The Greater Bristol Bus Network Showcase routes Summary June 2014 Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils working together to improve your local transport The area needs a public From ‘Unlocking Our Potential: Has GBBN met its targets? transport network The Economic Benefits of Transport Bus patronage that is part of daily life Investment in the West of England’ 3 and allows people to use public Atkins and the West of England 3 Park and ride patronage transport as a default choice Authorities, November 2012 3 Bus user satisfaction Research shows that transport is a 3 Bus punctuality major barrier to economic growth in the West of England 3 Rail patronage Area wide traffic levels National research shows that 3 major transport schemes have the 3 Congestion potential to unlock large numbers Air quality of new jobs and economic output 3 3 Number of cycling trips The West of England transport schemes have been developed to 3 Road safety focus on the most crucial transport problems in the West of England. They will deliver a combination of more attractive public transport services, reduced needs to travel by car and faster and more reliable journeys for all users of the transport network. M48 M4 J21 M4 Corridor 1 A38 M5 Corridor 2 J20 M4 J16 M5 Corridor 3 Frampton Yate Patchway Cotterell Chipping J17 M5 Sodbury Corridor 4 A432 M5 M49 Bradley Coalpit Corridor 5 Stoke Heath Cribbs Winterbourne Corridor 6 Causeway J19 M4 M4 Filton Corridor 7 J18a M5 J18 M5 Corridor 8 A4 Emersons M32 Green Corridor 9 J19 M5 Corridor 10 Portishead Easton-in- Gordano Motorways Kingswood Wick B3130 A420 A-roads Bristol City Minor roads Centre Brislington Nailsea Long Ashton Rail line A4 Clevedon M5 Bitton A431 B3133 A370 Backwell J20 M5 Keynsham Whitchurch A37 B3130 Saltford A36 Yatton Weston- Bath super- Congresbury Mare Worle A38 Pensford Odd Down J21 M5 B3130 M5 A368 A371 A39 Clutton Temple Cloud A367 Peasedown St John Midsomer Farrington Norton Radstock A370 Gurney The Greater Bristol Bus Network The five partners worked together each part of the investment adding was developed by the four West of to identify key congestion hotspots to the whole so that the changes England Local Authorities and local for improvements and to deliver become greater than the sum of bus operator First, to improve 10 substantial improvement to the the parts. strategic routes with key outcomes speed, quality, reliability and to improve and upgrade the attractiveness of bus services on These additional projects were bus network infrastructure and the 10 showcase routes. seen as a building block for enhance bus passenger experience further investment via other with better buses and improved The investment in the bus network funding streams such as the Local information and reliability; helping is one part of an integrated Sustainable Transport Fund, Better to reduce congestion and carbon approach to transport investment Bus Area, Cycling City, and the emissions. within the West of England, with Cycling Ambition Fund. The Joint Local Transport Plan • the Greater Bristol Bus Network, • the Bath Transportation Package 3 Vision for “an affordable, low (£91m in total) (£27m), carbon, accessible, integrated, efficient and reliable transport • Cycling City (£23m) • the three MetroBus routes (£200m), network to achieve a more and more recently competitive economy and better • and the planned MetroWest rail connected, more active and • Cycle Ambition Funding (£11m), improvements (at least £100m). healthy communities,” set the • Local Sustainable Transport scene for: Find out more at Funding (£40m) www.travelwest.info/projects • Better Bus Area funding (£8m) Each project provides an • the investment in the Weston opportunity for change that Package (£15m), together adds up to a big difference. The Project The Greater Bristol Bus Network • Bus priority lanes allowing buses Buses are vital. Without them, recognises the vital role that bus to bypass general traffic workers wouldn’t get to work, services must play as the backbone young people wouldn’t get to of cost effective urban public • Improvements to pedestrian and school and college, and some transport systems. The delivery of cycle access and safety of the most vulnerable people bus network enhancements can • Road widening in key traffic hot in society would become only be achieved in partnership spots isolated from friends and family. between bus operators and local authorities. • Tree planting and public realm/ Every year we make around environmental improvements in 5 billion bus and coach The councils, working in local areas journeys - that’s three times partnership with bus operator more journeys than are made First, brought 10 key routes up to The initial £80 million investment by train. If you’ve ever sat in showcase standard with in GBBN comprised £42.3 a traffic jam in rush hour, just million of grant funding from imagine how bad it would be • Over 120 new buses the Department for Transport, if all those bus loads of people • Nearly 1,000 improved bus stops a contribution of £22.5 million took a car instead. from FirstGroup and a local and - new shelters, new information It’s no exaggeration to say that panels, level access developer contribution of £15.2 million. without buses, many towns and • More than 300 new real time cities would grind to a halt. information displays As the project progressed, the West of England authorities allocated That’s why it’s vital for bus • New bus priority signals at additional funds for work above services to meet passenger junctions that turn green when and beyond what was initially expectations. buses approach helping them planned with a total of £91 million Bus Users UK - the voice of stay on time being invested in the West of passengers www.bususers.org England bus network. “Please congratulate the person or team responsible for the alterations currently being carried out on Whiteladies Road. The wider pavements and the improved pedestrian crossings feel much safer. The trees planted in the central beds are a tremendous improvement to the urban landscape, and that’s even before they show any leaves! I also appreciate how the traffic speed has been calmed and vehicles now flow along nicely at a maximum speed of 30 mph, which is safer for everyone.” Working together Mr Small, Clifton Working in partnership with local a consistent approach across the bus companies, each authority network. delivered schemes specific to their local area; such as bus stops A formal structure with project and bus lanes. However for cross managers, a programme board cutting projects such as real time and specific leads for key areas information and communications, such as real time information one lead authority was nominated, and communication established with all partners involved to ensure rigorous governance and ensured delivery. Case Study: Corridor 2 - A4018 Whiteladies Road Environmental Improvements The GBBN measures for the As part of the improvements for Before: Whiteladies Road part of corridor Whiteladies Road, the parking 2 include: in the inter-peak outside the hours of bus lane operation was • bus stop, shelter, kerb, and made limited time only, which information improvements (seen again encouraged turnover of on all 10 GBBN corridors); occupancy of the spaces, making • new northbound bus lanes; it easier to park for access to shops and businesses. • clearly defined parking and loading bays; In 2013, the Whiteladies Road After: bus corridor received a Civic • planters and better pedestrian Society environmental award crossing facilities; and 2013. • new traffic signals at the This contributed to a 40.9% rise Blackboy Hill gyratory and the in patronage on this corridor. St Pauls Road junction, with selective vehicle detection (SVD) for late running buses. Infrastructure There has been considerable including widening the roundabout On the A4 approach to Bristol, investment in the local highway for a new bus lane to allow buses, adjacent to the Brislington park and to improve the reliability of buses. taxis and motorcycles to travel ride an additional traffic lane has General road widening, and cycling unhindered through the area, already brought improvements to and pedestrian improvements were reducing journey times. traffic flow. The road on the west also delivered to maximise benefits Improved cycling and walking bound approach to M5 junction to all road users. facilities and priority vehicle lanes 21 was widened to include a peak on the ring road for buses, car hours bus lane to reduce delays In Filton, near key major employers sharers, taxis, motorcyclists and along with a new east bound cycle such as Ministry of Defence, heavy goods vehicles to assist in lane. Hewlett Packard and the University reducing carbon emissions and of the West of England, there have congestion. been a number of improvements Case Study: Corridor 9 - A369 Portishead to Bristol Bus Service Enhancements The GBBN improvements on • the traffic signals were also X3, and doubled the previous corridor 9 include: refurbished at both the Abbots joint frequency from 2 buses/hr Leigh Road and Bridge Valley to 4 buses/hr along many parts • lane widening and new traffic Road junctions; and of the routes. signals at the A369 / M5 Buses were rebranded into the junction 19 approaches in both • all traffic signals have SVD for ‘Express Yourself’ livery, and directions; late running buses. buses with leather seats and • a new westbound HOV lane at Helped by the GBBN free wi-fi were provided. Martcombe Road; improvements to speed up This contributed to a 52.2% rise buses along this corridor and in patronage on this corridor. • new signals at the St Georges also as part of LSTF ‘kick-start’ Hill junction to enable buses to funding, First simplified three leave Pill and access the A369; routes into two services X2 and Real Time Information Real time information provides Providing accurate information The West of England authorities bus users with the benefit of about the arrival of services at their have developed a bus checker app knowing exactly when the buses stop, real time information removes that provides live and scheduled will turn up.