(15 Dec 2024, 10:35 am)Storx wrote Even known I get your point that corridor imo Hadrian Park shouldn't be part of it and it should be something like after franchising which would remove all the duplicate services from the corridors (1/12/317) and create a clean 5 minute service combined plus a faster journey for those in Throckley:
22: Throckley - Lemington - Omit Newburn Business Park - Newcastle - Wallsend - Howden - 317 Route to North Shields - 1 Route to Whitley Bay (Every 20 Minutes)
23: Same Route as above - Howdon - Coniston Road - 1 Route to North Shields (Every 20 Minutes)
24: Combe Drive - Valley View - Union Hall Road - Newburn Business Park - 22 Route to Newcastle - 1 Route to Wallsend - 22 Route to Cobalt (Every 20 Minutes)
25: Winlaton - Blaydon - Scotswood Bridge - Same route as above to Wallsend - Holy Cross / Howdon Loop (Every 20 Minutes)
22/23/24/25: Every 5 Minutes combined on common sections.
N22: Newcastle - Wallsend - Howdon - 23 Route to North Shields - Tynemouth - Cullercoats - Whitley Bay (Every 30 Minute Night Bus)
The Howden end looking like this:
Pros:
More frequent combined service between Howdon and Scotswood Road (it needs it)
New links from North Shields Ferry to the Coast
New Newcastle links from the Holy Cross area
New Newcastle links from more parts of Lemington
More frequent service to Blaydon / Winlaton
Faster service to Throckley omitting Newburn Business Park
Removal of duplicate services.
Negatives:
PVR increase
No direct link to Gateshead
To be fair, that idea post franchising would be a good shout. Just be careful of the Howdon loop though as residents around Holy Cross will need access both to / from the shops and GP surgeries etc.
At the moment on a commercial basis though, Hadrian Park is an eye-sore and always has been. Really (other than evening & Sunday variations), it needs a service which can be terminated there and a 22/23 would fit the criteria. Plus not forgetting that any 'on paper' journey time increases over a Coast Road service, would be compensated by more reliable journeys with pretty much Byker Bridge to Newcastle being all bus lanes.