Archived decisions

Contact: Jonathan Crabb, ext 6047

1. Summary

1.1 This report provides an update on the development and implementation of the Eastleigh Quality Bus Partnership (QBP), the Project Phoenix and the Southern Test Valley QBP.

2. Eastleigh Quality Bus Partnership and Project Phoenix

2.1 Hampshire County Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Solent Blue Line and First Southampton have all expressed their commitment to the Eastleigh Area Quality Bus Partnership, its Schedule of Commitment and Aims and Objectives.

2.2 The partners are already working together to deliver a high quality and reliable bus service on Solent Blue Line routes 41, 48 and 29/29A and on First Southampton Service 16.

2.3 The route 48 (Fair Oak-Eastleigh-Southampton) has been prioritised as the route with the most potential for improvement.

2.4 The bus network for the Eastleigh area is currently out to tender. This means that a number of bus operators will submit prices to operate the services on behalf of the County Council. This network consists of services that the County Council deem to be socially necessary but would not be operated by a bus company because they are not commercially viable. They are generally services that operate in the evenings and on Sunday. The planned implementation date of the contracts is May 2003.

2.5 Solent Blue Line bus company is the current operator of these services in Eastleigh. The company is also a partner in the Eastleigh Area QBP and is working with the County Council and Eastleigh Borough Council to improve the reliability and attractiveness of the Eastleigh bus network. First Group, another commercial bus operator, is also a partner in the QBP.

2.6 The Eastleigh QBP was signed in November 2001 when the refurbished Eastleigh bus station was officially opened. A number of improvements have already been delivered as part of the QBP. In addition to the refurbished bus station, the County and Borough Councils have worked with the bus companies to install new, high quality `named' bus stops at all stops covered by the QBP. Publicity and timetables are now on display at every bus stop, and space in the timetable displays is also available to promote tourism initiatives such as the Strawberry Coast. Further improvements include the installation of new bus shelters and raised boarding kerbs at bus stops. Solent Blue Line recently invested in a number of high quality new buses for some routes in the Eastleigh area.

2.7 A very important aspect of the QBP is the implementation of highway measures that will assist the flow of buses through traffic. Due to the amount of detailed work involved, these measures take longer to implement than roadside infrastructure improvements. Atkins has been designing proposals for bus priority measures at four junctions along the QBP routes:

(i) Riverside Road/Bishopstoke Road;

(ii) access to Eastleigh bus station;

(iii) Romsey Road/Station Hill roundabout (on hold due to other potential works); and

(iv) Bishopstoke Road/Chickenhall Lane (on hold due to other potential works).

Detailed design is in progress for junctions (i) and (ii).

2.8 Due to work on junctions (iii) and (iv) being put on hold, Solent Blue Line requested that the following three junctions be examined for potential bus priority measures:

(i) Derby Road/Southampton Road;

(ii) Derby Road/Passfield Road; and

(iii) Nightingale Avenue/Passfield Avenue.

Initial concept design is in progress on these three junctions.

2.9 Solent Blue Line recently informed the County Council that it is planning to revise its commercial bus network in Eastleigh, but would not do this until it is aware of the services it will be operating when the decision on tendered services is known in May 2003. The proposed changes appear to represent a considerable improvement in service frequencies, with the introduction of new buses, although no detailed
timetables have been submitted. The implementation of any improvements is likely to be when the tendered services are introduced, probably during May 2003. Solent Blue Line has named this improvement package `Project Phoenix', as illustrated on the attached plan.

2.10 As part of these details submitted to the County Council, Solent Blue Line has requested that the County Council and Borough Council implement a number of further junction improvements to aid reliability of the proposed new network and to add value to Solent Blue Line's investment in vehicles and improved frequencies. These additional junctions are as follows:

(i) Selective vehicle detection at the following junctions:

(a) Bournemouth Road/Leigh Road;

(b) Chestnut Avenue/Nightingale Avenue;

(c) Winchester Road/Oakmount Road;

(d) Leigh Road/M3 slip road;

(e) Leigh Road/Passfield Avenue; and

(f) Leigh Road/Romsey Road.

(ii) Junction priority changes (eg a mini-roundabout or traffic signals) have also been requested at the following junctions:

(g) Winchester Road/Merdon Avenue;

(h) Passfield Avenue/Locksley Road;

(i) Winchester Road/Hiltingbury Road; and

(j) Fairoak Road/Alan Drayton Way.

(iii) Bus Lane:

(k) Romsey Road.

(iv) Parking Restrictions:

(l) Allbrook Hill.

2.11 The 12 measures listed above have been identified by Solent Blue Line as `pinch-points' in its network and suggests that priority measures would considerably improve bus journey times. These have not been analysed by the County Council.

2.12 It is recommended that the further junction improvements requested by Solent Blue Line as part of Project Phoenix are not progressed until the tendered and commercial bus network is finalised, probably during May 2003 when the situation will be reviewed. Detailed design work on the junctions where work is ongoing should continue, subject to available funding and in coordination with development of the Central Eastleigh Transport Strategy. These are as follows:

(i) Riverside Road/Bishopstoke Road;

(ii) access to Eastleigh bus station;

(iii) Derby Road/Southampton Road;

(iv) Derby Road/Passfield Avenue; and

(v) Nightingale Avenue/Passfield Avenue.

2.13 It is anticipated that the design and implementation of mini-roundabouts at the junctions of Nightingale Avenue/Passfield Avenue and Derby Road/Passfield Avenue will be progressed this year. Funding will be provided using contributions secured from the Pirelli development to deliver bus priority measures on routes serving the development; in this case route 48.

2.14 The delivery of bus priority measures at other junctions and roads on route 48 has been placed on hold pending clarification of the South West Hampshire Transport Strategy 2004/05 capital programme.

3. Southern Test Valley Bus Quality Partnership

3.1 A project appraisal for the roadside infrastructure side of this scheme was approved by the Executive Member for Environment on 10 September 2001. Installation of the Electronic Bus Departure Information Screens will be installed at Romsey Bus Station in April/May 2003.

3.2 Initial outcomes from the work have identified junction improvements and/or bus priority measures on key junctions, or the potential to partially re-route the Solent Blue Line Service 15. Junctions which have been investigated are:

(i) Rownhams Lane/Botley Road;

(ii) Luzborough Lane roundabout;

(iii) Winchester Road/Botley Road;

(iv) Palmerston Street/Broadwater Road; and

(v) Re-routeing of service along Rownhams Lane.

3.3 These improvements are being coordinated with the Romsey Movement and Access Study and the Halterworth and Mountbatten Safer Routes to School Projects. Consultations are taking place with the Borough Council, Town Council, Police and Parish Councils.

3.4 Junctions (i) and (ii) have been progressed to preliminary design stage. For junction (i) it is proposed to remove the deceleration lane westbound on Botley Road to aid the egress of buses from Rownhams Lane onto Botley Road. This is being taken forward to detailed design.

3.5 For junction (ii), Luzborough Lane roundabout, there is the problem of buses turning east from Botley Road, through the roundabout. It is proposed to reduce vehicle speeds coming along the A27, entering the roundabout on the western arm, by enhancing the deflection, and reducing it from two lanes to one.

3.6 On the eastern arm it is proposed to enhance the central island to provide greater cycle and pedestrian access across Botley Road. These schemes are being progressed to detailed design.

3.7 The option of re-routeing the buses along Fleming Avenue to remove the need to queue on Rownhams Road has been considered. A central white line will be introduced on Rownhams Road to enable improved left turn movements for buses.

3.8 Junctions (iii) and (iv) have not been progressed at present due to the environmental enhancements in the town centre, the development of the Waitrose supermarket and the longer term development of signalised junctions as part of the Romsey Movement and Access Study.

4. Proposed Agreement

4.1 There is an umbrella agreement between Hampshire County Council and Solent Blue Line and it is proposed to sign a formal agreement for this route between the County Council, Test Valley Borough Council and Solent Blue Line. A draft agreement has been prepared.

Recommendation

That the report be noted.

7779/JC