Making the South Birmingham Bus Network Faster and More Reliable What Is Happening? Traffic Is Getting Worse, Making Journeys Slower
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making the south Birmingham bus network faster and more reliable What is happening? Traffic is getting worse, making journeys slower. Rush hour bus journeys are 12% slower than three years ago. Some routes are ten minutes slower than they were three years ago. On several routes, the average speed is below 6 mph. This means fewer passengers. Over 4% fewer during the past three years. They may just stop travelling - this is bad for the economy and social inclusion. Or they switch to cars, making congestion and pollution worse. In the last ten years traffic speeds have fallen dramatically. These maps show the fastest journey times into Birmingham city centre by bus. The biggest slowdown has been in the last two years. Ten years ago Today 10 mins 20 mins 30 mins 40 mins 50 mins or more Congestion means higher fares and worse service. We are putting ever-more buses into Birmingham to sit in traffic jams. In the last three years, we have deployed 47 more buses to run the same routes, just more slowly. This comes at a cost - either moving those buses from other parts of the West Midlands, such as suburban routes, or in higher fares. Getting back to 2014 levels of traffic would mean getting back to 2014 fares. What can we do? We may need to make changes to bus routes in south Birmingham. This area includes all routes between Bristol Road and Warwick Road. The south west Birmingham network - routes between Hagley Road and Bristol Road - will be reviewed separately. This means that some routes may be included in both reviews. What are we doing? National Express West Midlands is working closely with Birmingham City Council and Transport for West Midlands. Together we are looking at whether highways changes - like bus gates, changing traffic light patterns and extending bus lanes - will speed up traffic at congestion hotspots. We are also looking at the option of redesigning the bus network in south Birmingham to cope with the congestion. The solutions will vary according to local circumstances. This might mean faster journeys by following different routes and new express routes which cut journey times by skipping some stops. It might mean splitting long routes, so passengers in quieter areas are not delayed by traffic several miles away. What do our customers want? Our customers' top three priorities are: - Frequency (a bus turning up regularly)) - Journey time ) (how quickly I get where I am going) ) - Value for money ) (low fares) What do local stakeholders want? Our suggested designs are in line with local policy and strategy. Transforming Bus Travel and Birmingham Connected proposed bus networks guided by: - Simplicity - fewer routes and more logical numbers) - High-frequency routes to key centres - Complementary routes with lower frequencies for local and customised travel needs Next steps? We have put together some initial ideas for further consultation. We have found that autumn half-term is an easier time to make changes that affect a whole area. To comply with government registration schedules, we therefore need to consult during the summer. However, we will review this date depending on the responses and any changes that can be made to improve the road network to meet the needs of local people and businesses. The network maps are not complete as we want specific feedback before we finalise the design. As with all consultations, some proposals and ideas will change as a result of the feedback. So we need to know ) what people like as well as do not like. How do I take part? You can take part in this consultation, which runs until 21 August 2017. We would like to know how you think the network should look, particularly how the network serves local areas. A survey will be available on our website. Paper versions will be available at local community centres, such as libraries. Please help us publicise this consultation so we get feedback from as many different people as possible to inform the design of our services. What changes are being considered? The routes under consideration include the following) - 1 Five Ways ) Moseley ) Acocks Green ) Gospel Oak - 2 City ) Wake Green ) Warstock ) Maypole - 3 City ) Wake Green ) Yardley Wood - 5 City ) Springfield ) Hall Green ) Shirley ) Monkspath ) Solihull - 6 City ) Springfield ) Hall Green ) Shirley ) Solihull - 6A City ) Springfield ) Hall Green ) Shirley ) Monkspath ) Solihull - 18 Bartley Green ) Northfield ) Kings Norton ) Brandwood End ) Yardley Wood - 27 Hawkesley ) Northfield ) Bournville ) Kings Heath ) Warstock - Maypole - 29 City ) Harborne ) Weoley Castle ) Northfield ) Allens Cross ) Frankley - 31 City ) Springfield ) Acocks Green ) Gospel Oak ) Shirley ) Solihull - 35 City ) Moseley ) Kings Heath ) Brandwood End ) Hawkesley - 37 City ) Tyseley ) Acocks Green ) Olton ) Solihull - 45 City ) Stirchley ) Kings Norton ) West Heath ) Longbridge - 47 City ) Stirchley ) Kings Norton ) Turves Green ) Cofton Hackett - 48 West Bromwich ) Bearwood ) QE Hospital ) Weoley Castle ) Northfield - 49 Northfield ) Allens Cross ) Longbridge ) West Heath ) Kings Norton ) Solihull - 50 City ) Moseley ) Kings Heath ) Maypole ) Druids Heath - 50A City ) Moseley ) Kings Heath ) Maypole ) Wythall - 63 City ) Selly Oak ) Northfield ) Rubery - 76 QE Hospital ) Kings Heath ) Yardley Wood ) Shirley ) Solihull - 84 Hawkesley ) Cotteridge ) Selly Oak ) QE Hospital - 98 City ) QE Hospital ) Selly Oak ) Northfield ) Rednal ) Great Park - X61 City ) Selly Oak ) Northfield ) Frankley S h e ld C o o d n v L n e R n n t Rd ee H ys ry a s r e le ic G a d Rd ne t a n r ts h R o ba t R he M y re d T e ar H d H o G r R Moat Ln r e ll Marston k Yardley R c d o l d l Green Edgbaston i R H X h 1 X2 60 c n d r e R u d h 1 l s L C o g d a n G d i R d n 60 R K y L C y d o Cranes Park Rd p A l e v l e e o i S l f n c y d t o t k r r e a y o c l l a s o R n R W t d C t a rw S Y e r e d ick Ln X1 y Rd Sheldon S n R L o a g n d l g i a n s W L b d R u Sparkhill s 37 ley Rd Acocks al 1 g e r V r y S n Barn L a i n o 1 R d n d d Green h d R s f n o d r d o Weoley rd rmans R e e 35 Fo d R R P d d n Woodgate 58 R y 72 X2 Castle n L 22 W L Selly a W ke nd Gre o e d e 50 en R R m 73 d old ol d Ulleries Rd Alw Oak h o e H ic y e R L el A Moseley n e L v y l d e in R h O Weoley Park Rd d D n Greenw’d Ave lp 31 ad Gr L 6 o 76 s L een D Ln n hill y 3 le R le t d 5 n s s U a d 1 L l e v C Allens Cross area d R l e e l n v r l e Bartley A R i l X12 L Sw s e p y Stirchley B an e y r d e s k h i s o R l d ur l G c g st l R Ln o r Green o e s C p Kings e r ld 11 84 a h o c G ie rt p t G e F la a H n d n a b S Gospel R o y d e e Rd R Heath ld x c l d o L d n o 11 37 n n l i o L o i C o n F e W he P d s 23 t S t d R Oak u l is Bro o a r e ge ok Ln S eh d A n B n a Hall t v y B o r r o R D L n u l S d r a a w S Shenley n R c c o v i H L e t d i d V e y h L l f l o e Balmoral Rd l s Green e n Pk l o n e l e y l t L Fields o l r r n i n L e y d n s O b n r h o l 45 R R a e s n a m L T o S y 29 R d Kitwell y k H n r le i b a k d t m n k i Ln o t a R i n D a r f F l 76 d R o e r d H D Church Hill d d R o Allens Cross is currently served by the 29 and 49. Both these 18 L R ld od n d ie L d hf n Cor h R ig nyx at Chinn H Ln Ln He Brook Rd routes could be made shorter to help improve their reliability. k 18 A41 roo B S t’s tree it Rd 35 tsb Sol rr Northfield rook ih The 29 may run between Northfield and Birmingham city centre. e Yardley R u d ll M 50 31 Rd d Wood B ll P Northfield Middleton Ha l R yp Cotteridge n o r a d L o i The 49 may run between Solihull and Longbridge or Rubery.