Premium Route Upgrade Route 31/X30 - Oxford to / Grove

January 2009

Oxfordshire County Council Premium Bus Routes - Route 31 / X30 Oxford to Grove & Wantage.

What are premium routes? County Councils premium routes scheme is a network of high frequency bus routes around Oxfordshire. We have developed a 'Premium' network of high frequency bus routes in order to encourage bus use and help reduce rising congestion levels, many of these routes have already been delivered whilst others are currently being planned.

The network will cover main routes within Oxford and between the city and the larger Oxfordshire towns. These developments will be phased in over the next decade or so at an estimated cost of £30 million and promise exciting new prospects for bus services in the county.

As part of premium routes, the county council is working in partnership with major bus operators to bring all round improvements to bus services, which has included the following improvements:

• Better quality bus stop infrastructure with clear information displayed about buses which use these stops. • Identifying and providing new bus stop locations where required. • Assisting with the provision of bus shelters at stops in partnership with parish or town councils. • Better quality footpaths around bus stops including raising curb height to reduce the distance be- tween the curb edge and the entrance to the bus to make access easier. • Better quality timetable display cases at each stop for improved information about bus services. • Oxontime real time information displays at selected stops to give live information on selected bus services. • Provision of secure places to lock bicycles near stops. • SMS bus information is linked to Oxontime RTI information allowing you to check bus times by mobile phone by texting a stop code to our SMS number. • Improving bus priority measures on busy sections of route to minimise the effects of traffic on bus services. • Supporting the growth of frequent services by supporting frequency or route enhancements where growth can be identified. • Additionally bus operators have invested in new vehicles which offer more passenger comfort, step free access and have cleaner engine emissions.

The 31 / X30 Routes The 31 / X30 services are operated by Stagecoach in Oxfordshire. Service 31 provides the principal public transport link between Oxford, , , Grove & Wantage, it also provides the most frequent & direct link between Abingdon & Wantage. Service X30 provides a link between Wantage & Oxford via a more direct route, and also provides a link between West Oxford and Wantage including a connection at stops near Oxford Rail station. Stops over sections of both routes have already been upgraded as part of other premium route schemes, and this project will ensure that all stops on the route are then converted.

Route 31 currently operates every 30mins Monday to Saturday with an hourly evening frequency and every hour on Sundays/Public Holidays. Route X30 operates hourly Monday to Saturday.

A late night service operates on Fridays and Saturdays on routes N30 & N31.

Stagecoach is committed to introducing newer low floor buses to this route in mid 2009, and to also fit these buses with equipment to supply information for our Oxontime RTI system. As part of the premium routes upgrade, we provide enforceable clearway markings at bus stops to prevent illegal parking obstructing bus stops. Clearways allow buses to have a clear approach to bus stops so that low floor buses can line up correctly with raised kerbing on the footpath.

Premium routes helps to improve the appearance of bus stops by removing unnecessary clutter from bus stops, assisting with the provision of better quality shelters and providing raised kerbing to make boarding low floor buses easier.

With RTI information at selected stops, passengers benefit from on-street signs at certain stops, displaying how many minutes until the next bus arrives. On-street signs will be installed at selected stops on the 31 & X30 route and Oxontime web/SMS timetable predictions will be available for all stops on the route.

You can check the predicted departure times for your bus before you leave your home or office by searching for your nearest stop on the Oxontime website or via the TIMES (84637) text messaging service. The predictions are updated every 30 seconds giving you live information to help plan your journey. 31 / X31 routes in Oxfordshire showing existing bus stops.

Oxford

Abingdon

Marcham

Grove Wantage

Location of existing bus stop 31 / N31 route X30 / N30 route Combined sections of 31 / X30 routes Oxfordshire County Council Premium Bus Routes - Route 31 / X30 Oxford to Grove & Wantage.

What is planned for improving Route 31 & X30? As part of the premium routes upgrade programme for services 31 & X30, the public transport development team are planning to introduce the following upgrades to help improve the services.

• Improved quality bus stop poles and signs with better provision for timetable displays. • Raised kerbing at bus stops to meet the entrance step of low floor buses. • Improved access at bus stops with enforceable clearway markings at stops to help prevent obstruction of bus stops by other vehicles. • RTI information display screens at selected stops on the routes, with SMS “text” live bus timetable information available at all bus stops on the route. • Assistance to parish councils for the provision of new bus shelters. • Identifying locations for new bus stops to improve access to the services. • To look at possible improvements to the frequency of these services in the future. • Ensuring that any planned local developments contribute towards improving this service. • To investigate measures for bus priority along the busy points of the route to help provide a more faster & more reliable service for all passengers. • Improved marketing and promotion of the services. • Secure cycle parking at selected stops (see page 6 of this document for more information).

Parish Consultation & Feedback

As part of this scheme, Oxfordshire County Council are seeking feedback from local stakeholders in delivering this premium route scheme, particularly regarding local opinion on the improvement of route 31 & X30 as premium route bus services.

The public transport development team welcome feedback on these proposals and will be sending them to all parish council areas served by either of the two routes, except those areas which have already been upgraded to premium route standard.

We would welcome any feedback on these plans from parish councils.

If you would like to offer feedback, please send any responses to John Hammond.

John Hammond, Transport Planner - Premium Bus Routes Speedwell House, Speedwell Street, Oxford, OX1 1NE Telephone: 01865 815086 or email: [email protected]

For more information on the Oxontime RTI information system please contact: Chris Spry, Senior Transport Planner Telephone: 01865 815711 or email: [email protected] 2 bike to bus As part of its plans to upgrade stops on the 31 & X30 services, Oxfordshire County Council has plans to introduce secure cycle parking places close to upgraded bus stops at certain locations along the route.

A similar scheme was introduced at Nuneham Courtney on the X39/X40 route and this has made accessing frequent services much easier for surrounding communities including Marsh Baldon.

Oxfordshire County Council recognises there are many communities within easy & safe cycling distance of the current bus routes, and by providing these racks we offer a secure place to lock up bikes for those who wish to commute by a mixture of bike and bus.

We will be consulting on the provision of cycle racks at the following stops on the 31 & X30 routes: Current stop Nearby communities within 3 miles • East Hanney, Black Horse - • Heath (A338) - Frilford Heath / • Turn - Garford Village

We are also willing to consider the provision of cycle racks at other stops if feedback suggests suitable locations which may benefit from this

Secure cycle racks installed near upgraded bus stops at Nuneham Courtney on the X39/X40 route and used by residents of nearby Marsh Baldon.