More than eight in ten passengers say bus services have improved following the introduction of Sprint bus lanes and junction upgrades on the A34 between Walsall and Birmingham. And 64% say the services using the busy commuter route are faster than the general traffic a survey has revealed. The Sprint corridor has been developed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to make bus travel more reliable and more attractive as a part of plans to reduce traffic congestion and make travel greener.
Phase one, completed last summer, saw bus lanes, junction upgrades and new shelters introduced along the A34 and A45 linking Walsall, Birmingham, and Solihull. Phase two, which is now being developed, will see further upgrades to improve bus journeys followed by the introduction of a cross-city bus service.
A total of 379 bus passengers using services along the Sprint route were surveyed and the results have highlighted significant awareness of the works and journey time improvements. The survey found that 64% of A34 respondents agreed that buses were quicker than general traffic, compared to 33% along the A45, while 56% of off-peak travellers thought the buses were faster than general traffic compared to 44% of peak time travellers.
Last year it was revealed that bus journeys on the A45 were 22% quicker following the completion of the bus priority measures along the Sprint corridor. Half of the respondents noticed the dedicated bus lanes across the two routes, and 70% of off-peak travellers were aware of the route improvements.
Across both the A34 and A45, 67% of respondents felt the benefits, which rose to 82% along the A34. The survey also found that 16% of respondents were making more bus journeys because of the Sprint improvements.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said: “It’s imperative that we continue to improve our region's transport network - providing local people with a reliable, efficient, and affordable travel experience.
“That’s why it’s great to see that the positive impact of Sprint on the A34 is already being felt by passengers - with more than 80% saying they’ve noticed improvements in service. This level of customer satisfaction is key if we want to get more local people onto our buses – utilising a greener alternative to the car.
“Phase two of Sprint will build on our success to date by paving the way for direct services linking Walsall, Solihull, Birmingham and important destinations like the NEC and airport. These efforts will ensure local people continue to benefit from Sprint bus routes right across our region in the months and years ahead.”
Councillor Mike Bird, WMCA portfolio lead for transport and leader of Walsall Council, added: “Improving access to transport between Walsall, Birmingham city centre and beyond better connects our residents to opportunities across the region. It also helps realise our vision of a healthier and cleaner city, where communities, residents and businesses can fulfil their potential and thrive.
"We can see that buses have become more reliable and journey times have improved, following the successful completion of Phase 1. We expect to see a further improvement in these areas following the delivery of Phase 2.”
After the successful completion of phase 1 in May 2022, Sprint provided essential support for the Commonwealth Games, and the bus priority measures ensured regular bus users experienced minimal disruptions despite the additional traffic.
Phase 2 works are expected to start in 2024 and will see further work along the route to complete the infrastructure ready for the introduction of articulated zero-emission buses.
The City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), awarded to the WMCA by the Department for Transport last year, is contributing £56 million to phase 2.
TfWM has been awarded a total funding of £1.05 billion by CRSTS which will help to deliver more than £1.3 billion of investment across a range of large and small transport projects over the next five years.
These transport projects play a vital role in achieving an efficient, decarbonised transport network, contributing to the overall prosperity and seamless connectivity of the West Midlands region.
