Paul Corfield wrote:
On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 10:14:39 +0100, "Steve"
wrote:

Haveing jsut spent the best part of a Saturday (I know I shouldn't but
need's must) doing Oxford Street and witnessing the nightmare of buses and
traffic I have a posssible solution.

Causes of the problems.
Too many busses
Too many bus stops/laybys which despite busses pulling in, others can't
overtake and then the ones that do, block the ones that pulled in from
escaping.
Too many tourists not understanding 'pay before entry' and unable to read
the English only instructions on the roadside ticket machines.
Drivers telling passengers they can't take money, then waiting at the stop
while the passenger tries to figure out the machine.

My possible solution.
(snip)
Possibility perhaps of creating a terminus at Marble Arch and Centrepoint
for busses to turn, therefore reducing the number of busses on the streets.

Funny I thought there already were stopping areas at both of these
places. If not I'd be interested to know where the 1, 14, 134, 242, 159
and 30 all terminate.

I'm guessing he means a proper bus station, rather than simply a bus
standing point. This will certainly become possible at Marble Arch if
the decision is taken to relocate the Arch into Hyde Park; a proper bus
station here would make interchange easier, and at the same time the
opportunity could be taken to sort out the horrible subway system.

At the other end, St Giles Circus would be rearranged for Crossrail,
with a pedestrian plaza replacing both the Centrepoint fountain and
Andrew Borde St (where there would be a new station entrance). This will
require a re-think of bus operations in the area; in fact, reduction of
services travelling along Oxford Street itself would be a good idea as
soon as construction started on Crossrail, as various construction
arrangements would adversely affect Ox St traffic flow.

Maybe also introducing JayWalking byelaws on the length of the zone except
when all busses are at a standstill allowing people to cross anywhere.

Pointless as it is unenforceable. Are we to have "plastic policemen"
acting like morons every metre of so along the length of Oxford St?
Surely they need to be protecting us from the imminent terrorist threat?
Half of London could explode at any given moment.

Remember half the people on the street appear to be Americans who are fully
aware of Jaywalking laws to the point they won't cross even when it's safe
to do so!

Not sure how you can readily identify half of the people as Americans.

Admittedly, this plan is a little rough round the edges and some tightening
up may be needed, but your comments would be most welcome.

This has been done before - there have been reports recommending huge
cuts to the bus network to make it happen. Oxford St cannot operate
properly without high volumes of public transport provision whether by
bus or by Tube - the Central Line closure showed that. There will
always be a part of the shopping crowd who want access to taxis so it
will be hard to ban them.

The few things I can think of are

a) Link together some bus services that were previously split - the
8 and 98 spring to mind. This might reduce the volume of buses still
needing to run along the street.

b) Review some service groups like the 10 and 390 to see if they
could be thinned out.

c) Divert some services from the West to run via Wigmore Street
where they terminate at Oxford Circus - 113, 137 and 189 spring to
mind.

I think using Brook Street (and converting it to two-way, bus priority
operation throughout, with a right turn created for buses at Park Lane
if possible) would be a good idea for services from the west like the
137 and through services 6, 10, 15, 23, 94 and 390; it's quick, it's not
too far from the shops, and it avoids the congested section of Oxford
Street between Orchard Street and Marble Arch. It might also be possible
to send some services like 10 and 390 onwards via Great Marlborough
Street and Noel St as far as Wardour Street.

Not sure if the denizens of Mayfair would like that too much though.

d) Block off some of the side streets between Oxo and TCR. I
appreciate this will create some difficulties but it would reduce the
need for traffic light controlled junctions. Some of the remaining
junctions may need longer cycle times to allow the higher volumes of
traffic to pass through them without blocking all of Soho and Fitzrovia.

A difficulty I'd envisage with that is that signalised junctions also
provide an opportunity for pedestrians to cross; faster-moving buses
would make crossing more difficult.

e) Have the same streetscape design between Oxo and TCR as there is
between Oxo and Marble Arch. This may improve pedestrian circulation a
little bit if coupled with the removal of central islands.

I still doubt that the above would create much of an improvement because
the high passenger volumes mean lots of buses are needed and there are
very long established routes which millions of people rely upon to get
to work and to the shops. If there was an easy solution it would have
been found by now.


--
Dave Arquati
Imperial College, SW7
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London