More Limited Stop Services

[winston]

The biggest thing we are all up against is time...... know one wants to be sat on a bus for up to an hour for a journey which would take 15-20 mins by car. In order for the bus to attract potential new passengers i.e. shoppers & commuters, bus journeys times need to be speeded up. As many of the local councils are cash strapped & don't seem be so keen on providing bus priorities at present, I think the way forward may be for NXWM to roll out / expand further as has been tried & tested successfully on the Walsall Road corridor i.e. by introducing limited stop variants of the main stopping services. Passengers that are then travelling from end to end / or between main stops / shopping centres will have the choice of either the stopping service or the limited stop service with a reduced journey time, if successful, over time vehicles operating the express services could either be refurbished with high spec interiors (i.e. leather coach seats, WIFI) or replaced by new vehicles with similar spec interiors. The limited stop services also seem to attract fewer issues with vandalism / anti social behaviour due to the scumbags preferring to use the stopping services, this is another major problem that puts people off using public transport. This could potentially work on many of the main corridors for example the 9 / X9 (the X9 could use the Quinton Expressway), as has been mentioned another one could be 126 / X126 (with the limited stop variants just stopping at main bus stops / main centres on the route).

With the money now being invested in improving Merry Hill bus station and on bus priorities around the centre, I think the concept of limited stop services may also work at Merry Hill. Existing routes / any new services introduced are always going to be going head to head with the car due to amount of parking that is provided and the fact it is still free. May be Westfield could start charging for parking and use the revenue to invest in better public transport links. If those which currently travel by car see another alternative option with journey times not too much longer than a typical car journey and buses flying past them down bus lanes / though bus gates whilst they are sat in traffic jams, they might give the bus a go on their next visit.

[Nathan4775]

Merry Hill could do with a limited stop bus which links Merry Hill-Dudley-Haleswoen-Stourbridge. Then that way it links all the main shopping centres together with 1 bus which could then possibly increase passanger population within those areas

I think it would be nice if NXWM could introduce a limited stop bus to Chelsmely Wood becuase quite a few people travel to Chelmsley Wood and would benift higly from a limited stop bus especially around Peak times into the city centre to speed up journey like you said especially around the Peak times (7am -9am & 5pm - 7pm).

If car driver knew that there bus that there was a bus that took them to were they wanted to go quite fast then they would leave the car and take the bus. The reason people use the car is because for a car theres more vairty of ways to get to a destination i.e. Motorways/ A-Roads/Side roads etc.

[winston]

NXWM did try the X99 limited stop service from Wolverhampton - Merry Hill on the run up to Xmas last year, but this only operated on a Sat / Sun, May be it should have operated during the week as well to test its potential / give it a chance of becoming a being a success a becoming a permanent service

[Ash]

I used the X99 and thought it was a quick alternative and would be good to see it being re-instated full time. I agree more express/limited stop services need to be trialled especially when getting to merry hill as getting from West Brom on the 238 to merry hill can take over an hour especially with traffic so is not ideal

[Roy]

NXWM did try the X99 limited stop service from Wolverhampton - Merry Hill on the run up to Xmas last year, but this only operated on a Sat / Sun, May be it should have operated during the week as well to test its potential / give it a chance of becoming a being a success a becoming a permanent service

I don't know whether it was because it wasn't that well publicised or whether it was because it was operated using Mercs and Excels, but the X99 last Christmas did not seem to be an outstanding success.  There were still a lot of people, mainly teenagers, boarding the 255 at Wolverhampton Bus Station on Saturdays to get to Merry Hill.

Merry Hill could do with a limited stop bus which links Merry Hill-Dudley-Haleswoen-Stourbridge. Then that way it links all the main shopping centres together with 1 bus which could then possibly increase passanger population within those areas

The idea behind a limited stop service is to get from A to B as quickly as possible.  A circular service around the Black Country does not achieve that aim.

[winston]

I don't think the X99 ever really had a chance; some I saw carried a number of passengers, the rest virtually fresh air. If the X99 had been introduced either Mon - Sat or daily it may have had a greater chance of success as more potential passengers would have seen it around. As it was, it was only running 9 days from End of Nov up until Xmas Eve. May be NXWM could have another attempt at it this Xmas but run it daily for the full month.

Areas which may benefit from limited stop services to Merry Hill would in my opinion include Wolverhampton, Wombourne, Sedgley, West Bromwich, Oldbury, Great Bridge, Tipton, Bilston, Coseley & Walsall. I don't think there would be much demand from Birmingham area as the Bull Ring is nearer. NXWM could always try conducting surveys amongst the shoppers down at the Merry Hill Centre to gauge the areas where most come from and even gauge people's opinions if potential new limited stop services were in operation would they be prepared to try the service.

I get the impression that an express version on the 255 / or a more direct limited stop version would be on interest to quite a few people

I used the X99 and thought it was a quick alternative and would be good to see it being re-instated full time. I agree more express/limited stop services need to be trialled especially when getting to merry hill as getting from West Brom on the 238 to merry hill can take over an hour especially with traffic so is not ideal

[winston]

Forgot to add,

I would have thought that the 276 & X96 may well benefit from frequency increases to every 15 mins for starters,

If the bus lanes / bus gates to be installed in the future along the Boulevard / at certain traffic light junctions prove to reduce delays for bus services, another possibility may be to look at diverting alternate 246 to serve Merry Hill

Merry Hill isn't like Birmingham City Centre where car parking is expensive & the car is excluded from accessing the City Centre. Merry Hill is completely car friendly and to top it off you don't have to pay any parking charges..... for car drivers to be tempted to use the bus instead, as I see it, any potential new routes need to be limited stop, new buses with high spec interiors & at frequent intervals to tie in with shopping times radiating from 5-15 miles from the shopping centre. Westfield & Dudley Council need to provide even more bus priorities so buses can get in & out with ease, whilst car drivers are stuck in traffic jams watching buses sail past

Westfield should introduce parking charges to pay for all these bus priorities / Metro extension etc

[Nathan4775]

The X99 shoud be re-instated to Operate Monday - Sunday to see how it works, becuase I think it would be quite a good route for WN to have as it linked Wolverhampton - Merry Hill quite quickly & at Peak times its what commuters look for the fastest journey to there destination. I think thats the downfall to the Pensett Area (Dudley, Merry Hill, Halesowen, Stourbridge) there isnt a fast enough bus that links them together which is a shame

[4504]

I think if the X99 was more promoted it would have been more popular.
I can't see a Birmingham - Merry Hill express service working.
Maybe there can be an X80 route that runs along the Dudley Road - only important stops, then follows the 80 to west Bromwich. Because there is no direct bus from West Bromwich to the city hospital, just a thought.

[Ash]

I think the reason there is no direct bus to the city hospital is because the 404 runs every 6 minutes also you have the 238,417 and 688 to Oldbury where you can catch the 87 which is quite frequent, but agree there should be a service from West Brom to the city hospital especially as facilities are transferring from Sandwell to the city hospital.

[4504]

Maybe so, but I think an express route would be a decent idea, maybe even if it was only from Blue Gates to Birmingham, or possibly they could make the 89 an express service
I think if the 404H ran weekdays as well as weekends, there wouldn't be any need for a express service between west Bromwich and merry hill, because I know the 404 is pretty fast from West Bromwich to Blackheath, it would be a whole lot faster than the 238

I think the reason there is no direct bus to the city hospital is because the 404 runs every 6 minutes also you have the 238,417 and 688 to Oldbury where you can catch the 87 which is quite frequent, but agree there should be a service from West Brom to the city hospital especially as facilities are transferring from Sandwell to the city hospital.

[4504]

I think the X99 would be a good idea, permanently, but I think it would have to be promoted, maybe a branding could be added to some Mercs.

I don't really think that an express service between Dudley - Stourbridge via Merry Hill and Halesowen is necessary

From Dudley to Stourbridge there is the 246, X96, 276 - the X96, 276 both go to Merry Hill,the X96 sundaytimetable is going to run the whole route from the 22 April. From my knowledge, the 246. Is the fastest bus from Stourbridge to Dudley, approximately 30 minutes

From Halesowen to Stourbridge there is of course the 9, ridiculously frequent at times, only approx. 20-25 minute journey

From Halesowen to Dudley... Well you've got a point there, the 242 was great, because it went pretty much in a straight line from Halesowen to Dudley, the 241 is probably the quickest bus to Dudley from Halesowen, about 25/30 minutes

People that live in Pensnett can just get the 246, which goes to Russell Hall Hospital, probably the main stop in Pensnett, so personally I don't think an express route is necessary. People who want a direct link from Pensnett to Halesowen can get the 297/A, it's not the fastest, but i don't think it needs to be that fast, or can get the 222 to merry hill and change for the 141 or 002 which are the fastest to Halesowen, and to Dudley from Pensnett there's a host of buses that passengers can catch

The X99 shoud be re-instated to Operate Monday - Sunday to see how it works, becuase I think it would be quite a good route for WN to have as it linked Wolverhampton - Merry Hill quite quickly & at Peak times its what commuters look for the fastest journey to there destination. I think thats the downfall to the Pensett Area (Dudley, Merry Hill, Halesowen, Stourbridge) there isnt a fast enough bus that links them together which is a shame

[Roy]

The X99 shoud be re-instated to Operate Monday - Sunday to see how it works, becuase I think it would be quite a good route for WN to have as it linked Wolverhampton - Merry Hill quite quickly & at Peak times its what commuters look for the fastest journey to there destination. I think thats the downfall to the Pensett Area (Dudley, Merry Hill, Halesowen, Stourbridge) there isnt a fast enough bus that links them together which is a shame

People that live in Pensnett can just get the 246, which goes to Russell Hall Hospital, probably the main stop in Pensnett. 

The busiest times for buses to Merry Hill are during shopping hours.  There is very little commuter traffic on services to Merry Hill.  Peak times are at weekends, school holidays, Christmas, and just after 9.30 a.m. when concessionary pass holders use the buses.   

In addition, Pensnett has regular direct services to Dudley (205, 226), Merry Hill (222, 255, 297) and Halesowen (297), although not to Stourbridge as has been erroneously suggested.  The centre of Pensnett nowhere near the nearest 246 bus stop at Russells Hall Hospital.  It seems that some people are making inane comments about an area they know nothing about.

The problem with the X99 was that it stopped at every bus stop from Wolverhampton to Pensnett High Oak, before becoming an express service to Merry Hill.  The problem was that, as soon as it reached High Oak, it joined a queue of cars all the way to Merry Hill, sometimes taking nearly half an hour to complete that leg of the journey.  If the service is resurrected in the future, it needs to approach Merry Hill via the Pedmore Road from which a bus-only link is to be built as part of the Better Bus Area. 

[MW]

The busiest times for buses to Merry Hill are during shopping hours.  There is very little commuter traffic on services to Merry Hill.  Peak times are at weekends, school holidays, Christmas, and just after 9.30 a.m. when concessionary pass holders use the

Peak times are the busiest times. After 9.30 isn't peak. Between around 7.30 to 9.30 would be peak and then between 15.30 & 18.30 roughly.  If school holidays are peak, then why are timetables and frequencies dropped during the holidays.

[Roy]

Peak times are the busiest times. After 9.30 isn't peak. Between around 7.30 to 9.30 would be peak and then between 15.30 & 18.30 roughly.  If school holidays are peak, then why are timetables and frequencies dropped during the holidays.

The peak time for any bus route is the time when it is busiest.  For a bus route going to Merry Hill, that is when the shops are open.  A 255 going to Merry Hill between 0730 and 0930 or between 1600 and 1800 is relatively empty compared to one at the times I mentioned before.  Therefore, the peak times for routes going to an out of town shopping centre are different from traditional commuter peak times.

Therefore what I said was correct.  I realise that you find it necessary to be offensive.  Perhaps engaging your brain before your typing finger might help.