The metro extension from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti will provide direct links from Espoo to Helsinki city center for more people than currently. The metro operates a frequent service with extensive operating hours on all days of the week. In addition, there will be direct peak-time bus services to Kamppi, running every 20 minutes from Olari, Saunalahti, Latokaski, Kurttila and Tillinmäki.
The Kivenlahti metro and new bus routes will also significantly improve transport links within Espoo. Trunk bus routes 520 and 530 will improve the connectivity between the metro and the coastal line, in particular. The buses will run a frequent service from Matinkylä to Espoon keskus and Leppävaara.
Trunk bus route 510 will be extended from Tapiola via Espoonlahti to Kivenlahti. Many journeys that currently require two interchanges will, in the future, require one interchange. Some journeys will become direct. Journeys from Espoo to Meilahti and Pasila as well as to Northern Central Helsinki will also become significantly smoother.
In the future, there will be no direct bus services from Espoonlahti and Soukka to Kamppi even at peak times. The bus services would overlap with the metro services, and services to other areas would need to be cut to retain these bus services.
Kirkkonummi feeder routes will continue to run to Matinkylä. The location of the terminus will be reviewed once the metro services to Kivenlahti have started. The current bus network serves the main areas in Kirkkonummi extensively and cost-effectively. Peak-time service supply will be adjusted to better meet the demand.
Customer feedback guided the development of the new route network
Customers were involved in the planning of the bus routes throughout the process. In August 2020, we conducted a survey to gather information about people’s travel habits in the planning area. Just over 4,000 people responded to the survey.
Our planners reported on the progress of the planning online and asked customers to comment on the draft plan. We also held three remote workshops for residents. The draft route network plan presented online received about 1,400 comments over some three weeks.
According to the survey conducted in August, the biggest problems in the current route network are in areas along Kauklahdenväylä. The new plan increases services along Kauklahdenväylä and provides faster links from Espoonlahti and Kivenlahti metro stations to Kauklahti train station.
We made several changes to the plan based on customer feedback. For example, we rerouted buses serving Kauklahti and made changes to their service frequency and extended the route of bus 542 to Soukanniemi and the route of bus 158 from Tillinmäki to Espoonlahti. Also the idea to extend trunk route 510 to Kivenlahti came from customers.