Route 108

[theexplorer]

I also think the lack of a replacement of a night route between Stratford and Blackwall is a lost to passengers on this section with all the major development being built around that corridor. I think the N550 should of been rerouted from All Saints to Stratford Bus Station to cover the lost night service

[enviroPB]

Surprised people feel so strongly about the 108. Here's my observations summarised:

-daily I see the 108 bunching in peaks and being turned short off-peak (north of the river)

-there are very few passengers alighting between Bow Church & Poplar; passengers stare at the new section as if they're looking at an animal enclosure

-loadings remain relatively unchanged; passengers who need the 108 make the trek at Stratford but noticed the increase in numbers at the Bow Church bus stop.


What's important to remember is the Bow School along the A12. The acid test for this cacophony of changes is if the Twelvetrees Crescent bus stop is ram-packed with these school kids because this was the pinnacle for the swap in routes for the 108 & D8. In any case however, TfL have failed to properly prepare for this swap, deemed unnecessary by most. There's a purpose-built bus gate for the 108 near the Blackwall Tunnel that is now defunct and a waste of money & resources; blinds on the 108 haven't been changed despite GAL knowing for some time that these changes were more less inevitable, and route D8 faces immense trouble battling traffic when it turns right onto East India Dock Road from Bazely Street. it seems that because there were double deckers found for the D8, other criteria was fast-tracked and not thought out properly.

[southlondonbus]

Could they not have just swapped the 108 and D8 between Statford and Bow (ie the 108 via Carpenters road to Stratford City and D8 direct to Stratford bus station) ro allow the D8 to convert to DD but left the routings in the Bow area stay the same.

[enviroPB]

Oct 13, 2016 22:54:05 GMT southlondonbus said:

Could they not have just swapped the 108 and D8 between Statford and Bow (ie the 108 via Carpenters road to Stratford City and D8 direct to Stratford bus station) ro allow the D8 to convert to DD but left the routings in the Bow area stay the same.

The short answer is no. If you look through the bus development papers for Tower Hamlets, it cites that pupils at Bow School require a link to the Isle of Dogs on their doorstep. This is contrast to pupils having to cross the A12* and stretch their legs a bit to either catch the D8 at Bow Church or Devons Road station. Thus, the reason for the swap in routes is to give the pupils at Bow School 'on the doorstep' access to the D8 at Twelvetrees Crescent. Buses also went double deck on the D8; for obvious reasons the 108 cannot receive such luxury**. Another thing that others have pointed to is the duplication the (N)108 has with the Jubilee line between North Greenwich & Stratford. TfL hope to save a few coppers by not having such a blatant duplicate in the 108 but with less than a month officially to broadcast these changes (including giving just 2 days of forewarning of the changes at Stratford bus station); it's clear no-one is going to jump on a route that has no updated timetables at bus stops (nor spider maps updated) if people don't know where the route is going. Heaven forbid an elderly couple jump on the 108 hoping for Asda Crossharbour and they're taken to Lewisham Tesco!!

*I imagine you'll get the 1 numpty who'll try to act cool in front of their friends by trying to run across the A12. I guess the school wants to avoid any scenario like that completely

**The 108 does have late evening double deck journeys North Greenwich- Lewisham. As snoggle has said, a school bus route could have been made over the 108 section north of the river & then send it to the Isle of Dogs. Yet instead of that simple fix, TfL tinkered with everything else just to appease 1 problem.

[joefrombow]

Oct 13, 2016 23:53:33 GMT enviroPB said:

Oct 13, 2016 22:54:05 GMT southlondonbus said:

Could they not have just swapped the 108 and D8 between Statford and Bow (ie the 108 via Carpenters road to Stratford City and D8 direct to Stratford bus station) ro allow the D8 to convert to DD but left the routings in the Bow area stay the same.

The short answer is no. If you look through the bus development papers for Tower Hamlets, it cites that pupils at Bow School require a link to the Isle of Dogs on their doorstep. This is contrast to pupils having to cross the A12* and stretch their legs a bit to either catch the D8 at Bow Church or Devons Road station. Thus, the reason for the swap in routes is to give the pupils at Bow School 'on the doorstep' access to the D8 at Twelvetrees Crescent. Buses also went double deck on the D8; for obvious reasons the 108 cannot receive such luxury**. Another thing that others have pointed to is the duplication the (N)108 has with the Jubilee line between North Greenwich & Stratford. TfL hope to save a few coppers by not having such a blatant duplicate in the 108 but with less than a month officially to broadcast these changes (including giving just 2 days of forewarning of the changes at Stratford bus station); it's clear no-one is going to jump on a route that has no updated timetables at bus stops (nor spider maps updated) if people don't know where the route is going. Heaven forbid an elderly couple jump on the 108 hoping for Asda Crossharbour and they're taken to Lewisham Tesco!!

*I imagine you'll get the 1 numpty who'll try to act cool in front of their friends by trying to run across the A12. I guess the school wants to avoid any scenario like that completely

**The 108 does have late evening double deck journeys North Greenwich- Lewisham. As snoggle has said, a school bus route could have been made over the 108 section north of the river & then send it to the Isle of Dogs. Yet instead of that simple fix, TfL tinkered with everything else just to appease 1 problem.

Everything you have said bang on .

[Deleted]

Interesting reading this discussion. I live in Poplar high street and use the 108 now and again to go through the pipe. From a purely personal point of view the changes have bought the route closer to me but I've noticed that Chrisp Street seems devoid of 108s for lengthy periods the blinds are an issue I saw a MEC in the high Street turning at All Saints it was displaying BLACKWALL TUNNEL NORTH SIDE which I suppose it is whereas the DWs have POPLAR from before the changes I'm probably just being pedantic though. Another plus from this is the northbound 108 stop is now redundant just under the east India Dock Road where I used to get off, no walk through the subway you were stuck if in a wheelchair although the southbound stop is the same but I can now use the stop opposite All Saints Church.

[DT 11]

Oct 12, 2016 18:22:40 GMT mondraker275 said:

Oct 12, 2016 15:42:21 GMT DT 11 said:

People complain about everything though anyways. It still serves Stratford though I am glad it avoids the Town Centre now. Overall, I don't think it was necessary to divert it via the old D8 route between Poplar & Bow Church. The 100 could have been extended to Stratford via Canary Wharf, Poplar then the old D8 to Stratford replacing it and transferred to SI. I also strongly believe those Bow Flyover Bus Stops are a waste of funding, so much time and money can be saved if all buses just go over that flyover and wasting fuel in traffic.

Ive been calling for the Bow flyover to be used for all routes for some time. However, in the last 3/4 years they have had several opportunities, and have declined, the latest being the D8/108 changes. I asked them in the consultation, but to no success. Honestly, its bizarre, considering the Cost-Benefit analysis, so many people would gain, TfL, bus passengers and even it would lead to fewer bus and cyclist interaction at the so called most dangerous roundabout.

It does not matter the 'new' delays caused by the 108's new route, its still much quicker than that double-use of the Bow Roundabout. If it was not bad enough going through it once, but twice...wow. I guess the D8 suffers that now.

Adding to poor preparation. The ibus did not have the destination. It kept announcing '108 to blank'. The website/countdown is not updated as well.

The blind/iBus spec for it has been changed that is why. The D8 used to display "D8 to Stratford International"

The iBus Screen actually displays "108 to Stratford International Bus Station" which the announcement has not yet been recorded yet, same as the 277 which now displays Highbury Corner so like the 108 all you'll hear is "277 to"
The 108 Tender Spec Document

www.londonbuses.co.uk/Tender-specs/108.pdf

[snowman]

According to this, the two Irizar electric buses are moving to 108 and are joining the Go-Ahead fleet (were part of the TfL fleet, although operated by Go-Ahead when trialled)

link

[vjaska]

Nov 29, 2016 13:05:24 GMT snowman said:

According to this, the two Irizar electric buses are moving to 108 and are joining the Go-Ahead fleet (were part of the TfL fleet, although operated by Go-Ahead when trialled)

link

At least one has been on the 108 for the last few days.

[snoggle]

Just had a look at LVF to see how the 108 was doing. What a mess.

Buses short turned in both directions.
Looking at the sb stop at Bazeley St - 3 108s in 6 mins, 17 min gap then 2 together. The 115 (at same stop) was even worse - 3 buses together, 16 min gap, 3 buses bunched with 4 mins. I assume this is the result of schools traffic and people starting to go home from Canary Wharf / East London.

When are TfL going to concede that the 108 / D8 changes are a complete disaster and reverse them?

[Nathan]

Nov 29, 2016 16:26:15 GMT snoggle said:

Just had a look at LVF to see how the 108 was doing. What a mess.

Buses short turned in both directions.
Looking at the sb stop at Bazeley St - 3 108s in 6 mins, 17 min gap then 2 together. The 115 (at same stop) was even worse - 3 buses together, 16 min gap, 3 buses bunched with 4 mins. I assume this is the result of schools traffic and people starting to go home from Canary Wharf / East London.

When are TfL going to concede that the 108 / D8 changes are a complete disaster and reverse them?

There was an incident on Lewisham High Street that held buses back for about 20 mins or so. Plus, there was loads of traffic on the A2 shortly after, so these things could have affected the route.

[joefrombow]

Nov 29, 2016 14:23:38 GMT vjaska said:

Nov 29, 2016 13:05:24 GMT snowman said:

According to this, the two Irizar electric buses are moving to 108 and are joining the Go-Ahead fleet (were part of the TfL fleet, although operated by Go-Ahead when trialled)

link

At least one has been on the 108 for the last few days.

Was waiting the other Morning for a 108 checked my Bus countdown app on my phone and saw that a 15 reg bus was coming assumed it was a E200 much to my shock a EI turned up quite impressed very nippy buses for how big they are not much for seating though or overall capacity due to weight but yes nice buses still amazes me how electric vehicles can be out without charge for lengthy periods with no back up engine .

[Ted Barclay]

There has been a major incident at the south end of the Dartford crossing with traffic tailing back on the clockwise as far as Brentwood.

A lot of displaced traffic has made for the Blackwall Tunnel.

Ted B

Nov 29, 2016 16:26:15 GMT snoggle said:

Just had a look at LVF to see how the 108 was doing. What a mess.

Buses short turned in both directions.
Looking at the sb stop at Bazeley St - 3 108s in 6 mins, 17 min gap then 2 together. The 115 (at same stop) was even worse - 3 buses together, 16 min gap, 3 buses bunched with 4 mins. I assume this is the result of schools traffic and people starting to go home from Canary Wharf / East London.

When are TfL going to concede that the 108 / D8 changes are a complete disaster and reverse them?

[Hassaan]

Nov 29, 2016 21:27:46 GMT Ted Barclay said:

There has been a major incident at the south end of the Dartford crossing with traffic tailing back on the clockwise as far as Brentwood.

A lot of displaced traffic has made for the Blackwall Tunnel.

Ted B

Nov 29, 2016 16:26:15 GMT snoggle said:

Just had a look at LVF to see how the 108 was doing. What a mess.

Buses short turned in both directions.
Looking at the sb stop at Bazeley St - 3 108s in 6 mins, 17 min gap then 2 together. The 115 (at same stop) was even worse - 3 buses together, 16 min gap, 3 buses bunched with 4 mins. I assume this is the result of schools traffic and people starting to go home from Canary Wharf / East London.

When are TfL going to concede that the 108 / D8 changes are a complete disaster and reverse them?

Wonder if that is why there was so much traffic earlier approaching the Woolwich Ferry on the northern side? Traffic was back to at least Gallions Reach Roundabout.

[eggmiester]

There is a running time deficiency on the Southbound 108's in the evening peaks, largely due to traffic ques from East India Dock road onto the Blackwall tunnel on slip. It would appear this had not been factored into the timings when the route was re-routed that way as its the first time any route has been scheduled to cover that section of road.

This is hopefully being addressed with some re-timing, with a possible new schedule being introduced in late jand / early feb subject to the usual approvals.