Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

[Valandil]

RE: Liverpool City Region Bus Franchising

(26/07/2023 14:32)iMarkeh Wrote:  With bus lanes and bus priority schemes as well, they would benefit the existing routes so how much time would actually end up being gained by not serving some stops? The main way to save time on the express routes is missing out a deviation to the straight route (such as the X1 not diverting off into Birkenhead). I can't think of any deviation that these routes make off the main road which an express route wouldn't also take (10 diverts into Prescot but an express bus would likely do that too. 86 diverting off up Catherine Street/Renshaw Street/Hanover Street but an express bus not diverting that way is likely to lose a lot of passengers as many people seem to board/alight in these areas).

Yeah, if you imagine bus lanes and bus priority schemes working so that buses can run straight through traffic lights and only stop to pick up / set down, that would be great. Imagine sailing past all of the traffic jams on those key corridors.
That would make the bus more attractive.

To play devil's advocate though, schemes like bus lanes, bus priority and express buses do have the power to annoy people though, the people who they don't benefit.
If you're really in a hurry to get to your destination and an express bus sails past after 1 min, you're going to be annoyed that you have to wait longer *and* get on a slower vehicle.

So to my mind, express buses work best on sections of road where there are no bus stops.
Call at the bus stops you pass, as they are extra custom and usually don't add a considerable amount to the journey time.
So like the Runcorn X1 running on the A562 and could have an express bus running via M62 to St Helens (via St Helens Linkway), maybe another via M62 to Warrington.