(17 Sep 2024, 6:42 pm)MurdnunoC wrote For me, the first thing the plan should address is need to bring all National Rail stations in the LA7 under the remit and control of NECA/TNE (or whatever they're called this week). This would allow complete multi-modal travel across the region from Haltwhistle to Horden; from Berwick to Durham; and everywhere in between. This happens in other Local Authority areas and counties across the UK so, for me, this is a more realistic proposition of progress using allocated funds rather than fantastical projects such as the Leamside Line; the Wearside Loop; the refurbishment of 16 year-old bus stations; or anything else where the cost is likely to run into the tens (or hundreds) of millions. It's an achievable prospect and is likely to encourage public transport usage if someone, for example, Alnwick, can nip on the bus down to Alnmouth and catch the train to Newcastle without sitting nigh on two-hours on a bus which traverses everywhere on the way. It's a small step, but one that could lead to bigger things such as the projects I've listed as you can then prove the passenger numbers are there if you speculate to accumulate.

Yeah totally agreed there.

Another thing I'd like to see is more Bus Rapid Transport, similar to the Glider service in Belfast. It's obvious trams are never going to be affordable but something similar to Glider would be easily affordable along the most dense corridors, the likes of Durham Road and West Road for similar reasons that someone doesn't have to sit on a bus stopping at every bus stop or going on a magical mystery tour around the estates like the 25.

Again much more reasonable than trains along Scotswood Road serving trees and miles away from the real density. Who knows if it's such a success, you might in the future be able to convert it to a full tram network.

There's loads of corridors where you could potentially do something similar;
Newcastle to Whitley Bay / North Shields via Coast Road / Cobalt
Newcastle to Chester Le Street via Durham Road
Newcastle to West Denton / Lemington via West Road
Newcastle to Gosforth Park via Great North Road
Newcastle to Galleries via Wrekenton / Old Durham Road
Sunderland to Pennywell via Chester Road
Sunderland to South Shields via Seaburn
Durham to Arnison

Just to throw some corridors out there. It fills in the gaps where the Metro can't really serve with connections from local services onto the nearest BRT route.

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For reference anyone who doesn't know what Glider is, it's basically a tram but using buses which are articulated and tram style stops every 400m or so instead of the usual 150-250m so you can get to places quicker. It's doing well very well with passenger usage up 35% so far where they've built it.