Layouts for Bus Garages and Stations
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Typical Arrangements for the Interior Appointments of Garages and Nine Layouts for Stations
I N opening his paper, Mr. Jackson said that his main purpose would be to deal with the layout and working of garages and bus stations, rather than with technical detail.
Those operators who had had to convert tram depots into accommodation for buses, suffered disadvantages as compared with those who had accommodation specifically designed for bus operation. Many operators had been compelled to park their vehicles in the open, but this practice should be avoided wherever possible.
The selection of a site for a new garage was of some importance because 3f the many years it would be in use. It must also be borne in mind that 'tanning permission had to be obtained iefore a garage could be erected.
Avoiding Dead Mileage
If a site were chosen that meant a ot of dead mileage being run, the iossibly attractive price Of the land night easily be offset by this unremuierative running.
More consideration was now being iven to the use of transparent plastics or roof structures in place of corruated iron and wired glass. The use of ?hite glazed bricks, at least to dado rvel, was well worth the additional 3st.
Whilst sufficient height had to be rovided to allow for a reasonable earance for a double-deck vehicle, any msiderable additional height would tcrease the cost of heating. Mr. ickson called attention to the need for tort-period parking space within the 'rage site. Failurb to provide it might ad to trouble with the police for istruction on the public highway. The speaker outlined a number of pical arrangements for the interior ipointments of garages. Commenting the use of hydraulic lifts, which were popular in America, he said that more time was needed in getting a bus into position as compared with driving straight over an inspection pit.
In leading up to the subject of bus stations, Mr. Jackson dealt at length with the views of the travelling public. la planning schemes which were being evolved, repeated suggestions had been made that the public service vehicles should be precluded from using central thoroughfares, particularly those in new shopping areas. The nearest approach, it had been put forward, should be in some central or inner-circuit road. It might be, he said, that undue weight was being given to the vehicle aspect instead of to the convenience of the travelling public.
Operators should press for public service vehicles to be able to traverse most of the framework of the central area, and bus passengers should be placed in a no less favourable position than users of private cars.
Nine different bus-station layouts were described. His first was sited alongside a railway station. It was based on a straight run through with one entrance and one or more separate exits. Quoting the publication "Planning," he said that where roads were only 20 ft. wide, 50 ft. was the minimum distance required between bus stands. With a 22-ft. roadway, this figure could be reduced to 45 ft.
A V-Shaped Plan
The layout of the second station provided for buses operating in both directions. It was roughly of V formation, entry and exit being at the tips of the V, with both sides of the island loading platforms used for queueing.
The third station was offered as an alternative to the second, but in this case there was a common entry and exit. The next one to be described showed the arrangement of the enclosed loading platform as adopted in Chicago and indicated the saw-tooth layout. This provided for the buses being driven into position facing the platform, the passengers boarding at the front of the vehicle.
In layout No. 5, buses were driven in to face the platform and at right angles to it. This arrangement meant that the vehicles had to reverse away from the platform when starting. Were the bus stand to be arranged for vehicles to be at 45 degrees to the platform, fewer buses could be accommodated, but less reversing space would be required.
Single Queue Desirable
Where there was a frequent service on any particular route using this type of station, it might be necessary to have two stands, side-by-side, for the same service. As this meant dividing the queue, this arrangement was not desirable.
Station layout No. 6 adopted an angled stance, whilst No. 7 showed the possibilities of using a large turning space, with intending passengers queueing radially from a central building which would be employed for administrative purposes.
The next scheme, which was again quoted from "Planning," claimed to be economical in street frontage, full use being made of a deep site. Provision was made for passengers to board from a central concourse: Saw-tooth stands were adopted and there were three bays. one for long-distance, another for local and the third for local and long-distance vehicles.
In the last layout dealt with, movement of buses took place in the centre, intending passengers queueing round the outside. This had advantages because there was no need for them to cross traffic-ways to board a bus.