Letter: Bedford Road is Not A Suitable Site For A Bus Station

Published on: 23 Dec, 2016
Updated on: 23 Dec, 2016

From David Ogilvie

Bedford Road could only be a temporary site for a relocated bus station, as it is a valuable development site and scheduled, by Guildford Borough Council, for redevelopment. It is also subject to flooding.

The money required would therefore be wasted and, in due course, another site would have to be found. The best solution is to pedestrianise Bridge Street and Onslow Street, which is wide enough to have a bus canopy down its centre with wide tree lined pedestrian boulevards down each side.

This would provide a permanent solution and the bus station would then be in an ideal position midway between the station and the town centre.

To achieve this we would require a new bridge over the River Wey, the railway and above the flood plain. It would be the first new bridge over the railway in the town centre since about 1850. It could also allow the town centre to rid itself of the gyratory system.

Responses to Letter: Bedford Road is Not A Suitable Site For A Bus Station

Bernard Parke Reply

December 23, 2016 at 9:21 pm

What is wrong with the present site?

Why do we wish to suggest that should be moved at all?

It is central and has served the town well over two decades now with little complaint.

I notice that there was a suggestion to go back to the forties when we did not have a bus station, and visitors to the town were left to wander around the central streets looking for the right bus.

It caused congestion and confusion in those days but to-day with more traffic such a scheme would add to our problems considerably.
Bibhas Neogi Reply

December 24, 2016 at 9:45 am

Getting rid of the gyratory system is of course necessary to make the town centre pedestrian friendly but Onslow Street should not be blocked off and on-street bus bays located there instead as suggested by David Ogilvie. Anyway a canopy over the buses, alone, would not be sufficient to make the place a comfortable waiting area.

It has not been mentioned that to achieve this, Guildford Vision Group of which David Ogilvie is a member, has suggested taking all traffic to the west of the railway track and run a link possibly four-lanes wide alongside Guildford Park Road and then a bridge and a flyover to York Road roundabout. While this replaces the gyratory, the route requires large scale demolition and agreement with Network Rail (is it ever easy?) and it would adversely affect the residents adjacent to this route.

I agree Bedford Road site is more valuable and should be used as originally planned by the council. So, that leaves Mary Road car park site as the best choice, if the gyratory traffic is dealt with as I have suggested – ie putting the A281 underground in a tunnel-like structure and a bridge and a flyover, as in GVG’s scheme, but only two lanes wide and terminating at Mary Road. My suggestion is much less disruptive has a minimal visual impact and, of course, would cost a great deal less than GVG’s scheme.

As for flooding, the bus station on Mary Road could be built on a raised floor above the highest flood level and accessed by ramps and possibly underground car park accessed from this level by ramps so that flooding problem is resolved altogether. Additional parking floors could be added or used for other purposes such as housing.