If you take into account the time spent in the queue, the bus waiting in traffic & at lights, I can see it could take the same amount of time.
He didn't say before the first bus arrives. That's for the 85 minute leavers.
You can walk down to the Bridge car park, carry on past there to the 49...
There used to be direct buses to Portslade and Shoreham etc, but they haven't run for over three years now. BG is right, get a bus to St Peter's church and change.