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[Albion] Transport to/from The Amex
- Thread starter Mellor 3 Ward 4
- Start date
Super Steve Earle
Well-known member
I wouldn't normally criticise as this is a views and opinions thread. But to talk about getting as many people cycling and walking to the ground is just bonkers. Oh, I can't even be bothered to explain....
BensGrandad
New member
I am not totally anti cyclists but if 100 extra people took up the idea of cycling to the games how much space would the parking for 100 bikes take up.
Bob!
Coffee Buyer
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,134
A lot less than the parking of 100 cars?
BensGrandad
New member
If it was insisted on a minimum 4 people in a car it would only be 25 but still more than 100 bikes but car parking isnt an option.
Uter
Well-known member
I wouldn't normally criticise as this is a views and opinions thread. But to talk about getting as many people cycling and walking to the ground is just bonkers. Oh, I can't even be bothered to explain....
Ok, well, I am not really sure why having an objective of increasing the number of people coming to the Amex using efficient, healthy, sustainable means that saves the club money and frees up capacity on other modes of transport is “bonkers” and I guess I’ll never know as you can’t be bothered to tell me.
Uter
Well-known member
Probably less than you might imagine. There are some innovative solutions around. e.g.
http://www.southernrailway.com/sout.../hove-station-gets-double-deck-cycle-parking/
I think there's plenty of space dotted about the Amex where more cycle storage could go if needed. I think we'd have to get hundreds of extra people cycling before space for storage became an issue. They don't necessarily need to take up parking spaces of course.
I agree they can't be left waiting while the stewards double-check that every last space is filled, but they're not as frequent as underground trains where there's another one along in thirty seconds or so and any delay immediately impacts the service.
Yes, that was bizarre. It strikes me as obvious that getting more people to cycle or work would solve many transport problems. How it's "bonkers" beats me,
Whilst I'm all for more people walking or cycling I'm assuming they are alluding to the fact that most fans travel more than a few miles to get to the Amex making such modes of transport unviable for them. I'd happily cycle from Hove but go with my young son who'd struggle to cycle that far with heavy traffic.
Indeed. I often walk, but cycling or walking simply isn't viable for the majority of fans for any number of reasons. (I never walk if I'm late, coming from work or it's pissing down with rain for example). However I am surprised at how few cycle racks there are at the Amex given the supposed 'sustainable transport' schtick that was given out during the planning process. Obviously they will only ever be of use to a minority, but 'every little helps' as they say - especially given the cycle improvements to Lewes Road which are under-utilised.
But that's not what Uter said, he was encouraging more fans to walk or cycle - he didn't say that most fans should walk or cycle,
BTW, I don't know the exact percentages but I doubt whether it's true that most fans live more than a few miles from the Amex. I know that we have fans all over Sussex (and outside) but I reckon the vast majority live in Brighton and Hove.
Cowfold Seagull
Fan of the 17 bus
I think your right, the frequency of service that we have now, (when trains run to schedule of course), is as good as we are going to get for the reasons that you state.
Any further extension of station platforms, and new underground walkways, is likely to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, if not more. With them only likely to be used once a fornight in the football season, that isn't ever going to happen in my opinion.
Cowfold Seagull
Fan of the 17 bus
You make an interesting point in your second paragraph. Obviously records exist of where all our season ticket holders live, (in fact anyone with a purchase history at the club). So in theory, it should be possible to find this out. It would certainly make interesting reading.
Yeah, I'd be interested to know as well as I'd have said the exact opposite to Gwylan - especially as the stadium is right on the eastern edge of the conurbation and a large part of the land within a few miles radius is simply fields.
It is a rotten route for cycling. Brighton as a whole is pretty awful for cycling, hills, and too many motor vehicles and buses, and pedestrians stepping out. And potholes and hazards.
I have cycled to the Amex from Shoreham on a few occasions and time wise is comparable to the train (one hour and a bit). Aggravation on the roads and paths is actually worse than Southern Rail. That's why I go by train. Train from Brighton to Falmer is tolerable. It is the West Coastway bit that is the aggravation.
Despite that, I would say up to 3 miles away it is a valid best choice and I'm surprised more people don't cycle.
As with Wembley Park though, on match days they have a few trains on the upline ready to roll into the station and take people into Central London? Can't be beyond the schedulers to have a match element they drop into the timetable. If it's drivers that's the issue then surely they can get someone in on OT 23 times a year? Surely more rolling stock around Sat & Suns?
Where would the trains go though? Not enough spare platforms at Brighton
Oh, I see. So longer trains is the answer then?
Uter
Well-known member
Well, yeah, that's what I was trying to say, but having reread my original post I can see how it might be construed I was suggesting getting most people to walk or cycle, which is clearly not possible. I don't know how many currently cycle, but I'd hazard a guess at 100-200 per match. Increasing this to 500-600 say would be a challenging, but realistic target IMO. Fans living along the Lewes Road corridor you'd think would be the most logical ones to target.
Having read some responses it looks like the patchy nature of cycling infrastructure around the city is a big factor, rather than facilities around the stadium itself, and so largely out of the direct control of the club. Disappointing but not surprising. Even so I think the current levels could surely be improved on.