(16 May 2016, 10:07 pm)James101 wrote https://www.scribblemaps.com/create/#id=Hartlepoolbus&lat=54.704715421172835&lng=-1.221530526519814&z=14&t=custom_style

Been having a think about Hartlepool local routes and how they could better serve the town. For a small town, the town centre is spread out over a large area when it is considered more & more shopping and leisure facilities are moving across the marina. At the same time, there is still development in the centre with the shopping centre, large colleges and One Life Hospital. 

Various areas of the town have had their bus service taken away to focus on key corridors. The issue I've found however, is when your bus only serves either the town or the marina, as you need to visit both on different days. Regardless of this, the busiest part of the marina, Navigation Point, as well as the residential developments have no service at all. 

Thinking outside the box, on a big scale, I believe there's scope to create a small bus station (3 stands) on Navigation Point using the car park of the Sea Cadets unit. I know from experience the car park and the building are leased separately and a bus station would add more value to the development as a whole for Mandale (the owners of the land) than a barely used car-park. This location would also avoid buses having to negotiate the busy car park area further along the road. 

Leading on from the above, I think the following proposals could work, though I'd love your opinions. Important to note, if I've worked this out right, this is done with the same PVR.

Link to colour map of proposals to provide better understanding:
https://www.scribblemaps.com/create/#id=Hartlepoolbus&lat=54.704715421172835&lng=-1.221530526519814&z=14&t=custom_style

Route 1: High Tunstall - Throston Grange - Hartlepool - Seaton Carew - Middlesbrough Every 20 Mins - PVR 8 Red Line
So not off to an exciting start, this is just the current route 1 now running every 20 minutes all the way through to Middlesbrough. If the demand was low for the upped frequency to Boro there could be just 2 per hour all the way but would lead to an 'uneven' timetable when one terminates in Seaton Carew so not ideal. 

Route 2: Seaton Carew - Hartlepool - Marina & Navigation Point Every 20 Mins PVR 2.5 (interworks with route 3 to total PVR 5) Orange Line
This route shares that of route 1 between Seaton and Hartlepool to maintain a 10 minute frequency as per now. Route 2 buses then continue to the Marina and through the Vision Retail Park to Navigation Point. This provides a new link between Seaton and the Marina. 

Route 3: Clavering - Bishop Cuthbert - Duke Street - Town Centre - Marina & Navigation Point Every 20 Mins PVR 2.5 (interworks with route 2) Blue Line
Starts off in Clavering and runs across to Bishop Cuthbert. This seems more sensible than the current situation of having two routes for these locations. Runs into Throston Grange Terminus to provide Throston with a bus to the Marina. Then runs current 3 route to Hart Lane, but then quicker into town via Duke Street and Grange Road to restore a bus service to this area. Runs through the Town Centre to Marina & Navigation point as per route 2. 

Route 4: Fens - Brierton - Rift House - Hartlepool - Marina & Maritime Ave Every 15 Mins PVR 4 Black Line
Runs in a loop from Easkdale Road - St Patricks - Fens - Wynyard Rd Shops to reduce running time and provide more links; not too dissimilar to now. Runs along current 4 route though past Brinkburn College to tap into student market. Runs to Town & Marina but then to Maritime Ave to restore links to this area which is still close to Navigation Point but avoids over bussing that area.  

Route 5: South Fens - Catcote Road - Oxford Road - Hartlepool - Marina & Navigation Point Every 10 Mins PVR 5 Turquoise Line
Think as this route as the southern part of current route 6, though it now goes to South Fens again. Provides frequent buses along this busy corridor but opens up access to Marina which the current 6 does not. 

Route 6: Clavering - Brus - Hartlepool - Marina - Brus - Clavering  Every 10 Mins PVR 5 Green Line
Now this is the norther part of the current 6 but now runs in a terminal loop like the 2005 era route 8. The loop will cover both the Town Centre & Marina unlike the current 6; open to debate about which way round the loop is best. 

Route 7: Headland - Marina - Town Centre - Foggy Furze - Rossmere - Owton Manor Every 10 Mins PVR 6 Purple Line
This is little change to the current route 7, just a change on the Owton Manor end to reflect the other new routes in this area. As one of the few current routes that covers the Town and Marina already; if it ain't broke don't fix it!


I'm aware there some individual roads which would be bus-less if this were a reality. In an ideal world a small operator (Pauls Travel?) could run a secured hourly service: Hartfields Retirement Village - Hospital - Challenor Road - Brougham Terrace - Marina - Town Centre - Tesco - Westbrooke Avenue - Fens - Truro Drive - South Greatham. With a PVR of 2 it could be viably funded as it runs through many wards were councillors could contribute a small amount each from their budgets.