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The little lady is going for an interview today, the office is near Cabot Circus. She's quite interested in the job, but is concerned that the commute might be hideous. Train not an option unfortunately.
Anyone commute that way and care to share experience?
I've not done it for a few years now, but I always used to find it frustratingly variable. Either clear as a whistle or backed-up from Purdown. Bike FTW 😉
Get off at the easton/st pauls junction and go down old market. If necessary, get off at the eastville junction and go straight on up the slip road to the easton/st pauls junction.
DO NOT try to head straight down the M32 into town. It will take you an age.
Bristol is awful for traffic - however if you are going to Cabot circus then it's ok because you just have to make it down the M32. If you go after about 9.30 it'll be fine. I used to park at Temple Quay which is also, just need a short section of that ring-road thing.
Cheers chaps.
After 9:30's not an option unfortunately, she'll need to be in the office for normal 8:30ish type time.
She'll be parking in Cabot Circus (they do a season ticket apparently), I was mainly wondering what that end of the M32 is like between about 8:00 and 8:30 in a morning. I work near Parkway, so only see about a mile of it, I never get down to the 'business end'
I used to work near Cabot Circus and the drivers used to get in early/leave early. The cost of parking can be quite prohibitive - Cabot Circus car park can be v. expensive for day parking, you can get good deals from the NCP next to the Holiday Inn at the bottom of Stokes Croft, but there are deals to be had.
Oh I mis-understood. I thought you were asking about the actual interview, not the commute should she get the job 🙂
Yeah it's grim if you need to get in early. And expensive. If you don't live near a station I'd consider driving to one and doing park and ride.
wondering what that end of the M32 is like between about 8:00 and 8:30 in a morning
Truly horrible. I've often wondered if I could cope if I got a job in the centre.
[i]Truly horrible[/i]
That was my fear.
It amazes me that there's no Park and Ride on the North side of the city.
It amazes me that there's no Park and Ride on the North side of the city.
Getting Bristol and South Glos to agree a unified transport strategy for this side of town would appear to require more skills than the United Nations.
It amazes me that there's no Park and Ride on the North side of the city.
There is no need for a Park n Ride on the North side as the buses come along every 15 minutes or so though nearly every village/town. So many little towns, where would you put a park n ride..
As above taking the car is quicker than a bus, but a weekly bus pass is the cost of a days parking. You could always try the train, which is quicker than a bus and cheaper than car parking. M32 traffic is quite unpredictable, but usually slow, glad I don't go into the centre!
I'd have thought a P+R at Jct1 of the M32, dropping off at Cabots and then the centre would take a lot of traffic of the motorway. Anyhoo...
I doubt it.. people would still drive. There's no problem with shoppers in the daytime, it's all the commuters in the morning.
Is it worth circumnavigating all that balls and coming off the M5 at the Gordano junction (19) and traveling into the centre up the A369 or via the A4 Portway?
Maybe, but she'll be coming down the M4, so getting onto the M5 at the moment isn't exactly great either...
deluded - Member
Is it worth circumnavigating all that balls and coming off the M5 at the Gordano junction (19) and traveling into the centre up the A369 or via the A4 Portway?
It may get you into Bristol quicker but would then take 30 minutes to get across town the Cabot Circus which is at the bottom of the M32. I commuted in the opposite direction for 6 years and it was often queued back all the way and joining from the M4 had huge queues too. Where does the commute start? If it can't all be cycled could she park the car off somewhere and commute in via Gloucester road or similar?
It's difficult to explain to a non local (obviously not you cheers drive) but once you get off the A369 there are a fair few back doubles to exploit either via Clifton or Hotwells and the Cumberland system, but agree it's all much of a muchness and Gloucester Roads not a bad shout. I've always found coming in via the North and East a real pain.
I'd have thought a P+R at Jct1 of the M32
Short of building on the Frenchay Hispital site if/when it is downgraded, I can't see too many 'acceptable' (non-NIMBY) sites otu that way, without going the other side of the M4.
Is it worth circumnavigating all that balls and coming off the M5 at the Gordano junction (19) and traveling into the centre up the A369 or via the A4 Portway
I would say avoid the A4 at peak times now that Bridge Valley Road is open again..... The days I have to drive to work I have to go from Shirehampton/Coombe Dingle to Winterbourne/Yate. Best driving solution so far is M5 to Thornbury and then drive back towards Bristol again. Seems bonkers, but it is quicker and much more consistent, so agree with being creative.
Is it worth circumnavigating all that balls and coming off the M5 at the Gordano junction (19) and traveling into the centre up the A369 or via the A4 Portway?
Every time I come up the M4 from London way there's some kind of severe congestion or hold-up on the M5 that way.
I sat in exactly that traffic at that time on Friday ( on my way to the hospital to see Mrs clubber and new mini clubber 🙂 .
With the rain, it was awful. I wouldn't choose to.do that as a commute unless it really was a fantastic job or I worked our a way to avoid it.
Seriously, my advice earlier does work. Jump off the M32 a junction early and head in through old market.
There's no way I'd go the long way. The M4/M5 interface has to be the worst bit of road design on the planet. Somebody needs shooting for that.
Seriously, my advice earlier does work. Jump off the M32 a junction early and head in through old market.
She'll be parking in Cabot Circus (they do a season ticket apparently)
If this is where whe's going to park, the only (car) entrance is off the M32, so even going through Old Market will mean coming back onto the M32 to get into the carpark (unless there is another entrance of course). Not sure how much time this will save over just toughing it out on the in-bound M32. Agreed - if she can park elsewhere then the options open up....
It's a shame they didn't put in a bike path alongside the M32 and yeah traffic at the end of the M32 will be painful after about 7:30am, on a motorbike is the only way I'd do that commute if I had to start work between 8am and 10am
There is a gravel path that runs alongside the M32, past the ponds, have a look on Streetmap to see if you can work a route.