Commuter flows without a bus (or rail) link

[knutstransport]

RE: Commuter flows without a bus (or rail) link

(11/02/2016 16:18)Dentonian Wrote:  I must admit, the timing of this thread is strange, given Cheshire East and now Lancashire are slashing their bus budgets, and given clues on other threads in recent days, the storm clouds are gathering in Greater Manchester moreso than would have been hoped.

Cheshire East have published a revised version of their local plan this week.

In my view (and I know other people have the same view) is the best way to provide a link between Cheshire East and Warrington is for an express bus route between Macclesfield and Warrington via Chelford, Knutsford and Lymm. However, unless an operator chooses to run such a service that isn't going to happen at present due to the 27 service between Knutsford and Macclesfield being commercial and a subsided service not being allowed to compete with a commercial one.

You would think that if significant commuter flows are known to exist that a new bus service to meet that flow could be sustainable in the long term without a subsidy even if it might need a subsidy initially until passenger numbers pick up.

Quote:Handforth is interesting as whilst Handforth itself is also "middle class" (for want of a better term), nearby Colshaw Farm is an overspill estate......a concept that I hear is making a return incidentally.

Same with Knutsford where Longridge exists as an overspill estate and Cheshire East's plans for new housing in their local plan involves building on fields the other side of the road from Longridge, which given the distance from the town centre and what's nearby I would assume would be cheapish housing.