42 Bus route extention...

[Bic Basher]

The 42 has been added to bus stops in LL, Grove Vale and DKH.

[ed_pete]

There she blows.

 

[Villager]

It's great news to have the 42 extension!

'Been looking forward to it for months.

Also it will make it a lot easier for kids going to the schools eg Hamlet, DVI, Charter, Alleyns and JAGS.

I'm pretty sure it will also reduce the number of cars that parents us to make the school run.

Good news for Sainsbo's too, I reckon.

I just wonder who's idea it was?

[Passiflora]

Yeah, I wondered who thought of the idea. Maybe contact tfl about that.

A good extension but could have done without a double decker instead of the single decker which has been for years. Followed it a few times today when going about in the area and it just seemed out of place and very cumbersome.

The P4 will probably be the next to go down the same route.

[rch]

Extending the 42 was one of my first community campaigns when I was first elected as ward councillor in 2006, along with Save the Onions (to convince the NHS not to knock down the Onion Domes at Dulwich Hospital, so that we could use the towers for community rooms). I remember that this campaign made the front page of the Southwark News with the East Dulwich Grove Estate Pensioners Club years ago...

All councillors cross-party across three wards united to pressure TfL into doing this... and I lobbied to make it a planning condition for Sainsbury's to instate the bus terminus when they put in a planning proposal to upgrade the existing Sainsbury's structure.

Building the terminus cost Sainsbury's a small fortune, so we were all extremely disheartened when TfL produced an assessment indicating that the cost of extending the 42 route was too high due to low footfall usage.

I then tried to get the local shops to liaise with the council on starting our own Dulwich Green Bus service, but that was even more stupidly expensive.

In the end, the confirmation of the building of the school and the medical centre has created the increase in footfall needed to convince TfL to invest in the extension, and it looks like councillors from all parties again used their influence to pressure TfL into finally agreeing to the extension.

Bear in mind that this project took over ten years of grovelling to TfL... thereby I would say to residents that if you have a project that you truly believe in, then get as many people to unite together and don't ever give up!

[Villager]

Well done Robin. I just wish you were our local MP!

Apart from the benficiaries previously mentioned, I am sure Dulwich Hamlet will see an upswing in their attendance. I will be using the 42 now in preference to the 37 - if only to keep the footfall up.

Up the Hamlet!

[James Barber]

Hi rich,

I was on the planning committee that insisted the amended Sainsbury's cater for the no.42 when it was extended. I seem to recall n adjournment for them to think about it for a few minutes. But this was a number of years ago.

[tomdhu]

Every credit Robin.

You can have my vote any time you decide to stand as an MP!

Tom

[Jenny1]

well done rch! It's good to know that, with persistence, good things can happen.

[rch]

Thanks guys, but I've been told by more political parties than you can shake a stick at that I'd never be selected to stand as an MP because I'm too much of a Maverick, so I'm going to do all my community work through The Dulwich Society from now on! So, prepare to see their remit creeping down Lordship Lane to begin with...

Just took my first ride on the 42 up to Sainsbury's and observed that it really has potential to transform the area (including Hamlet!). Just hope the Red Post Hill residents aren't suffering too much.

So hopefully more people will get out of their cars and build the 42 footfall!

I remember that planning meeting, James... the plans were very contentious and I think the committee was minded not to approve it, which is how I managed to convince the designer to talk Sainsbury's into forking out for the terminus in order to offer enough community incentive to sway the committee. Those were the good old days when cllrs could actually influence building developments!

On the other hand, it looks to me that the forest of trees that were also conditioned to be planted in the car park have never materialised...

[nxjen]

I took a 42 this morning, taking the long way round from Camberwell to Sainsbury's. I'm wondering what the bus drivers think about driving down Red Post Hill, seemed like a slalom ride to me.

[Passiflora]

An accident waiting to happen I would say!

Looks like you didn't see your remit through rch so better luck with The Dulwich Society!

[Jenny1]

Sorry Passiflora. I don't understand. What accident waiting to happen?

[Bic Basher]

Did anyone use the 42 this morning? At the weekend, the buses only appeared to have 1-2 people or carrying air.

[sanity girl]

I did, but picked it up outside Sunray Gardens as traffic coming up to Dulwich Village was so bad the bus took ages to get through - I prefer to walk to the next stop rather than waiting while breathing in exhaust fumes! I suspect that lots of people are still not aware of the route extension and so currently the buses are picking up the usual users later on along the route.

[nxjen]

It's like I caught the part of the Overground that travels through Denmark Hill two days after it started running. I caught it in the rush hour and it was empty. Look at it now!

[rch]

When I took the 42 from the hospital site to Sainsbury's and back again yesterday, there were approx 10 people on the bus each way. Hopefully usage will increase as people realise how useful it is.

As for Red Post Hill...

The background to that saga is that TfL originally implemented full-width humps as part of a speed reduction program to address larger vehicles (including buses) speeding down the hill.

But the effect of the noise and the shaking of the houses was so dramatic (one resident hired an acoustical expert who measured astonishingly high decibel levels and some houses allegedly began to develop cracks) that the residents successfully campaigned to have the full-width humps removed.

We worked with highway engineers to identify the best means of achieving speed calming without the negative aspects and the slalom effect of the pedestrians islands was acknowledged as actually slowing traffic even more effectively than full-width humps as well as providing much-needed crossing points for elderly residents and children. The only downside was the loss of parking spaces, which we were able to mitigate as much as possible.

So, the residents signed a petition in which a large majority called for the change, which councillors were able to fund with a CGS underspend.

I'm surprised that TfL went ahead with the routing of the double-decker 42 down Red Post, but I know they did an assessment first and tweaked the location of at least one island.

I suspect that routing the 42 down Herne Hill into Half Moon Lane would have added too much mileage onto the route extension, which is why they stuck with the RPH option.

Would be interesting to hear how that section is working... and if the noise of the double deckers is a problem.

BTW, the reason why the campaign to implement full-width humps (and junction tables) on Melbourne Grove is causing so many protests is because of the known issues of noise and vibrations on houses closer to the road (i.e., without front gardens) with little improvement of speed calming over existing cushions, whereas the pedestrian islands are far more effective and serve multiple purposes for pedestrians.

[tomdhu]

rch Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Would be interesting to hear how that section is

> working... and if the noise of the double deckers

> is a problem.

The 37's and 42's go past my window and I can tell you that the new "42" busses are much less noisy than the 37's. 10 years difference in age but also new technology with the supplementary electric drive system. Can't image how much these cost to buy. Guess there's not much change out of ?350k.

[Nigello]

Seen at least four ED Sainsbury's-bound 42s in forty minutes as I sat outside La Scala. All were empty, save for around five passengers on either deck. Perhaps they were especially empty because they are new and they were at the end of the route?

[LJC56]

The full route isn't yet on the countdown system which won't help uptake. Great to have it. Used it last night!

[Bic Basher]

LJC56 Wrote:

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> The full route isn't yet on the countdown system

> which won't help uptake.

I can get get data for the 42 bus stops in ED using my Bus times app on Android. The TfL website is still showing the route only as far as Sunray Avenue.

[OutOfFocus]

LJC56 Wrote:

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> The full route isn't yet on the countdown system

> which won't help uptake. Great to have it. Used it

> last night!

It is "half" on it. The app I use doesn't list 42 as stopping at a particular stop. Then one is scheduled and it adds it to the list

[kibris]

RCH, I LIKE YOUR I DID THIS, I DID THAT, AND I DID THAT. BUT I CAN TELL YOU IT DOES NOT TAKE 10 YEARS TO EXTENDING A BUS ROUTE. I THINKS TFL JUST LOOKED AND SAID LETS MOVE THE 42 AND THANK YOU TFL FOR DOING THAT AS IT WILL SAME SO MUCH TIME AND FOR THE D/DECK IN TIME I THINK THE MORE PEOPLE USE IT THE MORE IT WILL FILL UP

[Lowlander]

FCFTW!