https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/complementary-travel-and-transport-schemesExpress A4 bus route (Wiltshire Whippet)
Traditional park and ride (P&R▸ ) services are usually based at large car parks, located at a city’s periphery, offering direct bus services to the city centre. This model can result in increased vehicle mileage outside of the city, as new car journeys to P&R sites are created by passengers who would have otherwise used public or active modes of travel for the whole journey. Furthermore, providing P&R at the edge of towns and cities for those who have cars abstracts passengers from traditional rural bus services, rendering them unviable and ultimately leading to a reduction in bus access to the city centre.
We have commissioned a study to assess the feasibility of a Chippenham to Bath, West of England style metro bus system with Wiltshire Council. This could offer smaller local or ‘pocket’ park and rides along a transport corridor, linked to the bus network and cycle routes. The service would provide local towns and villages along the route with linkages to other key destinations in Bath, such as The Royal United Hospital and Bath’s Universities.
Lots of interesting questions here including:
- How frequent would the buses be?
- Who would operate them? Would it be Faresaver, or could First make a dramatic return?
- Where would the local Park & Rides along the route be situated?
- How big is a "pocket" ?
- Does this mean the prospect of a controversial Park & Ride for Bathampton/Batheaston is finally dead?
- Which cycle routes would the bus route link with?
- Could what would by necessity be a fast, direct route end up actually taking passengers from existing bus routes along the corridor, causing "abstraction by accident" ?
- What would this mean for the prospects for future railway stations at Corsham and Bathampton?
- Will grahame and Billy the dog be approached to oversee and lead the scheme?
And many more, I suspect
