Topic: Liverpool news thread

[So… Howard Philips]

London travel is subsidised. Liverpool's ain't. Doesn't help that the number of cars in Liverpool over the past 60 odd years seems to have tripled, whilst the number of roads in the city centre has halved in the same period.

You only have to look at Lime Street to wonder what kind of thinking drives the planning in this city. Because if anybody involved thought it would improve traffic flow, then I have a tunnel to sell them.

Liverpool has an appalling history of town planning.

[redbyrdz]

?   I live on the Wirral and travelling to Liverpool City Centre on public transport costs no more than when I lived in South Liverpool. 

You pay extra even on public transport, because it's a different zone. Even just the one stop between Hamilton Sq and James St is expensive for the time/distance.

And....I live in South Liverpool, and I get to work for free, because I just ride my bike. No such option for you, at least not unless you work very odd times. Don't get me started, as tht is one of my biggest tunnel hates, but there really should be an option to cross the river by bike or on foot. There is a cycling tunnel under the Tyne in Newcastle, why don't we have one?

[Millie]

You pay extra even on public transport, because it's a different zone. Even just the one stop between Hamilton Sq and James St is expensive for the time/distance.

And....I live in South Liverpool, and I get to work for free, because I just ride my bike. No such option for you, at least not unless you work very odd times. Don't get me started, as tht is one of my biggest tunnel hates, but there really should be an option to cross the river by bike or on foot. There is a cycling tunnel under the Tyne in Newcastle, why don't we have one?

You don't pay extra on public transport if using the bus.    I buy the same day ticket on the Wirral that I used to buy when I lived in Liverpool.  The Arriva day ticket covers the whole of Merseyside.

Actually I don't pay anymore unless I travel peak time in the morning because I now have a travel pass but I have only had that a few months.  The train is also much cheaper after the morning peak.

I agree about not being able to cycle or walk though.

[Red Beret]

There's a foot/bike tunnel under the Thames by the Cutty Sark, but even if you could construct something similar under the Mersey in a conveniently accessible location, there's just no economic case to build one.

Nobody is going to spend millions boring a tunnel that is free to use. What's needed is pedestrian access to an existing tunnel, but that's a big ask.

[redbyrdz]

You don't pay extra on public transport if using the bus.    I buy the same day ticket on the Wirral that I used to buy when I lived in Liverpool.  The Arriva day ticket covers the whole of Merseyside.

Actually I don't pay anymore unless I travel peak time in the morning because I now have a travel pass but I have only had that a few months.  The train is also much cheaper after the morning peak.

I agree about not being able to cycle or walk though.

Ok, to be honest I haven't been on a bus for ages and usually get the train. Pretty sure I needed to buy a multi-zome ticket pass though, but that was ears ago.

[gazzam1963]

There's a foot/bike tunnel under the Thames by the Cutty Sark, but even if you could construct something similar under the Mersey in a conveniently accessible location, there's just no economic case to build one.

Nobody is going to spend millions boring a tunnel that is free to use. What's needed is pedestrian access to an existing tunnel, but that's a big ask.

Would the old idea of a Mersey barrage be more feasible these days than when it was first muted around late 90s I think , a crossing that encompass cars , bikes , pedestrians and generate green energy as well

[redbyrdz]

There's a foot/bike tunnel under the Thames by the Cutty Sark, but even if you could construct something similar under the Mersey in a conveniently accessible location, there's just no economic case to build one.

Nobody is going to spend millions boring a tunnel that is free to use. What's needed is pedestrian access to an existing tunnel, but that's a big ask.

Yeah, I can't see them building a new tunnel. But there's an option to use an existing one. There's space under the car deck in the Queensway tunnel, because the tunnel is round and only the upper half fully used. The lower half was planned to have a railway in it, but they build the railway tunnel instead. It now has a few pipes and cables running in it, and the safety refuges from the car deck. There is still plenty of space to put a footpath in, the hardest bit is access either end.

[Millie]

Ok, to be honest I haven't been on a bus for ages and usually get the train. Pretty sure I needed to buy a multi-zome ticket pass though, but that was ears ago.

You did years ago.  Arriva and Stagecoach both do day tickets now.

[PeterJM]

Yeah, I can't see them building a new tunnel. But there's an option to use an existing one. There's space under the car deck in the Queensway tunnel, because the tunnel is round and only the upper half fully used. The lower half was planned to have a railway in it, but they build the railway tunnel instead. It now has a few pipes and cables running in it, and the safety refuges from the car deck. There is still plenty of space to put a footpath in, the hardest bit is access either end.

Thet could even close one of the Queensway pipes and convert that to pedestrian/cycle/non-motorised transport.

All it would take is a bit of vision from those with the authority.

[rob1966]

To say it does my head in is an understatement. It's not just to go to Wirral, it's to go anywhere South without having to take the long way round.
It's a compulsory travel tax, wtaf.

I've said it on here before, but when we cover Tesco Widnes, as only the Widnes based units have tags, if we get a run to Wales/Wirral, we have to go all the way around, ie M62/M6/M56.

Probably the daftest one I did when the bridge was still free, was 3 of us were dropping trailers at Birkenhead Stena for the Belfast Ferry, then had to go to P&O at the Freeport to collect trailers. We're between the tunnels, but had to go to Runcorn to cross

[Red Beret]

Would the old idea of a Mersey barrage be more feasible these days than when it was first muted around late 90s I think , a crossing that encompass cars , bikes , pedestrians and generate green energy as well

Well the Mersey does have the second highest tidal bore in the UK, but the river is just too wide at that point (by the Manchester ship canal).

Yeah, I can't see them building a new tunnel. But there's an option to use an existing one. There's space under the car deck in the Queensway tunnel, because the tunnel is round and only the upper half fully used. The lower half was planned to have a railway in it, but they build the railway tunnel instead. It now has a few pipes and cables running in it, and the safety refuges from the car deck. There is still plenty of space to put a footpath in, the hardest bit is access either end.

Queensway is possible, but I think they would balk on health and safety grounds. All the shelters are linked by passageways that allow people to exit the tunnels safely in the event of an emergency; any pedestrian tunnel might be expected to connect to these passageways also. In terms of an exit, Birkenhead might be easier than Liverpool, because the side-exit tunnel in Birkenhead is unused, so could provide an exit point for pedestrians.

Here's a video of a tunnel tour, it's a lot more complex down there than a lot of people realise I think.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/xiIw2ZXuJjQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/xiIw2ZXuJjQ</a>

[redbyrdz]

I've been on the tunnel tour, its interesting. The refuge shelters are linked, but in sort of a side space. It's too small to be used as a regular path. However, there is still a lot of space in the tunnel outside the shelters that could be used.

[Roady]

You did years ago.  Arriva and Stagecoach both do day tickets now.

I use arriva on a weekly pass. Costs me 17 quid but I can use any arriva bus throughout Merseyside .

[Millie]

I use arriva on a weekly pass. Costs me 17 quid but I can use any arriva bus throughout Merseyside .

Yep, think Stagecoach do weekly ones as well.

[Red Beret]

I'm I the only one who thinks travel passes for Merseyside are ridiculously expensive?  You can either get a rail pass, or weekly bus tickets, but an all-area Trio is £41.90 for just one week.

An all area saveaway is only £5.65 for a day, but you can only use it after 9.30am. Liverpool is an expensive city to get around. And don't get me started on trying to apply for a Merseytravel disabled pass.

[Pistolero]

All it would take is a bit of vision from those with the authority.

you've lost me there....

[John C]

I use arriva on a weekly pass. Costs me 17 quid but I can use any arriva bus throughout Merseyside .

Are you home from Spain permanently mate?
Do you miss it?

[Tesco tearaway]

Thet could even close one of the Queensway pipes and convert that to pedestrian/cycle/non-motorised transport.

All it would take is a bit of vision from those with the authority.

you've lost me there....

Tunnel vision maybe? 

[Indomitable_Carp]

I'm I the only one who thinks travel passes for Merseyside are ridiculously expensive?  You can either get a rail pass, or weekly bus tickets, but an all-area Trio is £41.90 for just one week.

An all area saveaway is only £5.65 for a day, but you can only use it after 9.30am. Liverpool is an expensive city to get around. And don't get me started on trying to apply for a Merseytravel disabled pass.

Yep all the public transport in Liverpool (probably most of the UK to be fair) is ridiculously expensive. It´s a shite city to get around if you don´t have a car or bike (in fact, even if you do have a bike...). It drove me insane (and still does when I return).

My Chilean fiance was shocked at the state of Liverpool´s public transport, in comparison to Chile let alone the rest of Europe. Doesn´t matter how fancy looking and comfortable your trains and buses are, if they aren´t affordable and can´t get you where you need to go. This is the same Chile that adheres to unrestricted fuck-the-public-sphere capatalism like no where else, and they still have better public transport infrastructure.

Amazing what living somewhere with decent and affordable public transport infrastructure does to your quality of life. It´s actually enough to put me off ever moving back to Liverpool unless they sort it out.

[Millie]

Maybe it depends where you live?  Currently I live on the Wirral and the bus into Liverpool City Centre is every 10 to 15 mins.  Train is every 20 mins. I can also get a bus to Chester from where I live (although it does take over an hour  ), so I usually get the train to Chester.

I am over 60 so I have a travel pass, so can't really comment on the expense.

I have lived in both Portugal and Belgium.  Portugal the public transport wasn't great.  Belgium it was superb.

[Red Beret]

Yep all the public transport in Liverpool (probably most of the UK to be fair) is ridiculously expensive. It´s a shite city to get around if you don´t have a car or bike (in fact, even if you do have a bike...). It drove me insane (and still does when I return).

My Chilean fiance was shocked at the state of Liverpool´s public transport, in comparison to Chile let alone the rest of Europe. Doesn´t matter how fancy looking and comfortable your trains and buses are, if they aren´t affordable and can´t get you where you need to go. This is the same Chile that adheres to unrestricted fuck-the-public-sphere capatalism like no where else, and they still have better public transport infrastructure.

Amazing what living somewhere with decent and affordable public transport infrastructure does to your quality of life. It´s actually enough to put me off ever moving back to Liverpool unless they sort it out.

I got a week travel pass in Boston for about twenty five bucks, and in Rome a pass cost about twenty euros.  What you say about Chile doesn't surprise me.

Maybe it depends where you live?  Currently I live on the Wirral and the bus into Liverpool City Centre is every 10 to 15 mins.  Train is every 20 mins. I can also get a bus to Chester from where I live (although it does take over an hour  ), so I usually get the train to Chester.

I am over 60 so I have a travel pass, so can't really comment on the expense.

I have lived in both Portugal and Belgium.  Portugal the public transport wasn't great.  Belgium it was superb.

Depends where you live. My bestie used to live in Neston and the last bus was about 10pm.  Frequency is sometimes less important than the time of the last bus. 

[Millie]

I got a week travel pass in Boston for about twenty five bucks, and in Rome a pass cost about twenty euros.  What you say about Chile doesn't surprise me.

Depends where you live. My bestie used to live in Neston and the last bus was about 10pm.  Frequency is sometimes less important than the time of the last bus. 

Neston doesn't come under Merseytravel - so a bit different.  I should have said I live in the Merseytravel area.

[Red Beret]

Neston doesn't come under Merseytravel - so a bit different.  I should have said I live in the Merseytravel area.

Yeah, I meant buses when it comes to Neston. Although Neston may come into the Merseyrail network if/when it expands. It's a question of whether Transport for Wales is happy to relinquish the route and if the new trains have sufficient range on battery. Not sure if that's enough of a reach for Neston and back.

[Snail]

You only have to look at Lime Street

I'd rather not.

[Snail]

I'm I the only one who thinks travel passes for Merseyside are ridiculously expensive?  You can either get a rail pass, or weekly bus tickets, but an all-area Trio is £41.90 for just one week.

An all area saveaway is only £5.65 for a day, but you can only use it after 9.30am. Liverpool is an expensive city to get around. And don't get me started on trying to apply for a Merseytravel disabled pass.

I have to get a four week Arriva pass, they've just put it up from £54.50 to £56.00 and the buses are worse than they've ever been. Before Christmas it was regularly taking me almost two hours to get home to L5 from Bootle because of all the cancellations.

[Red Beret]

I'd rather not.

Nor would I. Bad enough walking through there, never mind the traffic.

I have to get a four week Arriva pass, they've just put it up from £54.50 to £56.00 and the buses are worse than they've ever been. Before Christmas it was regularly taking me almost two hours to get home to L5 from Bootle because of all the cancellations.

Jeez. I used to live in L6, right on the border with L5. I could walk from Bootle in less time than that. 

[AlphaDelta]

Buses wise I'm lucky because I live on the doorstep of the '10/10A/10B corridor' which is what they call a Quality Bus Network. It means both Arriva and Stagecoach operate on the same route and you rarely wait more than 5 minutes for a bus. Obviously the fact that the bus attracts every type of lunatic, crackpot and axe murderer comes into it...... 

[Statto Red]

There's a foot/bike tunnel under the Thames by the Cutty Sark, but even if you could construct something similar under the Mersey in a conveniently accessible location, there's just no economic case to build one.

Nobody is going to spend millions boring a tunnel that is free to use. What's needed is pedestrian access to an existing tunnel, but that's a big ask.

There's another foot tunnel under the Thames, Woolwich to North Woolwich, & they have the Woolwich free ferry too, we could do with a similar foot tunnel, most likely location around Woodside to Mann Island, but economics dictate it will never happen.

[Red Beret]

There's another foot tunnel under the Thames, Woolwich to North Woolwich, & they have the Woolwich free ferry too, we could do with a similar foot tunnel, most likely location around Woodside to Mann Island, but economics dictate it will never happen.

Another big problem is simple geography. The Thames meanders quite a bit, but it's pretty much the same width it's entire length through London. The Mersey varies wildly; even at Birkenhead/Liverpool where it's relatively narrow, it's easily twice as wide as the Thames to my eye

[Son of Spion]

Another big problem is simple geography. The Thames meanders quite a bit, but it's pretty much the same width it's entire length through London. The Mersey varies wildly; even at Birkenhead/Liverpool where it's relatively narrow, it's easily twice as wide as the Thames to my eye

Just having a little Google and it says at London Bridge the Thames is 265 metres wide. The Mersey at Pier Head is 1.1km.

At its widest point, by Ellesmere Port, it is 4.8km wide.

[WhoHe]

There's another foot tunnel under the Thames, Woolwich to North Woolwich, & they have the Woolwich free ferry too, we could do with a similar foot tunnel, most likely location around Woodside to Mann Island, but economics dictate it will never happen.

That tunnel was a muggers paradise when I was down that way in the 80s.

[So… Howard Philips]

That tunnel was a muggers paradise when I was down that way in the 80s.

I walked through it about 30 years and expected to see the American Werewolf in London loping down the tunnel.

[Statto Red]

Which clown thought this is a good idea.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/fury-adverts-sn-appear-bus-22787530
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said being angry would be an 'understatement' when he found out adverts for The S*n were displayed at Merseytravel bus stops.

[Red Beret]

What the actual fuck??

[Millie]

kin ell who sanctioned that?

[Roady]

Are you home from Spain permanently mate?
Do you miss it?

Yes mate permanent . I had no choice in the end to be honest. Brexit and throw in the covid situation and Spain is completely on its arse. Took a job I don't like just to get back in the zone and working.  But it's a job. Really need to sort out my CV and get back on my feet properly. But it's a process that's been long winded to be honest. I've made the right decision though..just a case of getting sorted. I do miss Spain but unless you are retired it's kind of pointless now. Jobs are really hard to come by.people are cutting back on spending. Cost of living is actually getting quite comparable to the UK. I can get a pint in Liverpool cheaper than I could in Spain for example. My rent wasn't much different either

[Sir Capon of Debaser]

Was at the lights at Marsh lane Bizzie station before and there were loads of banners outside tied to the fences saying a Facebook sex offender or something works here

There was about 6 signs all saying similar stuff. Anyone know what thats all aboot?

[Sir Capon of Debaser]

Was in Bootle again goin towards the Strand from Balliol Rd about 9 yesterday (Monday) and there were Bizzies everywhere. Vans, cars like I hadn’t seen before.

[Son of Spion]

Was in Bootle again goin towards the Strand from Balliol Rd about 9 yesterday (Monday) and there were Bizzies everywhere. Vans, cars like I hadn’t seen before.

Are you sure it's not you they are following? 🤔

[Sir Capon of Debaser]

Are you sure it's not you they are following? 🤔

if it was they’re going the wrong way