I definitely agree that three bus stops is the absolute maximum. Each one adds cognitive load and unpredictable delays.
If you can get side-to-side of the city faster by taking a circular route then people will definitely take it. But I suspect that the removal of cars in the centre of town will speed up the direct routes.
I think my major two questions are: What percentage of trips are to somewhere that's not in the center-ish of town. And do circular routes save time to get to those places versus straight lines (possibly multiple).
If 50% of trips aren't to the center then circular routes are worth setting up. If only 3% of trips are to sideways destinations, then not so much.
Both the 36 and the 38 (the circular routes I've used the most) are single decker and half hourly. Which indicates that there's not a huge amount of appetite. Although they do lay on more of the 38 first thing, to let workers get from Morningside to Kings Buildings and the ERI (and again at 5pm to let them get home).
(The 38 takes in the ERI, Kings Buildings, Cameron Toll, and Morningside, so has about as much demand as you can ask for on a radial route.)
Re: 6
If you can get side-to-side of the city faster by taking a circular route then people will definitely take it. But I suspect that the removal of cars in the centre of town will speed up the direct routes.
I think my major two questions are: What percentage of trips are to somewhere that's not in the center-ish of town. And do circular routes save time to get to those places versus straight lines (possibly multiple).
If 50% of trips aren't to the center then circular routes are worth setting up. If only 3% of trips are to sideways destinations, then not so much.
Both the 36 and the 38 (the circular routes I've used the most) are single decker and half hourly. Which indicates that there's not a huge amount of appetite. Although they do lay on more of the 38 first thing, to let workers get from Morningside to Kings Buildings and the ERI (and again at 5pm to let them get home).
(The 38 takes in the ERI, Kings Buildings, Cameron Toll, and Morningside, so has about as much demand as you can ask for on a radial route.)