(23 Oct 2023, 3:47 pm)markydh wrote The X82 only runs hourly in the evenings and besides, it isn’t that much quicker (the new timetable will have a round trip of 57 minutes) and doesn’t go anywhere near Central Station. Plus given how few people get on or off the 22 off peak between Scotswood Bridge and Newcastle College, it’s virtually an express. Also, you can’t currently use Stagecoach passes on the 684 and neither that nor the 685 serve the Throckley estates. No one is going to walk up a very steep hill to the main road. And what about Newburn and Lemington? As I say, the bus services to the outer west have been very stable for a very long time and that’s precisely because they work as they should, particularly since the 62 replaced the 71 between North Walbottle and Throckley, which provided long called for links to the West Denton shops. What most of the west of the City Centre lacks, however, is a link to the Airport. Now that would definitely be something to explore.
I firmly believe the addition of north/South or circular type services, can only be a good thing.
Throw in all of the new housing and business at Great Park, Longbenton, Sandy Lane, Middle Callerton, mix it up a bit with the fact buses tend not to go to those places in a very direct manner and I reckon there's plenty of opportunities.
Tie it in with your airport suggestion, the Business Park and the redevelopment around Benwell and Scotswood and there must be more than enough scope to grow.
The majority of the services still operate east/west in to and out of the town.
There could be a variation of the 22, so that it extends north beyond Throckley.
Some sort of service that works via Scotswood Road, Denton Road and north.
Maybe an airport, Sandy Lane, Spine Road, Longbenton Quorum type route.
They're the sorts of routes that could get cars off the road and help the modal switch.
Buses to and from the places people need to be, in a direct fashion, that doesn't involve going in to and put of the town.