Comments on: Oxford Road Congestion/Bus Lane http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/2008/05/01/oxford-road-congestionbus-lane/ Striving to make Acocks Green a better experience Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:51:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Mick http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/2008/05/01/oxford-road-congestionbus-lane/#comment-11 Mick Sun, 25 May 2008 18:41:59 +0000 http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/?p=35#comment-11 Hi Adrian I quite agree with you on the parking issue. I think double yellow lines on one side would suffice though. I disagree about the Warwick Road bus lane. Once this is got rid of traffic for Warwick Road to Solihull will move into the left hand lane, whilst traffic for Shirley Road/Westley Road and Warwick Road North will move into the right hand lane. Traffic flow will be greatly eased. However, I think abolishing the bus lane needs to be brought in as part of a properly thought out plan for the centre as a whole. There is a serious issue with parking in the shopping centre which goes back many years. This needs drastic action to resolved by using the extra space potential in the shopping centre, as a whole, much better than it is being used. A proper long term plan is needed. I think if we concentrate only on saying "Don't" to people then all we do is encourage motorists - "lazy" or otherwise - to shop elsewhere, eg Solihull, or Shirley, where parking facilities are much better. Especially given the forthcoming competition from the planned Tesco development in Yardley, Acocks Green centre will die. Hi Adrian

I quite agree with you on the parking issue. I think double yellow lines on one side would suffice though.

I disagree about the Warwick Road bus lane. Once this is got rid of traffic for Warwick Road to Solihull will move into the left hand lane, whilst traffic for Shirley Road/Westley Road and Warwick Road North will move into the right hand lane. Traffic flow will be greatly eased. However, I think abolishing the bus lane needs to be brought in as part of a properly thought out plan for the centre as a whole.

There is a serious issue with parking in the shopping centre which goes back many years. This needs drastic action to resolved by using the extra space potential in the shopping centre, as a whole, much better than it is being used. A proper long term plan is needed. I think if we concentrate only on saying “Don’t” to people then all we do is encourage motorists - “lazy” or otherwise - to shop elsewhere, eg Solihull, or Shirley, where parking facilities are much better. Especially given the forthcoming competition from the planned Tesco development in Yardley, Acocks Green centre will die.

]]> By: Adrian Martin http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/2008/05/01/oxford-road-congestionbus-lane/#comment-9 Adrian Martin Sat, 10 May 2008 12:33:45 +0000 http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/?p=35#comment-9 The major problem hereabouts is Dudley Park Road. This is a major link to Heartlands Hospital yet unrestricted parking on both sides of the road by thoughtless motorists means that not only do Service 11 buses get delayed but ambulances are held up while responding to emergency calls. All it needs is for Birmingham City Council to ban parking on one, or better, both sides of Dudley Park Road. Most of the houses on Dudley Park Road have their own parking spaces so the problem is being caused by lazy, motorised shoppers. I have written to the Council but there is no concern on their part. Why the Number 11 "Showcase", which took years to get the bus service improved, did not review and resolve traffic problems on this part of the bus route I do not know! As for the Warwick Road bus lane, it is already a rat run for impatient motorists. Doing away with it will do little good as two lanes of traffic will then have to funnel into one southbound lane. The major problem hereabouts is Dudley Park Road. This is a major link to Heartlands Hospital yet unrestricted parking on both sides of the road by thoughtless motorists means that not only do Service 11 buses get delayed but ambulances are held up while responding to emergency calls. All it needs is for Birmingham City Council to ban parking on one, or better, both sides of Dudley Park Road. Most of the houses on Dudley Park Road have their own parking spaces so the problem is being caused by lazy, motorised shoppers. I have written to the Council but there is no concern on their part. Why the Number 11 “Showcase”, which took years to get the bus service improved, did not review and resolve traffic problems on this part of the bus route I do not know! As for the Warwick Road bus lane, it is already a rat run for impatient motorists. Doing away with it will do little good as two lanes of traffic will then have to funnel into one southbound lane.

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