(12 May 2023, 8:54 am)Storx wrote Aye I get what your saying but imo they could be better the 53/335 are too similar at the Eastern side and if both are subsidised then arguably it'd be better to merge it. Personally if I was trying to do something I'd try and do something like the below map:Pretty robust set of suggestions here, only things I'd consider.......
Which is the following:
19 (Light Turquoise) - Every Hour, No Changes - Totally agree
19A (Dark Turquoise) - Every Hour, Replacement for sections of the 54 and 342 offering more fast Cobalt links. - Totally agree
51 (Red) - Every 30 Minutes, No Changes - see further down
52 (Light Blue) - Every 30 Minutes, No Changes - Totally agree
53 (Light Purple) - Every Hour, Merged with 335 at Eastern Side - Agree although see further down
53A (Dark Purple) - Every Hour, Partially Merged with 342 at Southern Side, restore all Wallsend to Cramlington links. - Totally agree
54 (Orange) - Every Hour, Partial replacement of 335/54. Offers new links from Howdon to Battle Hill, keeps the Gosforth to Killingworth links and offers links to Quorum from all the estates plus a bus service from Meadway to Newcastle albeit slow. - Totally agree with this one but see point about 51
55 - Withdrawn, Meadway served by 54, rest has other services.
W2 - Withdrawn, 51 upped to every 30 minutes instead.
335 - Withdrawn, replaced by 53/54
342 - Withdrawn, replaced by 19A/53A
It imo offers much more than what's there now and keeps the core links between places. The only lost direct link is Killingworth to Whitley Bay but they can change onto the Metro. The 51 would also become much more attractive, the route has potential imo if it was actually pushed now the 54 duplicate from Shiremoor in both directions is removed.
51 (Red) - Every 30 Minutes, No Changes54 (Orange) - Every Hour, Partial replacement of 335/54.
* Keep W2 as is
* 51 hourly to A191 New York Road from Whitley Bay, then via B1322 following existing 54 route and forming a combined frequency up to every 30 minutes with the new 54 on common sections
* 38 extended half-hourly from Freeman Hospital to Northumberland Park via Haddricks Mill, Benton Park Road, Whitley Road, East Benton Rise, Benton ASDA, Holystone, Holystone Park and West Allotment
* 22 split Cobalt & Silverlink / Hadrian Park every 20 minutes each
* 307 re-routed via Wiltshire Drive and omits Hadrian Park
53 (Light Purple) - Every Hour, Merged with 335 at Eastern Side
* Issue with this is lack of service from Billy Mill Lane and parts of Lynn Road to North Shields. A few sheltered accommodation blocks around those areas plus the 53, 442, 56, 356 have always been a hit with the 'twirlies' on this stretch.
* One option would be extension of both 57/57A to North Shields via evening route. - Most sensible
* Other option would be dropping the 317 to hourly and introducing a sister hourly 318 service which runs instead via Billy Mill Lane, Lynn Road, Queen Alexandra Road and then re-joining the 317 route at Hawkeys Lane. This however would significantly reduce service around Preston Grange and the 317 is a pretty stable route which is doing good, so would be better leaving alone.