(03 Jan 2025, 7:18 pm)PH - BQA wrote Somewhat in the vein of the London Superloop, what about the following to connect the outskirts of Newcastle and Gateshead. Some of this will include sections of current routes:
NL1: Cobalt to Team Valley: Cobalt - Middle Engine Lane - Howdon - Jarrow - Pelaw - Heworth - Felling - Gateshead Interchange - Team Valley (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.01426...?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)
NL2: Team Valley to Kingston Park: Team Valley - A1 - Metrocentre Interchange - Newburn Riverside - Lemington - West Denton - Denton Burn - Blakelaw - Kingston Park (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/54.92354...?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)
NL3: Kingston Park to Cobalt: Kingston Park - Great Park - Sandy Lane - Quorum - Four Lane Ends - Benton - Holystone - West Allotment - Cobalt (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/55.01403...?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDEwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D)
Most of the major industrial estates and business parks are included, as are several retail parks/shopping centres. All routes are fairly direct, with no huge detours around housing estates etc.
Aye can't disagree with some of those. Not going to lie on the East side I'd always love to see the 19 and 9 merged together as one long route running from Sunderland all the way through to Cramlington.
The 9 to North Shields is a bit of a dog leg really and people wanting that route can use the ferry anyway.
Cobalt and Silverlink are arguably places where people South of the Tyne are more likely to want to go not to mention the connections between all 4 Metro lines (Fellgate / Jarrow / Percy Main / Northumberland Park)
Whether you do it via Howdon rather than Percy Main could be an option though? It's certainly a nicer Metro station.
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This aside one route that badly needs changed is the 32/32A it's clearly a legacy route linking the whole West End to a hospital that doesn't exist anymore and goes on a magical mystery tour. Surely going to Kingston Park instead of Kenton and going towards the Metro Centre rather than duplicating the 10 buses to Newcastle would be a better use of it?