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November 2002
Response to the West Midlands Local Transport Plan
Birmingham Friends of the Earth welcomes the opportunity to comment on the West Midlands Local Transport Plan 2002.
1. Introduction
West Midlands Area Multi-Modal
Study includes some very encouraging ideas, including priority given to improving
cycle and walking networks, and congestion charging. However we cannot support
all of its general recommendations.
The widening of the M42 and the building of bypasses around Stourbridge and Wolverhampton (the 'Western Bypasses') would only lead to further congestion and increased traffic. All this would achieve is to delay the problem of practical gridlock around Birmingham for a few years. The building of the BNRR (or M6 Toll) will lead to limited congestion alleviation for a very limited period, in exchange for environmental degradation and loss of quality of life. This scenario is supported by the Regional Planning Guidance Panel report, which has rejected the case for the planned 'Western Bypasses'.
Bus showcase routes are all very well, but the emphasis should be placed on improvement of all public transport links, not just on main or frequently used routes. Increasing bus frequency and reliability to rural areas is as important if we are to seriously reverse dependence on the car.
Congestion charging needs to be introduced into main centres to reduce inconvenience to bus users at rush hour, and to give motorists a clear message that private car use needs to be minimised for health, safety and long term environmental benefits to the entire population.
We would like to see priority given to this kind of active initiative to minimise car use, as well as measures to ensure the safety and co-ordination of a universal cycle and footpath network throughout the region, linking up to the national Sustrans network.
2. Cycling
As the most sustainable and
"human scale" method of conveyance, cycling needs to be actively promoted
to the benefit of all.
Cyclists suffer fewer health problems, despite the fact that they are constantly under direct fire from exhaust fumes on our roads. They also often reach their destinations faster than motorists or those using public transport, especially for shorter journeys, and they create a safer environment for all of us - not only through reducing traffic levels if they are cycling instead of driving, but by creating a physical human presence on the streets. We should be encouraging cyclists at every opportunity. Increased expenditure on cycling to make it a safer leisure and transport option should be prioritised at all levels of decision making and implementation. The booklet "Moving with the Times" highlights the fact that the current LTP is far from being on track to meet targets for this area. Instead of surrendering to this, we need to put in place clearer guidelines and action points to achieve these targets, which includes investing far greater sums of money in all aspects of cycling.
Although leisure cycling is important in encouraging more people to get on a bike, emphasis should be placed on the establishment of a comprehensive network of routes to enable people to get to work and school in safety and speed. We are in danger of side-lining cycling as a credible solution to sustainable transport if we regard it primarily as a leisure pursuit.
Space needs to be provided on the existing carriageway (with the possibility of future development of off-road routes for leisure cycling), with adequate enforcement to prevent this space from being abused. As with bus lanes, cycle lanes on roads are currently seen as an extra lane for cars to either turn left at a junction or simply park. The presence of cycles on carriageways with cars will encourage more responsible and slower driving, especially in residential areas. Total segregation of cyclists from motor traffic is not desirable in all cases, as drivers become unaccustomed to making allowances for cyclists and, pedestrians thus making the roads more dangerous for all users.
Further investment in cycling is essential for the sustainable transport future of the region. The fact that the number of cyclists on our roads is low at the moment is no justification for lack of investment. The cycling factsheet itself states an aim to increase this figure, and this will not happen unless cycling is made safer and quicker. Part of this investment needs to be channelled into the promotion of cycling itself, through cycling proficiency and bicycle maintenance courses, as well as provision of cycling as a viable option to sections of the community currently excluded.
3. Bus Network
While branded main road bus
showcase routes are a useful marketing tool, we believe that too much emphasis
on showcase routes may mean that the rest of the bus network is neglected. These
serve to make the region "appear" to have a far better developed public
transport system than it actually does. If a "showcase" level of service
can be provided on the main road routes, then it should be applied to all routes
- even the more lightly used ones. The lightly used routes will benefit far
more and will see proportionately larger increased patronage than those routes
which are already heavily used. Lightly used routes should not be left to wither
away. However some routes are obviously a great deal busier than others and
do require greater provision.
Local public transport networks will provide a far more coherent solution to transport in the region, linking rural areas with urban centres and addressing issues of social exclusion by improving links between all neighbourhoods.
Land acquisition and property demolition is unacceptable as a method of delivering bus priority. The West Midlands has a perfectly adequate existing road network, and as such has no justification for widening roads or creating additional road space for buses. What this does is increase the space available for private vehicles, thus encouraging motorists to use their cars. A pertinent example of this approach can be seen in the Hagley Road Bus Showcase Route, which is actually a road widening scheme involving the destruction of frontages, mature trees and a grade two listed building to create a six-lane motorway along a stretch of the Hagley Road.
A policy of bus priority needs to be introduced, giving over a large proportion of this road space to public transport, be it a tram/metro system or buses, as well as cycles and pedestrians. This would be aided by adequate enforcement of traffic restrictions on all bus and cycle lanes. We would like to see physical traffic mode segregation of bus lanes in some places, thus preventing their abuse by other motor vehicles and deterring illegal parking. Obstruction free bus lanes would give bus passengers more reliable services.
We are against any further development of bus based park and ride sites. Driving private cars must be discouraged throughout the region, not just into cities, and this must be a priority. While park and ride schemes relieve congestion in the inner city and city centre areas, they simply transfer car journeys to other areas of the conurbation.
The improvement of local networks linking residential areas with shops schools and leisure facilities, along with secure well lit bus stops is more likely to get people using public transport. The development of centres and main routes is important to regional development, but if we are to see flourishing neighbourhoods we need to invest in suburbs and small towns with the same commitment.
The concept of "Super Showcases" is flawed, and we do not think there is any merit in introducing a further tier of showcase routes. The existing showcases should all be improved or applied more widely. We need a high standard of bus services throughout the region on all routes not just selected ones.
4. Freight
As stated above, it has been proven time and again that building new roads does
not ease congestion in the long term. The West Midlands Transport Plan needs
to present a coherent approach to the transport future of the region. If on
the one hand it states that car use is to be discouraged whilst on the other
it advocates new road building, this will not be achieved. The environmental
impact of building roads, including the contribution to climate change from
increased motor vehicle use, can never be justified.
The LTP mentions that 95% of freight is currently road based so there is an urgent need to reduce this dependence on road freight and effect a shift of traffic to more sustainable modes such as rail and waterways.
We strongly support the proposals to reopen the Stourbridge to Lichfield railway line for freight and passenger services, and this should be pursued with urgency. We also support improvements to the Sutton park line, four tracking Dorridge to Tyseley, improvements to the Water Orton route and reopening the Round Oak to Bescot line.
We would like to see further measures to encourage industries to locate near to rail lines and protect any development land adjacent to railway lines for industrial use, so that future developments may benefit from a railway connection.
We would also like to see a railfreight terminal with warehousing close to Birmingham City Centre serving the markets and retail developments. This would reduce lorry traffic coming into the city, with deliveries being made directly from the terminal to customers by smaller lorries.
Early morning deliveries for freight may be acceptable in some circumstances, for example to industrial sites far from residential areas. Freight should on no account be encouraged to travel through residential areas by road at unsociable hours.
The problem of peak time congestion could be additionally managed by congestion charging and other traffic control methods aimed at private cars rather than freight. Further measures are needed to transfer more freight onto the rail system, as well as increasing the use of the canals as a unique resource in the West Midlands.
On no account should freight vehicles be permitted to use bus lanes. These should be exclusively reserved for buses and, where appropriate, cycles. Freight travelling at speed in bus lanes would put pedestrians and bus users at additional and unnecessary risk.
To reduce congestion, the need to transport goods around the country should be reduced by promoting localised production of goods and services for the local economy, although we acknowledge that this is outside the scope of the LTP.
5. Metro
The Metro system has the potential
to be a valuable asset to the region's transport system. We accept the need
for a network of tram routes as a long-term goal, once bus and rail services
have been brought up to scratch. Unfortunately metro Line 1 and Line 2 both
use disused rail routes which should have been retained as part of the heavy
rail network. A metro system of trams running along road routes would be more
effective and a less wasteful use of resources. Other rail routes should not
be utilised by metro but should be retained as part of the heavy rail network
so that they will still be able to carry freight traffic as well as passenger
traffic wherever possible, and play their part in promoting more sustainable
and environmentally friendly freight transport. From an environmental point
of view we think it makes far more sense to run a tram system on the road network
and retain the ability to transport freight on the rail network.
In an ideal world, public transport would be completely integrated so there would be no wasteful duplication of tram, train and bus services. We therefore think that bus routes should serve as feeder routes rather than compete with Metro.
6. Park and Ride
We are against park and ride
schemes in principle, because although they may reduce congestion from inner
city areas and the city centre, and reduce the total length of the car journey,
they simply transfer car traffic to other areas around the park and ride sites.
Furthermore, people who may previously have walked, cycled, or caught the bus to a station may be tempted to drive instead, so there is a danger that park and ride schemes are actually creating additional car journeys. Park and ride sites also have an adverse environmental impact on their immediate area and consume large areas of land which could easily be put to much better use.
Park and ride does nothing to address the problems of social inclusion in rural areas and in housing estates on the periphery of the conurbation. It is of little use to people without access to a car, who would benefit far more from an improved bus network with feeder services to the local railway station.
We assume that the term "strategic park and ride" sites means that these would complement other measures and would be located at the periphery of the conurbation or in rural or very low density suburban areas. For example, there would be benefit in establishing park and ride sites as an interim measure pending full development of public transport to areas not currently served. At the same time the number of parking spaces provided at the park and ride site should be offset by removal of the same number of spaces in the city centre.
Park and ride sites are only acceptable if they are at the periphery of city and town centres, or in rural or very low density suburban areas not easily served by public transport. For example a park and ride site at Longbridge is more acceptable than the present park and ride site at Selly Oak which we feel is too close to the City Centre.
The idea of locating further park and ride sites within the green belt is unacceptable. Alterations to the current Birmingham UDP state that only in "exceptional circumstances" should green belt land be given over to development. The alternatives to park and ride are many, including an improved network of bus services which are frequent enough and attractive enough to encourage people to leave their cars behind and also provide a valuable service for those who do not have access to a car. The temporary and partial solution to the transport problem which park and ride offers does not justify destruction of precious green belt land.
Appropriate sites for park and ride would be on 'brownfield' land at the periphery of the conurbation. The size of car parks should also be carefully constrained, certainly to a far smaller area than the 500 spaces suggested. The purpose of the schemes should be to compensate for current shortfall in bus, rail and metro links to outlying areas.
We are against the concept of bus based park and ride schemes as bus services could easily be extended to serve the areas where people are driving in from! With a comprehensive and integrated network of bus services, metro routes and heavy rail services established, there should be no need for any park and ride schemes.
7. Passenger Rail
We consider that improvement in rail capacity is needed not only to maintain
economic prosperity in the region but also to enable more sustainable and less
environmentally damaging patterns of transport.
With very limited capacity available on the West Midlands rail network at the moment, lengthening trains on local services is the only way of increasing capacity in the short term. Increasing frequency would be more problematic and would lead to a deterioration in reliability. We would also like to see improved bus links to local stations and more generous on train storage capacity for cycles as well as better facilities at stations.
We support the concept of a Regional Express Rail network (RER) serving the wider west midlands, provided that this does not squeeze out local stopping trains and freight services. The focus should remain on improving local stopping services - with RER there is a danger that these may be neglected. We are also worried that a RER could stimulate unsustainable patterns of longer distance commuting within the wider west midlands region. Its main aim should be to reduce the demand for car travels, rather than in creating new journeys which would not otherwise have been made.
If the West Midlands is to be a sustainable region in the long term, we must concentrate on creating local jobs and sourcing products and services locally, thus reducing the demand for travel. Therefore although an RER network would be beneficial, we should at the same time be striving to reduce the need for lengthy journeys to access employment, education, social and leisure facilities.
We strongly support all the schemes currently being considered for early implementation. However we would like to see the Stourbridge to Walsall route re-opened to passenger traffic as well as freight with re-opening northwards to Lichfield at the earliest opportunity. Not only would this provide a valuable North East to South West freight route and take pressure off routes in the Birmingham area, but would also provide a useful regional passenger service linking Burton- on-Trent directly with Lichfield, Walsall and Stourbridge.
Currently there are many other routes within the West Midlands which are disused or carry no local passenger service. This is a waste of a valuable resource which could be used to reduce car use in the conurbation. We would advocate the reintroduction of local services on the following routes:
8. Powered Two Wheelers
The use of powered two wheelers
(P2Ws) in residential areas should not be encouraged. P2Ws are often threatening
and endanger the lives of not only their drivers but also pedestrians, cyclists
and even motorists. There is obviously a difference between a powerful motor
bike and a scooter, but there seems to be a trend amongst drivers of such vehicles
to drive irresponsibly and too fast.
P2Ws take up less space on the road than cars and require less parking, but their use needs to be far more carefully monitored, especially in built up areas, to prevent their abuse. Increased policing of P2Ws would increase safety, as well as enforcing the same controls on them as on cars, for example congestion charging and speed limits. A public awareness campaign could also be considered to encourage responsible driving, possibly funded by manufacturers of P2Ws.
As the above implies, P2Ws should not be permitted to use bus lanes. Priority should be unreservedly given to those choosing public transport for their journey.
The same issues apply to the provision of parking for P2Ws as do for cars. If we are seeking to discourage private motor vehicles in city centres, then we should not be increasing parking provision.
9. Red Routes
While we do not accept the
need for a comprehensive red route network throughout the West Midlands, we
think that specific red route schemes on certain strategic roads may bring some
benefits. We would only be willing to accept each individual scheme on its own
merits. Perhaps better enforcement of existing parking restrictions with increased
fines may be all that is needed in many cases.
More efficient use of road space, smoother traffic flow and increased reliability for bus passengers we perceive to be the main benefits of red routes. Also, more controlled parking may result in increased safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
However we are concerned that the improved flow of traffic will give higher traffic speeds (parking in roads often has the benefit of calming traffic), and result in increased danger to pedestrians and cyclists. Crossing a red route will be made much more hazardous because of the traffic flowing more freely. Bearing this in mind, the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and the disabled should be fundamental to the design of each scheme and should be integrated with good bus priority and traffic calming measures. Extra crossing points need to be provided along with more effective enforcement of speed limits to make red routes acceptable for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
At all stages, the needs of the local community who live, work and shop on planned red routes should be addressed at an early stage. Several stretches of the planned pilot scheme red route along the Stratford Road will run through vibrant shopping centres, and these should be protected and enhanced.
10. Social Inclusion
The approach of improving transport provision for the poorest areas is definitely
the right one. One of the key causes of social exclusion is physical confinement
in an area. Coupled with this, must be improved safety measures in terms of
lighting and bus stop provision, as well as traffic calming to an extent that
will have a noticeable effect on people's health and well-being. This transport
provision must be affordable to those on the lowest incomes.
Traffic calming is one of the most important transport provisions to reduce social exclusion. The creation of flourishing neighbourhoods is dependent on the residents of that neighbourhood being able to move around within it in ease and safety. Busy roads are a major obstacle to this, especially for the very young and the very old. Traffic should be re-routed out of these areas wherever possible, and more speed limits of 20mph should be introduced in certain built up areas, especially around schools and other places where there are a large number of pedestrians.
This needs to be linked to affordable bus, tram, and train services, all with full disabled access, to enable everybody to travel around the region safely and easily, and with the minimum possible impact on the environment. In addition, access to cycling for lower income families should also be considered. Bicycle hire-purchase schemes could be run through schools, as well as cycling proficiency and cycling clubs. This would have untold health benefits on the poorest communities, create a "people centred" space within the community (see our earlier comments on cyclists as a human presence), and improve safety and pollution problems.
Martin Stride & Jenny Thatcher