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In total 144 bus stops have had raised kerbs installed to make getting on and off the bus easier, new shelters have been installed at many of the Showcase Route stops and old ones have been reused at other stops, new signage on the bus stop will make finding information on bus routes and times simpler.
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Junction improvements and bus lanes will make bus journeys more reliable and more attractive for all seven services that use the Showcase Route.
Residents along the routes will be offered discounted travel to encourage them to use the bus and Personal Travel Planning Roadshows at local venues will help familiarise new users with their local bus services. In conjunction with the West of England Partnership and First,
Heart FM will be running a competition to enable listeners win an iPad computer and some free bus travel between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol giving the winner an opportunity to relax on the bus while listening to music or a story.
The A 370 Route is the first of the ten Showcase Routes across the partnership area. When complete over 944 bus stops will have been improved,
- over 120 new low floor buses will be operatin
- 301 more bus stops will have real time information,
- 22 junctions will have bus priority signals and
- 8.6 km of new bus or bus priority lane will be in use;
all intended to improve the reliability of the local bus network, and to make bus travel more attractive and accessible to local people.
Wherever possible junction improvements have included provision for those walking or cycling so delivering real added benefits to the widest possible range of people. The physical improvements will be backed up by information about the local buses services to residents to encourage more people to give buses a try, whether to get to work, to college or to school, to take a day trip to the sea side or the shops.
It is expected that as a result of the development of the Showcase Bus Route in the area, 3.9 million additional bus journeys will be made each year cutting carbon emissions by 43,000 tonnes.
Councillor Charles Gerrish, Chair of the West of England Joint Transport Executive Committee, and Bath & North East Somerset Cabinet member with responsibility for transport said “The improvements to the bus network are taking place across the whole of the West of England area, thanks to funding from the Department for Transport, First, and the four local councils. It is just one example of the success that our cross boundary partnership working has brought about and part of our overall vision of an integrated transport network.”
Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, Executive Member for North Somerset with responsibility for transport said, “We are delighted to have the first Showcase route, the improvements to the bus network along the A370, in Weston-super-Mare, and in the surrounding villages of Long Ashton, Claverham and Yatton highlight the important role buses have as part of a sustainable transport network. This investment the buses more accessible and easier to use for a wide range of people and should encourage more people to give the buses a try.”
Councillor Gary Hopkins, Executive Member for Bristol with responsibility for transport said, “Using the bus to travel from Weston-super-Mare or Bristol or places in between has never been easier and simpler with redesigned route maps showing the stops, connecting services, new bus stops and road improvements for a more reliable service. As more of the Showcase Network is completed these benefits will be available to more and more people helping to reduce congestion and the amount of carbon emission locally.”
Tony McNiff, Managing Director of First in Bristol, Somerset and Avon, says: “We have been working in partnership with the councils on the Showcase network improvements for the past 3 years, and as each of the individual elements of the scheme are completed, we step closer to the ultimate goal of building a better quality, more reliable and punctual network of services in the Greater Bristol area. We are playing our part in this; we have invested £20 million in a fleet of better buses to use on the Showcase Routes and these are already on the road delivering real benefits for bus users. In addition, we have looked at the fares on the new showcase route between Bristol and Weston-super-Mare and have done what we can to make the cost of travelling on the route more attractive to encourage greater bus use. We will work with the West of England Partnership to actively encourage people to try the new route, providing tickets, discounts and running various promotions over the coming months. We hope all the improvements lead to modal shift away from the car, with those who have not previously used the bus, giving it a go.”