If you had the chance to modify or add any service, what would you do?

[Sh4318]

Rarely use the 48. But when I've seen the 48 while waiting for the X20's at the Uni and QE heading towards Bearwood/West Brom they do always look very busy, so a better frequency of every 20 minutes might be a good idea.

How would that work for the Bearwood/Hurst Road - West Bromwich part of the route? Which needs at least 4 buses an hour

[ellspurs]

Passengers going to the Pelham, who currently rely on the 28 would get a better service.
I've seen a number of people have to walk down to Alum Rock Road, from Fox and Goose, when I've used the 14 and its a long walk.
So would make it more convenient for these people, that's the point.
One stop would be missed out that nobody uses.

I don't think it would take much longer either heading away from Stechford Island.
Only heading towards Stechfod Island there can be lots of congestion, but maybe that will improve once the roadworks end. 

When the old, old 98 used to do this route (Alum Rock Road, Washwood Heath Road, Bromford Lane, Brockhurst Road), it would get stuck for a few minutes on the Washwood Heath Road doing the u-turn, as it is a left-turn only out of Alum Rock Road onto Washwood Heath Road. Without them changing that junction (which I don't see them doing, giving the proximity to the main crossroads), I can just see the 14 getting stuck here, especially with the way people park on Washwood Heath Road as well. The 98 sometimes had to shunt around the u-turn to get around.

[2206]

When the old, old 98 used to do this route (Alum Rock Road, Washwood Heath Road, Bromford Lane, Brockhurst Road), it would get stuck for a few minutes on the Washwood Heath Road doing the u-turn, as it is a left-turn only out of Alum Rock Road onto Washwood Heath Road. Without them changing that junction (which I don't see them doing, giving the proximity to the main crossroads), I can just see the 14 getting stuck here, especially with the way people park on Washwood Heath Road as well. The 98 sometimes had to shunt around the u-turn to get around.

The 25 uses that U turn and never seen any problem, though that tends to use small buses, solos. Seen 55E/94E's Omnilinks/Gemini turns round there as well and never seen any problem, never seen any get stuck doing the U turn.
And its something that i'd use myself as well.

It doesn't have to completely miss out Tangmere Drive.

What route would that take then?
Because the 67 uses Tangemere Drive, while the 38 uses Farmborough Road.

[Busboy105]

The 25 uses that U turn and never seen any problem, though that tends to use small buses, solos. Seen 55E/94E's Omnilinks/Gemini turns round there as well and never seen any problem, never seen any get stuck doing the U turn.
And its something that i'd use myself as well.What route would that take then?
Because the 67 uses Tangemere Drive, while the 38 uses Farmborough Road.

I didn't think this through. Checked Google Maps; there's no way the 67 can do a whole loop of Castle Vale without missing Tangmere Drive.
So I would bring back the old 56 (Birmingham to Kingshurst) and make it run between Birmingham and Castle Vale which can serve the 38 section of Castle Vale.
Gives passengers a new link to Castle Vale via Saltley and Ward End and could be faster than the 67.

[2206]

I didn't think this through. Checked Google Maps; there's no way the 67 can do a whole loop of Castle Vale without missing Tangmere Drive.
So I would bring back the old 56 (Birmingham to Kingshurst) and make it run between Birmingham and Castle Vale which can serve the 38 section of Castle Vale.
Gives passengers a new link to Castle Vale via Saltley and Ward End and could be faster than the 67.

You could run a service to Castle Vale via Saltley and Ward End from the City Centre.
But how would it go to Kingshurst from Castle Vale? It have to go back on itself after serving the 38 route at Castle Vale surely?

[ellspurs]

I didn't think this through. Checked Google Maps; there's no way the 67 can do a whole loop of Castle Vale without missing Tangmere Drive.
So I would bring back the old 56 (Birmingham to Kingshurst) and make it run between Birmingham and Castle Vale which can serve the 38 section of Castle Vale.
Gives passengers a new link to Castle Vale via Saltley and Ward End and could be faster than the 67.

Or have the 71 go back to going down Farnborough Road, and the 67 can then do a full loop around Tangmere Drive/Yatesbury Avenue and the outskirts (ie the old 993C route around Castle Vale), then to the terminus if it was necessary for it to terminate in Castle Vale, or it could jump up onto the Kingsbury Road and toddle down to ASDA Minworth.

I cannot see how going via Ward End and Saltley will be any quicker than going down the Tyburn Road/Lichfield Road.

[2206]

Or have the 71 go back to going down Farnborough Road, and the 67 can then do a full loop around Tangmere Drive/Yatesbury Avenue and the outskirts (ie the old 993C route around Castle Vale), then to the terminus if it was necessary for it to terminate in Castle Vale, or it could jump up onto the Kingsbury Road and toddle down to ASDA Minworth.

71 was well used around Tangmere Drive when I used to use it.

[ellspurs]

The 25 uses that U turn and never seen any problem, though that tends to use small buses, solos. Seen 55E/94E's Omnilinks/Gemini turns round there as well and never seen any problem, never seen any get stuck doing the U turn.
And its something that i'd use myself as well.

If the buses can manage it better now, then I don't see the problem. Only issue then would be that I don't know if anywhere on Burney Lane would fall outside of the minimum distance to a bus stop thing that TfWM has.

[ellspurs]

71 was well used around Tangmere Drive when I used to use it.

It used to be well used when it went down Farnborough Road as well.

[2206]

If the buses can manage it better now, then I don't see the problem. Only issue then would be that I don't know if anywhere on Burney Lane would fall outside of the minimum distance to a bus stop thing that TfWM has.

Would the 28A not count a bus service on Burney Lane, as that stops at the stop outside Washwood Heath School and would connect it to Heartlands and Small Heath still?

[ellspurs]

Would the 28A not count a bus service on Burney Lane, as that stops at the stop outside Washwood Heath School and would connect it to Heartlands and Small Heath still?

If that still goes down there, then yea, it'd be fine. I'd forgot about that one to be honest.

[2206]

If that still goes down there, then yea, it'd be fine. I'd forgot about that one to be honest.

Surely parts of Brockhurst Road, Bromford Road, Madison Avenue, etc must be much further from a bus stop than Burney Lane would be aswell?
Even if the 28A didn't serve Burney Lane.
And what about Drews Lane, how would that not fall outside of the minimum distance.

[ellspurs]

Surely parts of Brockhurst Road, Bromford Road, Madison Avenue, etc must be much further from a bus stop than Burney Lane would be aswell?

The 25 covers those areas.

Having a little play on Google Maps, it seems that certain places on Cotterills Lane would fall foul of the 400 metre rule if there was no services on Burney Lane.

Although, it seems that they don't actively pursue this as they aim for that distance and I can't see everywhere being covered by it. https://www.tfwm.org.uk/operations/bus-services/

[2206]

The 25 covers those areas.

There are no stops around there though.
So as far as i'm aware it doesn't stop on Ventor Avenue? And you can't board the service there? @Simon Dunn is this correct please?

And I doubt a lot of people in the area are even aware of the exsistence of the 25 service, to be honest. And maybe if they were aware of its existence and knew it stopped there, maybe someone would find it a useful service.

Having a little play on Google Maps, it seems that certain places on Cotterills Lane would fall foul of the 400 metre rule if there was no services on Burney Lane.

The stops on Burney Lane are only round the corner from the stops on Stechford Lane surely. Google Maps tells me an extra minutes walk.

[Kevin]

I didn't think this through. Checked Google Maps; there's no way the 67 can do a whole loop of Castle Vale without missing Tangmere Drive.
...

Totally could do a loop out via Farnborough Road and back via Tangmere Drive

Although more seriously I'd combine the 38 into the 167/168 circuit.
If the new NX X6 runs all day, it an take on the current tendered section of the 167 Erdington - Asda and the 167 can be routed via Castle Vale instead