Which area has the most expansive bus network?

[rjbarrett5]

Question for everyone: which area in London (outside of zone 1) has the most expansive bus network? In terms of how useful the routes are and how many of them.
Peckham, Stratford, Bromley and Croydon spring to mind. Any I've missed?

[vjaska]

Brixton has had an expansive network for many years due to the passenger flow in & out of the Victoria Line but also due to the high demand of the A23 corridor

[LondonNorthern]

Holloway has a very expansive one, Finchley has a good one although improvements could be made here and there, Barnet has a decent one although it’s a real shame that no bus operated by TFL heads north of Hadley Green, Highgate/Archway have a very railhead orientated network whilst still having a reasonably expansive one, Hampstead’s is very disappointing given the amount of leisure & Hospital demand there is, Golders Green/Brent X I think are the clear winners though ie expansion into different areas.

[LondonNorthern]

Mar 10, 2022 23:00:13 GMT vjaska said:

Brixton has had an expansive network for many years due to the passenger flow in & out of the Victoria Line but also due to the high demand of the A23 corridor

Bit of a shame there isn’t any decent east to west links in South London though especially when you consider it’s only the 37/345, perhaps one way to rectify this could be through getting the Overground to stop at Brixton? Don’t know how likely that is though.

[CircleLineofLife]

Well I think Ealing and Hounslow have really good networks, as the links to other metropolitan and major areas is really good. However, i think for the major area of the borough I think Wembley has quite a lacking bus network when compared to main areas of different boroughs, although it is improving. With WLO, Neasden's bus network will also get some sort of revamp, such as hopefully another bus alongside the 297 along Neasden Lane, as the station will be situated further south from the underground station.

[vjaska]

Mar 10, 2022 23:36:24 GMT LondonNorthern said:

Mar 10, 2022 23:00:13 GMT vjaska said:

Brixton has had an expansive network for many years due to the passenger flow in & out of the Victoria Line but also due to the high demand of the A23 corridor

Bit of a shame there isn’t any decent east to west links in South London though especially when you consider it’s only the 37/345, perhaps one way to rectify this could be through getting the Overground to stop at Brixton? Don’t know how likely that is though.

Yes, the biggest weakness in South London (alongside the lack of tube in some areas) is lack of east to west links which can make travelling across South London a chore at times. The 37, and to lesser extent, 345 show how successful such links are. The Overground would be nice but I don't see a stop being built at Brixton at all especially now Lambeth are planning to erect a tower block no local wants on one of the suitable sites for an Overground station. Brixton, despite it's heavy passenger traffic, continues to get ignored for anything useful - neither Crossrail or even if Crossrail 2 ever happens, really benefits here, the Overground passes over it without stopping, the bus network continues to be cut despite how important it is to Brixton & the National Rail station is unwelcoming afterthought

[LondonExplorer316]

Mar 10, 2022 23:59:11 GMT CircleLineofLife said:

Well I think Ealing and Hounslow have really good networks, as the links to other metropolitan and major areas is really good. However, i think for the major area of the borough I think Wembley has quite a lacking bus network when compared to main areas of different boroughs, although it is improving. With WLO, Neasden's bus network will also get some sort of revamp, such as hopefully another bus alongside the 297 along Neasden Lane, as the station will be situated further south from the underground station.

I agree, but would add Greenford as a hidden gem, connecting from Shepherds Bush (95) to almost Rickmansworth (282), as well as reaching Heathrow (105).

[ian]

For relatively smaller 'outer' places, then Edgware & Mill Hill have very satisfactory links with a direct bus to Oxford Street, Wood Green, Harrow, Watford, Barnet, Brent X, Golders Green, Wembley and more besides. It's not perfect but that is a very good selection of links.

[WH241]

Ilford is pretty good with links to Stratford, City Thameslink, Clapton, Canning Town, Leytonstone, Barking, Romford, Walthamstow, Dagenham.

[uakari]

Mar 10, 2022 23:34:50 GMT LondonNorthern said:

Holloway has a very expansive one, Finchley has a good one although improvements could be made here and there, Barnet has a decent one although it’s a real shame that no bus operated by TFL heads north of Hadley Green, Highgate/Archway have a very railhead orientated network whilst still having a reasonably expansive one, Hampstead’s is very disappointing given the amount of leisure & Hospital demand there is, Golders Green/Brent X I think are the clear winners though ie expansion into different areas.

The one in Barnet is poor in my view since the rerouting of the 384; shortly to be disappearing 84 and TfL not providing cross-boundary services apart from 107; no regular service to Hadley Wood or Western Way or shortly to Hadley Green and Hadley Highstone; no link to places like Finchley Central or Golders Green; New Barnet and East Barnet don't have any night buses. Also Barnet Church might look like it has a lot of buses but most are lower frequency than in other areas and artificially end there or at The Spires or Barnet Hospital and don't go any further north or west. There are a lot of residential parts that have never been in walking distance to a bus service such as the western end of Mays Lane.

[LondonNorthern]

Mar 11, 2022 18:31:04 GMT uakari said:

Mar 10, 2022 23:34:50 GMT LondonNorthern said:

Holloway has a very expansive one, Finchley has a good one although improvements could be made here and there, Barnet has a decent one although it’s a real shame that no bus operated by TFL heads north of Hadley Green, Highgate/Archway have a very railhead orientated network whilst still having a reasonably expansive one, Hampstead’s is very disappointing given the amount of leisure & Hospital demand there is, Golders Green/Brent X I think are the clear winners though ie expansion into different areas.

The one in Barnet is poor in my view since the rerouting of the 384; shortly to be disappearing 84 and TfL not providing cross-boundary services apart from 107; no regular service to Hadley Wood or Western Way or shortly to Hadley Green and Hadley Highstone; no link to places like Finchley Central or Golders Green; New Barnet and East Barnet don't have any night buses. Also Barnet Church might look like it has a lot of buses but most are lower frequency than in other areas and artificially end there or at The Spires or Barnet Hospital and don't go any further north or west. There are a lot of residential parts that have never been in walking distance to a bus service such as the western end of Mays Lane.

326 links to Finchley Central and I imagine the western end of Mays Lane isn't on the network because the road can get narrow at points that probably can't get a bus down.

I don't think the 384 made the network "less expansive" or "poor", I think the change was poor but if we go off of expansion the network hasn't realised downsized particularly as the 384 only moved a couple of roads away on parts of its rerouted route.

[LondonExplorer316]

Mar 11, 2022 9:58:26 GMT ian said:

For relatively smaller 'outer' places, then Edgware & Mill Hill have very satisfactory links with a direct bus to Oxford Street, Wood Green, Harrow, Watford, Barnet, Brent X, Golders Green, Wembley and more besides. It's not perfect but that is a very good selection of links.

Agreed

[LondonExplorer316]

I'd say Ladbroke Grv isn't half bad, linking to Vauxhall/Battersea (452), Willesden (52) and Kilburn/Cricklewood (316)

[CircleLineofLife]

For what it is I think North Cricklewood provides a lot of decent links, such as the West End with the 189, Primrose hill, Gospel Oak and Archway with the C11. Willesden, Hanger Lane and Ealing with 226. Muswell Hill, Bounds Green and Edmonton with the 102.

[thesquirrels]

I think the major zone 5/6 town centres win out here as they have good major trunk roads in and out to faciltiate lengthy and decent services.

Uxbridge is worth a mention for managing to have a range of routes - TfL and commercial - fanning out far beyond the border into Bucks/Berks/Herts, as well as a comprehensive local U-route network and decent routes to Heathrow, Hounslow and well towards Central London along the A4020.