Who in Birtley or Barley Mow would get the 23 as it exists to the Galleries anyway, when the M2 & M3 are much quicker?
The 23 is like the old 638, in that it combines a number of previous services with not many people travel from end point to end point.
People use it locally, hence making the suggestion I did - people in Barley Mow have to walk to get the X25, with nothing between there and the hourly 28 coming up from Station Lane when travelling to the QE. Imagine how happy the Birtley Councillors would be with a bus serving a massive portion of Birtley and taking them to the QE? Its never happened before.
It also creates a new link from deepest Leam Lane to the QE as well as developing a link to Washington. One of the biggest council estates in Europe isnt connected to a massive shopping centre 10mins down the road nor it's local hospital as it stands... which seems crazy.
Around Birtley, Barley Mow and Vigo, the 23 should adopt the same direction (where possible) as the M2/M3. Within the estate especially, people will be standing on one side of the road to get on the M2 to go to the shops in Birtley and the 23 will sail past in the opposite direction.
Re the X23 - that Lamesley road will be chaos. It gets bad enough as it is, without roadworks on the A1.
RE: Service Suggestions