Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Joint Transport Forum

26 September 2008 @t Bristol Centre

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Contents Introduction p3 Welcome p3 Our Future Transport p3 How we’re doing Progress Review 2008 p4 Greater Bristol Bus Network p6 Bath CIVITAS p6 Cycling City p7 Rail Update p8 Bath Package p8 Weston Package p9 Rapid Transit p9 South Bristol Link p10 Transport for Cabot Circus p11 Just a Transport Minute p11 Questions and Answers p12 Forum Feedback p13 Contact us p14

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Introduction Welcome to this report on the fifth annual Joint Transport Forum held on 26 October 2008 at the @t Bristol Centre. As with previous Forums it was an opportunity for people to find out about what’s going on, what’s happening and what’s about to happen in the world of local transport. Two lively question and answer sessions and the return of the ever popular ‘Just a Transport Minute’ certainly got people involved. Over 100 delegates came along and a big thank you to everyone who did. We hope you found the day as useful as we did and see you next year. Inside you will find a write up of the day and a summary of the questions asked. Full copies of the presentations can be downloaded from our website at www.westofengland.org or write to the address at the end of this document to receive a copy. Welcome Councillor Helen Holland, Chair of the West of England Partnership welcomed everyone to the Joint Transport Forum and wished them a successful day. Our Future Transport Barbara Davies, West of England Partnership Barbara gave a general overview of the challenges the West of England face, with congestion costing £350m a year, and the wide range of schemes to tackle them (see map below). These include the already being implemented Greater Bristol Bus Network and the soon to be implemented Bath Package. Developing work on Rapid Transit, Weston Package, South Bristol Link and Callington Road Link were highlighted. The emerging Transport Innovation Fund work, with a possible 2009 bid, was touched upon along with the latest news on the Joint Transport Committee, Joint Scrutiny and the new Joint Transport Press Officer.

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How we’re doing – Progress Review 2008 Bill Davies, West of England Partnership Bill ran through how the West of England is doing with its Joint Local Transport Plan. Two years into the five year Plan and 18 out of 21 targets are on track. Key graphs are reproduced below. Cycling has seen a 27% growth since 2003/04, bus patronage is above target and the number of people being killed or seriously injured in road accidents is falling. All good news but less successful is air quality where the target to reduce Nitrogen Dioxide is not on track. Where previously good performance has been rewarded with additional Department for Transport funding this time round there is no reward. A shame given our strong performance.

Park & Ride Patronage

1,800,000

1,900,000

2,000,000

2,100,000

2,200,000

2,300,000

2,400,000

2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

Tota

l Ret

urn

Pas

seng

er T

rips

ActualTrajectory

Bus Patronage

45000

46000

47000

48000

49000

50000

51000

52000

53000

54000

2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

'000

s tr

ips

TargetActual

5

WoE KSI Casualties

350

370

390

410

430

450

470

490

510

530

2001-04 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Capital Spending in First Two Years (£million)

Rail 0.2

Park and ride 1.5

Managing traffic congestion 3.0

Walking 2.0

Local area / smarter choices

2.8

Buses 8.7

Cycling 1.4Highway maintenance 31.1

Miscellaneous 2.5

Local safety schemes 5.2

Safer routes 1.2

Cycling in West of England

95100105110115120125130135

2003

/04

2004

/05

2005

/06

2006

/07

2007

/08

2008

/09

2009

/10

2010

/11

Inde

x (2

003/

04 1

00)

Actual

Trajectory

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Greater Bristol Bus Network Emma George, South Gloucestershire Council As Emma pointed out we’ve been talking about the Greater Bristol Bus Network ever since our first Joint Transport Forum. But now things are actually going in on the ground. Emma reminded us of the ten showcase corridors (see map below). Work is well advanced on the M32 bus lane, the A4018 Lysander Road roundabout has a new bus lane, slip roads on the A4174 to Hambrook and Frenchay have been extended whilst elsewhere 50 raised kerbs have been completed on route 73 and real time information is shortly to be installed on the A370 and A369 in North Somerset. If all goes to plan work on the whole Network will be completed by 2012. Worth remembering that this £70m scheme with £42m of Department for Transport funding is the largest bus based scheme outside London. Bath CIVITAS Colin Rees, Bath and North East Somerset Council An informative presentation from Colin on Bath’s successful €6.5m bid for CIVITAS (City-VITAlity-Sustainability) funding. The money will be used to investigate alternative fuels for rapid transit and the potential for a personal rapid transit system in Bath. New transport information systems to influence travel behaviour, innovative

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mobility services such as powered bicycle hire to overcome all those hills and an expanded City Car Club and a freight transhipment depot will all be implemented. Watch out for news on this four year project (2008 to 2012). Greater Bristol Cycling City John Roy, Bristol City Council John outlined the exciting news about Bristol City and South Gloucestershire Council’s successful £11.5m Cycling City bid. The bid will be match funded by the two councils over the years 2008 to 2011. It aims to change the way people think about travelling around the city with cycling as a natural, realistic and attractive choice. See map below for proposed measures. Cycling City will link to smarter choices work on school and work travel plans and cycle training together with a new branding and identity. Expect to hear progress at next year’s Joint Transport Forum.

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Rail Update James White, West of England Partnership With so much happening on the rail network James could only provide the briefest of whistle stop tours. It’s been a busy year with a visit to see Tom Harris the then Rail Minister, feeding into the Route Utilisation Strategy’s plans to develop the rail network and the Office of Rail Regulation’s consultation on how much funding Network Rail should receive over the next five years. Potentially the most thrilling news is a possible bid by First Great Western for 11 new four carriage trains on the Cardiff to Portsmouth (via Bristol and Bath) route. More locally great work is being done on the Severn Beach line with a new three train every two hours service plus new lighting, station seats and information points at all stations along the line. More detailed information can now be found on the revamped West of England website at www.westofengland.org. A Tale of Two Cities Bath Package Peter Dawson, Bath and North East Somerset Council Like the Greater Bristol Bus Network we’ve been talking about the Bath Package for a long time. Made up of 10 showcase bus routes, 3 expanded and a new park and ride site for Eastern Bath (see map below), 1.4km of dedicated bus rapid transit route and real time information signs for car drivers will all add up to fewer cars entering the city, less pollution and an improved city centre environment. Final approval from the Department for Transport is expected in 2009 with construction commencing in 2010 and opening in Autumn 2012.

A4 Eastern Bath P&R

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Weston Package Colin Medus, North Somerset Council The Weston Package is moving at a pace as Colin explained. With a growing population of 80,000 and with employment growth not keeping up there is a pressing need to promote more sustainable working and living in the town and provide new transport links. The Package (see map below) aims to do this with capacity improvements at Junction 21 on the M5, enhancements at Worle station, ‘Gateway’ improvements to the town separating through and local traffic, new bus services and park and ride. Consultation is happening now with a funding bid to be submitted to the Department for Transport in January 2009. If accepted construction would start in 2011/12 with completion by 2015. Worth looking at North Somerset Council’s website www.n-somerset.gov.uk for an interactive version of the Weston Package Rapid Transit Sharon Daly and Ashley Curtis, Steer Davies and Gleave Technical difficulties with our IT equipment left Sharon on her own without any slides for the first 10 minutes of her presentation. Battling on regardless she led us through how rapid transit provides a fast, direct, more environmentally friendly alternative to private car use. Ashton Vale to Temple Meads is proposed as the first route with future routes from Hengrove to the North Fringe and Emerson’s Green to Temple Mead under development (see map below).

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With the IT now up and running Ashley Curtis explained the findings of the Technology Review. The Review considered in detail the role of more innovative technology including tram trains and Ultra Light Rail. On the basis of costs, deliverability within current timescales, access to Department for Transport funding and the ability to cater for services from further afield the Review recommended rubber tyred rapid transit for the Ashton Vale to Temple Meads route. This does not discount the use of other technologies in the future. Consultation on the Ashton Vale to Temple Meads route will be undertaken in November with a funding bid to the Department for Transport in January 2009. South Bristol Link Karuna Tharmananthar, North Somerset Council Karuna explained how sub-regional growth, South Bristol regeneration and the need to reduce congestion and improve access are all driving the need for the South Bristol Link. Road and rapid transit options are being looked at (see map below) with all options including enhanced walking and cycling facilities. Consultation is due to start in November 2008 with a possible funding bid to the Department for Transport

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in Autumn 2009. With final approval construction would be over the period 2013 to 2015. Transport for Cabot Circus Colin Knight, Bristol City Council With Cabot Circus, Bristol’s new £0.5b shopping centre, opening only the day before Colin’s presentation was timely indeed. He reminded us just how far Cabot Circus has come from a massive building site and the ‘unexploded’ concrete bomb episode to today’s stunning new centre. Park and ride services have been expanded with the longest bus lane in Europe now running from the Portway site plus a new bus lane on the M32. Real time information directs people to parking spaces or if they’re coming by train which bus to catch and when from Bristol Temple Meads. As part of Colin’s presentation we watched a short video on the new Traffic Control Centre. Looking somewhat space age the Centre oversees the smooth running of traffic signals and junctions across the city centre. Witness that on day one of Cabot Circus as thousands of shoppers descended on the city there were no problems. Just a Transport Minute This session was a chance for delegates to stand up and talk for a minute on a transport topic of their choice. Twelve people, up from nine in 2007, bravely volunteered to take part. To help everyone keep to their minute a new high tech clockwork egg timer was introduced this year. Unfortunately it proved to be somewhat erratic in its time keeping or maybe it was just its operator. Hopefully this did not prove too much of a distraction for our speakers. Topics covered included: • Freedom travel passes and the difficulty of getting and paying for one.

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• Motorcyclists to be allowed to use bus lanes and advanced stop lanes. • Reopening local railway stations and services. • Research into how traffic levels influence the number of social contacts and

friends you are likely to have. • Importance of providing disabled access. • Need for an Integrated Transport Authority. • Support for the Transport Innovation Fund if alternatives provided in advance. • Role of ticketing and smartcards. • Extending concessionary travel to peak times. Full credit to all those who took part and for just about keeping to a minute. This was a lively and informative session. A bit of fun too but an important way to raise issues that might not otherwise have been covered. Questions and Answers There were two vibrant question and answer sessions. Issues raised included: • Rail and bus services – First Great Western and First Bus provided a useful

update on various issues concerning services and fares. • Consultation with youth groups – noted. • Request that Ultra Light Rail is allowed to tender for ultra light rail as part of a bus

based rapid transit bid - current Department for Transport guidance requires a mode specific bid.

• Concern over safety regarding Greater Bristol Bus Network schemes in South Gloucestershire – noted.

• Difficulty reading the presentations – noted and greater care will be taken at future Forums.

• Developing cycling culture challenged – West of England cycle record defended. Culture is developing.

• Freight and the need to remove HGVs from Bath – A350 possible alternative route with Westbury bypass.

• Consultation comments including not doing enough, the need to be more meaningful, really take people’s views into account and start talking earlier – need to review noted.

• Need to stop consulting and get on with things or risk losing the money to road schemes in Devon, Cornwall and Wiltshire – noted.

• Lack of cycle and motorcycle parking at Cabot Circus – new parking to be provided shortly.

• Interchanges at Bristol Temple Meads and Weston-super-Mare – noted. • South Bristol Link and concerns over it being a road scheme – consultation on

road and rapid transit options November 2008. • Re-open Flaxton Bourton station.

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Forum Feedback Thank to you everyone who filled in their Feedback forms. Comments and suggestions are always welcome. Generally delegates thought the presentations, question and answer sessions, refreshments and venue were good. The Just a Transport Minute session was enjoyed by all. Several delegates thought there is a need for a follow up session to enable the local authorities to respond to some of the issues raised. We will look at expanding Just a Transport Minute’s slot for next year. Concern was expressed about the ‘one way’ nature of the day and we will look to returning to the more interactive workshop format from previous Forums for next year. Issues over sound and the legibility of presentations will also be addressed. A suggestion to involve more youth groups will be investigated. Information on how to get to the Forum venue will be expanded to include all modes. See you all at the Forum in 2009. Contact us For more information on transport in the West of England sub-region please contact the Joint Transport Team at: West of England Partnership Floor 1 Wilder House Wilder Street Bristol BS2 8PH Tel: 0117 9036862 Email: transport@westofengland.org Website: www.westofengland.org/transport