St Helens Bus Network Review

[Bevan Price]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review
I can see the 111 disappearing - very few passengers on board almost every time I see it. And some other lightly used routes may be reduced or withdrawn.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review
I can see the 147 getting Withdrawn as few use it, the 137/138 will be safe tho as that does really well

[St Helens Rider]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review

(19/05/2016 19:42)T42 PVM Wrote:  I can see the 147 getting Withdrawn as few use it, the 137/138 will be safe tho as that does really well

Surely either the 121 or 122 could cover the 147 route as Gaskell Street is a very strange case in that it is better served evenings/Sundays than during the daytime as the 196 also serves the area. Also at the other end of the 121 route, Dunriding Lane has a better service on a Sunday than in the week as there no gap in the service on a Sunday but a 3 - 3.30 hour gap in the week.

[wirralbus]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review

(19/05/2016 19:42)T42 PVM Wrote:  I can see the 147 getting Withdrawn as few use it, the 137/138 will be safe tho as that does really well

If as you say it does well , can it parts be made into a commercial service (137/138).

[motormayhem1]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review
The 121/122 could be split so the 121 could do fleet lane,berrys lane,junction then normal route to clock face/bold and 122 could serve the same route its doing now
The 137/138 billange section could get dropped as you have the 32/32A/352 covering most of that route.

[T42 PVM (Moderator)]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review
The St Helens - Billinge Section does not do that well but is the only Bus into Billinge Estate, I cant see how they could replace that with anything else, the St Helens - Prescot Section could be taken on Commercially, All trips pick up really well, As for the other Routes on the list i can see:

Daytime

A10 - Withdrawn, No one ever uses it and it only goes around the corner and back!
12 - Should be retained, only Bus to serve Queens Park, Morrisons and Ravenhead Retail Park
111 - Reduced Operating hours, After about 5/6pm its hardly used so the last 3 or 4 trips could be cut
152 - Should be retained, Only Bus through Crank and serves parts of Rainford the 38 does not, Its also the only Bus from St Helens to Edge Hill Uni so this is a vital link.
157 - Should be retained, Only Bus that serves Crawford Village and other little areas that have no other Bus
289 - Retained, Serves parts of Whiston Village that no other Bus Serves, Picks up well to
290 - Withdrawn, Hattons could run their 297 on a Saturday on a DM Contract
603 - Should be retained, Does ok as it goes to Ashton In Makerfield

Evening/Sun

36 - Tender Withdrawn, Replaced by Arriva on a DM Contract
17 - Tender Withdrawn, Replaced by either Arriva or Halton on a DM contract
121/122 - Retained, only Bus to Clock Face and Bold, plus its a good replacement for the 147 that runs along most of its route
141 - Retained, Only Bus that serves Acorn Street estates in Earlstown and other areas along the route
147 - Withdrawn, Almost all the route is covered by other Services and its hardly used anyway!
156 - Tender Withdrawn, Replaced by Arriva on a DM Contract
194/195 - Retained, Serves places like Eccelston that would be left without a Bus Service
196 - Retained, Only Bus through places like Sutton Heath
602 - Retained, only Bus along most of the route

[St Helens Rider]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review
I think the only reason the 147 does so poorly is because of it's timings - it leaves St Helens 1 minute after the 122.

[St Helens Rider]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review
I think the whole network in St Helens has been long overdue an overhaul. Prime examples are the Marshalls Cross area Evenings/Sundays - 2 buses per hour from Lea Green to Town Centre (17B & 194), inbound both due at exactly the same time. It doesn't get any better when they get to the Hospital as this cavalcade is joined 5 minutes later by the 141.

Also buses towards St Helens Junction aren't equally spaced either 122 at xx05. 147 at xx06, 121at xx35 & 141 at xx40).

[Jack]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review
I was thinking the 111 and 147 could be replaced by a revised and extended 31 between Parr and St Helens Junction. The rest of the 111 is covered by other services for most of the day so that's two services gone.

With the 152 if there's going to be part funding could this not be replaced by the 38, or a variation say the 38A?

And the 141 could be reduced in parts, certainly the last couple of journeys at least with Warrington's new 24E which could be extended to Newton over the 141 route.

[CX54 DKD (Moderator)]

RE: St Helens Bus Network Review

(20/05/2016 18:53)jcksmnr Wrote:  With the 152 if there's going to be part funding could this not be replaced by the 38, or a variation say the 38A?

The 152 covers Crank and the Higher Lane end of Rainford. If the 38 were to do that, it'd leave the Church Road section of Rainford and the areas alongside the Rainford By-Pass, including the industrial estate, unserved. To try and cover all of that with one route would be very difficult given the tight nature of a number of the estates and roads around Rainford. I know that the 356 covers Crank of an evening but I believe that may already have some part funding to do so? Either way, to leave either part of the village without a service during the day would disadvantage a lot of users. In addition, the 152 serves parts of St Helens between Dentons Green and the town centre that the 38 doesn't and couldn't easily with the size of vehicles allocated.

The 152 also serves Ormskirk and for the 38 to do that, whilst still retaining the service for Rainford Junction, would mean that passengers boarding in the Junction would have to take a trip out to Ormskirk before returning to St Helens.

Remember also that the 152 in its current form has already helped replace another service, the 319. I do believe there's potential for the 152 to become a DM contract however as it carries a healthy load at most times of the day.