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

[Westy]

Out of curiosity, are there passengers going from Bromsgrove to the QE on the 20, as was planned/mooted at the time, bearing in mind the QE is near to Uni station?

Why didn't NX try the option of extending the 63 from Rubery to Bromsgrove, similar to what they did with the X3 from Hill Hook to Lichfield or the Coventry 20 from Bedworth to Nuneaton?

[TGZac]

Out of curiosity, are there passengers going from Bromsgrove to the QE on the 20, as was planned/mooted at the time, bearing in mind the QE is near to Uni station?

Why didn't NX try the option of extending the 63 from Rubery to Bromsgrove, similar to what they did with the X3 from Hill Hook to Lichfield or the Coventry 20 from Bedworth to Nuneaton?

I believe that the original plan was that the 49 was to be extended to Bromsgrove, but they decided on the 20 instead.

[Tony]

Out of curiosity, are there passengers going from Bromsgrove to the QE on the 20, as was planned/mooted at the time, bearing in mind the QE is near to Uni station?

Why didn't NX try the option of extending the 63 from Rubery to Bromsgrove, similar to what they did with the X3 from Hill Hook to Lichfield or the Coventry 20 from Bedworth to Nuneaton?

Then what would have served Rubery to Frankly 

[Westy]

Then what would have served Rubery to Frankly

To be honest, I forgot about Frankley!

[TGZac]

To be honest, I forgot about Frankley!

Frankley does have a fair amount of bus users, which means removing a Bristol Road route can and has caused complaints, such as when the 61 was reinstated in July 2018 replacing the X61, it missed out Ormond Road and Boleyn Road. Two small roads, but still led to complaints leading to a rerouting of the 61 in March 2019 to serve those two roads again.

[SO6597]

Out of curiosity, are there passengers going from Bromsgrove to the QE on the 20, as was planned/mooted at the time, bearing in mind the QE is near to Uni station?

Why didn't NX try the option of extending the 63 from Rubery to Bromsgrove, similar to what they did with the X3 from Hill Hook to Lichfield or the Coventry 20 from Bedworth to Nuneaton?

I've been on the 20 several times in recent weeks as I try to ride as many Geminis as possible before they disappear. My journeys between Selly Oak and Bromsgrove have seen passengers mainly travelling to Bromsgrove from Longbridge and Rubery (and vice versa) and then another batch from Longbridge onwards towards Selly Oak and the QE. Not so many being picked up or dropped off between Rubery and Bromsgrove (and reverse) but that may not be typical.

[Stu]

For both the 150 and 169, I'd 'reverse' the loop they currently do around Kings Heath.

At present, the 150 terminates at and starts from the Addison Road stop on Alcester Rd South, before going left onto Vicarage Road, then left again onto Howard Road, finally turning right back onto Alcester Rd South towards Maypole.

The 169 does the same loop on arriving in Kings Heath, before terminating at that same Addison Road stop. From there it turns right into Addison Road towards Billesley.

If they both went the other way round, and then terminated/started from Vicarage Road (same stop as the 27/35/76), I feel that would be more beneficial to intending passengers heading towards Billesley/Yardley Wood/Shirley/Maypole especially those waiting at the existing 50 and 11A/27/76 stops on Addison Road, thus picking up more passengers as a result. Rather than being 'isolated' on their own the other side of the road by Sainsburys.

Might need a few tweaks to the timetables to avoid 'bus blocking' at that stop on Vicarage Road. To be honest, I can't see the point of the 35 stopping there anyway, not when the next stop is literally just around the corner, though it seems this is where drivers do their change-over.

[MW]

For both the 150 and 169, I'd 'reverse' the loop they currently do around Kings Heath.

At present, the 150 terminates at and starts from the Addison Road stop on Alcester Rd South, before going left onto Vicarage Road, then left again onto Howard Road, finally turning right back onto Alcester Rd South towards Maypole.

The 169 does the same loop on arriving in Kings Heath, before terminating at that same Addison Road stop. From there it turns right into Addison Road towards Billesley.

If they both went the other way round, and then terminated/started from Vicarage Road (same stop as the 27/35/76), I feel that would be more beneficial to intending passengers heading towards Billesley/Yardley Wood/Shirley/Maypole especially those waiting at the existing 50 and 11A/27/76 stops on Addison Road, thus picking up more passengers as a result. Rather than being 'isolated' on their own the other side of the road by Sainsburys.

Might need a few tweaks to the timetables to avoid 'bus blocking' at that stop on Vicarage Road. To be honest, I can't see the point of the 35 stopping there anyway, not when the next stop is literally just around the corner, though it seems this is where drivers do their change-over.

What if both services were merged into one? No looping required then?

[Busmapper]

For both the 150 and 169, I'd 'reverse' the loop they currently do around Kings Heath.

Nice idea although the no right turn at the Red Lion (Howard Rd to Vicarage Rd) means a Bus Gate would be required on Colmore Rd.

[Stu]

Nice idea although the no right turn at the Red Lion (Howard Rd to Vicarage Rd) means a Bus Gate would be required on Colmore Rd.

Ah I see now thanks! Rather than put a bus gate on Colmore Road, it would probably be easier to add an exception for buses to the right-turn restriction.

[Busmapper]

Rather than put a bus gate on Colmore Road, it would probably be easier to add an exception for buses to the right-turn restriction.

I know this thread is more about fantasy route changes, but if this change was to be made in reality then no, because (traffic engineering detail alert) the Red Lion left turn green light sequence is also the right turn into Howard Rd. This single green phase would need separating into two phases to safely accommodate the occasion bus turning right out of Howard Rd, resulting in a big reduction in junction capacity. A bus gate on the other hand would just need a bus activated sinking bollard on Colmore Rd.

[cardew]

Better still, and now this is fantasy, bring back the termini in All Saints Road to allow use of Abbots Road again. Used for decades for the likes of the 2 and 27 back in the days when parked cars were fewer and crucially narrower...and the residents didn't object to buses.

[OH25]

X26 

Birmingham to Dudley (express service) 
could start off as a morning and evening peak service

starting at Colmore Row
stopping only at: 
all stops until Five Ways Morrisons 
Bearwood Interchange 
first stop after it turns right off Hagley Road
before the J2 roundabout 
after the J2 roundabout 
Burnt Tree Island by Tesco
and then all stops to Dudley

(same stops for the return journey back to Birmingham - except the first stop after it turns left onto Hagley Road)

[Tony]

X26

Birmingham to Dudley (express service)
could start off as a morning and evening peak service

starting at Colmore Row
stopping only at:
all stops until Five Ways Morrisons
Bearwood Interchange
first stop after it turns right off Hagley Road
before the J2 roundabout
after the J2 roundabout
Burnt Tree Island by Tesco
and then all stops to Dudley

(same stops for the return journey back to Birmingham - except the first stop after it turns left onto Hagley Road)

You mean the 926 that was tried in 1986?

[Wumpty]

You mean the 926 that was tried in 1986?

Was there a 126S too @Tony ?