New Victoria Bus Station
 

Is it any good?

Not if you don't like rain.


Quite: the overall roof is gone, to be replaced by narrow bush-shelter roofing
for those wishing to stand in a strict straight line whilst queuing. For some
of those who post on thsi group who do not like queueing, they will find their
liberty to stand in a huddle near the bus stop severly restrticted in wet
weather (no bad thing perhaps) unless they don't mind getting wet.

For the rest of us, when trying to get from one side of the bus station to the
other, we just have to put up with getting wet. Some buses are also moved away
from the bus station altogether, like route 8, which now picks up at Stop H,
which is a few hundred yards away from the bus station altogether along Wilton
Road.

Red Arrow route 507 is now half way along the ranks of stops, i.e. no longer
nearest the mainline station, which will mean hordes of people dashing in front
of other buses on the stops nearer to the station. The only reason I can think
of them placing this route there is so as to allow a straight line maneouvre
for the articulated bus, into and out of the bus station. Form what I recall,
there is only single-file traffic allowed, so when one driver decides to have a
half-hour tea break (or a bus breaks down), no bus behind will be able to
overtake it.

Removing the overall roof must surely be a retrogade step, in view of our wet
weather and, even in the Summer, the unbearable sunshine for those of us not
wishing to acquire skin cancer (something those refurbishing Waterloo also
overlooked, with its new clear glass roof, creating appalling heat and glare on
the platform area).

In the words of the London Buses inspector on duty there yesterday, when I
asked where to find route 8 nowadays: "It's at stop H, till they decide to move
it AGAIN"!

Marc.

New Victoria Bus Station
 

"Mait001" wrote:

In the words of the London Buses inspector on duty there yesterday, when I
asked where to find route 8 nowadays: "It's at stop H, till they decide to
move
it AGAIN"!

Are TfL/Stagecoach trying to kill off the section of route 8 south of Green
Park? Lots of 8s seem to be turning short at Oxford Circus, Berkeley Square
or Green Park. For those trying to board an 8 at Victoria, there is the
total lack of passenger information to overcome as to where the route
actually picks up, followed by a walk most of the way to Pimlico to find the
stop. And as always, if you try to avoid the long trek to the first pick up
point by going to the Grosvenor Gardens stop instead, you run the risk the
driver will decide to ignore the stop and speed past.

So route 8 has been evicted, protection against the worst of the weather
removed and passenger information downgraded further, if that is possible.
Just what was the point of the Victoria bus station redevelopment?

Chris

New Victoria Bus Station
 

On 01 Oct 2003 13:08:22 GMT, (Mait001) wrote:


Removing the overall roof must surely be a retrogade step, in view of our wet
weather and, even in the Summer, the unbearable sunshine for those of us not
wishing to acquire skin cancer (something those refurbishing Waterloo also
overlooked, with its new clear glass roof, creating appalling heat and glare on
the platform area).

In the words of the London Buses inspector on duty there yesterday, when I
asked where to find route 8 nowadays: "It's at stop H, till they decide to move
it AGAIN"!

Marc.

The refurbishment at Victoria is a relatively temporary solution. I
think there were health and safety issues with the previous narrow
bays.

A permanent solution would involve property demolition and a proper
expansion of the bus station (complete with better cover!)

Rob.
--
rob at robertwoolley dot co dot uk

New Victoria Bus Station
 

"Robert Woolley" wrote in message
...

A permanent solution would involve property demolition and a
proper expansion of the bus station (complete with better cover!)

I don't understand TfL's enthusiasm for demolishing traffic generators
around highly accessible locations and replacing them with places for buses
to stand idle. IMO no bus should terminate at Victoria Station at all.

Incidentally, I noticed today that a huge site is being redeveloped on the
north side of Victoria Street, opposite the cathedral. What was there
before, and was it pretty?

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

New Victoria Bus Station
 

In message , John Rowland
writes

Incidentally, I noticed today that a huge site is being redeveloped on the
north side of Victoria Street, opposite the cathedral. What was there
before, and was it pretty?

Grim '60s office blocks: Esso House, Glen House, Elliot House and
Transport House -

http://www.cityoffices.net/static/pr...eet_ _230.cfa

It is arguable whether the replacement will look a lot better:
http://www.epr.co.uk/architect_masterplan_stag.html
--
Paul Terry

New Victoria Bus Station
 

So route 8 has been evicted, protection against the worst of the weather
removed and passenger information downgraded further, if that is possible.
Just what was the point of the Victoria bus station redevelopment?

Chris

Presumably twofold:

(a) to show us mere passengers just how contemptuously we are regarded by
London Buses, and

(b) to enable easier access for lorries and heavy equipment and diversions
etc. when the entire site is redeveloped. The roof of the old bus station would
have hampered the redevelopment because of the closeness of its Westen boundary
to the tube station which is about ot be demolished.

Marc.

New Victoria Bus Station
 

Incidentally, I noticed today that a huge site is being redeveloped on the
north side of Victoria Street, opposite the cathedral. What was there
before, and was it pretty?


It was an extremely ugly block of buildings, centred upon a high-rise office
block once the Esso headquarters. The shops along Victoria Street ranged from
Boots, Post Office, Rymans, Ryness, a bookshop, Aberdeen Steak House, Lloyds
Bank and a couple of others. On the Stag Place side, there were a couple of
cafes (one appropriately called "Queens" - unofficially the staffroom annex for
our gay masters at Westminster City School in Palace Street which I attended
from 1976 to 1984), a Robert Dyas ironmonger and a couple of others.

The Palace Street frontage had no shops except for the bank on the corner of
Victoria Street. There was also a service road runnning from North to South
mid-way through the block, parallel to Victoria Street and Stag Place.

Prior to the late 1950s, the whole site which is now demolished was occupied by
Watney's Stag Brewery, now located in Mortlake. Rumour had it that there was a
connecting pipe to the staffroom at my old School!

I am not sorry to see the ugly monolith gone, but have no idea what is being
put in its place.

Marc.

New Victoria Bus Station
 

On Wed, 1 Oct 2003 22:35:19 +0100, "John Rowland"
wrote:

"Robert Woolley" wrote in message
.. .

A permanent solution would involve property demolition and a
proper expansion of the bus station (complete with better cover!)

I don't understand TfL's enthusiasm for demolishing traffic generators
around highly accessible locations and replacing them with places for buses
to stand idle. IMO no bus should terminate at Victoria Station at all.

I was thinking of the rather grotty parade of shops in Terminus Place
(owned by TfL).


The draft London Plan has the Victoria area in scope for
'intensification' - i.e. higher buildings.

Rob.
--
rob at robertwoolley dot co dot uk

New Victoria Bus Station
 

On 02 Oct 2003 16:08:23 GMT, (Mait001) wrote:

Incidentally, I noticed today that a huge site is being redeveloped on the
north side of Victoria Street, opposite the cathedral. What was there
before, and was it pretty?


It was an extremely ugly block of buildings, centred upon a high-rise office
block once the Esso headquarters. The shops along Victoria Street ranged from
Boots, Post Office, Rymans, Ryness, a bookshop, Aberdeen Steak House, Lloyds
Bank and a couple of others. On the Stag Place side, there were a couple of
cafes (one appropriately called "Queens" - unofficially the staffroom annex for
our gay masters at Westminster City School in Palace Street which I attended
from 1976 to 1984), a Robert Dyas ironmonger and a couple of others.

The Palace Street frontage had no shops except for the bank on the corner of
Victoria Street. There was also a service road runnning from North to South
mid-way through the block, parallel to Victoria Street and Stag Place.

Prior to the late 1950s, the whole site which is now demolished was occupied by
Watney's Stag Brewery, now located in Mortlake. Rumour had it that there was a
connecting pipe to the staffroom at my old School!

I am not sorry to see the ugly monolith gone, but have no idea what is being
put in its place.


The site is owned by Land Securities. The post office had, in its,
window before demolition, a poster saying that the post office would
move back to the area after demolition.

Glen House in Stag Place has also been demolished. This was a rather
horrid 1950s office building.


Rob.
--
rob at robertwoolley dot co dot uk

New Victoria Bus Station
 

In message , Mait001
writes
There was also a service road runnning from North to South
mid-way through the block, parallel to Victoria Street and Stag Place.

There was also a landscaped pedestrian way from outside the ODPM (Dept
Transport as was) from door (behind a funky sculpture) to Palace St.
--
Roland Perry