Broad Street Bus User Surveys

Since Covid, Broad Street in the commercial centre of St Helier has been closed to general traffic. A bus stop on Broad Street serves four bus routes. As part of the work to explore options for the future use of Broad Street, the significance of the bus stop to users was part of a study undertaken by Galle Saliman.

The stop on Broad Street is close to the Post Office and retail area of the town. The stop offers close proximity to these key attractors and is attractive for those who may have limited mobility. More than 40% of boarders at Broad Street use concessionary fares; the island average is 15%.

Method

Interviews were conducted with those boarding and alighting at the bus stop over 3 days. The interview questions were geared at establishing some core information on users and their trip to establish how they travelled, how far they have walked in town and where they have been to the extent that this may indicate a level of mobility. We also included a question to draw out those who would struggle to use the bus station for their northbound bus.

Constraints

Survey results were weighted for each bus route and time period (morning peak, midday, afternoon peak) based on the total number of boarders using that route during that period. Weighting by time of day and bus route was undertaken correctly represent the expected differences in user-type attitudes by time of day and route.

Distances Walked

This project gave insights into the reach of the bus stop and willingness of passengers to walk to other stops for alternative services. The survey also quantified a number of people unable or otherwise severely inconvenienced if they were to use other bus stops.

Client: Government of Jersey
October 2023