Local buses are already better than you think

Did you know:

  • The 106 bus now runs direct to Worthing every 2 hours
  • There’s now two buses an hour to Steyning during peak times
  • The Coastway 700 bus from Brighton to Shoreham now runs throughtout the evening, and late until 3.30am
  • Southern Saver tickets cover return bus and train tickets for journeys to any Southern train destination, including London, and  only cost £12.50 per adult (£6.25 for bus ID holders)
  • Children aged 5-18 can get free bus ID cards then travel for 20p with an adult, or 50p on their own for non-school journeys.  Application forms available from schools, 1Stop Travel in Brighton, or by post using online form available at www.buses.co.uk
  • Kids aged 0-4 travel free on the buses

And they’ve recently got a lot better

Steyning 10:10 has been working closely with Brighton and Hove buses who have really come up trumps with their latest timetable.  Buses are faster, more frequent, and run later into the night.

  • There is a new No 59 fast bus into Brighton each weekday leaving Steyning at 7.17am arriving at Brigthon Station at 8.08am and North Street at 8.13am.  It returns from Old Steine at 5.12pm, Brighton Sation at 5.17pm and arrives in Steyning at 6.00pm.  This will cut 15 minutes off the journey time in the morning, and as much as 25 minutes in the afternoon.
  • There will be two additional 2A buses from Brighton to Steyning in the afternoons and two more in the late evening. These will remove the ‘black hole’ in the current timetable, and make bus travel home from shopping or an evening out in Brighton a much more attractive option.
  • And during the daytime, the No 20x bus will be running non-stop along New Church Road to speed up the journey.
  • There’s even a new late night clubbers bus on Saturday nights – the N98 leaves West Street at 3.05 am, stopping at Brighton Sation and Churchill Square.  Fare £3 single.

But they’re under threat and need your support

Local families really care about the buses - we got 300 signatures in one day at the Summer Fayre

Just as we’re getting used to better bus services, they’ve now under threat because of cutbacks in the Council grant for rural bus routes.  West Sussex County Council want to cut £2 million from their bus subsidy budget, and undertook a consultation earlier in the summer to get peoples’ views.  With your help, we put in over 400 submissions from the Steyning area underlining how strongly people feel about this issue.  This may have been the clincher – since Steyning buses have been spared from the initial round of cuts.  Many other services are facing the chop however – as spelt out in this Council update from August 2011.

Following our campaigning, the good news is that Brighton and Hove buses have agreed to continue running the 2A Sunday service to Brighton on a commercial basis, at least up to 6.00pm. This means we won’t be entirely cut off on Sundays.  Mike Best from the bus company said “We looked at whether we could carry on with the service, and decided we could, if the people who campaigned for the bus to be saved use it.”

But a new round of cuts is planned from April 2012, with more to come subsequently.  The 106 to Worthing and the 100 to Horsham are still in the firing line.  So we need to stay vigilant and make sure we make our voice heard.  To find out more about Council’s latest moves, check their website.   Compass Buses have a page on their website showing their plans.

Steyning 10:10 is going to be actively campaigning to hang on to our current services – so make sure you’re signed up to our email newsletter to stay in touch with the latest news.  The best way to ensure the bus services don’t deteriorate is to make use of them.  Ditch that car, and give them a try.  You’ll save a fortune on parking, never mind the CO2 emissions.  So it’s a question of use them or lose them!

Steyning Bike map

Cycling in and around Steyning

If you use the car to get to the local shops or to the school, why not try a bike sometimes? You’ll be greener, richer and fitter.    To check out the best routes in and around Steyning, download our new cycling guide which has a map showing how to get around avoiding busy roads, and has tips on good cycling routes heading North, South, East and West.  The guide was kindly sponsored by South Downs Bikes Ltd in Storrington and East Preston.  Copies are available from Steyning Library.

 

 

Liftshare

Find someone travelling your way so you can share your journey – saving money, cutting your carbon footprint and having fun!   It’s free – just sign up on the Liftshare website, add your journeys and find someone to car-share with.

For a light-hearted look at the benefits of lift sharing – check out this video done by a couple of blokes in Worthing.  It won the Liftshare video prize.

Car Club

Car clubs give you easy access to a car without the hassle of actually owning one. On average, each vehicle replaces 26 privately owned cars and cuts down on unnecessary car journeys.  The nearest Car Club location is in Portslade.  Click here to find out more about the City Car Club scheme and join up.  Membership costs £50 a year, and you can rent a car for as little as £4.95 an hour, or £40 a day.  Cars are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be booked by the hour, day or as long as you want. The cars can be booked online or by phone in advance, or at the last minute.

Drive Smarter

The way you drive makes a big difference.  10:10 have put together a tip sheet to help save on petrol and cut up to 10% on your driving emissions.   The advice is to:  drive smoothly, get the right gear, stick to speed limits, shed some baggage, pump up your tires,  switch off the air con, maintain your car, and plan your journey.

Thinking of buying a new car?

If you do own a car, upgrading to a more efficient model might seem like the way forward. But because making a car can create as much pollution as several years of driving it, this is a trickier question than a straightforward MPG comparison would suggest.  The START campaign has created a clever online tool to help you make this decision.