This paper concentrates on the initial investigation of the demand for and attitudes towards a proposed shuttle bus for the Castle Vale Estate, north east of Birmingham, England. It first describes the housing estate, which has 11,000 residents, and the context for the proposed service. Specific tasks of the study include: (1) identifying specific transport needs of local residents; (2) gaining an insight into existing travel patterns; (3) assessing the significance of alternative modes and understanding travel choices; (4) finding the costs, advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches; and (5) exploring the most appropriate bus size and service frequency. The study had three stages: (1) presenting realistic three stages: (1) presenting realistic service options to the public; (2) investigating attitudes, using a quota-based sample of 312 valid interviews; and (3) analysing the survey results, and applying them to provide cost, use and revenue projections for the different options. The questions asked and the residents' responses are analysed in some detail. The results suggested that there should be a hopper service with two 22-seat minibuses, running round the estate every ten minutes between 9am and 8pm. The proposed route is shown.
Abstract