Chorley Road SBNI
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Part 1 - Open to the Public REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTOR PLACE TO THE LEAD MEMBER FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING TRAFFIC ADVISORY PANEL 5th March 2020 Salford City Council (Chorley Road, Swinton) (Bus Lane) Order 2020 & City of Salford (Chorley Road, Partington Lane and Station Road, Swinton) (Prohibition of Waiting / Loading / Unloading and Taxi Stand Clearway) Order 2020 RECOMMENDATIONS: That the Lead Member for Strategic Planning consider the contents of this report and the deliberations of the Traffic Advisory Panel and makes a decision: Authorise the making of the Traffic Regulation Order in the form given in the Notice of Proposals as set out in this report. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Salford City Council in conjunction with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has developed a series of measures across Salford and Bolton (SBNI) to make the transport network more efficient. It aims to make travel easier for everyone, including public transport users, drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Bus passengers in particular will see quicker, more reliable journey times. The improvements will also help encourage economic growth by providing better access to employment opportunities, health, education, retail and leisure facilities. Funding for the improvements has been supported by Central Government through the Greater Manchester Growth Deal. The SBNI programme is one of twelve major transport schemes being delivered through Growth Deal funding. It comprises of a series of discrete Delivery Packages which will collectively provide corridor-wide, multi-modal, local transport infrastructure interventions to connect communities, make the network more efficient and reduce unpredictable delays. 1 This part of the SBNI scheme seeks to introduce bus lanes and associated complementary waiting and loading restrictions on the A6 Chorley Road, Swinton, Salford. As part of the proposals the existing signal junctions at Wellington Road and Station Road/Partington Lane junction will be improved, particularly for pedestrians. The proposals were consulted initially with the Traffic Management Unit (TMU) on 14th November 2019 and comments were received from ward councillors. These comments were reviewed, and amendments were made to the detail of the scheme. A meeting was arranged to discuss proposal with TFGM and councillors on 16th December 2019. No other objections were received from TMU members to the scheme. The Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) to introduce the bus lanes and waiting restrictions were advertised on the 23rd Jan 2020 for a period of 21 days and 7 objections were submitted to the proposal. BACKGROUND: The SBNI Salford Bolton Network Improvement (SBNI) major scheme is promoted by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), with support from TfGM’s delivery partners, Bolton Council (BC) and Salford City Council (SCC). It will provide a comprehensive package of capital infrastructure improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, bus and rail passengers, and general traffic, focused around a local transport and District Centre network that serves over 100,000 residents in Bolton and Salford and will benefit over 12 million bus passengers per year The SBNI area’s economic vitality is hampered by a number of challenging transport related constraints including: - District Centres with uninviting, non-user friendly transport facilities; - Peak-time congestion (including M60/M61/M62 motorway related problems); - Poor punctuality and reliability of the local bus network and Poor public transport connections (e.g. slow, infrequent, inconvenient and unpredictable journey times and interchange arrangements) to important places of employment, education, health and leisure As part of the SBNI scheme, improvements have been identified to provide peak time bus lanes on the A6 Chorley Road, towards Bolton, as detailed below and on the attached plans. This is an important and busy bus connection on the network and at peak times buses can be delayed and journey times increased, which can result in a lack of punctuality on the services that utilise this road. In conjunction with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) a scheme has been designed to improve the Wellington Road and Station Road/Partington Lane junctions on the A6 to assist pedestrians in negotiating these two busy junctions in Swinton centre. As part of the scheme it is also proposed to introduce peak time bus lanes on the A6 Chorley Road. 2 It is considered that the proposed bus lanes will reduce journey times and increase punctuality and reliability on this important bus route within Salford and will improve public connections on one of main corridors between Bolton and Salford and between Salford and Manchester. Whilst SBNI’s primary focus is to improve the quality of sustainable modes of transport across the Bolton – Farnworth/Walkden – Swinton – Salford corridor, the programme of interventions will also provide improvements for private car users through improved junction performance and more efficient use of highway space which will in turn lead to less congestion. The bus lanes also require a review of existing waiting/loading restrictions to ensure that the bus lanes and opposing traffic lanes and routes towards and beyond the signalised junctions in Swinton are kept clear of parked vehicles during the hours of bus lane operation which is to be Monday-Friday 7-10am and 4-7pm. PROPOSAL: A public consultation exercise on the proposals was carried out in January 2020. This comprised of a letter drop to property frontagers, as well as being distributed by Swinton Square staff to shoppers and a drop-in session was held on 22nd January 2020 at Swinton Gateway to enable residents to view and comment on the proposals. Ten people attended the drop-in session and as a result of this engagement no amendments were proposed to the scheme. The Traffic Regulation Orders were advertised within the local press on 23rd Jan 2020 for 21 days, additional notification of the proposal was made by placing site notices along the corridor as well as including the proposals on the Councils website, during which time 7 objections were received to the proposals. CONSIDERATION OF OBJECTIONS: No Objection Details SCC Response 1. I live in … and totally object to the The funding for the scheme is provided road works near Swinton town hall. through the Central Government Local What a waste of public money and Growth Deal fund and is specifically funds.... a public consultation would allocated to transport schemes. These identify a greater need for other proposals meet the Central Government projects other than this. Local Growth Deal funding criteria set out I’ve lived in this area all my life & by GMCA. disgusted public funds are being spent in this way! There is absolutely no The proposed scheme will provide logical explanation. significant benefits for pedestrians by ensuring that the junctions are designed to current standards incorporating the correct tactile paving, pole locations and rotating cones. It would also have an overall positive impact on bus passenger journey 3 times and, rather than increasing congestion and delay for other highway users, the traffic modelling undertaken to assess the impact of the proposals has indicated that the scheme would result in marginal capacity benefits at the junctions. The benefits of the scheme have been assessed through a robust modelling exercise and the proposals have been the subject of an economic appraisal to ensure they provide an appropriate value for money. 2. I object on the grounds of Health, Safety, Prejudice and a Gross Misuse of Local Government Monies… Health The proposals will increase the The traffic modelling undertaken to assess number of vehicles either going the impact of the proposals has indicated through the area or with their engines that the scheme would result in marginal idling which will increase the amount capacity benefits at the junctions. The of pollution in an area that already benefits of the scheme have been assessed struggles with pollution. through a robust modelling exercise and In a morning; the already-congested the proposals have been the subject of an Station Rd, which often has nose-to- economic appraisal to ensure they provide tail traffic from the Chorley Rd an appropriate value for money. junction up to the A666, Bolton Rd will see this problem exacerbated by The traffic count data obtained for Station the proposed closure of the ‘slip’ road Rd/Chorley Rd demonstrated that the close to the Lancastrian Hall. By number of vehicles turning left from closing this the cars that usually Station Road to Chorley Road (eastbound) utilise this slip road will be forced to is relatively low, with 119 vehicles join the queues which go straight on making this manoeuvre between 08:00 – or turn right. I envisage this problem 09:00 and 111 between 17:00 – 18:00, will not only impact negatively on which equates to approximately 2 vehicles Station Rd but Bolton Rd and per minute. The removal of this left turn Queensway also. lane is not foreseen to have a significant In the evening; the proposal to create impact on traffic flows. Furthermore, other the two short bus lanes on the A6 amendments to the traffic signal stage Chorley Rd will mean adding to what order and the increasing the currently is currently a shocking stretch of road. substandard lane widths will improve the Daily, the traffic is at a standstill overall efficiency of the junction and between the A6/ Partington should negate the minor impact of Rd/Station Rd junction and that of the removing a general traffic lane from the A6/Worsley Rd junction and beyond. north (Station Road). I do not think it unrealistic the traffic will tail back as far as Victoria Park The data/information collected to inform should the road changes take place. the traffic modelling for the scheme has The stretch of road immediately also identified that vehicles routinely 4 outside the Town Hall has two lanes queue on the left hand lane westbound on with the outer lane used by motorists the Chorley Rd approach to Station Rd turning right up Station Rd.