Southern Birmingham + Solihull Bus Route Consultation

[Stuharris 6360]

Unlike previous reviews, proposals were outlined beforehand, for passengers to be consulted on.

It would be interesting to see how many proposals actually come to fruition.

You can see the proposals suggested in the original leaflet sent out here:
http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/web/FILES/PDFss/South-birmingham-and-solihull.pdf

The problem is that the proposals were put out to consultation, but in my mind, Centro already have an idea as to what they want to do anyway.

[Ashley]

The 49 as has been said is useful but is too long and prone to delays. Nobody in their right mind would use it end to end when you could get from Castle to Solihull via City in much less time. Maybe curtail it in Rubery or Frankley. If they chopped it in half somewhere like Cotteridge, Centro would become bogged down by angry passengers. As for the 2 and 3, you could extend to 3 back to Solihull via the current 31 route thus reinstating the direct Yardley Wood to Solihull link but was it successful first time round? I personally think the link between Acocks Green, shirley and Solihull and/or Shirley Green works better and carries more passengers As for the 5, it could be split in two somewhere like The Baldwin because patronage sometimes seems to be non existant after Shirley towards Hall Green or to explain it better from my own observations the majority of people use it between Solihull, Widney Manor and Shirley or from Hall Green to city but I stand to be corrected. I've not used the 29/29A so could,kt comment. Does the inner Circle actually carry many people or does congestion drive down the reliability given its proximity to the city centre and main roads in/out of the city. I think the trouble with TGB 64 was that some people didn't know it was there, maybe a second attempt at a link from the main Bristol Road into the QE. The 98/99 awork well as they are so mits off. What about replacing the X64 and bringing back to 62 to serve Frankley to Rubery also full augmenting BR capacity. It never seems like anybody uses it from Rubery to Frankley, whether things pick up between Frankley and Northfield patronage wise (calling on the knowledge of LS at this point). That's as far as my knowledge goes without spouting rubbish. Maybe my ideas are a tad late but may interest some people.

[Liverpool Street]

The 49 as has been said is useful but is too long and prone to delays. Nobody in their right mind would use it end to end when you could get from Castle to Solihull via City in much less time. Maybe curtail it in Rubery or Frankley. If they chopped it in half somewhere like Cotteridge, Centro would become bogged down by angry passengers. As for the 2 and 3, you could extend to 3 back to Solihull via the current 31 route thus reinstating the direct Yardley Wood to Solihull link but was it successful first time round? I personally think the link between Acocks Green, shirley and Solihull and/or Shirley Green works better and carries more passengers As for the 5, it could be split in two somewhere like The Baldwin because patronage sometimes seems to be non existant after Shirley towards Hall Green or to explain it better from my own observations the majority of people use it between Solihull, Widney Manor and Shirley or from Hall Green to city but I stand to be corrected. I've not used the 29/29A so could,kt comment. Does the inner Circle actually carry many people or does congestion drive down the reliability given its proximity to the city centre and main roads in/out of the city. I think the trouble with TGB 64 was that some people didn't know it was there, maybe a second attempt at a link from the main Bristol Road into the QE. The 98/99 awork well as they are so mits off. What about replacing the X64 and bringing back to 62 to serve Frankley to Rubery also full augmenting BR capacity. It never seems like anybody uses it from Rubery to Frankley, whether things pick up between Frankley and Northfield patronage wise (calling on the knowledge of LS at this point). That's as far as my knowledge goes without spouting rubbish. Maybe my ideas are a tad late but may interest some people.

Thanks for that, Ash.

The 49 I think you're right, can you imagine it split in Cotteridge? Its bus congested there as it is with the endless E's/18/84/45/47 etc without adding to it. It needs to be shortened from the Weoley Castle end ideally, as patronage I've noticed from Northfield to The Castle is on the 29 side. With an increased Freq of the 29, the 49 can be eliminated to there. Of course you're going to upset some people, but look at the upset with the 21 change?

X64 is dead from Robbery Not-So-Great Park to about Bartley Green, but even still there doesn't seem to be a massive usage for 30minute freq. The 98 is pretty busy all the time so the only thing which is needed is more running time.

Personal reckoning would be to bring back the 62, for two reasons. It'll alleviate the pressure on the 63 [especially the scummy College. And yes, it is scummy. So no Politically Correct Police thank you!] And also it is not rare for there to be a healthy seated load on the 98 up to Rednal, of which can be helped by the 62. - but I think it should be put on its own timetable, to coerce with the busy spells but also possibly use the ByPass - alas we're onto 964 territory!

[Russ Smith]

Don't think this has been mentioned - but I'm 99% sure the 49Es are being replaced with a 15 minute frequency along the whole route, with the terminus either Holly Hill or Allens Cross.

[B.C Driver]

Don't think this has been mentioned - but I'm 99% sure the 49Es are being replaced with a 15 minute frequency along the whole route, with the terminus either Holly Hill or Allens Cross.

I wouldnt have thought it would be Holly Hill as the terminus is served by both 61 and 63 and is often full of buses.

[Ashley]

If you decreased the 49 to every 15 minutes in any section. That would reak havoc come school and college chucking out time especially in Solihull. Terminate it at Holly Hill. If they're carrying on any further towards Northfield they could change on to the 61. As most of them in that area probably use out of date travelcards or daysavers, it wouldn't make much difference even though you'd still get moaned at.

As for the X64, could that not just be scrapped and as you say LS bring back the 62 to augment the 98 along BR given you only really need one bus service to the not so Great Park.

[sonic84]

I hope that they don't decide to extend the 29 to Frankley.  The 29 suffers from reliability issues at the best of times, and so can't see that an extension would be the best option.  Do people living in Frankley want to go to Weoley Castle?

Perhaps running the 49 to the Royal Orthopedic Hospital, and then extending the 29A to Northfield would be a better option.

I do think that a quick link between Weoley Castle and Birmingham is required which the X64 fulfills at the moment.  Perhaps curtailing it at either Newman College or Weoley Castle would be best.

[Russ Smith]

Leach Green Lane's an economically successful section for the 98 - if the 62 was re-introduced (maybe even x62 with First's withdrawal from nBus, leaving the Bristol Road with no real limited stop service) I'd leave it in Great Park, and leave the x64/29A out of Great Park. I can't remember which service/s would be improved between Solihull and Maypole, but there wouldn't be a loss in buses per hour along this section.

[Ashley]

An X64 to Newman College would work (he says theoretically). Fast link for students into City and still caters for Weoley Castle.

You would lose two buses an hour between Solihull and Maypole with regards to the 49 and like I said, school times are bad enough with a 10 minute frequency unless you put in a couple of dedicated school time journeys maybe

[sonic84]

Could the 63 not call into Great Park on the way to Birmingham just after it goes through Rubery Village, and then perhaps an increase in frequency would reduce the capacity problems on the corridor.

[Russ Smith]

I don't think Great Park really demands any more buses - the BR buses used to call at Great Park but proved unsuccessful. The Bristol Road itself could be helped out with the reintroduction of the (/x)62. As I said, I can't remember which route would be amended in the Maypole to Solihull section - 2 journeys per hour would be lost on the 49, but a different service would be re-routed/frequency increased to make sure there's the same capacity.

[PM]

I really fail to see the so called capacity problems on the BR-a lot of the tridents are carrying round a lot of fresh air during the daytimes and cope fine in the peaks.

[Sayeed]

Thanks for the response guys!

If you decreased the 49 to every 15 minutes in any section. That would reak havoc come school and college chucking out time especially in Solihull. Terminate it at Holly Hill.

It's just a suggestion, wouldn't be better to curtail 49 to Cotteridge from Solihull and bring back 49A to serve the section between Cotteridge and Rubery Great Park every 30 mins. Looking at the section between Cotteridge and Rubery G.P, not busy at all even at peak times.

[Liverpool Street]

I really fail to see the so called capacity problems on the BR-a lot of the tridents are carrying round a lot of fresh air during the daytimes and cope fine in the peaks.

Well to stand by your argument you'll have to give the BR more running time during the day as if your 3minutes down equatesto an 8minute service gap - standing load into Northfield. As remember, NXWM do not allow the breech of speed limits, unlike your namesakes. (I've been on speeding diamond buses, again - one reason - crap timetables)

As for the X64, it'll be finishing in Woodgate, via Bartley Green and Newman College. Doesn't take a genius to work out the route.

49 still needs sorting in the peak. What was the route lost to accommodate a 10 minute 49E Solihull to Cotters?

[sonic84]

I really fail to see the so called capacity problems on the BR-a lot of the tridents are carrying round a lot of fresh air during the daytimes and cope fine in the peaks.

Well to stand by your argument you'll have to give the BR more running time during the day as if your 3minutes down equatesto an 8minute service gap - standing load into Northfield. As remember, NXWM do not allow the breech of speed limits, unlike your namesakes. (I've been on speeding diamond buses, again - one reason - crap timetables)

As for the X64, it'll be finishing in Woodgate, via Bartley Green and Newman College. Doesn't take a genius to work out the route.

49 still needs sorting in the peak. What was the route lost to accommodate a 10 minute 49E Solihull to Cotters?

I thought it was when the 69 Weoley Castle - Solihull was withdrawn that 49E's were introduced to maintain the frequency from the Maypole to Solihull.