Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study: Final Report
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Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study: Final Report Jo Christensen, Jon Crockett and Dominic Mullen July 2006 Contents Introduction Existing Conditions Land Use Public Transport Network Consultation with Bus Users Consultation with Employers Consultation with Jobseekers Key Issues Options Recommendations Transportation and Accessibility Complementary Measures Summary Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Introduction MVA was commissioned by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority / Executive, Salford City Council, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council and Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce in January 2006 to conduct an accessibility study for Trafford Park and Salford Quays The study aimed to identify barriers (both real and perceived) to accessing employment opportunities in the Trafford Park and Salford Quays area An Interim Report was produced and presented at a meeting of the client group in April / May 2006 This Final Report complements the Interim Report, which contains more detailed analysis of the work undertaken as part of the project, and contains the recommendations, costs, benefits and a timescale for implementation of the proposed measures Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Land Use (1) Trafford Centre Opened in 1998 118,766sq.metres of retail and 29,954sq. metres of catering and leisure space Over 7,000 people are employed at the Centre Large and dispersed visitor catchment area Salford Quays Mixed use area containing large quantities of office, residential, retail and leisure space Significant adjacent development opportunities, particularly at the Dock 9 site Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Land Use (2) Trafford Park The world’s first industrial estate, occupying some 1,183 acres Has undergone substantial change in recent decades A large number of companies, varying significantly in size and scale of operation Total employee numbers of over 50,000 Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Public Transport Network (1) Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown Trafford Centre copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. GMPTE LA 08900L 2006. Well served by commercially-operated bus services, running to the Centre’s dedicated Bus Station AM peak services scarcer than interpeak and PM peak due to the demands of Centre workers and visitors ML1 Shuttle offers an interchange with Metrolink services Areas to the west comparatively less well served, especially outside of conventional hours Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Public Transport Network (2) Salford Quays Low levels of service from scheduled bus operations Highway network constrains access opportunities for existing services Metrolink significantly enhances accessibility; however, journey times are extended due to the constraints of the alignment and infrastructure Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the The nature of the employment (and permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. GMPTE LA 08900L 2006. possible future developments) make heavy rail connections more important, as the area predominantly caters for office-based employment Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Public Transport Network (3) Trafford Park A variety of bus services, most of which are financially supported A number confined to peak periods, some with no complementary outbound journeys for users Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown Extended journey times due to circuitous copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. GMPTE LA 08900L 2006. routings Existing Metrolink Network and heavy rail services do not provide convenient travel opportunities Significant variations in accessibility according to time period and destination Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Public Transport Network (4) Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. GMPTE LA 08900L 2006. GMPTE LA 08900L 2006. Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. GMPTE LA 08900L 2006. GMPTE LA 08900L 2006. Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Consultation with Bus Users (1) Low commuter patronage on Salford Quays and Trafford Park bus routes A number of users on Trafford Park and Salford Quays routes make return journeys by alternative services / means The majority of commuters on surveyed services work standard hours (Start: 07:00 to 08:00; Finish: 16:00 to 17:00) Low car availability amongst respondents Users do not receive information from their employer with regard to public transport services 85% of respondents find it very / fairly easy to get to work Frequency of service is perceived as the poorest feature Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Consultation with Bus Users (2) Other accessibility issues include: The requirement to use multiple bus services Low frequency of service in the early morning Poor reliability A lack of integration between bus services and Metrolink There is a perceived need for: More frequent and extended bus services, Improvements in punctuality and reliability Easing of overcrowding on the 250 service Lower prices and integrated ticketing Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Consultation with Employers (1) Half of companies employ less than twenty staff 84% of staff work conventional fixed hours, 7% flexible hours and 9% work shifts Of those companies working shifts, ¾ have more than 50 employees, with the majority operating for the full 24 hours. Most large companies would be unwilling to change shift times in order to better coordinate with public transport services 24% of companies have current vacancies, typically at managerial / professional / technical levels 24% have trouble filling vacancies, as and when they arise. Principal issues affecting their ability to fill vacancies include: Lack of a sufficiently skilled labour pool within their catchment area Transport and accessibility issues 88% of staff commute by car, and there are minimal travel initiatives in place to encourage alternative modes Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Consultation with Employers (2) Perceptions of public transport in the study area includes: A lack of adequate, suitable services Travel costs being too high A lack of links and coverage Personal safety issues Employer-identified potential solutions include: Expansion of the Metrolink Network Increase in the frequency of services Improved reliability Increased publicity and awareness Shuttle bus services Joint working between companies to finance solutions and initiatives More bus stops in the Trafford Park sub-area Reduced fares / saver tickets Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Consultation with Jobseekers (1) Many respondents had experience of working in the study area Transport and access issues were identified as one of the reasons why they had not remained or not sought work in the study area General barriers to employment include: Working hours The type of work offered (i.e. agency work/temporary work) Poor wages A lack of qualifications and experience Competition from other jobseekers Poor accessibility Barriers to employment in the study area include: Lack of public transport provision Low awareness of the jobs on offer Little or no relevant experience Poor wages/lack of job security for agency-related work Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Existing Conditions: Consultation with Jobseekers (2) Particular transport-related issues include: A lack of provision outside of peak hours Long walks from the public transport stops to destinations Out-of-pocket costs of transport Difficulties using multiple modes on individual journeys Potential solutions identified by respondents included: Accessible information, helping to extend travel horizons Increased awareness of transport initiatives Improvements and additions to bus services An increased role for employers Improved safety and security Metrolink extensions, including to the Trafford Centre Salford Quays and Trafford Park Accessibility Study Jobseeker’s Allowance Claimants (1) Analysis of 2004 Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) data at a Lower Super Output Area (LSOA) level showed that: