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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Three observations : </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1) Removing bus lay-bys is not necessarily a
reduction in priority for buses. It allows the bus to stand in the normal
roadway, without requiring it to pull in from the traffic and then try to
re-enter the traffic stream. Depending on the pavement configuration, recovering
the space previously occupied by the lay-by could give more space to the waiting
passengers and allow facilities such as shelters to be erected if the pavement
was previously too narrow to do so; or to allow more space for the other
pavement users including pedestrians and cycle paths. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2) The reported incidents in the London case sound
like a poorly managed case where a bit of common sense and co-ordination would
have resolved it. If drivers are braking late for stops, then it's an internal
communication, training and disciplinary matter for the bus operating companies.
I don't see why these stops should somehow be different from the countless stops
around the rest of London which never had lay-bys and the police have not
ordered them closed. It sounds to me as though a few motorists who have used the
road for years were annoyed by finding themselves behind the buses stopped at
the bus stops, and have embellished their complaints. There is nothing in this
situation that couldn't have been sorted out by putting a few people
from the traffic authorities and the operators on the ground for a few
days to sort things out. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3) Giving absolute priority for buses to pull out
into traffic is risky, and requires good understanding and behaviour on the part
of 100% of road-users. Anything less that 100% all round, and there will be
collisions. I agree with Michael Yeates' practical approach where buses do not
have the absolute right, and should await an indication from the motorist - it's
not that difficult in practice. The key is to have a good ongoing publicity
campaign and build it around the concept of consideration, courtesy, a measure
of being a good driver. In the late-1980's when I worked in Dublin Bus I
implemented a set of signs on the rear of the bus asking motorists to please
give way to buses signalling to exit a stop - I had seen this in Yorkshire
(Leeds, I think) and nicked their good practice. Almost two decades on,
buses in Dublin still carry these signs, and many motorists (but by no means
all) will allow buses out from stops, make lane changes etc. The bus drivers
always wave and acknowledge this little courtesy, which in turn makes the
motorist feel appreciated and more likely to do it again. In turn, bus drivers
must have the discipline not to launch themselves out into traffic and force
motorists to yield - that is very dangerous and it creates a climate of
hostility.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>With best wishes, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Brendan Finn. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>_____________________________________________________________________________________<BR>From
Brendan Finn, ETTS Ltd. e-mail : <A
href="mailto:etts@indigo.ie">etts@indigo.ie</A> tel :
+353.87.2530286</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=michael@yeatesit.biz href="mailto:michael@yeatesit.biz">Michael
Yeates</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com
href="mailto:NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com">NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Cc:</B> <A
title=NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com
href="mailto:NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com">NewMobilityCafe@yahoogroups.com</A>
; <A title=LotsLessCars@yahoogroups.com
href="mailto:LotsLessCars@yahoogroups.com">LotsLessCars@yahoogroups.com</A> ;
<A title=Sustran-discuss@jca.apc.org
href="mailto:Sustran-discuss@jca.apc.org">Sustran-discuss@jca.apc.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, January 21, 2007 12:47
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [sustran] Re: [NewMobilityCafe]
problem in London</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Hi ...<BR><BR>One solution in use in Oz (well certainly in
Brisbane with some 700 buses in its bus fleet) is a requirement for ALL
traffic to GIVE WAY to buses signalling an intention to pull out from an
indented bus stop/bay. It applies on roads with 60 and 70 (and 80km/h?) speed
limits.<BR><BR>It works reasonably well esp if the bus drivers provide some
notice, ie don't suddenly put on the right turn indicators AND pull out
simultaneously ......... AND motorists indicate early eg flashing headlights
is useful to signal the bus driver.<BR><BR>The police action is clearly a
typical pro-motorists' perspective whereas the legal situation is or should be
quite clear namely,<BR><BR>1. bus driver required to signal intention to leave
the bus bay ... right indicators on for sufficient/reasonable time<BR>2.
motorists slow down or if necessary stop to GIVE WAY to the bus (flashing
headlights is useful to signal the bus driver)<BR>3. motorists travelling too
fast or too close to avoid crashing into the vehicle in front are driving
illegally on a number of counts eg too close, too fast, without due care and
attention, etc and probably others.<BR><BR>I am amazed this system is not in
place having assumed it isn't otherwise the police decision does not make
sense (?) so if this is a novel solution, then I will try to send a photo of
the signage involved.<BR><BR>One other point ... I would strongly suggest that
the problem reduces dramatically when rather more priority is provided to
public transport eg as with Edinburgh's "green lane" system that provides the
buses and cyclists and taxis with priority and creates space for the buses to
pull out ... <BR><BR>So in terms of scoring using one example of Eric's
"consistent philosophy" approach, the "York hierarchy" priority of peds
including people with disabilities (see the Pedestrian Council of Australia
for the rationale) then cyclists then public transport (then taxis?) then
small freight/delivery then cars, the London police and TfL example puts cars
first ...!!! <BR><BR>Not exactly what I would have expected from "green(er)
transport Ken".<BR><BR>Michael Yeates<BR>Public Transport Alliance <BR><BR>At
05:57 PM 20/01/2007, Eric Britton wrote:<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><FONT face=arial size=2>Simon
Norton wrote on this date: “Any thoughts on this situation which was
recently the subject of an article in a<BR>local newspaper. Transport for
London recently removed some bus laybys on a main road . . .
“<BR> <BR>I have, as maybe some of you know, given this a lot of
thought and indeed I think there is an answer to this kind of unnecessary (I
think) and potentially harmful anomaly. Briefly and by the
numbers:<BR>
<OL>
<LI>If there is one thing that can be said without a shadow of a doubt
about our exiting transport arrangements in cities, it is that there are
notoriously piecemeal.
<LI>Which to me suggest that what is needed is a broadly shared, explicit,
consistent philosophy.<BR>
<LI>That indeed is what in fact many of us are trying to get at
here.</FONT> </LI></OL><FONT face=arial size=2> <BR>I am struggling
with this and am trying to see what I can do to put down the main principles
of such a philosophy, which if you are interested you can find in the Agenda
site at <A
href="http://www.newmobility.org/">http://www.newmobility.org</A>, clicking
Philosophy on the top menu. It is, as you will see, kind of all over the
place, but I would say that I have something on the order of say 80% of the
core values there. <BR> <BR>We need something that we can state
relatively succinctly that can be understood by all of the key actors (local
authorities, police, media, experts, interest groups, and the general
public) which they can then debate among themselves and, in each place
perhaps according to their own volition and conditions, hammer out something
that is broadly shared and understood. <BR> <BR>In fact, I would
suggest that if it is not something that can be read and understood by a
reasonably bright eleven year old, then we probably have it somehow wrong.
<BR> <BR>Does this help at all? And if it is a start, what next? All
critiques and suggestions most welcome, both here to the group or to me
personally as you think will serve us all best.<BR> <BR>Eric
Britton<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR></FONT><FONT
face=tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR> <B>On Behalf Of
</B>Simon Norton<BR><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, January 20, 2007 12:09
AM<BR><B>To:</B> lotslesscars@yahoogroups.com<BR><B>Subject:</B>
[LotsLessCars] problem in London<BR></FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times"> <BR></FONT><BR><FONT face=arial
size=2>Any thoughts on this situation which was recently the subject of an
article in a<BR>local newspaper.<BR><BR>Transport for </FONT>London recently
removed some bus laybys on a main road in outer<BR>London. This is often
advocated as a means of reducing delays to buses caused by<BR>them having to
wait for other traffic to pass before they can rejoin the traffic<BR>stream
-- and then as a result probably missing the next set of traffic
lights.<BR>I presume that that was TfL's motivation.<BR><BR>However, on this
occasion there were reports of collisions between cars and <BR>buses when
the latter had to brake to serve stops. As a result the police<BR>stepped in
and ordered the bus stops closed. This created consternation among<BR>bus
users, particularly the elderly and infirm, who would now have to
walk<BR>further.<BR><BR>I'm not sure whether the relevant section of road
has a speed limit of 40mph or<BR>30mph. Would reduction to 20mph have been a
fairer way to deal with the<BR>problem ?<BR><BR>The road in question is part
of the A1, just inside from the North Circular<BR>Road where it passes
through a largely residential area. I remember when many<BR>years ago plans
to widen it to dual 3 lane were scrapped after massive
protest.<BR><BR>Before I give my own moral on the situation I'll wait to see
what others have to<BR>say.<BR><BR>Simon Norton<BR><FONT face=arial
size=2> <BR> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>