Archived decisions

Agenda Item 10

Report to the

Transport for South Hampshire Joint Committee

Date: 30 September 2009

Report by: Alison Linnell, Principal Transport Planner

tel: 01962 845526 email: [email protected]

Subject: Modelling Update

Purpose of the Report

The provision of a robust evidence base is essential in order to objectively justify the soundness of the Transport for South Hampshire (TfSH) strategy and proposed transport interventions arising from it, and thus assist in unlocking funding for the implementation of proposals. A transport modelling tool and associated data is required to appraise alternatives and demonstrate that selected transport interventions are the best option measured against strategy objectives. Work on the evidence base is consistent with and complementary to the work associated with Delivering a Sustainable Transport System.

Work to procure an appropriate transport modelling suite and undertake further data collection is under way. This report updates Members on progress. Work is currently on programme to allow completion of the modelling suite to support bids for funding and allow scenario testing to commence at the beginning of 2011.

Recommendation

Members are asked to note progress on advancing the evidence base required to support the Transport for South Hampshire strategy and transport interventions arising from it.

Introduction

1. In April 2009 the Joint Committee gave approval to progress the evidence base and to make funding commitments in future years to move it forwards. In addition officers were authorised to engage with funding agencies, stakeholders and the private sector to secure commitment towards the cost of the evidence base including both data collection and a transport modelling suite.

2. Approval was also given to invite expressions of interest for the work streams involved in providing the production and use of an appropriate modelling suite, and for a programme of data collection during the autumn, with Hampshire County Council taking the role as Lead Authority in this instance.

3. This report updates Members on progress of this important work stream.

The sub-regional modelling suite

4. In its role as lead authority Hampshire County Council has set up a Steering Group involving officers from the Department for Transport (DfT), Highways Agency (HA), Government Office for the South East (GOSE), South East England Partnership Board (SEEPB), and South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to guide the work to develop the evidence base. The agreed aim of this group is to develop and maintain an evidence base consisting of analysis and forecasting tools compliant with national guidelines to provide a shared resource for partners. This shared resource will enable TfSH to analyse problems, appraise potential solutions and in due course submit the preferred and fully justified transport strategy and schemes for inclusion in the Regional Transport Plan, to be submitted by SEEPB to the DfT by December 2011.

5. The necessary evidence base comprises a suitable sub-regional transport modelling suite along with the evidence required as an input to it. Given the complex nature of the required sub-regional modelling suite, and the likely size of the commission, a notice inviting expressions of interest from interested companies was placed in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) on 8 July. The notice specified that interested companies and consortia would be required to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire which would then be used to produce a short list of suitably qualified and experienced applicants to whom tender documents would be sent to in due course.

6. Of the companies responding to the OJEU notice a total of ten completed the pre-qualification questionnaires. These responses are now being reviewed in order to prepare an appropriate short list. Preparation of tender documentation is also underway. It is anticipated that tender documents will be sent out during October to the shortlisted companies. Tenders will be evaluated against a broad range of criteria covering both quality and cost, and these criteria will be finalised at the Steering Group Meeting on 24 September and will be reported verbally to the committee..

7. Members will recall that in April the Joint Committee gave approval for officers to engage with funding agencies, stakeholders and the private sector to secure commitment towards the cost of the evidence base including both the modelling suite strategy, appraisals and data collection.

8. The data collection and transport modelling costs will be firmed up after tenders are received during autumn 2009.

9. Work to secure necessary funding commitments continues with ongoing dialogue with public sector partners and the private sector. In the case of private sector contributions there is some difficulty in aligning the dates on which contributions would be likely to be received in terms of developer timetables, and when they are required to fund the modelling work. The availability of funds across all budgets for next year will be clearer - in December/January. At that time the final comparison of costs against funds can be undertaken prior to the commissioning of transport modelling consultants.

Autumn 2009 Data collection

10. A programme of Origin-Destination data collection has been commissioned, with the necessary work divided into two separate work packages with one centred around the western end of the sub-region and the other around the eastern end. The western package of surveys includes the Totton and Eastleigh areas as well as including sites within Southampton, whilst the eastern package includes the Havant and Horndean areas along with sites within Portsmouth.

11. When data collection was planned for the Tipner Interchange work led by Portsmouth City Council, sites surveyed in connection with that study were planned with the overall data collection for the sub-regional model in mind. This has minimised as far as possible the number of additional sites required in and around the city that now need to be surveyed, and has maximised data-sharing between the two separate pieces of work.

12. Two separate companies will be carrying out the survey work with each one responsible for one of the two packages. Work is anticipated to continue through October and into the middle of November, with new datasets available early in the new year.

Summary

13. The provision of a robust evidence base comprising a suitable transport modelling tool and associated data is essential in order to objectively justify the soundness of the TfSH strategy and the proposed transport interventions arising from it. By appraising alternatives and demonstrating that selected transport interventions are the best option when measured against the strategy objectives, the modelling tool will greatly assist in unlocking funding for implementation of proposals.

14. This work on the evidence base is entirely consistent with and complementary to the work associated with Delivering a Sustainable Transport System which is the subject of another item on this Joint Committee agenda. Beyond March 2010 it will be necessary to demonstrate in more detail that the proposed solutions to the sub-region's transport challenges are the most effective in achieving the DaSTS goals. The modelling suite will allow identified transport interventions and packages to be tested robustly and show their effectiveness in providing solutions to challenges in line with best practice national guidelines.

15. Work to procure an appropriate transport modelling suite and to undertake data collection is underway. Work is currently on programme to allow completion of the modelling suite to support bids for funding and allow scenario testing to commence at the beginning of 2011.

16. Work to secure necessary funding commitments continues with public sector partners and the private sector.

2157Rpt/968/AL