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

[MasterPlan]

I'd remove at least one of the stops on the X21 route at the Weoley Castle Road / Gregory Avenue section where it literally stops both sides of the same road going in same direction (outbound). Most people get off at the first stop and cross the road anyway. Today both stops were used. It's ridiculous. I figured when the 48 was added to the first one the X21 could've been removed but no. Not to mention the Ruckley Road stop is about a minutes walk way from both of these.

Or failing that I'd reroute it to serve Somerford Road instead which is a short walk from Gregory Avenue anyway. Less stops and more direct. There's no reason why both the 76 and X21 should have to go the same way.

[ellspurs]

I'd remove at least one of the stops on the X21 route at the Weoley Castle Road / Gregory Avenue section where it literally stops both sides of the same road going in same direction (outbound). Most people get off at the first stop and cross the road anyway. Today both stops were used. It's ridiculous. I figured when the 48 was added to the first one the X21 could've been removed but no. Not to mention the Ruckley Road stop is about a minutes walk way from both of these.

Or failing that I'd reroute it to serve Somerford Road instead which is a short walk from Gregory Avenue anyway. Less stops and more direct. There's no reason why both the 76 and X21 should have to go the same way.

... what do the buses actually do there? Do they go to the very end of Gregory Avenue and take a sharp left onto Weoley Park Road, or are they supposed to use that slip road at the side? If the X21 is supposed to do a sharp right onto Gregory Avenue from Weoley Park Road, then both of those bus stops are very poorly laid out. I'm looking at it purely from where Google are showing the bus stops (as I don't know the exact route) and I can't fathom how it is feasible.

[MasterPlan]

... what do the buses actually do there? Do they go to the very end of Gregory Avenue and take a sharp left onto Weoley Park Road, or are they supposed to use that slip road at the side? If the X21 is supposed to do a sharp right onto Gregory Avenue from Weoley Park Road, then both of those bus stops are very poorly laid out. I'm looking at it purely from where Google are showing the bus stops (as I don't know the exact route) and I can't fathom how it is feasible.

Weoley Park Road leads to the Bristol Road.

You can't do a sharp right onto Gregory Avenue from Weoley Castle Road I believe. That's why it has to go around the island to come back on itself and into Gregory Avenue. And theretore ends up serving both of those stops. Even the 76 misses one of them out, yet X21 served both but they go the same way.

Like I say though, personally I'd just send the X21 down Somerford Road anyway.

[Jack]

Weoley Park Road leads to the Bristol Road.

You can't do a sharp right onto Gregory Avenue from Weoley Castle Road I believe. That's why it has to go around the island to come back on itself and into Gregory Avenue. And theretore ends up serving both of those stops. Even the 76 misses one of them out, yet X21 served both but they go the same way.

Like I say though, personally I'd just send the X21 down Somerford Road anyway.

Didn't the X21 originally serve one of the stops? It's a bit daft and literally no point in that at all when they are opposite each other.

[ellspurs]

Weoley Park Road leads to the Bristol Road.

You can't do a sharp right onto Gregory Avenue from Weoley Castle Road I believe. That's why it has to go around the island to come back on itself and into Gregory Avenue. And theretore ends up serving both of those stops. Even the 76 misses one of them out, yet X21 served both but they go the same way.

Like I say though, personally I'd just send the X21 down Somerford Road anyway.

That's just ridiculous. There's also a bus stop on school keep clear markings, which states that nothing should stop there between 8am and 4pm. The stops should be moved further down Gregory Avenue and the buses should use the bit of road there that's designed to be used to turn left from Gregory Avenue onto Weoley Castle Road.

[MasterPlan]

Didn't the X21 originally serve one of the stops? It's a bit daft and literally no point in that at all when they are opposite each other.

No as far as I remember the X21 has always served both. Can't remember if the 29 did also before that. The 27 also missed out the first one like the 76 does.

That's just ridiculous. There's also a bus stop on school keep clear markings, which states that nothing should stop there between 8am and 4pm. The stops should be moved further down Gregory Avenue and the buses should use the bit of road there that's designed to be used to turn left from Gregory Avenue onto Weoley Castle Road.

Buses can turn left there going the other way.

But yes it is quite close to the school. As I say the next stop on Gregory Avenue (Ruckley Road) isn't far away anyway.

Just gone past it. Yes the 2nd stop is on the keep clear section by the school.

[Kevin]

I'd extend either the 41A or 47 from Wednesbury to Great Bridge, to provide a link between the two

There used to be a link in the 310, probably subsidised, but that got cut presumably because it was little used
The 22 gets close to Great Bridge

[Busboy105]

I would extend the 4A to Solihull via the current 31 route. I don't see how the 31 can still run considering the 4A takes its old evening journeys to Robin Hood Island.

[bususer28]

I would extend the 4A to Solihull via the current 31 route. I don't see how the 31 can still run considering the 4A takes its old evening journeys to Robin Hood Island.

To be honest, it's not a bad idea but the 31 would end up being 'overserved' i.e. a bus every 20 mins or 'underserved' i.e. a bus every 40/60 mins.

[Busboy105]

To be honest, it's not a bad idea but the 31 would end up being 'overserved' i.e. a bus every 20 mins or 'underserved' i.e. a bus every 40/60 mins.

I forgot to add that by the 4A being extended to Solihull via the 31 then the 31 would be withdrawn.

[The Fox 4846]

I would make the 28 more frequent by running 28A journeys from Castle Vale to Kingstanding Circle so that overcrowding can be addressed as well as useful links introduced which could lead to the termination of the 38.

[ellspurs]

I would make the 28 more frequent by running 28A journeys from Castle Vale to Kingstanding Circle so that overcrowding can be addressed as well as useful links introduced which could lead to the termination of the 38.

Terminating the 38 would mean that Castle Vale would lose a link from the centre of there to its nearest major shopping centre (The Fort), and I think Tony mentioned that the 38 is busy at school times so appropriate quantities of buses would be needed for that. Unless you mean the 28A doing the 38's route to Erdington from Castle Vale and then extending to Kingstanding?

[Jack]

Terminating the 38 would mean that Castle Vale would lose a link from the centre of there to its nearest major shopping centre (The Fort), and I think Tony mentioned that the 38 is busy at school times so appropriate quantities of buses would be needed for that. Unless you mean the 28A doing the 38's route to Erdington from Castle Vale and then extending to Kingstanding?

I still to this day do not understand how the 38 can't be a schools/peaks only service. Other than the BC 25 it has to be one of the most pointless routes in the West Midlands.

It isn't exactly hard to get the 71 and then change onto the 96 at Spitfire Island for the Fort.

[Stu]

I would extend the 4A to Solihull via the current 31 route. I don't see how the 31 can still run considering the 4A takes its old evening journeys to Robin Hood Island.

To be honest, it's not a bad idea but the 31 would end up being 'overserved' i.e. a bus every 20 mins or 'underserved' i.e. a bus every 40/60 mins.

I forgot to add that by the 4A being extended to Solihull via the 31 then the 31 would be withdrawn.

It doesn't seem like a bad idea, but in order to fully replace the 31, the 4A would have to be diverted via Shirley Road and Olton Boulevard East.

Then again, the 4A runs about every 15 minutes, while the 31 is half-hourly.

Doesn't the 31 interwork with something else though? Maybe the current setup works quite nicely for both passengers and NX Bus operationally?

[2206]

It doesn't seem like a bad idea, but in order to fully replace the 31, the 4A would have to be diverted via Shirley Road and Olton Boulevard East.

Then again, the 4A runs about every 15 minutes, while the 31 is half-hourly.

Doesn't the 31 interwork with something else though? Maybe the current setup works quite nicely for both passengers and NX Bus operationally?

31 & 58 interwork. 4A could run every 15 minutes short to Gospel Oak and then every 30 onwards.

Do many people use 31 on Shirley Road and Olton Boulevard East, not familiar with the route myself?