Better bus services for North Walsall
People in North Walsall are to benefit from an improved bus network which will provide better links between communities, more evening and Sunday services and more connections to local centres and hospitals.
Using comments and feedback from the public and local stakeholders, transport authority Centro, local bus operators and Walsall Council have worked together to finalise a series of changes to improve the area's bus services.
They will build on North Walsall's already extensive transport network, making sure bus services are easier to understand and take people where they want to go, when they want to go.
The changes, which come into effect on April 25, follow Centro's Transforming Bus Travel strategy which aims to provide people across the West Midlands with a more attractive network of high quality bus services.
Improvements include:
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Easier to understand service numbers on key bus corridors
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New day time bus service for Goscote Lane, Chestnut Road and Hawbush Road
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More regular buses from Walsall to Blakenall, Bloxwich, Pelsall, High Heath and Aldridge
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A new service linking Bloxwich and Pelsall with Aldridge
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New links to Wolverhampton and New Cross Hospital for High Heath, Pelsall, Pelsall Wood, Shellfield and Little Bloxwich
Better evening and Sunday services for Lower Farm
More regular daytime buses, a new evening and Sunday service and a new link to Birmingham for Daw End
More regular bus services between Burntwood, Brownhills and Walsall
Chris Perry, Head of Operational Services at Centro, said: "Together with our partners we have taken on board peoples' comments and used them to create a more modern bus network for the North Walsall area.
"This includes providing more evening and Sunday services to reflect 21st Century shopping and working hours, better links between communities and simplified route numbers to make services between key centres more recognisable for passengers.
"We understand that these changes will take some time to get used to but, given a few weeks, we believe people living in the area will feel the full benefits of their new bus network and the better links and services it will provide."
The changes were finalised using feedback from a public consultation in January as well as comments from schools, community groups, local councillors and other stakeholders.
To make sure people are aware of the new network, Centro is sending nearly 100,000 leaflets detailing the bus service changes to every household in North Walsall.
Further details are also available at North Walsall Review.
A series of exhibitions will also be held across North Walsall in the coming weeks where members of staff will be on hand to provide timetables and answer any questions from the public.
These will take place as follows:
Friday 16 April, 10am - 3pm, Network West Midlands Exhibition Bus, Park Road end of Bloxwich High Street
Saturday 17 April, 10am - 3pm, Community Hall, Streetly Youth Club and Sports Hall, Foley Road East
Thursday 22 April, 1pm - 6pm, Network West Midlands Exhibition Bus, Tesco Car Park, Silver Street, Brownhills
Saturday 24 April, 10am - 3pm, Network West Midlands Marquee, The Crossing by Walsall Bus Station, Walsall Town Centre
In what will be one of England's first Voluntary Multi-lateral Agreements, the new network will be signed up to by bus operators Arriva Midlands, Midland, Midland Rider and National Express West Midlands which run the majority of services in the area.
Each will commit to providing quality improvements including new or refurbished vehicles and improved customer services for passengers.
Centro and Walsall Council will also pledge to put in place better facilities for bus users including new or upgraded shelters, better information and bus friendly highway improvements.
Research shows that where bus networks have been simplified and improved in other parts of the country it has attracted significantly more people out of their cars and onto the buses, helping to cut congestion and carbon emissions.
