MANCHESTER -- Anyone who has been stuck in a Brown Avenue traffic backup knows that hundreds of people want to get to the Manchester Airport at any hour.

But the city buses that travel to the airport are nearly empty, a symptom of an inefficient system of bus routes that critics say needs to be reshaped in order to improve efficiency, convenience and ridership.

Consultants with the firm Edwards and Kelcey presented an analysis of the Manchester Transit Authority route system to elected city officials last night. They suggested changes to all 13 city bus routes.

Some, such as the two routes that serve the Manchester Airport, could be combined, the consultant urged.

Findings also show the need for a single downtown spot to serve as the beginning and end to all routes. Also, time-consuming loops that ply neighborhoods should be abandoned in favor of quicker, straight routes to key destinations.

"Although there's a little bit of service to everybody, there's not really good service for anybody," said Geoff Slater, who prepared the comprehensive operations analysis.