How to increase bus use....

[Dirk Gently]

When they expand the stadium, will they increase bus numbers accordingly?

Looking at the plans for the car park there will be less spaces for cars than there is currently.

There will be more space for buses than there is currently.

Fewer spaces! HTH

[sheshnu]

When they expand the stadium, will they increase bus numbers accordingly?

Looking at the plans for the car park there will be less spaces for cars than there is currently.

There will be more space for buses than there is currently.

Fewer spaces! HTH

Less space!

[PieEater]

When they expand the stadium, will they increase bus numbers accordingly?

Looking at the plans for the car park there will be less spaces for cars than there is currently.

There will be more space for buses than there is currently.

IIRC they will take up car park 1 and 2 to accommodate around 100 buses

[PieEater]

Just dug out some details from the planning application for the stadium expansion, their projections are optimistic to say the least.

They want to achieve 49% bus usage, and will encourage use by:
- Selling discounted bus tickets with season ticket sales (why would anyone sign up to that unknown?)
- advanced discounted tickets for group travel
- simplified ticket arrangements on shuttle buses to and from Reading station to reduce queuing.

They are assuming each shuttle bus to the station could do 4 (yes four) journeys. There will be a net reduction of 644 spaces to accomodate the buses.

[CMRoyal]

I don't think they should be allowed to expand the stadium* until Green Park railway station is built. Surely that would alleviate a lot of the problems?




*Actually, I don't think they should expand the stadium, period, but that's a different argument.

[cheeryoleary]

They ....will encourage use by:
- Selling discounted bus tickets with season ticket sales (why would anyone sign up to that unknown?)

Great minds eh?

[The 17 Bus]

A discount is easy to offer, you just up the price for day tickets, RFC have done it for years as do many others.

[Spaced Invader]

I don't think they should be allowed to expand the stadium* until Green Park railway station is built. Surely that would alleviate a lot of the problems?




*Actually, I don't think they should expand the stadium, period, but that's a different argument.

I don't think that the new station will help matters. Presumably it will be built on the existing line from Reading to Basingstoke? Looking at this on a map, the closest point of the train line to the stadium is still almost a mile away. That wouldn't bother me as I walk that far from Halfords each home game which is about the same distance, but there would be no reason for me to spend money on the train when I can drive (for less money than a train ticket) and park the same distance away for free.

The only way I can see the new station working properly is if they then run (yet more) buses from it, thus taking away more parking spaces

[CMRoyal]

I don't think they should be allowed to expand the stadium* until Green Park railway station is built. Surely that would alleviate a lot of the problems?




*Actually, I don't think they should expand the stadium, period, but that's a different argument.

I don't think that the new station will help matters. Presumably it will be built on the existing line from Reading to Basingstoke? Looking at this on a map, the closest point of the train line to the stadium is still almost a mile away. That wouldn't bother me as I walk that far from Halfords each home game which is about the same distance, but there would be no reason for me to spend money on the train when I can drive (for less money than a train ticket) and park the same distance away for free.

The only way I can see the new station working properly is if they then run (yet more) buses from it, thus taking away more parking spaces

Yeah, good points Spaced Invader. You're right about the station being on the B/Stoke-Reading line - I thought the distance quoted was a 10-minute walk, but maybe whoever said that was spinning the figure a bit?

I think I might have been suffering from a rare bout of nostalgia for the days when I used to walk to Elm Park from Reading West.

[M Brook]

Living in Wokingham means that we have the Stagecoach buses.

When two of us go in a car it costs the equivalent of £3.50 pp in the HP car park, plus we're in the comfort of our own car etc. £5 return on a cold, smelly bus and getting home over an hour later than when we drive just can't compete.

Not sure about that. I too live in Wokkers (hence the screen name) and the bus gets me home quicker, less stressed and is a far more enjoyable experience than having to fight your way through traffic worrying about where to park or facing the prospect of queuing up/waiting for the next park n ride bus and then leaving the game early to make sure you get one of the first buses back to the P n R!

Agree though about the price. Two, or more, people in a car and the incentive decreases considerably. The bus prices should reflect the number in a group, eg £4 for one person, £6 for a couple, and £7.50 for a family and kids prices should not kick in at 14 - that is just crazy.

[West Stand Man]

I have given up fighting the pointless battle of Costco each week and have reverted to using the FW P&R again. Even allowing for the transfer from the stadium to the car park I can be on the M4 to Cirencester before Costco has even allowed me to get a sniff of the exit. I'd rather pay for the bus than have free car parking and a walk.

It has been discussed before, but one real need is to find more P&R facilities so that the fans are dispersed from the stadium before they get to their cars (that probably requires them to be on the south side - principally - so that the cars access the main roads and M4 without going back past the stadium). Anyone going north can park in town if they want to keep away from the Madejski car parks.

[Platypuss]

Well Mereoak is definitely coming and will happen once work starts on the j11 upgrade.

[Royalshow]

The dedicated bus lanes should help the speed and reliability of buses going south.

[West Stand Man]

Well Mereoak is definitely coming and will happen once work starts on the j11 upgrade.

I thought that plan had been put on the backburners for a while. Not living in Reading I do miss out on this type of update. What is the current projection for starting it?

[Platypuss]

Well Mereoak is definitely coming and will happen once work starts on the j11 upgrade.

I thought that plan had been put on the backburners for a while. Not living in Reading I do miss out on this type of update. What is the current projection for starting it?

I believe J11 works will start this summer, not sure when Mereoak will be ready, but it's included in the overall scheme.

http://www.reading.gov.uk/ltp/General.asp?id=SX9452-A7814FB3

[West Stand Man]

Thanks. Fingers crossed that it goes ahead.