Roads that could be converted into busways?

[PTR 444]

With segregation of buses from other traffic key to boosting ridership, I’m wondering if there are many roads left that could feasibly closed off to all traffic except local buses and emergency vehicles.

There is one caveat however. You cannot block access to properties or cul-de-sacs, making application of bus-only roads a much bigger challenge. In theory though I could see a case for making Ashley Road in Poole bus only between the Richmond Road lights and the Alder Road roundabout to speed up the m1/m2 bus journeys. Vehicular access to local properties would be maintained by providing parking in side roads which would be blocked off from the busway.

 

[SargeNpton]

With segregation of buses from other traffic key to boosting ridership, I’m wondering if there are many roads left that could feasibly closed off to all traffic except local buses and emergency vehicles.

There is one caveat however. You cannot block access to properties or cul-de-sacs, making application of bus-only roads a much bigger challenge. In theory though I could see a case for making Ashley Road in Poole bus only between the Richmond Road lights and the Alder Road roundabout to speed up the m1/m2 bus journeys. Vehicular access to local properties would be maintained by providing parking in side roads which would be blocked off from the busway.

And that just clogs up all the surrounding roads with the traffic displaced from Ashley Road. How do the Asley Road properties get deliveries? What do you do about those buildings with rear access that only exit onto Ashley Road itself?

 

[PTR 444]

And that just clogs up all the surrounding roads with the traffic displaced from Ashley Road. How do the Asley Road properties get deliveries? What do you do about those buildings with rear access that only exit onto Ashley Road itself?

Perhaps by providing ample parking for residents in nearby side roads and limiting delivery hours to 19:00-06:00?

If the above isn’t workable, may I suggest another road that might be better for a busway - Cowley Road in Oxford. Why? Because it’s a largely commercial rather than residential street. If you restrict access between the roundabout where St Clement’s Street/ Iffley Road meet (forgotten what it’s called) and Manzil Way, it would still be possible to provide access to all intermediate side roads via other means. Tyndale Road and Alma Place are cul-de-sacs, but they can be accessed via Circus Street and Temple Street respectively.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

With segregation of buses from other traffic key to boosting ridership, I’m wondering if there are many roads left that could feasibly closed off to all traffic except local buses and emergency vehicles.

It's hard to imagine many roads that would be suitable. The problem is: You want buses to run where people live, and that generally means, roads that have houses or places that people need to go along them. And if a road has houses along it, then you need vehicle access to get to the houses. On the other hand, if a road in an urban area has no houses along it, why would you want to want to route a bus along it?

Dartford has the 'Kent Fastway' bus-only roads. I'm not sure if they were purpose built or where converted from normal roads? I'm not a bus user there so can't really judge how effective they are, but at the town end, where the Kent Fastway runs parallel to Darenth Road, it looks to me like it most likely just diverts buses away from the populated area, so I'm not sure how useful it is.

Maybe there's more scope for making more roads that run through housing estates through routes only for buses, while other traffic can only access the road at one point, discouraging through traffic that would slow down the buses?

 

[PTR 444]

It's hard to imagine many roads that would be suitable. The problem is: You want buses to run where people live, and that generally means, roads that have houses or places that people need to go along them. And if a road has houses along it, then you need vehicle access to get to the houses. On the other hand, if a road in an urban area has no houses along it, why would you want to want to route a bus along it?

Dartford has the 'Kent Fastway' bus-only roads. I'm not sure if they were purpose built or where converted from normal roads? I'm not a bus user there so can't really judge how effective they are, but at the town end, where the Kent Fastway runs parallel to Darenth Road, it looks to me like it most likely just diverts buses away from the populated area, so I'm not sure how useful it is.

Maybe there's more scope for making more roads that run through housing estates through routes only for buses, while other traffic can only access the road at one point, discouraging through traffic that would slow down the buses?

A Runcorn-style setup could work in several places. Build individual housing estates with only one access road for private vehicles, but have multiple bus-only connecting roads to other estates or run a busway right through the middle.

 

[Northumbriana]

The Coast Road dual carriageway from Newcastle to North Shields could have two lanes handed over to buses. Infact there are a number of dual carriageways where this could happen I think.

 

[renegademaster]

As Cambridgeshire showed, old BR that wouldn't be able to support a new railway are the perfect territory for busways (with the guided part allowing them to run fast on narrower roads that wouldnt normally be justified as safe. You go onto normal roads where houses have been built on the route

 

[WibbleWobble]

With segregation of buses from other traffic key to boosting ridership, I’m wondering if there are many roads left that could feasibly closed off to all traffic except local buses and emergency vehicles.

There is one caveat however. You cannot block access to properties or cul-de-sacs, making application of bus-only roads a much bigger challenge. In theory though I could see a case for making Ashley Road in Poole bus only between the Richmond Road lights and the Alder Road roundabout to speed up the m1/m2 bus journeys. Vehicular access to local properties would be maintained by providing parking in side roads which would be blocked off from the busway.

Have you seen some of those back streets? Many are barely wide enough for a car to pass a line of parked vehicles, let alone anything bigger! The easiest quick fix for Ashley Road is to remove the parking bays, given there is ample under-utilised off-street car parking. A lot of the congestion is caused by the road being slightly too narrow for two large vehicles to pass, and car (and especially van) drivers darting across the road into the first space they see, and taking ages to get in straight because the space is on the small size!

As SargeNpton said above, all it will do is clog up already busy roads. There isn't enough capacity, especially as the Bourne Valley route was never built - the whole conurbation is just too car dependent. Even in the holidays, (afternoon in particular) peak traffic is just as bad as it is in term time.