What is Bus Showcase?
Bus Showcase is a whole route concept that aims to upgrade all aspects of bus travel. Improvements are made not only to the journey on
the bus, but to access to and from the buses, bus stops and transfers to other forms of transport.
What are the benefits?
Bus Showcase helps to provide an improved public transport system that provides a viable alternative to the car. It also enhances the
image and experience of public transport for bus users and offers a quality, convenient and efficient way to travel.
Bus Showcase routes operate across the seven West Midlands district authorities in partnership with Centro, bus operators and West Midlands
Police. Bus Showcase reflects a commitment to giving the West Midlands a truly first-class bus service in keeping with the region’s
national importance.
Where will improvements be made?
To Buses;
- Environmentally friendly low emission engines
- Frequent cleaning
- CCTV to increase passenger safety
- Low floors for easy access
- Room for buggies and wheelchairs
To Bus Stops;
- New and improved shelters with seating wherever possible and appropriate
- Improved bus stop flags and timetables at all stops
- Lighting for improved security at night
- Raised kerbs for easier boarding
To Technology;
- Up-to-date timetable information.
- Improved passenger information, such as real time displays.
To Routes;
- Bus priority measures at key points along the route to ensure a high frequency service, improve bus journey times and improve service
reliability.
- Bus priority at traffic lights.
- Bus Lanes.
- Parking and loading supported by “yellow line” restrictions.
These improvements will be made across the A457, for improvements proposed near you please go to
Route Sections.
FAQs
Why is this upgrade to Route 87 needed?
The 2006 West Midlands Local Transport Plan identified that buses have a key role to play in providing efficient, affordable and
economical transport across the West Midlands. However, it is also recognised that improvements need to be made to buses, the
stops and the shelters on street and to the frequency of services in order to make buses as reliable, comfortable and attractive
as private cars.
The West Midlands Bus Showcase is a joint initiative between Centro, the West Midlands Metropolitan Councils and bus operators
to deliver some of these benefits. Showcase schemes are generally targetted at corridors where bus patronage could be increased
or where there is potential for reduced congestion through increased bus use.
Why is the route I use not being upgraded?
Showcase schemes are being rolled out across the West Midlands on the busiest bus corridors where maximum benefits can be achieved.
By focusing on the key corridors improvements can be delivered for the main bus service, but also for other services operating in parts of the
corridor. As funding becomes available more and more strategic bus corridors will receive the Showcase treatment.
Are other Bus Showcases planned?
Other Bus Showcase route improvements are intended in Sandwell soon, including to Route 451(West Bromwich to Sutton Coldfield) and Route
74 (Dudley to Birmingham).
Didn’t Birmingham take out the bus priority on the Tyburn Road? Doesn’t that prove that bus priority is a waste of
money?
The bus priority on Tyburn Road was introduced by reallocating road space from general traffic to provide a bus lane. This left
too little space for general traffic and increased delays for the majority of users on the route. However, although problems
occured on the Tyburn Road there are still hundreds of miles of bus lane operating across the country that deliver benefits to
users.
It is also worth noting that there are many ways of delivering bus priority besides using bus lanes. The proposals for bus priority
on the A457 and Route 87 generally avoid reallocating carriageway space for buses and are focused instead on methods which provide
benefits for buses whilst avoiding increases in delays to general traffic.