funding the project would have looked at every thing and sorted it. Also with private funding the whole project would have been up and running by now.
Bristol loose out again.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I wonder what the next excuse will be. A private firm would have got every thing sorted before allocating money towards the project.With the councils funding it they don't worry how much money to put things or alter things so it will work properly. Private firms funding the project would have looked at every thing and sorted it. Also with private funding the whole project would have been up and running by now.
Bristol loose out again.

Central government helped the local authorities with the funding. It's a great pity that things went so badly awry because the Bristol area doesn't usually get the sort of central funding that many regions enjoy. With the way this has turned out it doesn't look as though central government will be in a hurry to provide more.

Neither the government nor the local authorities will subsidise the operator on any of the routes, hence the curtailment of the part of M2 between Ashton Vale and Hengrove along the South Bristol Link Road which can't be operated viably without a subsidy.

First has taken on all three routes although the longest, M1 (Cribbs Causeway- south Bristol), will be operated for them by Bristol Community Transport that is investing in 21 biogas double-deckers.

 

[tpm]

I could swear I've seen statements (by First or metrobus or so) that the height thing is nonsense, but I don't have a source for that at hand right now. It may only have been in reference to reasons why the route is not up and running yet though. I believe the rumours started because/when technicians were seen measuring the headroom between busses and the bridge during testing. Surely the primary reason other busses can't use the route is that they'd need the system for the guided busway sections installed. I would be surprised if the new airport double deckers weren't at least capable of being fitted with the system. I bet it's not cheap though.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I could swear I've seen statements (by First or metrobus or so) that the height thing is nonsense, but I don't have a source for that at hand right now. It may only have been in reference to reasons why the route is not up and running yet though. I believe the rumours started because/when technicians were seen measuring the headroom between busses and the bridge during testing. Surely the primary reason other busses can't use the route is that they'd need the system for the guided busway sections installed. I would be surprised if the new airport double deckers weren't at least capable of being fitted with the system. I bet it's not cheap though.

I'm not sure why they need guided busways. On the dedicated part of the route not all of it seems to be fitted with the guides, so why bother at all? Does anyone know the answer?

When it was said last year that the A1 Flyer would use the M2 route as far as Ashton Vale, both First and the Metrobus people must have known about any height restriction (if as you say there is one) so it's just another of those many riddles associated with the Bristol Metrobus initiative.

 

[tpm]

So it would appear that the airport flyer will be using the metrobus link after all according to an article in the Post.

The A1 will be using the new spur to the South Bristol link road and then the m2 route from the Ashton Gate park and ride.

There will be a new/old A2 service that will still serve Bedminster half-hourly between 3.30am and midnight.

Changes will come into effect on October 28.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Well at least the spur road to the South Bristol Link Road will now be used. When I've used the M2 to Long Ashton Park and Ride I've seen 'out of service' buses using that spur road.

At least the new route will be a better advertisement for Bristol than the current one that passes through the back streets of Bedminster. Doesn't give a good impression of the city to those passengers who are travelling from the airport to Temple Meads for destinations further afield.

Now they will get decent views of the Avon Gorge, Suspension Bridge, the spectacular hillside Clifton crescents and glimpses of parts of the Harbourside. It will certainly be worthwhile travelling on the upper deck of the A1 buses. Using the M2 I've seen parts of that area of the city from the top deck of the Metrobuses travelling along the dedicated busway that I've not seen from those angles before in my long lifetime.

 

[superking]

Well at least the spur road to the South Bristol Link Road will now be used. When I've used the M2 to Long Ashton Park and Ride I've seen 'out of service' buses using that spur road.

At least the new route will be a better advertisement for Bristol than the current one that passes through the back streets of Bedminster. Doesn't give a good impression of the city to those passengers who are travelling from the airport to Temple Meads for destinations further afield.

Now they will get decent views of the Avon Gorge, Suspension Bridge, the spectacular hillside Clifton crescents and glimpses of parts of the Harbourside.

With that in mind. The new route might tell people that Bristol is very nice and well worth a visit.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I hope that when the airport website updates the new timetables etc following the decision to route the A1 Flyer via the guided busway whoever runs that website updates the bus pictures. They are still showing the A1 as a liveried single-decker despite it being operated by liveried double-deckers for most of the year.

A minor point perhaps but it's sloppy and lacks attention to detail.

 

[tpm]

Just so we got this right: the A1 will follow the m2 metrobus route, while the A2 will follow the route of the upcoming m1 metrobus? 🤔

Though to be fair, it's not entirely clear which route the A2 will take - will it follow the current route through Bedminster and then go to Temple Meads and then on to the Bus station?

Also, I wonder if the A1 airport flyer will effectively increase the frequency on the m1 route once it goes there, i.e. will passengers in the city or from/to the P+R be able to use it with a normal metrobus ticket just like the m1?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Just so we got this right: the A1 will follow the m2 metrobus route, while the A2 will follow the route of the upcoming m1 metrobus? 🤔

Though to be fair, it's not entirely clear which route the A2 will take - will it follow the current route through Bedminster and then go to Temple Meads and then on to the Bus station?

Also, I wonder if the A1 airport flyer will effectively increase the frequency on the m1 route once it goes there, i.e. will passengers in the city or from/to the P+R be able to use it with a normal metrobus ticket just like the m1?

If the A2 follows the current A1 route from the bus station via Temple Meads to the airport it will only follow the M1 Metrobus route (due to begin next January) between Rupert Street and Broad Quay and then from Redcliffe roundabout to Parson Street (airport-bound), and just Parson Street to Redcliffe roundabout (city-bound). After Parson Street the M1 will use Hartcliffe Way before touring the delights of Inns Court and part of Knowle West en route to its Hengrove terminus, with this route followed in the reverse direction when it returns to Cribbs Causeway.

I'm not sure whether the M1 will use the mainly pedestrianised part of the East Street shopping area in Bedminster on its journey to Cribbs Causeway. Currently the local buses 75 and 76 do so en route to Cribbs and Henbury respectively as does the 90 from Hengrove to city centre, whereas the A1 travels around the back streets via Dalby Avenue. The commencement of the M1 might mean a revamp of 'ordinary' bus services between south and south-west Bristol and Cribbs anyway. The M2 replaced the 903 Park and Ride service.

I would be very surprised if Metrobus tickets were valid on the A1 on its new route, for a number of reasons:

+ The A1 a 'private' bus service operated by the airport, although First runs the service for them under contract

+ At peak times the A1 could be rammed with park and ride passengers meaning that airport passengers might not be able to get on - but see next comment

+ The A1 won't actually access the Park and Ride car park (or shouldn't do as that would slow down the service a bit); it will turn left onto the spur road just before the car park that takes it to the South Bristol Link Road and on to the A38 to the airport

+ People using the A1 as a city bus service (eg getting on at Redcliffe and off at Cumberand Basin) would slow down the service*

+ There are no intermediate fares on the A1

* This is one of the complaints sometimes levelled against the A4 Bath Air Decker. It's a commercial service and not only links the airport with Bath and suburbs and towns between the two but it also acts as a local bus. It has to do this to make it viable even with fares at £20 return betwen Bath and the airport.

In its early days (20 years ago) the Airport Flyer (originally numbered 330) left Temple Meads along the Wells Road to The Bush before using St John's Lane to reach the Parson Street one-way system, missing out the heart of Bedminster. A lot of airport and airline employees now seem to board and exit the A1 at West Street, Bedminster.

 

[tpm]

You're probably right TLY.

I believe there are or were some reduced/intermediate fares on the A1 though - e.g. you pay £6 for a return to the airport going from/to Bedminster (vs. £11 or even £13 now). It's true though that there are no fares for intra-city travel on the A1 - I once tried to take it from the Bus Station to Bedminster and they wanted a full fare basically, at which point one may just as well take a cab.

The inbound m1 will go via East Street just like the 75/76 now. The council appears to have plans for an inbound bus lane on Malago Rd, but I don't know if they are "plans" or just to keep options open for the future (this came up during a planning application for a development on the old Pring & St Hill factory site).

The city-bound A1 sometimes goes via East Street and sometimes via Malago Rd / Dalby Ave as far as I know - seems to depend on traffic, time of day and/or driver preference.