On Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:14:48 +0000, Barry Salter
wrote:

Graham J wrote:

I've never actually used Angel Road station but I have to say it doesn't
look very inviting having to find your way to the top of the overbridge,
which isn't exactly the most accessible of places, and then walk under the
bridge and along a rather enclosed footpath to get to the platforms, and
then if you want the other platform you need to use a footbridge. I can't
say I fancy that much.

I've used it. It isn't pleasant, not least because it's unstaffed and,
the one time I did use it, the light underneath the road overbridge was
broken, which wasn't fun even during the day.

It certainly doesn't look inviting. I've tried to fathom how to access
the place when I've gone past on a 192 bus but it doesn't look easy. The
surrounding environment / pavement access is, as you say, unhelpful at
best and a distinct deterrent at worst.

Either that or get a bus down to MFI and then cross possibly *the*
scariest footbridge in London as you cross at least eight lanes of
traffic, possibly ten (Advent Way, the North Circ and Argon Road) on a
high metal footbridge. Not one for anyone suffering vertigo!

I'm not good with heights and I have crossed that bridge a few times to
get from Ikea / Tesco to the 34 stop back towards Walthamstow. While you
can clearly get from one side of the road to the other it is very
unfriendly and just shows that minimal thought was given to possible
usage of that link. It's truly awful if you are carrying bags and how
people with buggies cope I don't know. I can understand why subways are
no longer the choice for getting people across major highways but making
the bridge easier to use and weather proof / protected would be a start.
More people now use that link - especially since Ikea popped up and yet
no one seems to understand that it's bloody awful to use.

Exactly the same issues apply at Neasden Ikea where there is a similar
horrible walk from the tube station and another mountainous bridge to
use even if you catch a 232 bus. Similarly the return stop for the 232
is tucked out of sight towards St Raphaels or else means two flights of
stairs to scale a fence. Quite why a gate could not be constructed I
don't know or even better a proper bus lay-by with a decent well lit
shelter with a clear walking route from the store to the stop. Oh yes -
I forgot. Everyone goes to Ikea by car (not!).

You would have thought there was a better way of providing access to the
station. It seems to me it has been provided on the wrong side of the road.

Indeed...But then people might actually *want* to use the station to get
to, ooh, Tesco and Ikea, which are conveniently located right next to
the A406, so "one" would actually have to provide a half-decent service.

The station is clearly in the "wrong" place in the context of the recent
retail developments. It's probably in the "right" place if the aim was
to provide access to housing in the Montagu Road area.

The real evidence for me that the station really serves none of these
areas at all well is the popularity of the 192 bus. It is often full on
leaving Tottenham Hale and carries a decent volume of people to Tesco /
Ikea. However plenty of people travel further on to the Montagu Road
area and then you get the flows to and from Edmonton Green / Enfield.

The fact that it darts round the back streets of Bush Hill Park makes it
difficult to use bigger vehicles (too many tight turns) or run a more
frequent service (too much risk of buses meeting head on on narrow
residential streets).

If Angel Road was more convenient and safer to use and had a much better
service then I expect the 192 would not be as oversubscribed as it is.

Cynic, me?

Oh just possibly.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!