Gareth Evans talks to Shalando Williams, MetroBus Project Manager at First West of England, about the scheme which will transform not only the high-profile new routes with a plethora of bus priority measures, but also the wider network, providing an attractive alternative to the private car
It’s been a long time coming, but Bristol’s MetroBus rapid transit scheme is finally on the home straight. First West of England (WoE) has been confirmed as the operator of the inaugural route, which is set to begin in the first half of 2018.
Explaining what MetroBus is, Shalando Williams, Metrobus Project Manager said: “Using a combination of segregated busways and bus lanes to speed up services, MetroBus will offer an attractive and viable alternative to the private car, which should drive modal shift. It’s a joint project between Bristol City Council (BCC), South Gloucestershire Council and North Somerset Council.
“The aim is to connect key educational, employment and leisure hubs. There’s also been a major investment in infrastructure. The network comprises three core routes.
“The M1 goes from Hengrove in the South to Cribbs Causeway in the North, via the city centre and the University of West of England (UWE). It negotiates the M32 bus-only junction. If there’s anything that will drive demand on Metrobus, it’s the M1 – it’s the project’s shining star.
“Route M2, also known as AVTM (Ashton Vale to Temple Meads) goes from the Long Ashton Park & Ride (P&R) site to the city centre, where it does an anti-clockwise loop and then back to the P&R site.
“M3 is the third route, which runs from Emersons Green on the North Eastern fringes of Bristol to the city centre, via the M32.”
MetroBus services will be run on a commercial basis by bus operators in partnership with the local authorities. The partnership sets out minimum standards covering matters such as emissions, frequencies, fares and cleanliness standards.
First WoE will be operating the M2 route. The operators for the M1 and M3 route is expected to be announced soon.
Priority measures
“There’s been a major investment in infrastructure,” Shalando explained. “The M32 bus-only junction will significantly speed up journey times between the city centre and UWE and North Bristol. UWE forms one of our key markets – MetroBus should remove traffic from the M32.
“There’s also an extension of the M32 bus lane. During a recent Saturday UWE open day, I drove one of our buses along there. I was passing cars on the M32 – it was great. That bus lane is truly money well spent.[wlm_nonmember][…]
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“There has also been significant improvements in the city centre – there’s almost continuous priority round the centre now, which is what we need. It’s no good having a stretch of priority, then a pinch point where the buses will get stuck. We want the bus to keep going – that’s what MetroBus has achieved through almost continuous priority.
“The guided busway just off the Long Ashton P&R site has also been good. It’s 2.5km long and it runs along part of the old Bristol Harbour Railway. As well as restoring a key piece of architecture that has been an important part of the city, it will also improve journey time reliability and thus the proposition for service users. Another good thing about the M2 route is it’s the first time a link has been created between the Long Ashton P&R and the Temple Quay Enterprise Zone, a key employment hub for Bristol. It’s expected to deliver around 20,000 jobs over the next 20 years. Once the proposed Bristol Arena gets built, the M2 will be the major bus route linking the P&R site.
“A wealth of cycling infrastructure and over 6km of new road space has also been built as part of MetroBus scheme. The South Bristol Link (SBL) is helping to relieve traffic from Bedminster and South Bristol, benefitting motorists as well as bus users. Motorists tend to complain that public transport receives investment to their detriment – but SBL has reversed that theory as it’s improved transport for everyone.
“There’s also the new 1.6km Stoke Gifford Transport Link road. It veers off the A4174 ring road and joins on to Parkway North roundabout. This will allow a new major housing development to be served by a MetroBus service, which would not have been possible without the new road. The local authority is putting public transport at the forefront of new developments as all too often it seems to be an afterthought.
“There will also be 90 plus distinctive MetroBus shelters. I believe public transport needs a shiny public-facing element.”
Ticketing
The partnership agreement sets out the maximum fare levels. However, the actual fares will set by the operators and this will be announced when final negotiations are complete.
“Speedier boarding and minimising stop dwell times are key aims of the MetroBus scheme as that will lead to reduced journey times and hence improve the overall experience for everyone,” explained Shalando.
“MetroBus is aiming to achieve an ambitious 20-second stop dwell time. To deliver that, all ticketing has to be off-bus, and vehicles will have dual doors. Each MetroBus stop will be equipped with an iPoint, at-stop ticket vending machines, where passengers will be able to buy a paper or smartcard product and board the bus. They will also provide information, including Real-Time Information (RTI).
“For the first time in the WoE, passengers will be able to buy a smartcard product online and collect it at an iPoint. iPoints will be cashless – they will take cards only. To supplement our travel shops, we’re procuring a retail network, allowing those without bank accounts to top up or buy a ticket with cash in a convenience store. As a business, our strategy is contactless and mTickets, but we must cater for everyone.
“Launched in January 2015, our mTicket app has enjoyed phenomenal growth – one in five ticket sales across the WoE area is now made via mTickets. That shows you where technology is going in this industry – and it also says a lot about our Bristol customer base. M-ticketing has been particularly popular among the commuter and student market – they’re the ones who typically own a smartphone, so why would they want to carry unnecessary cash with them?
“As well as mTickets, contactless will also be available on MetroBus.”
First buses on MetroBus will still be equipped with the Ticketer machines. Shalando added: “The strategy for contactless on MetroBus remains to be clarified, but it will play a role. It could be that contactless provides a backup if the iPoints fail as it is an on-bus transaction and MetroBus seeks to speed up boarding and journey times by keeping transactions off the bus.
“A cashless society is a fear among some, but actually there are more than adequate alternatives to pay for travel. People are creatures of habit, so a key element for MetroBus is how to develop that behavioural change. We can’t force people to change, but we need to make it as easy and seamless as possible. Obviously, this isn’t just a cash saving exercise, although there is a cost benefit, we’re doing this primarily to speed up boarding. We also want drivers to focus on great customer service and providing a smoother journey.”
According to Shalando, integration with the existing network is another key element of MetroBus: “It can’t be treated in isolation. With that in mind, all First WoE tickets will be valid for travel on MetroBus.”
Asked about multi-operator ticketing if another firm is awarded the concession to run other MetroBus routes, Shalando replied: “It shouldn’t matter to the user who operates the service, they should be able to turn up and take the next bus that goes to their intended destination – we should worry about the back end. Multi-operator ticketing is already available – we have the Bristol Rider and the Avon Rider. These will continue to be available at the iPoints. We’re not just promoting the integration of MetroBus with our services, but the wider Bristol network run by other operators.”
Air quality
Another goal of MetroBus is to improve air quality – an extensive Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) is in place in the city.
“About 8.5% of deaths in Bristol are said to be attributable to air pollution. Bus operators must respond to that,” said Shalando.
“In October 2015, with our local authority partners we submitted a bid to help fund 110 biogas buses. The majority of these vehicles are to be used on routes in the East of the city – areas of acute air quality problems. Some of those buses will be used on MetroBus. We’re committed to ‘greening’ our fleet in Bristol. Over the last three years, we’ve invested significantly in our fleet – about a third of which is now Euro 6-compliant. Our ambition is to have an entirely low-emission fleet in the near future.”
Ridership
MetroBus is expected to significantly boost bus patronage in the city and the surrounding areas.
It is expected speedier boarding and investment in infrastructure will clearly deliver quick journeys – and the key thing is they should be competitive to the car.
MetroBus will also increase patronage on the existing network as with the exception of the M32 junction and the guided section, every other piece of infrastructure can be used by other services. That should help improve wider bus punctuality.
“MetroBus will change the perception of bus travel across the region,” enthused Shalando. “These buses are high-spec, they’re beautifully designed inside and out, they’ve got dual doors, WiFi and USB charging points. They’re amazing.
“One of the reasons people don’t use buses is uncertainty avoidance – they don’t know how much it costs, where the bus goes and perhaps chiefly, whether it’s going to turn up. We need to eliminate those three fears – I feel MetroBus has a solution. There will be real-time information at the iPoints, prominent signage to the stops and simple off-bus ticketing, which will address another complaint – passengers hate in-vehicle waiting time.”
Future
“We’re very supportive of the MetroBus scheme – we want it to work and we believe in it. We’re committed to operating the first MetroBus to launch – the M2. Discussions are ongoing regarding the operation of other routes – an announcement is expected soon,” said Shalando.
After the initial three MetroBus routes are launched, there are ambitious plans for further development of the Metrobus scheme.
Shalando concluded: “Other routes are set to launch in due course – they’re tied in to major developments. Clearly, there’s no point in launching the routes without the demand. The current three routes are the start of MetroBus.”[/wlm_ismember]
