Should Coventry introduce express routes?

[The Fox 4846]

Would it be worth introducing express routes in Coventry with Platinum buses to try to increase patronage and lower journey times? In Birmingham there are many express routes which utilise dual Carriageways and miss stops to lower journey times, however this is not the case in Coventry. For example would it be worth introducing an X21 that runs express between Bell Green arias and Whitely and all stops along the rest of the 21 route & could run every 20 mins. Every other 21 could then run short to the end of Stoney Staion Road and Jag Land Rover. Or an X8 utilising the Dual Carridgeway between Potters Green & Ansty using Burns Ed & Binley rd. This could run every 20 mins with the 8A being given the number 8 running twice an hour between Pool Meadow and Wood Green. Would express routes work? Especially if they were given platinum status?

[Sandy Lane]

A good question and for me the biggest problem in Coventry is the motor car - traffic holds back buses & frequently makes them late, vehicle pollution levels in Coventry are seriously dangerous, car driving standards are awful. Lots of hit and runs. Too many cars, not enough street parking spaces. The council has got rid of quite a few bus lanes. I could go on and on about the motor car.

Imagine Coventry with no cars on the roads and lots of extra bus services so that you can get anywhere at anytime? Dream on!

And no, I'm not on the whacky bacccie!

[The Fox 4846]

As mentioned above I think for Coventry the best idea if to introduce express routes it's to simplify the network. Unfortunately as most routes are cross city, where one can be express the other can't - which cause  issues. I think the thing to note is that express roads and dual carriageways aren't being used to their full advantage. For example on the binley rd there could be an express service with only about 2 stops until Binley, along with the current service, albeit every other turning short. By perhaps turning every other short with an express service replacing the other, that would be how it'd work best. For me the best thing to do would be to utilise dual carriageways like Binley rd, ansty rd & Redford rd whilst also using roads such as the A444 & A4114 to speed up journey times. Examples are as follows: 21-10mins(20 full,) X21-20mins;  X8-20mins, 8A-30mins(PM-BG), 9/9A - 10/20; X10 (18A&X10) - 30 mins, 10 - 15 mins (30 to BG)... Although most would increase PVR by about 2/3, I'm sure it would create an increase in patronage.

[JPC]

The original poster sounds more likely on the whacky bacccie.  ;)

The X1 [and X6 to Leicester] is all stops within Coventry, the 12X isn't express just direct compared to the 11.
Stagecoach X17 also doesn't deserve it's X ... I could go on but this shows the perspective.

Hows about a non-stop extension to Nuneaton on the 20?
Stagecoach offers a rather limited X48 in the peaks - no idea how popular those journeys are though.

[paulb1973]

I'd imagine there is little demand for such services - Coventry is not a particularly large city and hence most routes are cross-city to make more efficient use of resources. The JLR site at Whitley is large and employs many seemingly - going by the queues on Allard Way, London Road and so on every day. But many workers there still prefer to drive, so maybe there is scope for a direct service - but NXC/NXWM already run contracted services to that destination. The largest employer in Coventry is the City Council - but those jobs are based in all areas of the city. Limited Stop services using established routes and roads without an increase in frequency means buses flying past bus stops with people waiting to travel - which wouldn't be terribly popular!