Park & Ride Nightmare Last Night

[ShanklySeagull]

5.20 - left home in Littlehampton
6.05 - reached A23/A27 exit slip road to head into Mill Road P&R
6.30 - finally crawl the last part into the P&R - got one of last spaces before full
7.00 - four empty buses pass first stop heading up hill before any stop to load the 200+ of us stood there waiting
7.42 - finally reach coach park after crawling through horrendous tailbacks

Made our seats with seconds to spare - 2hrs 25 mins to get to the game from home??

Early last season I used to park in Moulscoombe particularly for the night games but I switched to P&R to try to toe the line and help the club. I've got young kids so lengthy train queues and 1/2 changes are not really an option for night games (though we often use train at weekends).

I can't recall Cardiff but the Sheff Wed match and last nights have been awful and I've barely caught the game - like most on here I have to work so there is a limit to how early I can get away and nip home to pick up the kids. Surely two and a half hours would be sufficient to travel 24 boody miles and leave me enough time to get something to eat/drink pre-match!!

There has to be a better way than this. Its not just Mill Hill either - MH was full by 6.30 for the sheff wed game so we ended up crawling across town to Mithras House and although we got parked there were long queues for buses there so we nearly missed the game.

I'll give the P&R one more chance for the Leeds - if thats crap I'm going to have to resort to the car again...

 

[Tory Boy]

The P&R at night-time games is not up to the job.

And this is taking into account half the crowd leaving before the final whistle.

I get the Race Course buses which are ok (ish) for those that want to leave at half-time, but looking at the queues for the Hangleton/Rottingdean buses, well I suspect some are still there waiting now.

TB

 

[ngood77]

It's always the fault of somebody/something else according to the BHAFC Transport guy on Twitter. What they won't admit is that they do not want to spend anymore money on these services. At the end of the day what do they care if we're queuing for ages ?

 

[Deleted member 22389]

5.20 - left home in Littlehampton
6.05 - reached A23/A27 exit slip road to head into Mill Road P&R
6.30 - finally crawl the last part into the P&R - got one of last spaces before full
7.00 - four empty buses pass first stop heading up hill before any stop to load the 200+ of us stood there waiting
7.42 - finally reach coach park after crawling through horrendous tailbacks

Made our seats with seconds to spare - 2hrs 25 mins to get to the game from home??

Early last season I used to park in Moulscoombe particularly for the night games but I switched to P&R to try to toe the line and help the club. I've got young kids so lengthy train queues and 1/2 changes are not really an option for night games (though we often use train at weekends).

I can't recall Cardiff but the Sheff Wed match and last nights have been awful and I've barely caught the game - like most on here I have to work so there is a limit to how early I can get away and nip home to pick up the kids. Surely two and a half hours would be sufficient to travel 24 boody miles and leave me enough time to get something to eat/drink pre-match!!

There has to be a better way than this. Its not just Mill Hill either - MH was full by 6.30 for the sheff wed game so we ended up crawling across town to Mithras House and although we got parked there were long queues for buses there so we nearly missed the game.

I'll give the P&R one more chance for the Leeds - if thats crap I'm going to have to resort to the car again...

Bloody hell I could probably cycle there in the same time. It's a shame you can't arrange some sort of mini bus with some other supporters from Littlehampton.
It could at least drop you off opposite the stadium, and then pick you up again at the end of the match. I know it's extra expense but if it's split between everyone, obviously it wont be as much and it will be less hassle. Nobody wants that hassle before the match.

 

[m20gull]

5.20 - left home in Littlehampton
6.05 - reached A23/A27 exit slip road to head into Mill Road P&R
6.30 - finally crawl the last part into the P&R - got one of last spaces before full
7.00 - four empty buses pass first stop heading up hill before any stop to load the 200+ of us stood there waiting
7.42 - finally reach coach park after crawling through horrendous tailbacks

Made our seats with seconds to spare - 2hrs 25 mins to get to the game from home??

Early last season I used to park in Moulscoombe particularly for the night games but I switched to P&R to try to toe the line and help the club. I've got young kids so lengthy train queues and 1/2 changes are not really an option for night games (though we often use train at weekends).

I can't recall Cardiff but the Sheff Wed match and last nights have been awful and I've barely caught the game - like most on here I have to work so there is a limit to how early I can get away and nip home to pick up the kids. Surely two and a half hours would be sufficient to travel 24 boody miles and leave me enough time to get something to eat/drink pre-match!!

There has to be a better way than this. Its not just Mill Hill either - MH was full by 6.30 for the sheff wed game so we ended up crawling across town to Mithras House and although we got parked there were long queues for buses there so we nearly missed the game.

I'll give the P&R one more chance for the Leeds - if thats crap I'm going to have to resort to the car again...

So far I have used only the P&R for midweek games and it is a right pain. My journey last night took that long but only because there was not much queue from the A23 in to Mill Road. Last night was not a direct result of the P&R system (any road travel option has the chance to be affected by accidents) but to spend 1 hour 15 minutes getting the bus from Mill Road does not put one in the most jovial and supportive of moods. I did leave work a bit early for this one but may have to make it even earlier. I am struggling to come up with a better option for me but the early evening traffic makes anything else worse. Train is slower than driving! It takes me less than an hour to get to Mill Road; train to Falmer takes over 2 hours.
At the moment I am enjoying going but I can see the season ticket being dropped fairly quickly if I am only going to Saturday games.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

could be worse on the 20th as the Uni is having another open day & the Mithras House P&R is not running...We have the option of the Rottingdean bus luckily but its sure to put strain on the other P&R sites that day as Mithras House has been far busier this season than last.

 

[Return of the Rev]

TRAFFIC WAS A NIGHTMARE LAST NIGHT

 

[Worthing exile]

but looking at the queues for the Hangleton/Rottingdean buses, well I suspect some are still there waiting now.

TB

I finally got on an S Bus at 10.30pm and I left at the final whistle from WSL south end. Work that out.
As I have said before, by turning H Buses in to S, (yes they do. All the Compass coaches are H before the game and S afterwards) they can't return to the Stadium until the last person gets off which may be Shoreham. The best bet is to keep H running and shift masses to all points to The Grenadier and then get back fast for another run.

 

[Nibble]

Seems like a traffic problem here. Not sure what you want BHAFC to do about this?

 

[Ernest]

Buses were a nightmare last night, was at the Grenadier at 610. No sign of the scheduled 6.10/6.20/6.30 until an H & S together turned up at 645 and made kick off by skin of my teeth and after got to the queue and no sign of an H or S until a double decker turned up at 1010. Left loads behind too, just not good enough

 

[backson]

TRAFFIC WAS A NIGHTMARE LAST NIGHT

Indeed, they can have as many P&R buses as they like, if they're all sitting waiting in traffic queues, it's not going to make too much difference getting there before the game. Last night was probably the first "perfect storm" of 24k+ crowds, evening rush hour and crappy weather; it won't be the last.

 

[SurreySeagulls]

I left Guildford last night at 16:30 (take a days holiday spread over the evening fixtures) and picked up sprogg from child minder and then went via Burgess Hill to pick up sister then on to Mill Hill. Got there about 18:05 so not a bad journey then the slow trawl over to Falmer and the club can't be faulted for heavy traffice surely. Left a couple of minutes early from full time and was back in Guildford by 11:10. On evening fixtures I will normally leave a little before full time (apologies for those on this board that find that shameful, but screw you) as it means I don't have a 30 mintues wait for a bus after the game and I am already keeping up sprogg well after bedtime so I can teach him the arts of the Albion, otherwise he could become another Chelsea JCL

So I have not yet had a bad experience of the P&R and IMHO the club do as much as they can to shift 25,000 from a sporting venue. As someone has said on a previous thread the grass isn't greaner at other venues. I mean have you tried to get the Tube at Upton Park after a game there. You will spend 40 minutes in the queue for the tube.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

could be worse on the 20th as the Uni is having another open day & the Mithras House P&R is not running...We have the option of the Rottingdean bus luckily but its sure to put strain on the other P&R sites that day as Mithras House has been far busier this season than last.

From where I sit, this rumour about there being no P&R from Lewes Road / Mithras House for the Middlesbrough game on 20 October seems to be UNTRUE.

 

[SWINDON SEAGULL]

Left Swindon yesterday at 3.30pm, arrived Mill Rd at 6.05pm, arrived at the Amex at 7.40pm. Decided to leave after 88mins to try and get a bus back to p&r and managed to get on the fourth one. Back in Swindon by midnight. It seemed last night that large numbers were leaving early to get buses.
What does take time is loading one bus at a time, when several are parked in a line. Extra stewards could surely ensure the buses could be loaded up two or three at a time. Transport jobsworths will probably say cant be done due to some health & safety rule.
The other big problem is the buses returning to pick up at Mill Rd (from the Amex) on evening games are getting stuck in traffic, maybe the powers to be could look at an alternative return route for them. Also on the slip road off the A27 why not make the left hand lane a buses only lane on match days.
Still enjoyed the game, just if I leave on time have to wait over an hour for the bus and makes for a very late night.

 

[Oscar]

From where I sit, this rumour about there being no P&R from Lewes Road / Mithras House for the Middlesbrough game on 20 October seems to be UNTRUE.

I don't know where you're sitting then because they were handing out leaflets on the P+R buses last night advising of the change. There is very limited P+R spaces at the old Lewes Road barracks for the 'boro game but that's all for the Lewes Road area.

 

[Gazwag]

So I have not yet had a bad experience of the P&R and IMHO the club do as much as they can to shift 25,000 from a sporting venue. As someone has said on a previous thread the grass isn't greaner at other venues. I mean have you tried to get the Tube at Upton Park after a game there. You will spend 40 minutes in the queue for the tube.

To be fair if you wait until the final whistle its a 40 minute queue to get a train back to Lewes

 

[shaolinpunk]

I walked home last night - I live pretty near Mithras House and in the time it took me I saw thee, maybe four buses go past

 

[matt_32510]

Buses were a nightmare last night, was at the Grenadier at 610. No sign of the scheduled 6.10/6.20/6.30 until an H & S together turned up at 645 and made kick off by skin of my teeth and after got to the queue and no sign of an H or S until a double decker turned up at 1010. Left loads behind too, just not good enough

I have given up on the S bus, if they made them all double decker buses then it would ease the queue, its actually quicker now to get a 1 from mile oak and change buses in town 25/28/29 and then coming back getting a bus from the falmer station stop into town and change.

 

[The Stout Yeoman]

The P&R at night-time games is not up to the job.

And this is taking into account half the crowd leaving before the final whistle.

I get the Race Course buses which are ok (ish) for those that want to leave at half-time , but looking at the queues for the Hangleton/Rottingdean buses, well I suspect some are still there waiting now.

TB

Worked fine for me last night home in East Grinstead 15 minutes earlier than usual ....

 

[Stat Brother]

P&R for mid week games is best avoided, you'll be wanting to leave @ or before 5 for the next one, which is crazy.
You need to train it for mid week matches, esp coming from the further reaches of the better half of Sussex.

You leave at 6.
You're guaranteed a seat to Brighton.
Brighton station now works very well, all things considered.

Back home for 11:15.

All for £4.60.