Transport

Environmental Policy and Action Plan

Transport is one of the biggest environmental issues that face the world today. People have become accustomed to the mobility offered by the private car and the ability to travel more widely and faster than at any other time in history. This mobility has had a significant effect on the operation of businesses particularly in the manufacturing field. It is not unusual now for raw materials and finished goods to be transported great distances for economic rather than environmental benefits. The environmental cost of this is only just being recognised, and remains to be fully accounted for in the financial calculations of the commercial world.

Measures are appearing which will seek to correct the imbalance which has been allowed to occur and to ensure that the full cost in both economic and environmental terms of transport is recognised and plays a part in decisions relating to transport use. The Environmental Pollution Act 1995 and the Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997 are two pieces of legislation, which place a responsibility on local authorities to address the problems within their own areas. These demands are supplemented by national and international legislative measures, such as increases in fuel tax and restrictions on the level of pollutants arising from motor engines, which address broader issues.

Within the City of Plymouth traffic congestion is not as severe as in many other cities. This situation will not however remain unless measures are pursued which seek to accommodate the growing demand for travel in sustainable ways. This needs to be addressed at both an individual and a corporate level, and within both the public and private sectors. Minimising congestion is best for everyone, but to achieve this there has to be a commitment to change and a commitment to provide the alternatives necessary to allow the change to be made. The City Council is committed to providing and promoting the alternatives.

Our Policies

We will:

• Work in partnership with neighbouring authorities and other organisations to implement the findings of the Plymouth and South East Cornwall and Environs Transportation Study as set out in Moving in A New Direction (MIND) until the review of the Transport Strategy is completed.
• Improve facilities for pedestrians through provision of improved pedestrian crossing facilities, new footpaths and specific improvements to benefit mobility-impaired pedestrians.
• Develop Safe Routes to School projects in partnership with schools through education, engineering, enforcement and encouragement.
• Increase the use of bicycles as a means of transport through the implementation of the Plymouth Cycling Strategy, the development of more cycle routes, improved cycle safety and increased cycle security at key destinations.
• Promote greater use of public transport and work in partnership with public transport operators to provide faster, affordable and more frequent services at the standard demanded by the public.
• Encourage the use of public transport by all sectors of the community and particularly encourage the provision of facilities for mobility impaired.
• Further review parking provision within the city centre to establish the level of private non-residential parking available and its impact on commuter traffic levels within the city.
• Manage the level of commuter parking in the city to an appropriate level using parking charges, planning controls and on street parking restrictions, such as residents parking zones.
• Promote improvements of rail services to and within Plymouth.
• Introduce a Staff Green Travel Plan to encourage greater use by staff of public transport and alternatives to private cars.

What we are doing already

Within the community we:

• Have introduced a Staff Green Travel Plan to encourage greater use by staff of public transport and alternatives to private cars.
• Routinely consult community groups on specific schemes being implemented in progressing the Transport strategy set out in MIND.
• Work with external organisations in developing a network of cycle routes across the city.
• Have provided enhanced cycle security through the provision of cycle parking.
• Subsidise the cost of bus services which are not viable on a commercial basis but which fulfil an identified need within the network and move services nearer to those who need them.
• Provide concessionary fares to pensioners with free travel to those over 80, very low flat rate fare to those less well off pensioners under 80 and a low flat rate fare for other pensioners.
• Provide concessionary fares to schoolchildren over and above that required to be provided under statutory educational legislation.
• Provide information and promote public transport services.
• Provide improved accessibility through the provision of bus boarding platforms in partnership with public transport operators who introduce low floor buses on the appropriate routes.
• Are improving the quality of bus shelters and the bus stop environment.
• Have improved the facilities at the park and ride sites, particularly through the provision of improved boarding facilities and toilets at Coypool.
• Are managing the provision of commuter parking within the city centre to reduce commuter traffic.
• Are seeking to introduce traffic calming and 20 mph zones over a wide area of the city in accordance with MIND to reduce "rat running" through inappropriate areas and improve road safety.
• Are undertaking an extensive programme of local safety schemes to reduce the number and severity of accidents on our roads.
• Are introducing a range of bus priority measures.
• Gather data on transport related issues to ensure that the effects of the policies and programmes implemented can be measured and monitored.

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Within the Council we:

• Are seeking to recycle material from highway maintenance works for use on maintaining the Plym Valley Cycleway.
• Have established staff and councillor travel patterns to inform the process of developing specific sustainable travel plans for each group.
• Have introduced a Travel Plan for all elected Members to encourage greater use of alternatives to the private car by Councillors on official business.
• Have a cycle loan scheme to encourage staff to purchase cycles.
• Provide cycle parking for staff at, and visitors to, the Civic Centre.

What we plan to do

Within the community we will:

• Improve pedestrian links within the city centre through environmental improvements, new lengths of footway and additional crossing facilities.
• Develop Safe Routes to School projects in partnership with schools through education, engineering, enforcement and encouragement.
• Implement the Plymouth Pedestrian Strategy Taking Steps.
• Increase the provision of bus priority measures across the city to provide reliable and efficient bus services.
• Improve information relating to public transport by utilising latest information technology techniques as well as increasing the publics accessibility to such information through computers, Internet connections and real-time information systems.
• Develop proposals for fulfilling the requirements of the Road Traffic Reduction Act in consultation with all sectors of the community.
• Educate and encourage people to adopt safe and sustainable means of travel particularly through road safety and cycling initiatives and publicity.
• Ensure that the location of new housing in and around Plymouth takes into account the need to maximise the attractiveness of sustainable modes of transport for commuting.

Within the Council we will:

• Increase the number of showers for use by those who cycle, walk or run to work.
• Increase the provision for cycle parking at our work places.
• Review the existing bicycle loan scheme to ensure it offers an appropriate benefit to staff that chose to make use of it.
• Continue to deliver those elements of the Transport Strategy currently being pursued as set out above.

Our Targets

By July 2000

• To prepare a statutory Road Traffic Reduction Plan for the City.
• To prepare a full Local Transport Plan for the years 2001 - 2006 following a comprehensive review of the Transport Strategy.
• To prepare a final version of "Taking Steps The Plymouth Pedestrian Strategy".
• To prepare a revised/updated version of the Plymouth Cycling Strategy

By December 2000

• To reduce the number of road traffic casualties by one third from the average number of accidents recorded during 1987-89.

By December 2001

• All Pelican Crossings to have tactile paving to aid mobility impaired.

By December 2002

• Cycle use for journeys to work to be doubled from 1991 census baseline of 3%.
• All Pelican Crossings with full disabled facilities to aid mobility impaired.

By December 2004

To establish one new park and ride site.

By December 2006

• To maintain traffic levels at existing levels.

By December 2010

• To reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries due to road accidents by one third from the 1996 - 98 average.

By December 2012

• To quadruple cycle use for journeys to work from 1991 census baseline of 3%.

Yearly Targets

• To increase the total length of cycle routes by a minimum of 1km. per annum. The length in 1997 was 33.1 km.
• To increase the number of cycle parking spaces by a minimum of 40 per annum. In 1998 there were 134 cycle parking spaces in Plymouth.
• To spend a minimum of £100,000 per annum on cycling facilities.
• To spend a minimum of £100,000 per annum on facilities for pedestrians.
• To increase the length of highway with traffic calming or 20mph. restriction by 2km. per annum. The length in 1997 was 36.2km.
• To maintain existing patronage at Park and Ride sites.

In pursuing these specific targets, the City Council will be working towards the following targets set out in the Pathfinder Strategy and Action Plan up to 2010:

• To maintain 1994 traffic flow levels across the city

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