Stagecoach Goes Platinum

Today saw the first bus route to traverse the newly-opened Platinum Parkway.

Stagecoach Devon's 52, taken over recently from Oakleys, now serves the Coypool Park & Ride site and takes a direct route along Forder Valley and Platinum Parkway, no longer serving Leigham and Estover.

I've attached a couple of shots of Enviro200 MMC 37470 (YX68 UTW). The nearside shot shows it ascending en route to Derriford Hospital, and the offside shot shows it on Pintail Way heading to Plympton, on its descent towards Forder Valley.

© Mark Bailey – with thanks.

Surprisingly the bus does not actually serve any of the stops along this section as it runs non stop between Derriford Hospital and The Coypool Park & Ride. I for one would make use of this service if it did. Hopefully at some stage that will happen.

Derriford Developments

Some welcome news of more road developments at Derriford Hospital:

Work on a new bus link to Derriford Hospital will begin in spring 2019.

The Morlaix Drive Access Improvement and Bus Priority Scheme will widen Morlaix Drive between Brest Road and the hospital to provide improved access for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists.

The road to be widened highlighted by the pink line

Funding for the £4.7 million project will be part-funded by £3.3 million awarded to the council by the Department for Transport in October.

Councillor Patrick Nicholson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport and Planning, said: “This scheme is a critical piece of the public transport network and part of a package of transport infrastructure improvements aimed at increasing connectivity in the north of the city, particularly by more sustainable means of travel.

“The Morlaix Drive scheme will support increased travel by bus, helping to ensure that the additional travel demand from new housing and employment sites in the Derriford area is catered for, keeping the city moving as it grows and expands.”

Complementing the larger Derriford Transport Scheme, the improvements will enable buses to serve Derriford Hospital and the upgraded bus interchange area at the front of the hospital without using Derriford roundabout and Derriford Road.

This will support improved reliability of buses in the area and provide benefits for traffic using Tavistock Road. It will also maximise the benefits of the recent Marjon Link Road bus link.

Scheme designs are currently being worked up and public consultation will take place later in the year before final designs are agreed. Work is expected to begin in spring 2019.

This decision has been made under delegated authority and is subject to call in by scrutiny.

The Google Street view image above illustrates one of the big issues with this road currently - there is a very narrow bit which does not allow two way traffic and its right outside the ambulance station too! Drainage is also very poor along this road so its not a pleasant walk when its wet. As a short cut out from the hospital for buses this will save a lot of time and perhaps more importantly be great for me as I work down at the end of this road - hopefully will save me a walk from the hospital each day!

Derriford Transport Scheme Next Stage

More on the latest developments around Derriford

Major transport improvement plans for the north of the city have taken a major step forward, with the appointment of the main contractor for the Derriford Transport Scheme. The contract has been awarded to Amey LG Ltd following a competitive tender process and construction work is expected to begin in July.

The Derriford Transport Scheme will help to reduce congestion along Tavistock Road and create more road capacity for the extra traffic that will be generated by proposed developments in the area. It will also include better facilities for public transport, walking and cycling. Derriford Roundabout and the William Prance Road junction will be upgraded with additional traffic lanes, new bus lanes and improved traffic signals, as well as new, marked cycle lanes and new pedestrian crossings. Walking and cycling improvements will also extend towards The George Park and Ride. A preferred option has been chosen and scheme designs are being finalised following public consultation in 2014 and 2015.

Derriford is an area that is undergoing vast change, significant to the city’s future. A vision to establish a new heart for the north of the city was first proposed in Plymouth’s Core Strategy in 2007 and Derriford has since been identified as a key area to deliver growth in housing, employment and associated infrastructure as part of the Plymouth Plan. Central to this vision is a transport network that can connect people to new homes, jobs and leisure and health facilities. The Derriford Transport Scheme is part of a master plan of highway improvements that will help to achieve this and deliver jobs and homes in the north of the city.

It will be supported by other essential infrastructure improvements in the area including the new Marjon Link Road (which opened in the autumn), the Derriford Hospital Interchange and the proposed Forder Valley Link Road. The Heart-of-the-South-West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) is contributing £10.16 million towards the £12.72 million scheme.

For more information visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/derrifordtransportscheme.

Derriford: The next stage

The next stage of major transport works around Derriford Hospital are a step nearer:

Plans to improve Plymouth’s second busiest bus interchange have been submitted by the Council. The Derriford Hospital Interchange scheme, estimated to cost just over £2 million, will convert the existing one-way bus link through the hospital to allow buses to travel in both directions. It will also create separate taxi and passenger drop-off points and provide three additional bus stops. As well as reducing congestion outside the main entrance and making bus journeys to and from the hospital quicker and more reliable, the scheme will provide better waiting areas for bus and taxi passengers and those getting dropped off or picked up by car.

The Heart-of-the-South-West Local Enterprise Partnership – the body responsible for allocating funding for large-scale transport schemes across Plymouth, Devon, Torbay and Somerset – has recognised the regional importance of the scheme with a £1.4 million award from its Growth Fund. The remaining funding will be provided by the Council and the Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust. People can view the planning application on our website and staff will be at Derriford Hospital (main entrance) on Monday 7 December (9am to 1pm) and Friday 11 December (2pm to 6pm) to discuss the plans and answer any questions.The closing date for comments is Tuesday 22 December. If the planning application is approved, construction is planned to start in the New Year and will take around nine months.

The Derriford Hospital Interchange scheme is part of a ‘master plan’ of highway improvements that will help unlock development and deliver 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes in the north of the city. Other schemes include the proposed Forder Valley Link Road, which was recently earmarked to receive £22.5 million from the Growth Fund, as well as the new Marjon Link Road, which opened in September.

 

Planning Web Site for full details of the planning application

 

As usual this will cause traffic chaos while the work is in progress, but it should make a big difference for passengers once its all in place. With buses going through the site in both directions it should cut down on passengers running for buses going the wrong way. Every day you see passengers running up from one bus stop when they see a 42 (for example) stop at the other end. At least now buses will be heading off in different directions. It will also give them a lot more room for buses to actually stop which is a major cause of problems at Derriford every day

Marjon Link Road Picture Special

The Marjon Link Road scheme has been completed and is now in full operation as a two way bus only road linking Derriford Hospital and Marjon College, and joining the link across the old Airport towards The George Park & Ride. Last week I managed to capture a few photos to show the full scheme in use

The new traffic light control junction as the main entrance to Derriford Hospital.

At the moment this is the main entrance to Derriford. This is looking back towards Derriford Roundabout with Derriford to the left and The Marjon link is to the right. As well as providing a safe place to cross this busy road this layout also provides a lane for traffic turning into Derriford which cuts down on delays where traffic cant get out of Derriford as its caught behind the queue of traffic trying to get in!

Buses now turn left onto the Marjon Link

Stagecoach Trident 17297 has come out of Derriford and now turns right, then come up the this junction and takes the left onto the Marjon Link on its way to Tavistock. There is potentially an extra delay here now as buses cant use the bus lane to get out of Derriford, instead they have to take their place with everyone else turning right. I believe eventually the plan is to have two way traffic through the Derriford site for buses at least which will cut these delays.

The new bus stops at Marjon

You cant quite see the new roundabout just beyond the stops which replaces the really awkward right turn buses used to have to make to get onto this stop on the run down to the Hospital

Plymouth Citybus 250 on the 14 on the way down the new road towards Derriford.

The other advantage of this new scheme is the exit from Marjon and across the road onto the Derriford Hospital site. Blue Flash 103 shows the easy access straight across the junction into Derriford

These pics from 2002 show how awkward it used to be with the low floor fleet often grounding as they made the turn right then sharp left into Derriford.

with Citybus Volvo 182 illustrates how the junction was staggered. If no one was coming out of Derriford trying to turn right it wasn't so bad but otherwise it could be really awkward!

Its early days but the scheme does seem to be a big improvement on the old layout.

Derriford–The next stage

Detailed plans for improving traffic flow in the Derriford area will be on public display next week.

The Derriford Transport Scheme, which will see improvements on the A386 Tavistock Road, aims to reduce congestion and create more road capacity for the extra traffic that will be generated by proposed developments in the area. It will also include better facilities for public transport, walking and cycling.

A preferred option was chosen in December 2014 following consultation with residents and businesses and we are now inviting people to view and comment on more detailed designs before the scheme is finalised.

Derriford Roundabout and the William Prance Road junction will be upgraded with additional traffic lanes, new bus lanes and improved traffic signal operation, as well as new, marked cycle lanes and new pedestrian crossings. Walking and cycling improvements will also extend towards The George Park and Ride.

People will be able to view and discuss the latest plans at two public exhibitions being held at our Windsor House building on Tavistock Road:

• Thursday 8 October (3pm to 7pm)
• Saturday 10 October (10am to 2pm)

The next step will be to develop a final business case for approval by the Heart-of-the-South-West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP), which is contributing £10.16 million towards the £12.72 million scheme. Construction is expected to get under way in Spring 2016 and take around 12 months.

The Derriford Transport Scheme is part of a ‘master plan’ of highway improvements that will help unlock development and deliver 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes in the north of the city.

The first of these essential infrastructure improvements is the newly opened Marjon Link Road and funding has already been earmarked for future phases including the proposed Forder Valley Link Road.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport and Planning, said: “The A386 is the main route to and from the north of the city – including Derriford Hospital, the University of St Mark and St John and the Plymouth Science Park. It is often congested, especially at peak times and future growth in the area will put even more pressure on this busy part of our transport network. The Derriford Transport Scheme, together with our other planned infrastructure improvements, will help to keep traffic moving, improve bus journey times and reliability and provide better walking and cycling facilities along this key route.”

What is the Derriford Transport Scheme?

The Derriford Transport Scheme aims to reduce congestion between Derriford Roundabout and William Prance Road and create more road capacity for the extra traffic that will be generated by proposed developments in the area. Bus priority measures will be provided at both junctions to improve journey times and make services more reliable, particularly to Derriford Hospital. Pedestrian crossing facilities and on-road cycle facilities will also be improved.

This section of the A386 is a key route for people travelling between the city centre and the north of the city and it provides access to key destinations such as Derriford Hospital, the University of St Mark and St John and the Plymouth Science Park. Both Derriford Roundabout and William Prance Road manage very large volumes of traffic throughout the day and are often congested at peak times.

Proposed developments in the Derriford and Seaton areas could see around 3,000 new homes, as well as a new district centre, new shops and businesses and a new school. This will increase the number of people travelling to and from the Derriford area and put further pressure on the transport network.

How will the scheme be paid for?

The Department for Transport allocates funding for large scale transport schemes to Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The Heart-of-the-South-West (HotSW) LEP covers Plymouth, Devon, Torbay and Somerset and it is currently considering which schemes from across its region should receive funding.

One of the schemes shortlisted for the first round of available funding is the Derriford Transport Scheme. In addition to the LEP funding we also have to provide a local financial contribution and it is anticipated this will come from new developments in the Derriford and Seaton areas.

When will work begin?

Subject to the HotSW LEP providing final approval for funding, it is expected that construction would start in 2016 and is likely to take about 12 months.

Options considered

We have carried out a considerable amount of feasibility work to see how we can improve the flow of traffic along this busy route and manage the additional journeys that will come from future developments. We have also looked at how we can provide greater priority for buses and better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, so we can encourage more people out of their cars and help to keep our transport network moving as the city grows.

 

Preferred option

In deciding which scheme to take forward, we have considered the consultation results, along with other factors such as impact on the wider road network and the environment, cost and value for money.

The preferred option is to upgrade the existing roundabout to provide additional traffic lanes, new bus lanes and upgraded traffic signals along with walking and cycling improvements. Keeping the roundabout means all current traffic movements can be maintained (including the ability to 'U-turn' using the roundabout), the impact on trees and vegetation will be reduced compared to the other options considered and traffic flow will be significantly improved.

This will be combined with improvements to the William Prance Road junction, including new lanes for general traffic as well as buses.

 

Derriford Works Photo Special

As a bit of a Part Two of the Derriford Marjon Link Road photos earlier in the week, I managed to catch some fairly good shots of buses coming into Derriford Hospital on Saturday afternoon…

Plymouth Citybus 82 on the 50 swings into the Hospital site

Plymouth Citybus 109 comes in from the other direction on the 42B. Its certainly a lot easier getting in from this side at the moment

Most of the 42's were proper Blue Flash buses as 103 demonstrates

Plymouth Citybus 140 makes an appearance on the 50

Plymouth Citybus veteran Dart 25 on the 14 as it makes the tight turn into Derriford

Its not all Citybus as First 32851 comes in on what I think was a Tavistock bound route

Marjon Link Road Works

Finally managed to get to Derriford and take a few photos of the new Marjon Link Road works which are coming along nicely.

Looking back up from Derriford Hospital the darker tarmac here is the new part of the road. This will be the exit lane eventually.

A closer view of the impressive banking which now has this grass blanker to keep everything in place. This has been a major excavation.

 

A closer look at the new Marjon Link Road which is rapidly taking shape. This will be a new two way bus lane which leads up to join the new bus only route through the old Plymouth Airport.

Looking back along the main road which is now quite a bit wider. The paths just need the final surface and then the road resurfaced.

The new crossroads junction at the entrance of Derriford Hospital. This will be traffic light controlled once its all operational.

The main p[art of the junction still to be completed is the inbound lane. The new traffic island on the left is pretty much where the old exit lane used to be. The wall on the right is part of the new Heliport which has just recently been completed.

Derriford Developments

Plymouth City Council has approved funding contributions towards two major transport improvement schemes for the north of the city.

The Derriford Transport Scheme and Derriford Hospital Interchange were recently awarded a total of £11.56 million from the Heart-of-the-South-West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) – the body responsible for allocating funding for large-scale transport schemes across Plymouth, Devon, Torbay and Somerset.

This includes a £10.16 million contribution towards the £12.72 million Derriford Transport Scheme, which will see a major upgrade to Derriford Roundabout and provide additional traffic lanes, new bus lanes and improved traffic signals, as well as improvements to the William Prance Road junction.

The remaining £2.56 million will be covered by contributions from planned development sites in the area, but the Council has agreed to fund this from its capital budget in advance of receiving the contributions.

The Council has also approved a £840,000 funding contribution towards the new Derriford Hospital Interchange, which was awarded £1.4 million from the HotSW LEP. Delivered in partnership with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, this scheme will help to reduce congestion and make bus journeys to and from the hospital quicker and more reliable.

Both schemes are part of a ‘master plan’ of highway improvements that will help to unlock development and deliver the 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes that are proposed for the north of the city. This also includes the proposed Forder Valley Link Road, which was recently earmarked to receive £22.5 million from the Growth Fund and the new Marjon Link Road, currently under construction.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “The A386 is the main route between the city centre and the north of the city, including Derriford Hospital, the University of St Mark and St John and the Plymouth Science Park. It is often congested at peak times and proposed developments in the area will put even more pressure on this part of our transport network. These schemes will help to keep traffic moving as our city grows, improve bus journey times and reliability and provide better walking and cycling facilities along this key route.”

I hope to get some up to date photos of the current works at Derriford over the next week or so…

Cycle Routes

Plymouth City Council has been awarded £2.46 million from the Department for Transport to improve walking and cycling routes to and from the Derriford area.

The project will see a total investment of £3.51 million over the next five years and deliver more than four kilometres of the city’s Strategic Cycle Network.

Improved on- and off-road cycling routes will be provided along a number of roads, including Plymbridge Road, Southway Drive and Tavistock Road and will benefit people with mobility problems as well as pedestrians and cyclists.

The programme, which will also see enhancements to walking and cycling facilities in Honicknowle, is part of a ‘master plan’ of highway improvements that will help unlock development and deliver more than 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes in the north of the city.

It will link in with other transport improvements being made in the area, including the Marjon Link Road and the Derriford Transport Scheme. Full consultation on each element of the walking and cycling programme will be completed before works start on the ground.

Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We are committed to promoting active travel and the health, economic, environmental and quality of life benefits that come with it. Cycling in Plymouth has gone up by over 40 per cent in the last four years and doubled along the routes where we have targeted investment. This programme will improve walking and cycling routes to and from the Derriford area and deliver another section of our citywide network.”

Councillor Philippa Davey, Plymouth’s Cycling Commissioner, added: “In 2007, 67.4 per cent of cyclists who took part in a consultation exercise said they found it difficult to cycle on our Northern Corridor. Some of the issues they raised were a lack of continuous cycle paths and lanes, concerns about safety and the high volume of traffic. These improvements look to address these concerns and provide better facilities for both experienced and inexperienced cyclists.”

Its a Gas!

A few Odds and Ends which have caught my attention over the last day or so

Central Library

Plymouth City councillors are set to approve funding for a new flagship library in the heart of the city centre. The new central library in Mayflower Street would replace the current library in North Hill, making way for the £25 million History Centre which is due to open in 2020. The Council’s ambition is to create a modern, flexible and welcoming library that will attract more users and it is asking Plymouth residents to give their views on what they would like to see in it. As well as making way for the new History Centre the new library will deliver a key ambition in the Council’s plan for modernising its library service, which follows an extensive review that listened to customer views and looked at best practice around the country. The new £1.4 million library which is due to open in Spring 2016, will be easier for many users to get to and will be fully accessible for people with disabilities.

I am looking forward to this as it will be great to have the library right in the middle of town. It is also a big step in freeing up the old library for the massive Plymouth History Centre which is really exciting. This new library also backs onto the new Coach Station which was finally given planning permission this week

Talking of History...

Plans for this year’s Plymouth’s History Festival are well under way, with more than 100 different events already confirmed. The festival will run from 1 to 31 May and a wide range of historical events are taking place across the city, providing residents and visitors with opportunities to celebrate and learn more about Plymouth’s heritage. Local organisations have been busy pulling together and confirming their event details since late 2014. The programme includes exhibitions and displays, talks and presentations, behind-the-scenes tours, guided walks, family-friendly activities and a series of special events and open days. A new category featuring events that are food, drink, music and performance-based has also been introduced for 2015.

Plymouth History Festival 2015

Gas Leak Times Two

Derriford Hospital is the last place you want to see a major gas leak...Due to a major Gas leak in the Derriford area, most of our services are unable to service the Hospital. Service 50 will be operating to the City Centre from Tamar Science Park via Estover and Leigham. Customers will be able to catch the 42/A/B services operating in both direction from the stops nearest to Derriford Roundabout (outside and opposite KFC). Services 29, 34 and 14 will terminate outbound on Tavistock Rd outside KFC and inbound services will start on the opposite side of the road at the stop before the Future Inn. Customers looking to head in the direction of Crownhill and Eggbuckland will be able to catch the 28 from inside the hospital, but the 28A will not be able to service the hospital heading back to the city.

I was incredibly lucky as I was able to leave work earlier than normal so passed through Derriford Hospital less than 15 mins before the gas leak! 
Plymouth Citybus Facebook 4 March 17:49

Then as if that wasnt enough...

Further disruption this evening on the Plymstock services. Due to another Major Gas leak on Laira bridge the road has been closed. services 5/A and 14 are having to use Plympton and Haye road in both directions in order to properly service this area, unfortunately due this diversion it may slightly delay you service depending on congested traffic in the area. we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

Back to the History

We started this odds and ends post with a historical theme so now seems as good as any time to post these excellent photos supplied by Brian George...

The News

• Focus Transport: Stagecoach Group plc has published a trading update, covering available information for the period to date.

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More room to stop

New Bus Stops on Royal Parade

Welcome news from the City Council:
Work to create two new bus bays on Royal Parade will get under way on Monday 2 March. The new bays, which are being installed on the westbound side of Royal Parade (the side nearest the Civic Centre), will help tackle congestion along this busy route and improve service reliability.
They will help prevent problems with buses crowding around stops during peak times of the day and also provide space for buses to wait between services, so they don’t block busy stops. The new bays will be built on either side of the pedestrian crossing, near the existing stops outside the Guildhall (A4) and the Civic Centre (A5). They will each accommodate an additional bus and a new double-length waiting shelter.
Local bus companies welcome the new bays and are working with the Council to make the best use of the extra space, which will include relocating some services. Work to create the bays is expected to take around nine weeks and the new shelters will be installed early this summer. The works should not affect traffic along Royal Parade.
Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Royal Parade is the city’s main bus interchange and buses are often jostling for space at busy times. By creating these extra bays and providing more space we can help bus companies to ensure services are on time and keep bus passengers, drivers and other road users safe.”
Richard Stevens, Managing Director of Plymouth Citybus, said: “We welcome this additional space on Royal Parade. These new bays will be of significant benefit for our bus operations and our passengers.”
Robbie Lamerton, General Manager of First South West, said: “I'm pleased to see this investment towards improving the bus network in Plymouth. The new bays are in prime locations and will deliver much need capacity.”

Its good to see some effort going in to finding some more space on Royal Parade as it is very overcrowded with buses at times. Its hard though to see how any more space can be found.
Personally I would like to see a one way system introduced around the whole City Centre with one of the carriageways on Royal Parade being given over completely to Buses, but I can't say I can see this happening as it would be very unpopular with car drivers!

Talking of Bus Stops. life could get more interesting at Derriford Hospital as the works outside the main entrance move on a stage today (Friday) as new pavements are put in place. All parking at the front is closed off which could help a bit but expect even more traffic congestion while this work takes place!

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Derriford Development

Plymouth City Council has secured more than £12 million in funding for transport improvements in the north of the city.
The Heart-of-the-South-West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) – the body responsible for allocating funding for large-scale transport schemes across Plymouth, Devon, Torbay and Somerset – has awarded the city £12.26 million for three schemes.
This includes a £10.16 million contribution towards the £12.7 million Derriford Transport Scheme, which will see a major upgrade to Derriford Roundabout and provide additional traffic lanes, new bus lanes and improved traffic signals, as well as improvements to the William Prance Road junction.
The scheme will create more road capacity for the extra traffic generated by proposed developments in the area and improve facilities for public transport, walking and cycling along this key route. The full business case, which will confirm the scheme costs following feedback from contractors, will be submitted to the LEP in the autumn for final approval and construction is expected to get under way in January 2016.
A further £1.4 million has been approved for a £2 million upgrade of the bus interchange at Derriford Hospital, delivered in partnership with Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust. The Derriford Hospital Interchange Scheme will create a new two-way bus link and separate taxi and passenger drop-off points and provide three extra bus stops, helping to reduce congestion and make bus journeys to and from the hospital quicker and more reliable. A planning application will be submitted in the spring and if approved, construction is planned to start this autumn.
The LEP will also provide £700,000 towards the first phase of a five-year programme to upgrade traffic signals and increase capacity at some of the smaller junctions along the A386. The first phase of the Northern Corridor Junction Improvements Scheme, which will focus on Outland Road, is being developed now and works are due to start in the autumn.
All three schemes are part of a ‘master plan’ of highway improvements that will help to unlock development and deliver 9,000 new jobs and 3,000 new homes in the north of the city. This includes the proposed Forder Valley Link Road, which was recently earmarked to receive £22.5 million from the Growth Fund, as well as the new Marjon Link Road, currently under construction.
Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “The A386 is the main route between the city centre and the north of the city, including Derriford Hospital, the University of St Mark and St John and the Plymouth Science Park. It is often congested at peak times and proposed developments in the area will put even more pressure on this part of our transport network. These three schemes will help to keep traffic moving as our city grows, improve bus journey times and reliability and provide better walking and cycling facilities along this key route.”

Further Reading

• Derriford Transport Scheme Consultation Feb 2014 (PDF)

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Coach Station and Marjon Link

Coach Station one step nearer

Plans for a brand new coach station in the heart of Plymouth city centre have now been formally submitted to planners.
New and updated images are now available showing the latest detail for the £4.17 million project new destination for long distance coaches and a surface-level car park on the former Mayflower West car park site in the city’s West End
Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “This is a significant stage for the project to create a much better welcome for visitors and travellers coming by coach to the city.
“Not only are we providing up to date facilities for today’s travellers, the new location will also significantly increase the number of people coming in and out of the West End, which can only be good for local businesses.”
The new coach station will have seven coach stands that will serve National Express and Megabus. The coach waiting area will be constructed to a very high standard with granite paving and a canopy roof structure. Other features include:
• Real time passenger information systems
• Blue badge holder drop off bay
• Customer help points
• Ticket machines
• Toilets
• Luggage lockers
• Seating area
• Cycle stands
• Soft landscaping
• CCTV
• Ornamental lighting
An indoor ticket office and waiting room will be provided in the former Lloyds Bank building, with toilets, comfy seating, ‘real time’ information screens, ticket office and a food, drink and newsagent concession.
The car park will have around 100 spaces, including dedicated blue badge holder bays, drop off and pick up taxi/private hire bays and coach passenger drop off bays. As with the coach station, the car park will have lighting and CCTV systems to make it safe and secure for users.
New landscaping and trees will surround the site and a sustainable drainage system included to reduce surface water. This will be linked to an irrigation system for the new trees.
New signs for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists will be part of the scheme to make sure that people can find their way around and to the new facility. Access to the new facility will be improved with enhancements to the entrances from Market Way, Cornwall Street and Mayflower Way.

Other features include underground refuse stores for premises around the site perimeter to remove the need for unsightly refuse bins and a new fire escape at the back of Mayflower Way shops to replace the one that was removed when the old car park was demolished.
The final design took into account comments from traders as well as members of he public following a consultation in September.

The new coach hub will replace the tired out-dated coach station at Bretonside, which is being redeveloped as part of a major investment package proposed by British Land, the owner of Drake Circus and the UK’s largest listed retail landlord.
The proposed Drake Circus Leisure development includes an 11-screen cinema complex, 13 restaurants and parking for over 400 cars, as well as extensive improvements to public areas with features, seating and planting. The scheme would transform the link from the city centre to the Barbican and the Waterfront, making it more attractive and easier for visitors and shoppers to move from one to the other.

 

Derriford Major Works

From planned development to a scheme which is about to start, the Derriford Marjon link scheme now enters the construction phase with the new traffic management scheme around the Derriford Hospital which hopefully will ease at least some of the pain.

There will be a significant amount of disruption to Marjons Link Road and Derriford Road.  Please be aware that from 8am Wednesday 14^th January the following measures will come into effect.

1. Traffic entering the Hospital will still be able to travel along Derriford Road and turn right to access the Hospital opposite Marjon Link Road
2. Traffic leaving the Hospital will not be able to exit onto Derriford Road opposite Marjon Link Road but will have to do so by travelling in front of the main entrance and using the mini-roundabout onto Derriford Road
3. The current Bus Only lane which leaves the Hospital and travels to Derriford Roundabout will be suspended to allow any vehicle to use the Bus Lane to exit the site

 

This should help a bit bit expect a certain amount of chaos to begin with at least until drivers get used to it. It has worked fairly well before but buses will be slowed down as they no longer have full use of the bus lane out onto Derriford Roundabout. Could be fun…

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Derriford Marjon Link

The fun starts very soon

Staff at Derriford Hospital have received this email giving advance warning of the major scheme starting next year...

As many of you are now aware preliminary works on enhancing the Marjon Link Road started on the 8th December. The purpose of this email is to give staff advance warning of the full commencement of the works from the 5th January 2015 until their estimated completion on the 4th September 2015.

The outline of the scheme, its purpose and schematic drawings can be found on the Plymouth City Council website. If you want to find out more please click on this link: www.plymouth.gov.uk/marjonlinkroad

These works will be undertaken in three simultaneous phases:

• Improve the roundabout at the top of Marjon Link Road
• Widen and upgrade Marjon Link Road
• Widen Derriford Road, install a right hand only turn into the Hospital at the bottom of the Marjon Link Road and install three way traffic lights and pedestrian crossing points at the bottom of Marjon Link Road

The third aspect of this scheme will have the greatest impact on Derriford Road and access/egress from the Hospital. To undertake this safely and allow for the two way flow of traffic along Derriford Road to continue during the works the following traffic management measures will be put in place.

Marjon Link Road will be closed to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians from 05/01/15 – 04/09/15

Traffic entering the Hospital will still be able to travel along Derriford Road and turn right to access the Hospital opposite Marjon Link Road Traffic leaving the Hospital will not be able to exit onto Derriford Road opposite Marjon Link Road but will have to do so by travelling in front of the main entrance and using the mini-roundabout onto Derriford Road

The current Bus Only lane which leaves the Hospital and travels to Derriford Roundabout will be suspended to allow any vehicle to use the Bus Lane to exit the site. We fully appreciate these works will cause disruption to travellers but the plans outlined above will cause less disruption than 3 way temporary traffic lights on Derriford Road would cause for the same duration. Naturally all traffic management measures will be constantly reviewed and varied if required.

The loss of the full bus lane out of Derriford Hospital and onto Derriford Roundabout is bound to cause some delays to buses serving the area but hopefully the temporary one way system within the Derriford site will help. It should help the 50 I catch as we don't get the luxury of a bus lane out of Derriford and then get caught up with the traffic queuing to get into Derriford.

The scheme detail

Larger view (PDF)

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Introducing the 81D

First Torpoint Route Change

First have announced a few changes from 4th January 2014. We will look at these over the next couple of days starting today with 81 & 81D Torpoint - Plymouth

Applications To Vary Existing Services: VOSA 12 NOV 2014

PH0004983/35 - FIRST DEVON & CORNWALL LTD, THE RIDE, CHELSON MEADOW, PLYMOUTH, PL9 7JT

Variation Accepted:

• Operating between TORPOINT FERRY and PLYMOUTH Bus Station
• given service number 81/81D
• effective from 04-Jan-2015.
• To amend Route and Timetable.

Service changes from 4 January 2015

Service 81: some minor changes to the weekday timetable due to the launch of new morning/afternoon service 81D between the Torpoint Ferry (Devonport side) and Derriford Hospital. 81D buses will be timed to link with 81 buses for onwards travel.

Route Map 81D

81 81A 81D Timetable 4 Jan 2014

Background

The new 81D is a bit of a surprise. It could potentially be very useful link between Torpoint and Derriford Hospital. The first thing to note is that there is only one morning journey from Torpoint Ferry (Plymouth side) at 07:20 arriving at Derriford 07:40. Things are slightly better in the evening with two departures from Derriford at 16:15 and 17:15 which will catch a lot more staff coming home. I am surprised at this new service as I cant really see what it adds for anybody seeing as it mirrors exactly what the Plymouth Citybus 34 already provides. I know the 34 has suffered reliability issues over the last year or so but I know the early morning departure that arrives at Derriford at 07:37 , just in front of the new 81D, is now much more reliable and runs bang on time every day. I know this as I try to change onto this one as it returns from Derriford back into town. If there is the slightest delay on my 50 then I will miss the 34. The same run before the last timetable change was always late! At least going home the times are much more useful falling in between the half hour departures of the 34 to provide a bus every 15 minutes.

Of course there used to be a direct bus from Derriford right into Torpoint and beyond, in the form of the 81C which ran via Peverell and Mutley Plain into Town and then onto Torpoint etc. The Derriford section of the 81C ceased on the 1st April 2012. (Didn't realise it was quite that long ago!)

First do seem quite keen to serve Derriford Hospital these days with quite a few enhancements over the last year or so. As someone who works at Derriford this is great as it gives me a few extra travel opportunities. Of course having so many buses tied up on Derriford bound routes can also be a big risk. There are two major new road work schemes planed for the area, the first of which starts next week. Things could get quite messy...

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Marjon Link: Coming very soon

Following on from yesterdays news from Plymouth City Council we move North to another major transport scheme. This one is much more advanced in that the work itself is about to start.

Work to build a new link road between the University of St Mark and St John (Marjon) and Derriford Hospital will get under way on Monday 8 December. The Marjon Link Road scheme will widen the existing road between Plymbridge Lane and Derriford Road to provide a new two-way link for buses. This will reduce journey times and improve reliability by allowing buses to access the university and hospital without using Derriford Roundabout.
Developed in partnership with the university and Derriford and Nuffield Hospitals, the scheme also includes a shared pedestrian and cycle path and will provide better access to the university campus. Plymouth City Council was awarded over £1 million for the scheme through the Department for Transport’s Local Pinch Point Fund, boosted by an additional £745,000 of developer contributions. The remaining £600,000 of the scheme cost is being funded by the Council.
The new link road will make it easier to access Derriford by bus, help to ease congestion on the main route into Plymouth from the north and, together with the recently built Runway Road, provide some of the strategic transport infrastructure needed to support Derriford’s future growth.
As part of the scheme a dedicated lane will be provided on Derriford Road for traffic turning right into the hospital, which will not only reduce delays for buses serving the hospital but also other traffic wanting to travel straight on at this junction, towards Estover. This should improve journey times for people needing to access the Plymouth Science Park and other business sites.
The layout of this junction will be improved, with better facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, including safer crossings. A new roundabout will be installed at the northern end of the link road and new bus stops with shelters will be provided.
Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “The new link road will make a big difference to people living, working and studying in Derriford, as well as those travelling in and out of Plymouth along this busy route.
“It will help to reduce congestion at Derriford Roundabout and improve the reliability of bus services – which should encourage operators to extend more of their services to call in at Derriford Hospital and the University of St Mark and St John.
“It will also provide better and safer facilities for pedestrians and cyclists and form part of the new north-to-south cycle route between Derriford and the city centre.”
Work to build the new link road is being carried out by the Council’s highways contractor Amey and is expected to take around 39 weeks. The existing road will be closed for all users (including buses, cyclists and pedestrians) between Thursday 11 and Friday 19 December and then from Monday 5 January for the duration of the works. Alternative routes, which will be via Derriford Road, will be signposted.

People are advised to allow extra time for any journeys being made in and through the area.

Some sections of footpath near the works will be closed during the works but alternative routes and crossing points will be provided. Vehicle movements in the area will be controlled with traffic lights at times. Plymouth City Council News Room

A few images from 2002 to show how awkward the current road layout can be, buses often grounding on the exit before swinging across to get into the Derriford site:

The line highlighted in blue above is the main point of this post! As anyone who travels, or tries to travel, through this part of Plymouth at peak times will know this area is prone to traffic congestion on an epic scale. Derriford Hospital is the focal point for all of this chaos.  It can only take one minor accident or even an awkwardly placed breakdown anywhere in the North Plymouth area to completely seize up the whole road system. It can be guaranteed that once these roadworks start on the main Derriford Road on this junction then there will be major problems. As well as the road up to Majon, this whole junction is being remodeled. There is no way that can be done easily! Watch this blog for frequent updates on this major project...

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First Target Derriford–and Target

We are slowly getting an idea of the changes our two main companies are planning for their services. First have now published changes to Park & Ride and Derriford services which seem pretty positive...

Changes are being made from Mondays to Fridays to services operated by First in Plymouth to provide better bus connections for staff, patients and visitors using Derriford Hospital. From Monday 27 October, following requests from Plymouth City Council and the hospital, First is launching a new Park & Ride service PR1A. This new service operates from the Milehouse Park & Ride to Derriford Hospital every 30 minutes.

In the morning between 06:25 and 09:51, PR1a buses from Milehouse to Derriford will start from Royal Parade. In the afternoon between 15:57 and 18:07, PR1a buses leaving Derriford Hospital will start at The George Park & Ride and finish at Royal Parade.

First has also announced that a single fare between Milehouse and Derriford Hospital on the PR1a will be just £1.

The same day, there will be extra journeys introduced on Service 15 between Plymouth City Centre, Derriford Hospital and Woolwell to assist Derriford staff and patients. This will include one additional early morning journey from the George Park & Ride to Derriford Hospital and some new early evening trips from Derriford back to the George. A return between The George Park & Ride, the University of St Mark & St John and Derriford Hospital on the 15 and 86 is only £1 return.

Commenting on the changes, Paul Smith, First’s Devon Operations Manager said: “With the reduction in parking spaces at the hospital this year, we were more than happy to work with the Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust and the city council to find solutions to the challenges this would present its staff, patients and visitors.

“Following discussions, we are introducing the new Service PR1a which will exclusively serve the hospital between the city centre and the two Park & Ride sites at the George and Milehouse at peak times every half an hour. At the same time, Service 15 will include extra morning and evening journeys to help staff, patients and visitors getting to and from the hospital.

Paul Smith adds: “Feedback from the bus users’ surgery at Derriford Hospital, has been very encouraging and customers welcomed our proposals for enhancing the services. These changes are good news for Plymouth as they will ensure that staff, patients and visitors going to and from the hospital will have peace of mind that there will be regular bus services to ensure they arrive on time for work and for their appointments.”

“Also, at just £1, the single fare between the Milehouse Park & Ride and Derriford Hospital is more good news for bus users and represents excellent value for money. What is more, this service will be particularly useful for drivers coming up from Cornwall or coming off A38 at Manadon from the east.”

Customers wanting more information about the changes or wishing to view timetables for the affected services are advised to log onto: www.firstgroup.com/devon. First is also on Twitter and Facebook, at www.twitter.com/firstbus_devon and www.facebook.com/firstdevon. A guide to bus services for Derriford Hospital will be available from mid-October.

It is good to see First fighting back and actually expanding services for a change.I can see the Milehouse Park & Ride to Derriford being very popular, providing the service is reliable enough. It will be very interesting to see how Target Travel's PR3 manages with the extra competition. First already compete with them on the 15 but this is quite a push. Target do have a bit of an advantage of having regular drivers who have built up a good rapport with their regular passengers, many of whom will stay loyal to Target, but many patients will just get on whichever bus comes first.

Although just about anything can be used on the 15, including Solos, buses can get very busy so double decker's are always welcome on the 15.

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