Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

EXECUTIVE MEMBER - ENVIRONMENT

ITEM 1

PROJECT APPRAISAL

PROJECT:

EASTLEIGH QUALITY BUS PARTNERSHIP - LEIGH ROAD CORRIDOR SELECTIVE VEHICLE DETECTION

COMMENCEMENT DATE:

JANUARY 2005

COMPLETION DATE:

MARCH 2005

PLANNED YEAR OF START IN ACCORDANCE WITH CAPITAL PROGRAMME: 2004/05

1.

FINANCE (Client Department, Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services [Estates Practice] and County Treasurer)

Current

Capital

Estimate

Programme

(at 2004

(at 2004

prices)

prices)

Capital Expenditure

£'000

£'000

Land to be purchased

Construction

62

62

Fees

8

8

Less developers/

other contributions

70

70

Financial provision for total scheme

Total Cost

1.

From Committees own resources

(a) Capital programme (as above)

70

(b) Other

2.

From other resources

(a)

(b)

(c)

TOTAL

70

Value of land for this project in HCC ownership £

Variations from capital programme

Revenue implications

£'000

% variation

to Committee's

budget

Net current expenditure

Nil

Nil

Capital charges

7

0.008

TOTAL net expenditure

7

0.008

2.

STATEMENT OF NEED/JUSTIFICATION FOR PROJECT

(Client Department)

Hampshire County Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and Solent Blue Line share a common objective to encourage greater use of public transport in Eastleigh to address traffic congestion problems. A major step towards improving bus services in Eastleigh arose with the Quality Bus Partnership (QBP) agreed in November 2001 between Hampshire County Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, First Group and Solent Blue Line.

A more frequent service now operates in Eastleigh, and Solent Blue Line has recently invested in new, fully accessible vehicles. They have also introduced a programme of driver training to National Vocational Qualification standards, and will ensure a high standard of bus vehicle cleanliness. These measures have helped achieve a 10% growth in patronage during the previous year. The proposal to install Selective Vehicle Detection (SVD) equipment is an important element of the partnership. It will enable priority to be given to buses to reduce passenger delay and to assist in reducing the variability of bus journey times along the Leigh Road and Romsey Road corridors in Eastleigh. Improving journey time reliability may enable the bus company to operate more services and improve service frequency.

The provision of high quality, reliable and accessible bus services can encourage more people to use buses, and help the County Council achieve its Best Value Performance Indicator (BVPI) and Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets for increased bus patronage. Currently the number of bus passengers travelling along the Leigh Road corridor is approximately 2,450 passengers per week. The Eastleigh QBP has a target of 5% per annum growth in patronage and these works will support the achievement of this target.

3.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROPOSAL (Client Department)

National/County Network and Policies

The proposals are consistent with the objectives of providing greater travel choice and improved public transport systems. The development of QBPs is a key component of the County Council's policy of improving public transport by working in partnership with public transport operators. The County Council aims to encourage modal shift from private car to public transport and this scheme will help to achieve this by speeding up bus journey times and improving the reliability of the buses in Eastleigh.

In addition to the locations referred to in this report, the Eastleigh QBP identified a number of other locations on the network at which buses were being delayed. These locations included:

Derby Road, Eastleigh;

Mansbridge Road, Eastleigh;

Falkland Road/Leigh Road junction Eastleigh;

Hamble Lane/Portsmouth Road junction Lowford;

Bishopstoke Road/Riverside, Eastleigh;

Bishopstoke Road/Chickenhall Lane, Eastleigh; and

Romsey Road/Southampton Road, Eastleigh.

There are a number of technical difficulties that currently prevent bus priority measures being introduced at these locations and as a result the scale of the works originally envisaged has been reduced and with it Hampshire County Council and Eastleigh Borough Council's contribution to the QBP.

Other areas in Hampshire at which SVD operates at traffic signals include the A325 at Farnborough. In addition SVD is currently being implemented on the A3 at Waterlooville. The major bus operator's vehicles are fitted with tags in these areas.

Details of Scheme and Design Standards

SVD will be installed at the following seven traffic signal junctions along the Leigh Road and Romsey Road corridors in Eastleigh (*= location of SVD):

Romsey Road*/Upper Market Street*;

Romsey Road*/Leigh Road*;

Leigh Road*/Passfield Avenue/Woodside Avenue;

Leigh Road*/M3 south-bound slip road;

Leigh Road*/Travel Inn;

Leigh Road*/Oakmount Road*; and

Leigh Road*/Bournemouth Road*.

Buses operating in the Eastleigh area are already fitted with the necessary equipment (tags) to enable the bus to be detected by the proposed SVD.

SVD operates in the following way: On detecting a tagged bus, the traffic signals can act in two possible ways:

(i) If the road on which the bus is approaching has a green signal, the duration of the green signal can be extended so that the bus passes through without being delayed at the signals.

(ii) If the road on which the bus is approaching has a red signal, the traffic signals can cut short the green time for the opposing approaches and return quickly to the road on which the bus is approaching.

The system seeks to balance the level of priority for buses against the impact on other road users, and Split Cycle and Offset Optimisation Technique (SCOOT) may not provide priority to buses where high levels of congestion occur. This helps to reduce the disruption to other road users.

The actual benefit for individual buses will vary with time of travel, background traffic conditions, the sequence of the signals when the bus approaches and the signal staging at each junction. However, implementation of SVD is expected to produce average journey time savings (excluding time spent at bus stops) of up to approximately 20% in the morning peak, 25% in the off-peak and 15% in the evening peak along Leigh Road between the bus station and the Oakmount Road traffic signals.

Three of the junctions are operated as part of the Highways Agency Area 3 network. The level of priority afforded to buses at these junctions may be restricted at times by the operational requirements of the Highways Agency.

Environmental Impact

The proposal has negligible consequences for the environment as a whole. Through the QBP agreement, public transport in the Eastleigh area is being substantially improved, and the measures may improve the local environment by reducing the adverse environmental impact of transport.

The introduction of bus priority will add further delay for other road users at these busy junctions. Some increased levels of delay will be incurred for traffic on roads not served by buses when buses pass through each signal junction. This impact may be offset by time savings incurred for other traffic travelling in front of buses, which will receive similar benefits to the buses themselves.

Land Requirements

No land acquisition required. All works to be confined within existing public highway limits.

Statutory Procedures

There are no statutory procedures affecting this proposal.

Public Consultation

As part of the Passenger Transport Group Best Value Review, Miller Associates carried out extensive market research and convened focus groups with Hampshire residents. The results show a very positive response to measures aimed at improving bus services, such as improved passenger information, cleaner and more modern vehicles, improved accessibility, new bus shelters and more frequent services. All of these elements are being developed through the QBP.

Local Member's View

Consultation with local Members in the Eastleigh areas served by buses along the Leigh Road Corridor has been carried out. Correspondence regarding the Eastleigh QBP, which outlined the introduction of bus priority measures, was sent to Councillors Brown, Davidovitz, Davies-Dear, Luffman, Mrs Boulton and Mrs Holden-Brown in July 2001. Councillors Mrs Holden-Brown and Luffman responded in support and no negative comments were received.

Equalities

The measures proposed in this report, which aim to improve bus services, may improve social inclusion in the longer term. Solent Blue Line last year invested in new, low-floor easy access buses, which improve bus services for disabled passengers and passengers with young children.

Maintenance Implications

The junction is an existing installation, and will not add significantly to the maintenance liability. The provision of the SVD equipment may, however, increase the number of maintenance call-outs.

The revenue implications of this proposal will be taken into account in the setting of the annual base budget.

Crime and Disorder Act 1998

The provisions of this Act have no impact on this proposal.

Sustainability

The proposals may encourage people to use public transport rather than less sustainable forms of transport, and support Hampshire County Council's Sustainable Development Strategy by helping to reduce the environmental impact of travel.

4.

ROAD IMPROVEMENT - ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED

(Client Department)

It would be possible not to install the proposed SVD systems. This is not recommended as it would remove the opportunity to provide priority for buses, and might jeopardise the ability of the QBP to sustain the desired increase in bus patronage, which might in turn adversely affect the County Council BVPI and PSA targets.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1.

Published works.

2.

Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

TITLE

LOCATION

SIG/1207

Intelligent Transport Systems Group

Monument House