Yardley Wood Garage

[Busboy105]

Probably because it doesn't serve Kings Heath directly. The 12/12A technically serve Smethwick, but not directly so it's not included as a destination

right ok

[Stevo]

The 18 doesn't go to Kings Heath full stop. It's just misleading.

[Stu]

Oh ok. It's just that the 18 never had Kings Heath in its destination board before.

This is going back a couple of years, when the 'trend' became to have a single via point, somehow the 18 ended up with 'via Kings Heath'. I'm sure this was corrected later on though, I don't see the 18 very often, but in recent times I've only seen it show either 'via Kings Norton' or 'via Cotteridge'.

The 18 doesn't go to Kings Heath full stop. It's just misleading.

Well a little bit, only if you're expecting it to go to Kings Heath centre. But if you're talking about the wider Kings Heath area, then technically its correct.

It would be the same argument as if the 2 and 3 displayed 'via Moseley'. Technically they do run through Moseley, along Yardley Wood Road, but they don't go to the village centre, as one might expect.

[MasterPlan]

Surely via Kings Norton would be better and more appropriate for the 18 than Kings Heath.

Or, you know, you could have more than one via point. Crazy, I know.

[ellspurs]

Surely via Kings Norton would be better and more appropriate for the 18 than Kings Heath.

Or, you know, you could have more than one via point. Crazy, I know.

I remember when the Cov buses just had their via points as which part of the city centre they went via (ie Broadgate, Burgess, Pool Meadow).

[John Stait]

I brought that up when I worked at YW. To say 18 via Kings Heath is wrong and misleading, it should be Cotteridge or Kings Norton or even via Northfield.

Going back to the 6, the current PVR is 22 so changes were being proposed to the 6 with less journeys through to Solihull (76 runs parallel from Robin Hood to Solihull) and it's felt that part is over-bussed. Nothing announced yet due to Covid-19.

John

[Busboy105]

I brought that up when I worked at YW. To say 18 via Kings Heath is wrong and misleading, it should be Cotteridge or Kings Norton or even via Northfield.

Going back to the 6, the current PVR is 22 so changes were being proposed to the 6 with less journeys through to Solihull (76 runs parallel from Robin Hood to Solihull) and it's felt that part is over-bussed. Nothing announced yet due to Covid-19.

John

So the 6 could have short working journeys?

[John Stait]

That was looked at, yes. Several points were suggested. Never saw the final plans and I don't know what was agreed, if anything. There was a desire NOT to have to use non-electric buses on the 6 at all. They were also looking to reroute the 5 between Sarehole Mill and Sparkhill via Cole Bank Road and Stratford Road to keep a reasonable BPH through Hall Green and Springfield.

[2206]

That was looked at, yes. Several points were suggested. Never saw the final plans and I don't know what was agreed, if anything. There was a desire NOT to have to use non-electric buses on the 6 at all. They were also looking to reroute the 5 between Sarehole Mill and Sparkhill via Cole Bank Road and Stratford Road to keep a reasonable BPH through Hall Green and Springfield.

Would these plans mean that the Wake Green Road will no longer be served by a service anymore?
Do many people use the 5 along there?

[John Stait]

Again I can't confirm what the final plan is, that's if anything is going to be changed, but yes the 5 would be taken out of Wake Green Road (which never had a bus service anyway on the part between Springfield Road and College Road) and the 2 was proposed to go back via Showell Green Lane.

[Busboy105]

Would these plans mean that the Wake Green Road will no longer be served by a service anymore?
Do many people use the 5 along there?

The 2 going back to SGL makes sense. Stoney Lane is too narrow for both the 2 & 3 and is probably absolute hell to go through at peak times.

[Tony]

The 2 going back to SGL makes sense. Stoney Lane is too narrow for both the 2 & 3 and is probably absolute hell to go through at peak times.

Not quite sure how a road can be wide enough for one service, but not two

[Busboy105]

Not quite sure how a road can be wide enough for one service, but not two

I mean that the buses have trouble going through Stoney Lane because of traffic and poor parking

[Stu]

The 2 going back to SGL makes sense. Stoney Lane is too narrow for both the 2 & 3 and is probably absolute hell to go through at peak times.

Not quite sure how a road can be wide enough for one service, but not two

I mean that the buses have trouble going through Stoney Lane because of traffic and poor parking

Do you ever catch the 2 or 3 services?

I do, everyday, and yes I agree it can be difficult for buses to negotiate when there is queuing traffic during peak times, but most of the time its just fine.

Don't forget you also have the 34 service that operates along there.  ;)

Prior to the lockdown, what became apparent to me was that increasing amounts of congestion trouble along Stoney Lane was being caused by the council's decision to make part of Ladypool Road a one-way system.

I started using the 2 and 3 regularly right at the time when the 2 was amended to serve Stoney Lane. Heading towards Birmingham in the morning, there were always (prior to lockdown) a fair few passengers waiting at the Esme Road stop, and this was with both services operating at an 8 to 10 minute frequency.

So there was obviously a need to have the 2 run up Stoney Lane as well as the 3, passenger demand and all that.

I do on occasion get the 5 home as an alternative, and there are few people who get off on Court Road or Showell Green Lane.

Between Sparkbrook and Wake Green, I think the current arrangement for the 2, 3 and 5 works just fine, to be honest.

[the trainbasher]

If I'm honest, turning some 6s at Shirley or Robin Hood would make sense if there was a equal service on another route that runs the same line of route between there and Solihull