Routes to "just the other side of town"

[Kevin]

What would people think of the idea of bus routes that went just that little bit further the other way out of the city centre? Or even a small network of city centre routes? Things that would create links from, say, Aston science park and University to Five Ways, or between the Jewellery Quarter and Eastside. U personally think those sort of links would be very useful as they eliminate the need to a) trudge across town from one "interchange" to another, and b) use the inner circle, because that service is hopeless at the best of times

[monkeyjoe]

In the plans for a network of super buses, such ideas are included in the bus route map. I try and find the link,

[monkeyjoe]

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2010/11/11/new-sprinter-buses-plan-styled-on-usa/


Can't find the map, but you get the gist from reading it.

[Dylan4579]

What a waste of money

[Kevin]

Definitely not what I meant, because they are express routes so not particularly useful for most. I meant things like the 16 currently does, just a bit further say up to the ring road

[Justin Tyme]

Going back to your original question, it's fine if there's the demand, but I am not sure that there is.  Most people want to travel to "town", and the relatively few travelling further tend to want to go to different destinations.  So on the 94, for example, you could find people who want to travel on to Five Ways, or Birmingham Uni, or Perry Barr, or Handsworth, and so on.  Which one would you choose?

Another thing to consider is that many roads close into the city centre suffer from traffic congestion - Broad Street comes to mind.  Putting extra routes along there would gum up the road even more, do nothing for reliability, and probably only benefit a few passengers per trip.

Many years ago some 951 journeys used to extend to/from Five Ways during peak hours.  I believe they loaded well, but came to an end because delays along Broad Street in the evening peak caused problems for the majority in the city centre.

If there is enough demand, it would probably be better to consider linking two services to form a cross city route.

[monkeyjoe]

Without reading it all. A lot of reasons these routes do not work is simply because of traffic and making them reliable. More recent examples 66/43   and 44/46.

Most of the buses used to be X city but im sure people could list all of them for you. I will list a few like

16/17   Hamstead - Garretts Green etc
91       Pheasey - Hall Green etc
900 Cov - Hasbery

[Kevin]

Excuse the posting on a thread that hasn't been used for a while...

The sort of thing I mean is more like what the 16 does, and does so quote well without major effect on the timekeeping, if for example one of the broad st services (24?) extended down priory queensway and out to Aston Uni / science park I would be willing to put money on it being a popular and well used service

[Liverpool Street]

Excuse the posting on a thread that hasn't been used for a while...

The sort of thing I mean is more like what the 16 does, and does so quote well without major effect on the timekeeping, if for example one of the broad st services (24?) extended down priory queensway and out to Aston Uni / science park I would be willing to put money on it being a popular and well used service

Yeah but the traffic conditions aren't forseeable. Each journey would require a decent drop-back at city, but as demonstrated by other services, it causes bus-related congestion. Adding to problems rather then reducing them.

Maybe if the roads were wider, and more bus lanes and less cars in the city these services could work.

[Kevin]

Apologies, been thinking about this again this morning...
Getting the 66 from the city in the morning, its usually standing room only just to Aston uni then empties (picking up again through Nechells etc...). A number of the people using it for that short distance I have seen walking from the other side of town, ie near enough the same distance they travelled on the 66 as it is. Genuinely can't help but believe that if the 66 went at least to Paradise Circus it would be infinitely more useful