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

[MasterPlan]

In reality it probably does on some journeys but the 21 with its route through the QE and the time it took to get through Selly Oak triangle, then down through Lodge Hill took longer. Towards city the 21 also lost a fair bit of time making that right turn out of Somerset Rd onto Metchley Lane and the right turn at the Green Man. I liked the 21, it was a really useful route, but I suspect the journey times as traffic got worse were amongst the reasons why it was replaced.

To be fair, if you look at the timetable for the 29, most journeys are scheduled to do so. Yeah I guess it did, but it linked up a lot of those areas too and from town etc. Like you say it was a useful route and a popular one too. Yeah it did, the problem was the traffic out of the QE at times but it doesn't seem as bad with the new QE so I don't think it would be as bad now.

[Sandy Lane]

Coventry 13 Route. After 6.30pm this week the Binley Rd is closed at the fire station for major resurfacing. 13 is diverted along Clifford Bridge Rd and gets back on route at Burns Rd. NX Cov should consider making something like this permanent. Perhaps rejoining Binley Rd at the fire station? At the moment NX Cov no longer serve CB Rd since the 16 journey was shortened.

[:D]

Because of traffic problems in Small Heath highway and Bordesley circus, I think it would be better if some bus routes take non-major roads into city centre.

Obviously, not all roads are suitable for large vehicles and some routes may require that major passenger loading/unloading points to be missed out.

Seeing that the areas immediately outside city centre in East Birmingham are mostly factories and they have roads to accommodate larger vehicles, I think it's a possibility to think about.

For example, Cattell Road and Garrison Lane for 58/59/60. This misses out major bus stop near McDonalds but the nearest bus stop is less than 5 minutes walk.

Montgomery Street, Bordesley Middleway and then Camp Hill for X1/X2. No major bus stops are missed out.

Obviously, those routes won't make a sense during off-peak periods, so to prevent a confusion, 'A' letters would be used for peak time workings only.

[Stu]

Montgomery Street, Bordesley Middleway and then Camp Hill for X1/X2. No major bus stops are missed out.

For outbound journeys, when traffic on Small Heath Highway is particularly slow approaching Heybarnes Circus, I've often wondered about the feasibility of allowing the 900/957 (X1/X2) onto Talbot Way (Small Heath Business Park) to then rejoin Coventry Road to resume normal route. There's still the bottleneck by the ASDA junction on Coventry Road to contend with, but I'm sure a few minutes could be shaved off, and no stops would be missed out.

[SMK]

Make the weekday evening A5 leave Wolves 10 minutes earlier than it currently does, at least that's what one of the drivers suggested needs to happen.
It rarely makes it to Amazon on time on weekdays.
Last week I was late for my shift twice because of it.  >:(

[MasterPlan]

I'd possibly extend the YW 18 to Weoley Castle. Connecting it with Cotteridge/Kings Norton.
Whether it would work or not though I'm unsure.

[Matt77]

I'd possibly extend the YW 18 to Weoley Castle. Connecting it with Cotteridge/Kings Norton.
Whether it would work or not though I'm unsure.

The 18 route has been untouched for decades. Are there any services that have avoided the "WMT Tinckerman" treat for as long as the 18?

[MW]

The 18 route has been untouched for decades. Are there any services that have avoided the "WMT Tinckerman" treat for as long as the 18?

11?

[Kevin]

The 18 route has been untouched for decades. Are there any services that have avoided the "WMT Tinckerman" treat for as long as the 18?

Guess not actually
All city centre routes have been tinkered with and most of Black Country routes have changed beyond recognition over the years, so that only really leaves Brum orbital routes:
28 changes in Erdington and original extension to Scott Arms
11 changed in Bearwood
451 sure at one point didn't serve Pheasey estate
76/49/69 south brum changes
71/72 East Brum changes
27/35 once one route

Pretty sure the 18 itself didn't originally go as far as Bartley Green, although maps I have show it doing so since at least 1981

[Matt77]

Guess not actually
All city centre routes have been tinkered with and most of Black Country routes have changed beyond recognition over the years, so that only really leaves Brum orbital routes:
28 changes in Erdington and original extension to Scott Arms
11 changed in Bearwood
451 sure at one point didn't serve Pheasey estate
76/49/69 south brum changes
71/72 East Brum changes
27/35 once one route

Pretty sure the 18 itself didn't originally go as far as Bartley Green, although maps I have show it doing so since at least 1981

My 1977 map has the 18 route exactly as it is today. That's nearly 40yrs of the same route. I guess being a service that doesn't include the city centre puts it in a strong position to be the service operating for the longest period along the same route. Can anyone better the 18?

[Justin Tyme]

The 18 was extended from Merritt Hill/Holloway to Bartley Green (Romsley Road) in 1969.  I have a feeling that the Bartley Green terminus was moved to Wood Lane/Field Lane for a few years, probably returning to Romsley Road in 1986, but my old Omnibus Society bulletins are not handy at the moment to confirm one way or another.

The service was extended in Yardley Wood from Haunch Lane/Yardley Wood Road to the bus garage in 1984.

At one time in WMT days Yardley Wood destination blinds included 'Halesowen'.  Whether this was for a possible extension of the 18 I do not know, but I cannot think of any other NXWM service that has been unchanged for so long either.

[BusFan94]

Just been thinking since the 75 was run to Darlaston from Birmingham only a couple of weeks before it was withdrawn Here's three possible solutions I can think off To get a Link to Darlaston to Birmingham It could have some potential as the 75 was getting good loadings from Darlo.

Extend Route 79 back to Birmingham via It's old Route and or Smethwick
Create a new route from Wednesbury to Birmingham like the 75 did before being extending to Darlo and Withdrawn Number It 79A then go Via Friar Park Charlemount, West Bromwich Then Limited Stop to Birmingham Via 74 route

Or Create a A limited stop service from Darlaston to Birmingham number it X75 limited stop via 38 Route to Wednesbury then limited stop via old 75 route to West Bromwich from Wednesbury then Limited Stop From West Bromwich to Birmingham Via 74 Route. Then you will have connections again between Darlo, and Wednesbury Birmingham

[Alex]

Just been thinking since the 75 was run to Darlaston from Birmingham only a couple of weeks before it was withdrawn Here's three possible solutions I can think off To get a Link to Darlaston to Birmingham It could have some potential as the 75 was getting good loadings from Darlo.

Extend Route 79 back to Birmingham via It's old Route and or Smethwick
Create a new route from Wednesbury to Birmingham like the 75 did before being extending to Darlo and Withdrawn Number It 79A then go Via Friar Park Charlemount, West Bromwich Then Limited Stop to Birmingham Via 74 route

Or Create a A limited stop service from Darlaston to Birmingham number it X75 limited stop via 38 Route to Wednesbury then limited stop via old 75 route to West Bromwich from Wednesbury then Limited Stop From West Bromwich to Birmingham Via 74 Route. Then you will have connections again between Darlo, and Wednesbury Birmingham

There was a reason the 79 was split...
And that was because it was long enough that congestion on either end doomed the route. Same reason with the 75, and it carried mostly thin air, when it went to Darlaston. I think the largest amount of people I saw on it was about 4, and I highly doubt any of those had came all the way from Birmingham...
No one would sit on a bus for near 80-90 minutes to go from Darlaston to Birmingham, especially when it would be miles quicker to just get a 34/37/39/333X/334 into Bradford Place, and change to a train, potentially almost an hour quicker.

A limited stop 75 would offer no journey time saving other than not having to constantly stop and start, as Soho Road is like that anyway. Same with Dudley Road. The days of those sorts of Limited Stop services along Soho Road died off with the 979 in the early noughties...
Wednesbury is already connected to Birmingham anyway. It's called the Midland Metro, and it's much quicker than any 75 or mental derivative

So no, its only potential would be people who are too lazy to change bus at West Bromwich, or in the case of the ''79A'' are already well enough served (remember, the 40 is every 6 minutes roughly, and the 41 is half hourly, I think). And I'm willing to bet most people would just go to either Walsall, or Bilston for getting into Birmingham anyway, meaning if the 75 had stayed, it would still be fighting a losing battle...

[MasterPlan]

The 18 route has been untouched for decades. Are there any services that have avoided the "WMT Tinckerman" treat for as long as the 18?

Yes it probably is one of very few services not to have been touched. I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on how it might work.

[Justin Tyme]

Yes it probably is one of very few services not to have been touched. I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on how it might work.

To be honest, Weoley Castle to Kings Norton via Bartley Green would be unattractively long - it would be much quicker to catch the 29 and meet the 18 in Northfield.

Really it would depend on how much demand there is to link Weoley Castle with the Cotteridge area.  No doubt there is some demand, but probably not enough for NXWM (or anyone else) to make any money from it.  If it was extended, it would surely take some traffic away from the X64, which could threaten the future of the Bartley - Weoley part of that service.