| LOCAL TRANSPORT
PLAN CONSULTATION DOCUMENT Introduction Transport is an issue that affects us all. We all need to travel to work, school and for social trips. It brings us independence and freedom and takes many forms such as walking, cycling, horse riding, and involves vehicles such as motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, cars, taxis, buses and trains. Where cycling and walking are seen as beneficial for health, other forms of transport can cause pollution, congestion, contribute to health problems and damage the environment. Resources available to the Council are limited and therefore aims reflecting local needs within an overall strategy need to be established.
What is the Local Transport Plan? Welsh Office Transport Minister Peter Hain MP in February 1999 described the Local Transport Plan as: ‘The opportunity for authorities to set out their strategic transport strategies and priorities over a 5 year time span and to identify the way integrated transport will be delivered at a local level’. Pembrokeshire County Council welcomes the possibilities that will result from the Local Transport Plan (LTP). It is likely to mean that decisions regarding transport projects are not taken in isolation, but are integrated to meet local needs. The Local Transport Plan will set out an implementation programme and priorities for transport investment (over a five-year period) and a longer-term transport strategy for the County.
Working in partnership Pembrokeshire County Council is aware that the LTP will need to command widespread local support, through collaboration with local employers, interest groups, and local people. It is hoped that the many, often conflicting, interests of the community can be reconciled in a way that results in a better transport system for all. The provision of transport infrastructure in the County is not solely undertaken by Pembrokeshire County Council, but involves other organisations e.g. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, government organisations and private companies. Pembrokeshire County Council will therefore be working in partnership to develop and implement the LTP. Pembrokeshire County Council’s forthcoming Unitary Development Plan will set out the integrated land use and Transport Strategy for the County over a 15 year period, together with the land use policies and proposals that are required to implement the Local Transport Plan.
Financial considerations The LTP is not a document utilised in its own right to bid for grants from Europe or the National Assembly; however, it will be taken into account by grant-awarding bodies when considering bids from this Authority. The Objectives and Targets within the LTP must be realistic in terms of the likely availability of funds since only limited funds are available. The LTP therefore cannot be merely a "wish list" but a structured plan for the provision and enhancement of transport facilities within the County.
The challenge to Pembrokeshire Transport in Pembrokeshire is dominated by the private motor vehicle. The level of car ownership in Pembrokeshire, as outlined in the 1991 census, was 78.5%, 8.5% above the national average and is likely to increase. (National Road Traffic Forecasts show that traffic growth is set to increase by up to 2% a year.) This high reliance on the car is because Pembrokeshire is a rural County, with a sparse population making the economics of public transport difficult. As the use of public transport decreases, bus services become more expensive and less well used creating a downward spiral in transport provision. Innovative solutions to develop new forms of public transport are required to reduce car dependency. There are other concerns about using the car such as road safety, air pollution, congestion and disruption to communities through noise, parking problems and severance, which also need to be tackled.
The proposed Pembrokeshire transport strategy Pembrokeshire County Council wishes to develop a transport strategy, based on the following: ¥ A strategic overview of transport for the effective use of the transport network and improvement to the County’s national and international links. ¥ Reducing the need to travel by car. ¥ Reduce the adverse impact of the motor vehicle, where there are no alternatives to its use.
A strategic overview with improved national and international links Improved transport links are considered important as Pembrokeshire’s geographical location is on the extreme west coast of Britain, which makes it remote from the main UK markets and suppliers. With a high unemployment rate in the county of 6.8% (4.8% in Wales as a whole) it is considered important to attract business into the area to secure jobs. It is also accepted that information technology can also play an important role in mitigating against the peripheral location of the County. Improved links will concentrate on road, rail, sea and air. ROAD The upgrading of the physical status of the A40 Trunk Road to dual carriageway standard would be beneficial to the economic well-being of the area and help reduce perceptions of remoteness. Various studies have investigated the impact of dualling the A40 Trunk Road between St Clears and Haverfordwest. These include:- ¥ ‘Dualling the A40: Moving Prosperity Westward?’ (The Welsh Economy Research Unit of the Cardiff Business School 1998/1999). The conclusion of this analysis is that as a central estimate dualling the A40 will add almost £11 million per annum to the local incomes in West Wales and create or sustain over 600 jobs per annum. ¥ ‘A40 St.Clears to Haverfordwest - Multi-Modal Corridor Study’ (Babtie Group on behalf of the Welsh Office May 1999) This study concluded that major improvements to the public transport network in the area will not have a significant effect on the traffic volumes on the A40. From a road safety perspective between 1996-1998 there were 95 recorded personal injury accidents involving 268 casualties on the A40 Trunk Road between the Pembrokeshire boundary at Whitland and Haverfordwest. The expected reduction in personal injury accidents upon dualling would be approximately 59%, in part due to a fall in the number of accidents relating to driver frustration arising from the limited overtaking opportunities. Individual locations on the Trunk and Primary Road network where there is a high road traffic accident history, such as Treffgarne Bends, must also be addressed. The European Commission has designated the A40 and the A477 Trunk Roads part of the Southern Section of the Trans European Network (TEN). This route connects mainland Europe, Great Britain and Ireland. However this designation will be of only notional value without the required investment to improve the routes so that they are of a suitable standard commensurable with their status. Improvements to both the A40 and A477 Trunk Roads are therefore essential, not only to improve the safety and capacity of each route, but also to provide the economic benefits so desperately needed within the County.
RAIL Pembrokeshire has a limited rail network serving the major towns. The rail link from Cardiff to Fishguard is identified [in European Transport Policy Statements] as a strategic link for the Trans European Rail Network (TERN) to Ireland. The network in West Wales is subsidised because of the social need to maintain the railways in the area. Pembrokeshire County Council recognises that the railways are a vital part of the transportation network, and is working closely with the rail companies to encourage investment and maximise the potential of the railway network. SEA Pembrokeshire has two major ports which form the southern corridor to Ireland. The operators at the ports at Fishguard and Pembroke Dock are currently pursuing improvement strategies to increase their carrying capacity for passengers and freight. The feasibility of rail freight facilities at the ports is also being examined. AIR Withybush airport north of Haverfordwest is an important sub-regional aerodrome facility used on a regular basis by light aircraft and helicopters. Although it has the capacity to accommodate significantly larger aircraft it would need to become an approved air traffic control aerodrome to handle scheduled flights.
PROPOSED AIMS: ¥ To support upgrading of the A40 Trunk Road between St Clears and Haverfordwest to dual carriageway standard. ¥ To support the improvement of long distance routes, including rail and road services together with the necessary infrastructure. ¥ To encourage the development and enhancement of railway stations. Railtrack has already undertaken station regeneration works at the main railway stations within the County and the Countys Transport Grant Application for 2000/2001 will, if successful, enable further integration of rail with other transport modes. ¥ To encourage the development of enhanced port facilities at Fishguard and Pembroke Dock together with access improvements. ¥ To encourage the development of Withybush airport. ¥ To focus new development on the main transportation corridors.
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?
Reducing the need to travel by car The private car provides an essential form of transport in many of the more rural and remote areas of Pembrokeshire. The availability of alternative forms of transport to the private car (for instance public transport, cycling and walking) will be an important influence on whether or not measures to control or reduce the number of cars on the County`s roads are introduced. The 1998 Transport White Paper proposed that local councils would be allowed to charge on congested roads or for workplace parking and use the proceeds to fund local transport improvements. However Pembrokeshire County Council feels that these particular measures would be inappropriate in a rural area. Any demand restraints adopted, will require feasible alternatives that provide the opportunity for travel without total reliance on the car. The provision of these alternatives (public transport, cycling, and walking) is now given a higher priority than measures purely for the improvement of infrastructure to help the car. The County Council therefore aims to create an efficient and effective transport system which incorporates all modes of travel and which is available to, and used by, all. In addressing issues such as social exclusion there is a need to bring forward a variety of imaginative integrated initiatives looking at availability, accessibility and costs. New developments should be focused on existing settlements, which are well connected to the public transport network. Better co-ordination between modes is required so that for example, bus and rail services are integrated both in terms of time-tabling and public information. Integration means resources are deployed more effectively so that the end result is a transport system that really meets the needs of the travelling public.
PROPOSED AIMS ¥ Public transport services including rail and associated infrastructure to be improved. ¥ Improvements in public transport include investigations into providing better quality services, which will include accessibility for those with impaired mobility along with the improved provision of service timetable information. ¥ The concessionary travel pass scheme for the elderly and disabled persons to continue. ¥ To support community transport initiatives that promote social inclusion. ¥ Park and Ride schemes to continue in Tenby and St.Davids. These schemes will help curb the congestion being experienced during the holiday season. ¥ The Puffin Shuttle bus service connecting coastal communities and car parks serving parts of the coastal path, will be supported. This service is not only designed to provide a valuable transport link for the many visitors to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park but also benefits the rural resident population of Pembrokeshire. ¥ Walking for journeys up to a mile and cycling for journeys in the region of three to five miles will be encouraged by providing safe facilities for the pedestrian and cyclist. These modes will not only be encouraged for day to day trips but along with horse riding will be promoted as leisure pursuits for residents and tourists alike. ¥ Policies to encourage walking and cycling should not be accompanied by an increase in casualty rates. Although the British Medical Association considers that the general benefits of such exercise more than offset this, the Authority continues to monitor casualties associated with these vulnerable groups. ¥ The high casualty rate associated with mopeds, scooters and motorcycles does give cause for concern. Measures to mitigate against this include policies which give greater opportunities for the safe and increased use of these forms of transport. The situation regarding casualty rates will continue to be monitored in order that road safety policies can be assessed. ¥ Pedestrian access audits highlighting problems and suggesting preventative measures, will continue within the towns of the County. Such audits will include ‘Safe Routes to School’ projects. ¥ Projects such as ‘Greenways’ which was initiated by S.P.A.R.C and promotes recreation in the countryside without the use of the private car will be supported. Such schemes encourage accessibility for all and promotes transport in an integrated manner. ¥ The introduction of a strategy for cycling in keeping with the needs of Pembrokeshire for the next ten years and beyond will be adopted. ¥ The introduction of a cycle route north and south of the County as part of the National Cycle Network will be introduced. ¥ Information about public transport and facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists, moped and scooter riders will be provided. ¥ New housing and employment developments generating considerable volumes of trips will be located in areas which are highly accessible by public transport, cycling and walking. ¥ Developments resulting in large volumes of freight movement should be sited at locations that are served by rail or ports with good connections to the main roads. ¥ The design of new developments should encourage pedestrian and cycle access along with public transport. ¥ The accessibility of the ports and railway stations will be enhanced by improving the immediate infrastructure serving these facilities.
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?
Reducing the adverse impact of the motor vehicle where no alternative exists In a rural county such as Pembrokeshire the vast majority of journeys will continue to be made by car in the short term. It is unlikely that policies that substantially reduce car travel before measures are taken to provide good alternative means of travel would succeed. As a result of this, steps will be taken to promote sustainable forms of transport and reduce the adverse environmental and safety impacts of the motor car. This will be achieved through traffic calming measures, general traffic management and highway improvement schemes on the main road network where other measures to mitigate against adverse effects are not feasible. Sections of the main road network require improvement to the basic standards, in order to serve modern goods vehicles and give safe conditions for all road users. A programme of up-grading is necessary in order that roads and bridges can accommodate vehicles of the size and weight permitted on our roads. The county traffic model is utilised to improve the understanding of the relationship between traffic patterns and distribution in order that the highway network is utilised in an environmentally acceptable level. The provision of a safe and clean transportation system is essential for minimising the negative impacts of pollution on the local community. The importance of air quality within Pembrokeshire has been recognised for over thirty years, and there is a wealth of air quality data available. A First Stage Review and Assessment exercise in accordance with legal obligations contained within the Environment Act 1995 has already been completed. This exercise included a detailed consultation procedure with local businesses, interest groups, members of the public and others. The County Council continues to recognise the importance of air quality monitoring in assisting decision making and there is an on-going review of the nature and extent of monitoring depending on technological advancements.
PROPOSED AIMS ¥ Traffic management measures will be introduced which give a priority to road safety and environmentally friendly modes of transport. ¥ Local road improvement schemes will be introduced to remove traffic from sensitive areas. ¥ Air quality will continue to be monitored in the County. ¥ Alternative fuel outlets will be encouraged in the County. Currently the lack of this type of fuel dispenser make their use unattractive. ¥ The highway network will be redefined in order that traffic most suitable to particular road classification are directed onto those routes. The main roads will be improved and maintained to the highest standards of safety within budgetary limits for all vehicle types permitted on our highways.
DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?
The strategy and aims we have presented in this paper may be different to your views.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Please fill in the following details concerning your organisation and send your comments on a separate sheet to the address below by Monday 6th March 2000.
Details of organisation/business
1. Name of organisation: 2. Address: 3. Contact name: 4. Telephone number: 5. email address: 6. Fax number: 7. Description of your organisation/business 8. Nature of membership and approximate numbers of local members in your organisation or employees in your business 9. Signed: Pembrokeshire County
Council email: LTP@Pembrokeshire.gov.uk Thank you for your Assistance. |