Local Transport Strategy 2014
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' A OR ANE F Local Transport Strategy Appendix 1: Transport Achievements 38 Contents Page Appendix 2: Traffic Growth 44 Executive Summary 4 Appendix 3: Traffic Data 46 1. Introduction 6 Appendix 4: Consultation Summary 52 2. The Vision for Transport in the Falkirk Council Area 7 Appendix 5: Road Safety Plan Separate Document 3. Policy Background for Strategy 10 Annex 1: STAG Appraisal 4. Active and Sustainable Travel 12 Annex 2: Consultation Results 5. Public Transport - Bus and Rail 14 Annex 3: Equality Impact Assessment and 6. Accessible Transport 17 Equality and Poverty Assessment 7. Motorcycling 19 8. Road Safety and Network Management 21 9. Road Network Review and Maintenance 23 10. Parking 25 11. Town Centre Access 26 12. Regional Transport 28 13. Freight 31 14. Air Quality and Noise 33 15. Road Traffic Reduction 35 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is Falkirk Council’s third Local Transport Strategy • Accessibility – to improve accessibility for those with emerging Local Development Plan that replaces the (LTS) and covers the period 2014 onwards. It will set out limited transport choice or no access to a car, current Structure Plan and Local Plan. All these the Council’s overarching transport vision: particularly those who live in rural areas. strategies have involved the public in their preparation. “to provide a transport network… which allows people • Environment – to ensure that development is Extensive public consultation has been carried out at a reasonable choice of travel options as part of a safe, achieved in an environmentally sustainable manner each stage of developing the LTS and has significantly reliable, convenient, accessible and sustainable transport contributed to the overall policy direction being pursued. • Safety and Health – to promote a healthier and system”. more active SEStran area population Since the last LTS in 2006, there have been significant A strategy of promoting walking, cycling, motorcycling transport achievements in the Falkirk Council area (see This strategy seeks to achieve a balance in transport and public transport with some car restraint will be in Appendix 1). Just over £25 million has been spent on provision, within the resources available. The Council line with the three strategic outcomes of the Scottish transport capital projects during this period that has recognises that whilst the car fulfils an important function Government’s National Transport Strategy: enabled, among other things: for a variety of journey purposes unrestrained growth in • Improve journey times and connections – to tackle car usage cannot be accommodated indefinitely by • Implemented A904 Grangemouth Road Crossing congestion and the lack of integration and engineering measures. Growing traffic congestion impacts Facilities connections in transport which impact on our high negatively on all road users, will cause deterioration in air • Implemented upgrading of Bo’ness Town Centre to level objectives for economic growth, social inclusion, quality and quality of life, and have serious consequences benefit pedestrian environment integration and safety; for the economic wellbeing of the area. • Implemented Braes paths improvements resulting • Reduce emissions, to tackle issues of climate change, In supporting and promoting more sustainable travel from community consultation air quality, and health improvement which impact on modes to encourage modal shift, whilst improving the our high level objective for protecting the efficiency of the road network is the policy approach • Implemented Bo’ness / Blackness paths environment and improving health: and being implemented through this LTS. The evaluation improvements from community consultation carried out shows that this approach best meets our (excluding Blackness- Bo’ness shore route) • Improve quality, accessibility and affordability, to give objectives for transport across the Council area. It must people a choice of public transport, where availability • Developed local networks suitable for walking also be acknowledged however, that whilst the policies means better quality transport services and value for around every settlement in the Falkirk Council area contained in this transport strategy are designed to limit money or an alternative to the car. continued traffic growth, the strategy itself is unlikely to • Bowtrees Roundabout to Bowtrees Cottage Cycle/ The strategy will also be in line with the vision of the solve the growing problem of traffic congestion. Instead Footpath Regional Transport Strategy produced by SEStran (South it is probable that traffic congestion will continue to • Provide Cycle Parking facilities at shopping centres, East Scotland Transport Partnership): increase across the Council area. health and leisure centres • Economy – to ensure transport facilities encourage The LTS is set in the context of the Strategic Community • First stage pilot project under auspices of Take the economic growth, regional prosperity and vitality in a Plan, Sustainable Falkirk and other partnership working in EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE Right Route sustainable manner My Future’s in Falkirk (MFIF), as well as the Council’s 4 • Improved multi user route access to Camelon and • Completion of the A9 / Icehouse Brae Junction that satisfy the five transport objectives and the Council’s Larbert railway stations Improvement, Laurieston; overarching transport vision. • Produced Supplementary Planning Guidance for • Construction of Phase 1 of the Denny Eastern Transport delivery in Scotland has changed since the Developers to develop Travel Plans Access Road, and; publication of the last LTS with the establishment of Transport Scotland, and Regional Transport Partnerships. • Operational car sharing database for Falkirk Council • Construction of the M876 Glenbervie Slip Roads The Council is continuing to work with, and as part of, area junctions these organisations to deliver a safe, reliable, convenient • Complete School Travel Assessments at all 56 Over the first 3 years of this LTS there may be around and accessible transport system to serve the travel needs Schools in Falkirk Council Area £21 million available for spending on transport and of the people of Falkirk. The policies contained within this flooding (depending on developer contributions). In • Install cycle parking and playground markings at 7 LTS reflect national, regional, and local aspirations and will addition the Council will have Tax Incremental Funding schools hopefully allow the steps to be taken to achieve the for other large scale infrastructure projects. This strategy Council’s vision for transport both in the short term and • 20mph signing installed at all schools sets out the policies which will help deliver any projects the long term. • Continuing development of the cycle network within and between settlements; • Production and adoption of a Core Paths Plan; • Ongoing work with local schools and employers to implement travel plan initiatives; • Extension of Larbert Station car park • Ongoing support of tendered bus services; • Producing the detailed design of A801 Avon Gorge Improvement scheme; • Ongoing maintenance of the Council’s road, footway, bridges and structures stock; • Production of a Road Maintenance Plan; • Ongoing detailed structural inspection of the street lighting stock; EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This Local Transport Strategy (LTS) sets out how the 1.6 Chapters 4 to 14 give a comprehensive view of the transport vision for the Falkirk Council area will be transport policies this strategy will be taking forward achieved and the work to be implemented over the including the main challenges and what the future coming years. This strategy is set in the context of the direction of transport policy in the Council area will be. Government’s Transport White Paper; “Scotland’s 1.7 The Council has a statutory obligation to produce a Transport Future” published in June 2004 and has been Road Traffic Reduction Plan and this is contained in prepared in accordance with guidance issued by the Chapter 15 Scottish Executive in March 2005. 1.8 Consultation exercises have been carried out at each 1.2 A considerable amount of work has already been done stage in the process of producing this LTS (the results are through our previous Local Transport Strategies, but the contained in Appendix 4). These have shaped the final increasing demand for high quality travel options, and the form of the Council’s transport strategy and included: need to meet this demand in a sustainable way, means further work is required to minimise the negative • Questionnaires to business stakeholders impacts that travel can generate. This document sets out • Questionnaire for the Citizens Panel the policies that will help combat the effects of traffic growth whilst promoting sustainable active travel choices. • Sixteen roadshow events around the Council area (in conjunction with the emerging Local 1.3 Chapter 2 details the vision and objectives of this Local Development Plan) Transport Strategy. The vision and objectives have taken their basis from those set out in the Transport White • Further public consultation through website and Paper and have been confirmed through public public libraries. consultation exercises. An appraisal of the consultation 1.9 This Local Transport Strategy will be sent to the Scottish process, in accordance with the Scottish Transport Government and will hopefully assist in bidding for Appraisal Guidance (STAG) has been carried out on the funding for future transport