Public transport in the South West Public transport in the South West: threats and opportunities Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive Campaign for Better Transport

Public transport in the South West

Public transport in the South West: threats and opportunities

Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive

Campaign for Better Transport



• Charitable trust promoting sustainable transport• Support from wide range of interests• Co-ordinates environmental and other NGOs

concerned with transport• Commissions and publishes research • Conducts public campaigns• Promotes pilot projects and good practice


Current transport patterns have many impacts

• Noise• Air quality: new research shows worse impacts• Landscape and biodiversity• Road casualties• Health impacts from less physical activity• Community severance• Social exclusionMany of these result from car dependence – where car use is

a necessity not a choice


And there is also climate change…


Car dependence is promoted by current policies• Carbon reduction and sustainability generally is about

technology, not related to travel behaviour or transport infrastructure decisions

• Key transport decisions – for example on fares, pricing, infrastructure and funding – don’t take account of impacts on car dependency or other sustainability issues

• Transport not joined up - to land use planning and other government decisions

And at present in politics short term economic growth trumps everything else


Car dependence is a problem for…

•Those with cars (who have to drive more)

•Those without cars, who are excluded from society

And it leaves us all vulnerable to oil price shocks

Car dependency scorecard shows that towns and cities vary enormously


Threats: investment in major roads…


South West roads investment

- Part of new England-wide Road Investment Strategy, £15bn 2015-2020

- Smart motorways and expressways

But:- Not multi-modal- Limited funding for local roads so potholes get

worse


.. major cuts in public transport funding


Cuts in public transport spending

• Bus Service Operators Grant• Underfunding of concessionary travel• Cuts in local authority funding

Buses in Crisis report:- £44m cut in funding, 2000 routes cut since 2010- South West spend per person £6.44 2010 - £5.49

2015, 16% cut since 2010


And bus and rail getting dearer

•Past trends show motoring and aviation costs have fallen in real terms, public transport costs have increased•Government policy is still RPI+1% annual increase for rail fares•Bus fares have increased by a third in cash terms over the last five years


Opportunities

• Changes in transport trends

• New forms of transport funding

• Evidence of what works

• New organisations

• Public transport oriented development


Changes in trends: forecasts versus reality

-Car use has peaked, or at least lessened its increase, and young people are driving less than their parents did-Rail use has been growing, even through the recessionBut DfT forecasting doesn’t reflect this


New forms of transport funding

• “Total Transport”: bids for pilots now being assessed

• Workplace parking levy• Developer funding• Connectivity fund• Tax benefits • Road funding – “integration”

Need revenue funding, not just capital


What works: Sustainable Travel Towns 2004-8 show that car use can be reduced

Darlington Car use (trips)

Public transport (trips)

Cycling

Walking

-11%

-13%

+89-113 %

+11-13%

Worcester Car use

Public transport

Cycling

Walking

-11%

+ 27%

+ 11-23%

+9-14%

Peterborough Car use

Public transport

Cycling

Walking

-12%

+ 40%

+10-17%

+9-14%


Local Sustainable Transport Fund helps the economy

• Help for employers (travel plans)

• Helping unemployed people into work

• Local public transport improvements (new services, lower fares)

• Promoting active travel

• Community involvement

• Improving the public realm


Evidence shows that these are working – and are good value for money• North Somerset “kickstart” project: 21-24% increase in

patronage• Swindon-Westbury rail service: 160,000 passengers in year 1

(forecast was 45,000)• Nottingham: half price “Kangeroo” card for jobseekers,

32,000 a month by Sept 2013, 17% of card holders found employment

• Telford town centre box road, turning one side into “urban street” 20 mph zone – attracting £250m regeneration scheme


What works - walking and cycling

60% of car journeys are under 5 miles, so encouraging walking and cycling could make a difference. This means•Safe routes•Signing•Cycle parking•Street design (e.g. advanced stop lines at lights)•Speed management where people live


New organisations

The push for devolution:•Rail North/ Transport for the North •Combined authorities/ PTEs•Transport partnerships•Bring LEPs and authorities together

Need joint transport/ land use/ economic plans, as in London


Public transport oriented developmentLink public transport and new developmentJoint rail/development projectsUse developments to fund rail investmentDevelop rail stations as gateways/hubsCreate town-wide transport partnerships Local and national planning policies should support this


Southern Leighton Buzzard development

• “Dash Direct” bus• Station Travel Plan• Cycling and walking • Household screens• Limited car parkingModal shift 2012: 24.2%;

Bus users with car: 48%


Tavistock and Devon

• Railway closed in 1960s• Proposal to reopen 5 miles of line to connect with rail

network• Paid for by a town extension of 750 houses, built round

the rail line• In development plan, planning permission given• Part of other rail-based development in Devon


Network St Albans

• An area wide voluntary partnership, with 5 bus operators, 2 train operators, district and county council

• Network map• More frequent services• New buses• Multi-operator (BUSnet) ticket and now mobile e-tickets• Real time information • Better bus stops

Now rolled out to Watford and Hemel Hempstead




Bringing it together: door to door public transport

•Information: needs to be high quality, accurate, real time and easily available•Network-wide ticketing/ smartcards•Guaranteed connections•Marketing: “metro” maps, branding etc•Personal security: CCTV, policing priority•Good interchanges and access to stops/stations•End to end bus priorityAbove all treat public transport as a priority network that decision-makers and car users might want to use (and by the way, competition law can’t stop this)


Bringing it together -cutting car dependence?Measures to help people and businesses change

travel behaviour, including working with the main travel generators (employers, schools, hospitals)

Improve public transport, promote walking and cycling

Smarter parking and roads policies

Link transport and planning: locate development next to public transport, accessibility planning

Smart transport infrastructure


Technology can help: transport is getting smarter…

• Information• Payment• Management• Planning: “Big Data”• Vehicles: electric?

Autonomous?


Smart growth not dumb growth…

Economic growth doesn’t mean more and more roads and cars:

• Vienna: car use has fallen from 40% - 36%, 30% of journeys are now on foot or bike, 34% public transport

• Los Angeles: 90% car, 10% rest• London: 1993- car 46% public

transport 30%; 2010- car 34% public transport 42%


Conclusion

► Transport and planning needs to promote “smart growth”, not “no growth” or “dumb growth”

► Car dependence is bad for those with cars and those without, and for the wider economy, environment and society

► Travel behaviour can change and reliance on cars is not inevitable

► There are examples of business and council initiatives that can offer good models

► Many technical tools and models are out of date and rely on past trends continuing

► The challenge is to make transport decisions and funding support rather than undermine sustainable travel


For more information


www.bettertransport.org.uk

[email protected]

020 7566 6480

Documents

Public transport in the South West Public transport in the South West: threats and opportunities Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive Campaign for Better Transport