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) and Project Phoenix.

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 Quality Bus Partnership (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 Quality Bus Partnership.

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 has 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).

2.8 The position of detailed design for junctions 1 and 2 is set out as follows:

(i) Riverside/Bishopstoke Road - the results of consultations have required that the scheme be significantly redesigned. Scheme to be placed on hold until the funding situation for continued design, consultation and implementation has been resolved.

(ii) Southampton Road/Leigh Road - the potential to use the signals at the pelican crossing to stop traffic for buses on highway safety grounds has been discounted. This has meant the full signalisation of the junction is now required. The scheme has been placed on hold until the funding situation and implementation programme can be resolved.

2.9 Due to work on junctions 3 and 4 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 Avenue; and

(iii) Nightingale Avenue/Passfield Avenue.

Progress on these three junctions is as follows :

Derby Road/Southampton Road

2.10 Installing a mini-roundabout is not achievable within the existing highway boundaries. Progress with design and consultation placed on hold.

Derby Road/Passfield Avenue

2.11 Preliminary design of a mini-roundabout has been completed at an estimated cost of £40,000. This scheme is achievable in highway design and safety terms. The scheme would be a priority for implementation using money secured for bus priority measures from the Pirelli Phase 1 development.

Nightingale Avenue/Passfield Avenue

2.12 The feasibility of installing a mini-roundabout at this junction has been established. This scheme would be a priority for implementation using money secured for bus priority measures from the Pirelli Phase 1 development.

2.13 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 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 as `Project Phoenix'.

2.14 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:

2.15 Selective vehicle detection at the following junctions:

(i) Bournemouth Road/Leigh Road;

(ii) Chestnut Avenue/Nightingale Avenue;

(iii) Winchester Road/Oakmount Road;

(iv) Leigh Road/M3 slip road;

(v) Leigh Road/Passfield Avenue; and

(vi) Leigh Road/Romsey Road.

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

(vii) Winchester Road/Merdon Avenue;

(viii) Passfield Avenue/Locksley Road;

(ix) Winchester Road/Hiltingbury Road; and

(x) Fairoak Road/Alan Drayton Way.

2.17 Bus Lane:

(xi) Romsey Road.

2.18 Parking Restrictions:

(xii) Allbrook Hill.

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

2.20 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 the 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.

2.21 It is anticipated that the design and implementation of mini-roundabouts at the junctions of Passfield Avenue/Nightingale Avenue and Passfield Avenue/Derby Road 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.

2.22 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.

Recommendation

That this report be noted.

7809/JC