Service changes from 4th December, 2016

[B.C Driver]

And also aren't the Frankley Beeches Rd lot going to get a reduced service now??

Has this new x61 been extended in the city centre as well?

Aparantly the x61 is going to terminate at Millenium Point and turn around by the LaTour hotel and back up Moor St Qway.

My worry is as Mike mentioned, the busy part of Selly Oak will only have the 63 running through it, remember at one time the 61, 62, 63 and 964 served this stretch, even the x64 has been re-routed recently.
Also at night time, for some passengers their frequency has halved from every 15 mins (61 and 63). To every half hour (63). I really think the 63 needs to run every 20 mins during evenings. The 61, 62 and 63 each were every 20 mins in the evenings a few years ago - and that was with 3 services!
Personally, I think there would have been better routes to introduce an express service on. How about an x67 using Expressway and Tyburn Rd a fast link for Pype Hayes, Castle Vale residents and Jaguar workers. Or another express route using Expressway and M6 serving a fast route to Wednesbury, Darlaston and Willenhall etc?
Express routes work when they have a road network to match as 900 (Small Heath bypass)
934 etc (underpasses and flyovers).
Bristol Rd has nothing like that. The x61 will be stuck in the same traffic as the 63, apart from Selly Oak by pass which isnt much quicker than the normal route.

[Squiz1971]

Aparantly the x61 is going to terminate at Millenium Point and turn around by the LaTour hotel and back up Moor St Qway.

My worry is as Mike mentioned, the busy part of Selly Oak will only have the 63 running through it, remember at one time the 61, 62, 63 and 964 served this stretch, even the x64 has been re-routed recently.
Also at night time, for some passengers their frequency has halved from every 15 mins (61 and 63). To every half hour (63). I really think the 63 needs to run every 20 mins during evenings. The 61, 62 and 63 each were every 20 mins in the evenings a few years ago - and that was with 3 services!
Personally, I think there would have been better routes to introduce an express service on. How about an x67 using Expressway and Tyburn Rd a fast link for Pype Hayes, Castle Vale residents and Jaguar workers. Or another express route using Expressway and M6 serving a fast route to Wednesbury, Darlaston and Willenhall etc?
Express routes work when they have a road network to match as 900 (Small Heath bypass)
934 etc (underpasses and flyovers).
Bristol Rd has nothing like that. The x61 will be stuck in the same traffic as the 63, apart from Selly Oak by pass which isnt much quicker than the normal route.

There was also the 963 back when the timesavers were first introduced with the 61,62,63. Doesn't the 98 serve a part of Selly Oak to/from Sainsbury's though I think that's not as a frequent service either plus it goes around the wrekin before getting to Selly Oak and from Selly Oak

[Russ Smith]

Not ideal, but couldn't evening X61s run as 61s do as now, serving all stops (including through Selly Oak) and combine with the 63 to give a bus every 15 minutes?

[B.C Driver]

There was also the 963 back when the timesavers were first introduced with the 61,62,63. Doesn't the 98 serve a part of Selly Oak to/from Sainsbury's though I think that's not as a frequent service either plus it goes around the wrekin before getting to Selly Oak and from Selly Oak

Yes the 98 serves Sainsburys on then onwards towards Northfield, a very small section of the main Selly Oak shops and pubs area. An evening sevice of every half an hour is not good enough for the 63. Imagine if one bus breaks down.

[BigDaddyCool]

My immediate thought was that the 'main' part of Selly Oak will now only be served by the 63? How on earth has it even come to this?!?!

The 'new' road at the back of Selly Oak isn't too much quicker- if at all, yet there is very little reason other than that to have yet another service serve this road!

I hope that the x64 may be rerouted and serve the Bristol Road again, as I still don't know why this is claseed as a limited stop - as it's no quicker than the current 61/63 once it has gone via the QE!

Hopefully some sense will prevail - and someone quickly realises that just having the 63 serving the Bristol Road on this section is absurd.

[monkeyjoe]

It's seems to be the trend one to simplify corridors with 7/8 min frequency routes. Hopes it achieves the increased reliability and growth they're after.

[MasterPlan]

My immediate thought was that the 'main' part of Selly Oak will now only be served by the 63? How on earth has it even come to this?!?!

I hope that the x64 may be rerouted and serve the Bristol Road again, as I still don't know why this is claseed as a limited stop - as it's no quicker than the current 61/63 once it has gone via the QE!

Hopefully some sense will prevail - and someone quickly realises that just having the 63 serving the Bristol Road on this section is absurd.

I doubt they'd put the X64 back on the Bristol Road. It was retouted to go to the QE, it can't do both. The X64 should be scrapped anyway and replaced back with the 21. As someone has said it's pretty pointless as a limited stop service.
They should never have gpt rid of the 62 to be honest. They could remove the 98 and bring the 62 back. Increasing the frequency of the 99 to compensate the 98 trips to Five Ways.

[dingding]

Have to agree that now the changes have taken place at Spitfire Island a reincarnation of the old (and you have to be old to remember it!) 962 to Chelmsley Wood via Expressway, Tyburn Road, Kingsbury Road, Chester Road and Collector Road to Chelmsley Wood could be a viable route especially if timed to coincide with the shift changes at the Jaguar nowadays. As an alternative it could go via Fort Parkway to serve Fort Shopping Centre, the Jag and Castle Vale with a stop just before Spitfire Island. Don't forget that years ago the 966 also used the Collector Road on its route from the Airport/NEC to Wolverhampton via Erdington and Sutton not like the round the houses route it is now. A hard route to drive on but it did used to carry quite a few passengers, just like the 900 Coventry to Hasbury via Halesowen another epic few hours round trip duty. Good job those Timesavers could push along a bit!

[monkeyjoe]

Have to agree that now the changes have taken place at Spitfire Island a reincarnation of the old (and you have to be old to remember it!) 962 to Chelmsley Wood via Expressway, Tyburn Road, Kingsbury Road, Chester Road and Collector Road to Chelmsley Wood could be a viable route especially if timed to coincide with the shift changes at the Jaguar nowadays. As an alternative it could go via Fort Parkway to serve Fort Shopping Centre, the Jag and Castle Vale with a stop just before Spitfire Island. Don't forget that years ago the 966 also used the Collector Road on its route from the Airport/NEC to Wolverhampton via Erdington and Sutton not like the round the houses route it is now. A hard route to drive on but it did used to carry quite a few passengers, just like the 900 Coventry to Hasbury via Halesowen another epic few hours round trip duty. Good job those Timesavers could push along a bit!

Isn't the Bromford Lane / Fort parkway roundabout still carnage at rush hour. It's about time Brum enforced it's bus lanes.

[GeminiFan1991]

Isn't the Bromford Lane / Fort parkway roundabout still carnage at rush hour. It's about time Brum enforced it's bus lanes.

Its a crawl to go through there ! It doesn't affect the 11A as much as the 11C but that needs sorting out !

[monkeyjoe]

I've always wondered why the filter to make it one lane is required to go south on Bromford Lane. Is it so they have foundations to stick the traffic lights?

[Kevin]

Re. Bristol Road
Personal suggestion would be to run the X64 as an all stops 64 service with matching frequency as the 63 as far as Weoley Castle, then at least Bournbrook still has the high frequency it needs.
And, also a personal view, whether the X61 is quicker or not does not matter, people will still catch it because it stops less, as is evident with the X10

[Mike K]

Re. Bristol Road
Personal suggestion would be to run the X64 as an all stops 64 service with matching frequency as the 63 as far as Weoley Castle, then at least Bournbrook still has the high frequency it needs.
And, also a personal view, whether the X61 is quicker or not does not matter, people will still catch it because it stops less, as is evident with the X10

Problem with that is it would need to miss out the QE, so Bangham Pit, Bartley Green etc would all lose their link to the hospital.

[B.C Driver]

Problem with that is it would need to miss out the QE, so Bangham Pit, Bartley Green etc would all lose their link to the hospital.

I agree with what Kevin says re - passenger want a limited stop service and missing out Priory Rd to Edgbaston Park Rd will enable drivers to use the outside lane if its quicker, without worrying if someone wants to get on or off.
As for the X64 it didnt use the QE hospital originally, so could go back to Bournbrook, after all the 98 and 99 provide a link to QE to City.
Whatever way though, the stretch between Bournbrook and Oak Tree Lane is a very busy stretch and although the 63 frequency is going to be improved, from what I gather it will still be every 30 mins on evenings which isnt good enough considering theres a bus through there now on evenings every 15 mins (61 and 63).

[Stu]

I agree with what Kevin says re - passenger want a limited stop service and missing out Priory Rd to Edgbaston Park Rd will enable drivers to use the outside lane if its quicker, without worrying if someone wants to get on or off.

Which is great, until you get passengers, who aren't aware the service is limited-stop, getting upset and pissy with the driver because they're sailing past the stop they wanted to get off at.  8)

and although the 63 frequency is going to be improved, from what I gather it will still be every 30 mins on evenings which isnt good enough considering theres a bus through there now on evenings every 15 mins (61 and 63).

What are the evening loadings like though?