TfL have published three consultations shaking up several north London bus routes, including killing off two. It's all to fit their agenda of simplifying the bus network, reducing duplication and minimising the number of empty seats.
🚌 Route 67 (Dalston Jn - Wood Green) has been somewhat runty since TfL curtailed the southern end from Aldgate to Dalston in 2019. This consultation proposes to axe it completely. In mitigation route 149 (London Bridge - Edmonton Green) would take over the Wood Green to Stamford Hill section, thereby abandoning three miles up the High Road to Edmonton. The 149 is London's 2nd busiest bus route so many people are up in arms that TfL propose to divert it somewhere less useful. TfL say it's all about capacity and the A10 still has too much, even after route 349 is axed in September. [details]
This graphic appears in the consultation (and a round of applause to whoever chose to include it). Currently the 149 runs the whole length of this diagram, but in future it won't be possible for passengers to ride from Edmonton Green to the City in one go, it'll take at least two buses. TfL estimate that 15% of the 149's current passengers will now be forced to break their journey, which equates to 1.8 million trips annually. This is not "simplifying routeings", this is cutting buses. The worry is that if TfL intend to thin out this corridor comprehensively to save money, which corridor might they screw next?
🚌 Route 253 runs from Euston to Hackney Central and route 254 from Holloway to Aldgate. They overlap considerably for five miles from Holloway to Hackney. The plan is thus to withdraw route 254 completely and leave passengers in the overlap to use the 253. For two miles they could also use the 310, the strictly unnecessary bus introduced to connect the Jewish communities of Golders Green and Stamford Hill. South of Hackney they can always use the 106, which is being extended by 1 mile from Whitechapel to Aldgate to cover the 254's loss. Yes you might have to wait longer for a bus once the 254's gone, but TfL are more focused on their efficiencies than your time. [details]
🚌 Route 42 (East Dulwich to Liverpool Street) often gets clogged up in traffic, in part because it crosses Tower Bridge which goes up and down a lot. It's thus one of London's least reliable bus routes and passenger numbers have dropped by a third since 2021. The plan is thus to terminate it south of Tower Bridge on Tooley Street, not north of Tower Bridge in the City, cutting out the bascule jams altogether. The rationale is that displaced passengers can always switch to route 78 on Tower Bridge Road, even though none of them will enjoy waiting for another bus which might also be delayed by a ship. [details]
The three consultations end on 20th September. Perhaps scream about the 149 the loudest.
Here's a quick summary of where we are with forthcoming bus changes.
