Hi
I am thinking about offering on a flat on Vancouver road in between catford and forest hill. Being of a slightly lazy disposition I will probably use the buses to get to from Forest Hill and Catford a lot of the time.
These journeys seemed quick when I did them yesterday but wanted to check if there is often heavy traffic on the road during peak hours which might make the bus quite slow? Any insight on this would be greatly welcomed.
Thanks
Harry
Welcome to SE23.life @harryc - I’m just round the corner on Cranston Rd…
It can be busy during peak hours but there is a fair bit of bus lane which mitigates it to a certain extent. It is a movable feast to be honest - sometimes it is inexplicably busy and at others it can be quiet and quick. The main issue is that being it is the South Circ, any incident that happens, even miles down the road, can cause it to back up.
There are roadworks going on at the moment too
I often get the bus from the corner of Brockley Rise and the South Circular around 6pm on Wednesday evenings and it typically takes around 10 minutes to get to Catford (at the bottom of the S Circular where St Dunstans school is). The various bus lanes tend to speed things up and I find it faster and less hassle than walking. We typically get a 171 though I guess you would be on a 185.
You could try using the live bus arrives that TFL does to look at specific times to see how long it’s taking generally, and how often buses are actually coming.
I live in Hurstbourne Road. I often use the 185 to Forest Hill outside peak time and do not normally encounter any problem. The traffic to Catford can be blocked up Catford Hill at times. But as it is downhill I often walk to the railway station if I am in a hurry. Buses back from Catford are usually better as I have a choice of 5 buses home.