Consultation period now extended to Friday 12 January 2007
Bus users will be invited to have their say on proposals being published by Nottingham City Transport on the future of Yellow and Turquoise line bus services which serve the north-west of Nottingham and focus around Bulwell, Strelley, Hyson Green and Aspley.
The objectives of the proposed changes, to be introduced from 25 March 2007, are to:
- Ensure bus services meet existing passenger demand and expectations
- Improve frequencies for passengers
- Increase the availability of low floor buses to increase accessibility onto the bus network
- Generate patronage growth of 3% per annum
- Provide a bus service that complements the tram at Bulwell
A summary of the proposed changes are:
| Service Number |
Route |
Daytime Frequency |
Eve/Sun Frequency |
| 60, 62 |
Services replaced by revised routes 68, 69 for Bulwell Estates, Highbury Vale to City and service 80 between Hyson Green and City. |
|
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| 61, 63 |
Services replaced by revised routes 68, 69 which will all continue through to the City Centre with no need to change bus or on to the tram at Bulwell |
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| 68, 69 |
These services will become the main routes between City, Sherwood Rise, Highbury Vale, Bulwell Bus Station and the Bulwell Estates, continuing to offer the well established circular facility for Hempshill Vale, Snape Wood and Hoewood Road.
Low floor buses introduced, with the daytime service increased to every 10 minutes and evening/Sunday buses up to every 15 minutes. |
Every 10 mins combined |
Every 15-20 mins combined |
| 70 |
Service 70 will operate the same route between City and Bagnall Road, but will then turn right along Cinderhill Road and into Bulwell, following the existing 71A route to Morrisons, Rise Park, Top Valley, Bestwood Park and Arnold.
Daytime service enhanced to every 20 minutes, with evening and Sunday buses extending through to Arnold every hour. |
Every 20 mins |
Every hour |
| 71 |
Service 71 follows the same route as present but will operate via Percy Street, Stockhill Lane, Cinderhill Island and Coventry Road instead of Highbury Vale.
Daytime service enhanced to every 20 minutes, with evening and Sunday buses extending through to Arnold every hour. |
Every 20 mins |
Every hour |
| 72 |
Will provide a peak time only service for Nuthall Village and Assarts Farm. |
3-4 jnys |
No Service |
| 77 |
No change to route or frequency, but there will be some additional buses in the early evening period in response to growing demand. |
Every 10 mins |
Every 15-30 mins |
| 78, 79 |
No change to route, but both services will be improved to operate every 20 minutes during the Monday to Saturday daytime, giving a 10 minute service between the City and Bar Lane. The Sunday 78 service will operate every hour. |
Every 20 mins each |
Every hour each |
| 80 |
New dedicated service running between City, Canning Circus, Hyson Green and continuing along Northgate, Nottingham Road, Perry Road, City Hospital to the Heathfield Estate. |
Every 20 mins each |
No Service |
|
The proposed changes offer the following improvements and benefits to passengers:
- Frequency of buses between Bulwell Estates and Highbury Vale to the City Centre enhanced to every 10 minutes during the Monday to Saturday daytime and up to every 15 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays
- All buses from the Bulwell Estates (Hempshill Vale, Snape Wood, Hoewood Road) operate through to the City Centre and do not require a change of bus or tram at Bulwell Bus Station
- Quicker journey times for passengers from Bulwell Estates and Highbury Vale to City Centre by using Sherwood Rise rather than Hyson Green
- Better connections at Bulwell between bus and tram for passengers who choose to interchange
- Services 68, 69 are to be operated with low floor buses (fully by early summer 2007) to replace existing stepped-entrance double deck buses, giving easier access on to the bus
- Bus service along Bagnall Road increased to every 20 minutes in the Monday to Saturday daytime, a regular hourly service in the evening and a new hourly Sunday service
- Bagnall Road, Cinderhill, Percy Street have a direct link to Bulwell Town Centre and Morrisons with a much greater level of frequency
- NCT service restored for Stockhill Lane and Cinderhill Island, every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every hour in the evenings and Sundays
- Frequency of buses between Bulwell, Morrisons, Rise Park, Bestwood Park and Arnold increased from every 15 minutes to every 10 minutes in the Monday to Saturday daytime – responding to higher demand than current capacity can accommodate
- Evening and Sunday buses extended from Bulwell, Rise Park through to Arnold in the evenings
- Warren Hill late evening service link to the City Centre provided by service 71
- Dedicated service 80 provided between City and Hyson Green with low floor buses, replacing older stepped entrance buses on the 60, 62 to give easier access on to the bus
- Frequency of service between Hyson Green and City Hospital improved to every 20 minutes, with convenient stop on Hucknall Road
- Heathfield Estate service to City increased to every 20 minutes daytime
- Services 78 and 79 both increased to every 20 minutes during the daytime, giving a combined 10 minute daytime service between the City and Bar Lane
- Sunday buses on the 78 enhanced to every hour
- More buses for Blenheim Industrial Estate with through service from City
- Bulwell Local Link introduced for Norwich Gardens, Bulwell Hall Estate, Picadilly, Brooklyn Road providing direct links to Morrisons and Bulwell Town Centre
- Percy Street and City Centre continue to be served by a 10 minute daytime service by routes 70, 71, 72
- Service 77 retained at every 10 minutes or better daytime frequency
NCT Yellow and Turquoise line services have remained unchanged since NET Line 1 started running in March 2004, with many of the Yellow line services along Nottingham Road and Sherwood Rise remaining unchanged for nearly 5 years.
With the impact on bus usage since the tram launched now settled sufficiently to assess passenger usage trends, NCT has identified that some parts of the current bus network have seen fewer and fewer passengers travelling, whilst others have enjoyed significant growth and the proposals aim to balance these demands.
In particular, bus usage on services 60, 62 between the City, Hyson Green, Highbury Vale and Bulwell has fallen considerably with only 28% of all the available seats occupied. In contrast, services 71, 71A between Bulwell and Arnold are currently carrying 16% more passengers than available seats, with passengers regularly standing and in some cases being left at the bus stop.
Commenting on the proposed changes, Anthony Carver-Smith Network Development and Quality Controller for NCT said: “NCT continually reviews each part of the bus network to ensure the service we offer matches passenger demand and expectations. We cannot ignore the impact NET has had on our services in the Bulwell area and we have listened closely to the comments passengers have made to us to redesign our services to make them more attractive for people to use. We feel the changes best meet what our passengers and non-bus users have told us they want, but we will of course welcome further feedback in this consultation phase to help fine-tune the services we operate from next March”.
A summary of the revised routes and timetables will be delivered to over 160,000 households during week commencing 4 December 2006 in the NCT passenger newsletter, “Network News” via the Nottingham & Long Eaton Topper. Full information will also be available on the NCT website – www.nctx.co.uk.
Map of Bulwell showing proposed changes to bus routes
Passengers will be able to study the package of proposals, including a route map and frequencies of the proposed services, with comments to be returned by Friday 5 January 2007 to: March Changes, Nottingham City Transport, Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham, NG1 1GG or by e-mail to travelcentre@nctx.co.uk
Consultation period now extended to Friday 12 January 2007
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