(15 Jul 2023, 7:55 pm)mb134 wrote I hadn't actually realised that had opened up now, would absolutely make sense for the X47 to be extended through to cover the west side of the estate.
Time wise, it would probably have to take around 5 mins to get from the estate to the first stop in Kingston Park to break even time wise with the Q3 - but obviously you're also introducing new connections with Kingston Park and Cowgate. That said, if you were to extend the Q3 to cover that half, it would probably also increase in time by a couple of minutes too, so I reckon if Stagecoach could do it in sub-10 minutes it would be about on par.
The Jesmond addition to the Q3 is a huge bit of extra time really, Haymarket to the first stop in Great Park is bang on 30 minutes on a regular journey. As a comparison, you could be in the following places from Haymarket in 30 mins or less:
- Cramlington - Dudley Lane Shops (27 mins on an X10/11, 29 mins on an X9).
- Morpeth - all stops up until Sun Inn (30 mins or less on X14/5/8, even Morpeth Bus Station is only 32 minutes).
- Bedlington - Red Lion (30 mins on an X22)
- Dinnington - Front Street (29 mins on 44/45)
Yeah opened a few month ago.
Agreed though, it's only roughly 23 minutes to Kingston Park Road - this stop https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kingst...?entry=ttu so should be competitive especially since as far as I'm aware the X47 gets a clean run at peak times which can't be said about the car park through Gosforth, Blue House Roundabout or Osbourne Road joining the Coast Road.
It'd probably have to be split into 2 though, because of the loop around Brunton Park which just wouldn't work, one via Windsor Drive West and another East as I wouldn't want to force someone to do a mystery magical tour of the Great Park to get home.
It's just a shame someone forgot to build bus stops, but sure they could be retrofitted. Mind either way I'd very surprised if Nexus don't reroute the 342 through it soon.