Busway benefits

Below are just some of the many benefits the Busway will bring to the area.

Boost to the local economy

The Busway will be a major economic driver for the region. It will improve transport connections to existing and proposed key employment sites in the south and east of the town such as Luton Airport and the proposed Wigmore employment area on the east side of the airport.

The Busway services will pass through or close to many areas of deprivation where car ownership is low, in particular the Dallow and Biscot wards close to Luton town centre together with parts of Lewsey, Tithe Farm in Houghton Regis and Northfield in Dunstable.

These services will open up opportunities for improved access to jobs and further education/training and therefore is expected to contribute to higher standards of living and quality of life in some of the most deprived areas.

Businesses are already seeing the benefits of the scheme, with development flourishing along the busway. And, as part of an integrated public transport system, travel for work or leisure to areas off the main route will be easier too, assisting regeneration.

Speed and Reliability

Currently about 43,000 vehicles travel along the A505 and other routes between Houghton Regis, Dunstable and Luton each day. The busway will divert some buses away from the A505, helping to ease congestion. Busway services will cut the average peak hour journey time between Dunstable and Luton in half.

Currently, the average speed of a conventional bus over the 6 mile journey from Dunstable town centre to Luton train station is less than 13 miles an hour; the journey can take more than ½ hour. The Busway will do the same journey on its dedicated guideway in about ¼ hour, including three scheduled stops.

The Busway will bypass the congestion at peak times by travelling along its own guideway and by using "bus only" routes in the town centres.

The Busway will also have priority over other traffic on the "on road" sections of the network by using bus lanes and transponders fitted to the vehicles to switch traffic lights to green as they are approached.

Typical journey times:

• Luton Station and Dunstable Town Centre - 11 minutes
• Dunstable and London Luton Airport - 19 minutes
• Luton Town Centre and London Luton Airport - 9 minutes
• Houghton Regis and Luton Station - 25 minutes

Health and Environmental Impact

Leaving the car at home and catching a Busway service would be a much healthier choice because road traffic is a key generator of pollution, accounting for 15% of the UK's Carbon Dioxide emissions, as well as large amounts of unhealthy particles (mainly in the form of soot).

This exposes us all to immense amounts of unwanted pollution which affects our health, particularly that of people prone to asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. Those most at risk are people living or walking beside congested roads and especially those in cars.

For car drivers and passengers, the pollution is greatest since ventilation systems draw polluted air into the car. Catching a bus will cut the overall level of pollution and even a short walk to the stop will be useful exercise you might not otherwise get.

Integrated journeys with through ticketing
 
It is intended that the busway services will also participate in First Capital Connect’s plusbus scheme which allows people with tickets to London and other destinations to travel on bus services to the rail station.