Accessibility planning

Since being told by government to look at accessibility planning, the transport department quickly came to realise that accessibility planning is about more than just looking at what might not be working with transport in Plymouth.

Accessibility planning looks at our ability to reach jobs and training, recreation, shopping, entertainment and social opportunities within a reasonable time and without too much difficulty. If people are unable to access these things they are at risk of suffering from greater poverty or social exclusion. Difficulties can take a variety of forms, for example, some residents cannot afford the bus fare whilst others are physically unable to get on the bus, whilst others may have difficulty reading the bus timetable. By improving alternatives to the car this work can improve accessibility and also help to reduce the less desirable impacts of car use - congestion, pollution, accidents, difficulty crossing roads. These negative effects tend to impact more on people in less well off areas who are least likely to have access to a car and the benefits this can bring.

As a result of work started in 2006, the Transport Strategy Team is working with a number of partners in Plymouth to tackle accessibility issues for people living in Plymouth. A number of questions have been asked by members of the public, the most common are listed below.

Why are we talking about accessibility and not transport?

Traditionally transport is about moving people and goods to services and facilities, whereas accessibility is broader. It could mean transport in the traditional sense but it could also be moving services to places where people can get to them or changing the times that they are open. It covers the whole range of problems that people have with getting essential services.

Why aren't we focusing on cars?

Nearly a third of households in Plymouth do not have access to a car and because of this a number of people rely on buses, walking and cycling. Plymouth Points of View survey has indicated that those that do not have access to a car tend to have the greatest difficulties accessing services.

Why not just help people without a car to buy one?

Experience from cities such as Los Angeles has demonstrated that increasing car ownership without working to improve the alternatives would be likely to lead to even more congestion and the associated pollution problems. Furthermore, there would always be people without access to a car that would become ever more excluded because of the lack of alternative means of transport.

Surely the removal of underpasses and replacement with pedestrian crossings just makes congestion worse?

It is recognised that in the short term more pedestrian crossings can lead to traffic queues. However, some older people and other people with difficulty walking, find the underpasses difficult to use. Police surveys in 2008 have shown that many people still feel unsafe using underpasses, particularly after dark. It is our view that the replacement of underpasses with pedestrian crossings will make people more likely to walk for shorter journeys rather than drive, which in turn may actually have the longer term impact of reducing traffic.

Why not get rid of bus lanes to resolve congestion?

Bus lanes do not generally have a significant impact on road capacity because it is usually the junctions, not the roads in between junctions that determine capacity. If all bus lanes were to be removed, it is likely that in the very short term there would be improved traffic flow. However more people would then use their cars resulting in bus services being cut, therefore congestion would be worse than it was before the bus lanes were removed.

What sort of services and facilities are we talking about?

Well everything really, but in particular those that you need on a regular basis, for example:

• Local shops or supermarket
• Schools or further education/adult education
• GP, dentist or hospital
• Leisure activities, local park, cinema, sports centre
• Work
• Council offices
• Community centre or places of worship

What stops you from accessing the services and facilities?

• Can you physically get there? If you push a pushchair, is there a bridge with steps? Is there a direct bus service?
• Are they open at the right times? Are they only open when you are at work or caring for someone?
• Can you afford to get there? Is the taxi or bus fare too high?
• Do you have safety concerns? Is there a busy road to cross or do you need to go there when it’s dark?
• Is it easy to get information about the services that are available?

What can be done to help?

• Improve public transport
• Improve walking and cycling facilities
• Improve information about existing services
• Work with other service providers to influence the way they deliver services
• Work with communities to develop their own solutions

[Back to top]