A Bus Strategy for Milton Keynes

ANNEX B TO ITEM 11

This document provides a strategy for the delivery of bus services in Milton Keynes and is a requirement of the Transport Act 2000.

Many of the different aspects of the strategy have been consulted on over a number of years whilst other aspects have been raised through the recent bus review process.

This strategy will be reported for adoption at the Cabinet meeting on 25 February 2003. The Strategy will be reviewed in early 2004 and any comments on content should be made to the Council for inclusion in that review.

Once the Bus Strategy has been adopted an implementation plan with budgeted and forecast costs will be produced for intended spend in 2003/04 with an indication of the likely areas of spend in 2004/05 and 2005/06. Cabinet approval will be required for this plan.

Thereafter the Bus Strategy will be reviewed every three years.

There are two major areas of strategy which need further work, these being the Standards for Minimum Service Levels; this work will include an analysis of what is currently provided and benchmarked against the recommendation 22 of the Bus Review and a review of the Park and Ride Strategy.

The recommendations of the Bus Review are shown within this document at the appropriate location for reference only to illustrate what is proposed within the bus strategy.

1.0 Overview 1.1 The publication of a Bus Strategy is one the requirements of the Transport Act 2000 and supports the policy and programme of works described in the Milton Keynes Council’s Local Transport Plan 2001/02 - 2005/06.

1.2 The Council’s vision for transport is set out in the Sustainable Integrated Transport Strategy. The main criteria which will influence modal choice are set out below.

1.3 Development and improvements in the provision of bus transport will contribute to the following SITS objectives:

· all people should be able to move around conveniently and safely, regardless of their circumstances, with those able to pay doing so; · that, in developing our planning policies with our partners, we will actively seek to reduce the number, length and need to make journeys; · to encourage walking, cycling, and quality public transport, whilst reducing journeys by car and promoting a healthier lifestyle; and, · to ensure that Milton Keynes’ economic prosperity is enhanced by our new transport policies by helping people to travel when and where they want, but in more environmentally friendly ways.

1.4 By providing good public transport information, we will be supporting the following SITS objectives:

· all people should be able to move around conveniently and safely, regardless of their circumstances, with those able to pay doing so; · to encourage walking, cycling, and quality public transport, whilst reducing journeys by car and promoting a healthier lifestyle; and, · to ensure that Milton Keynes’ economic prosperity is enhanced by our new transport policies by helping people to travel when and where they want, but in more environmentally friendly ways.

1.5 By raising awareness of the need to reduce reliance on the car, the following SITS objectives will be met:

1.6 Improvements to the provision and integration of voluntary and community transport will contribute to the following SITS objective:

· (that) all people should be able to move around conveniently and safely, regardless of their circumstances, with those able to pay doing so.

2.0 Assessment of the Bus Network 2.1 Network Availability

2.2 Since reaching a peak just after bus deregulation in 1986, urban bus service frequencies in Milton Keynes have declined steadily. The principal local operator has had three changes of ownership in nine years. In previous years the average age of the buses has been high, with most of them being small, difficult to access, and having a very poor image.

2.3 The quality of bus services in the urban area has generally been perceived as poor. Poor service provision is largely a consequence of the low density development policy, dispersed employment areas, the grid road system, considerable free parking, high bus fares and network instability.

2.4 Since 1997, there has been substantial investment of £3.8m in new vehicles by the main bus operator in the City, M.K. Metro. Milton Keynes’ bus services are now gradually transforming into a stable, long-term, network. This development, however, needs to be supported by sympathetic and complimentary transport and planning policies by all relevant stakeholders in Milton Keynes.

2.5 Services meet most basic transport needs but are not seen as an attractive alternative to the car. Most principal urban daytime services run every twenty minutes or half hourly but significant parts of the urban area have a daytime service that is hourly or worse, though there have been improvements on certain services.

2.6 Most daytime services are commercially operated but a number of Saturday services and almost all evening and Sunday services are operated under contract to the Council, mainly running hourly, reflecting the expense of operating such services within a limited revenue support budget. 3.0 Regional Bus Services

3.1 Regional bus services have seen some encouraging commercial developments in recent years, with the introduction of hourly limited stop services between Milton Keynes and Oxford, Bedford, Cambridge, Aylesbury and Luton.

3.2 Express coach services call at the Milton Keynes Coachway, adjacent to the M1. They provide direct services to London, the Midlands, the North, Scotland and most of the principal airports in the south-east. However, the Coachway is 5 km from Central Milton Keynes. Integration with local bus services has been very poor, so taxis have until recently provided the best alternative to the car to get there. However the introduction of the first permanent Park and Ride service from Junction 14 and the provision of service 210 has improved this link during the day. However early morning and late evening links are still not readily available.

3.3 Milton Keynes has links to both regional and national destinations. The Council publishes an East West Public Transport Links leaflet.

Recommendation 17 Regional Links a) A strategy to ensure that Milton Keynes is well linked with other towns and cities in the sub region (Luton, Bedford, Oxford, Northampton and Cambridge for example) should be developed, alongside and to compliment rail travel. b) Long distance coach services should also form an important part of a regional strategy.

4.0 Level of Service

4.1 Existing Council policy indicates the minimum standard of frequency for urban services on standalone sections is every 30 minutes for Monday to Saturday daytime services and hourly for evenings and all day on Sundays, the standard service on Sundays is from 08:00 through to 22:45. It is noted that the majority of Quality Bus Routes proposed only meet these criteria, it is hoped that usage increases on the daytime services will be reflected by increases in evening patronage. The standard for last departures from following main points, CMK, Bletchley, Wolverton, Stony Stratford and Newport Pagnell, is 23:15 hours. It is intended to improve services to meet these standards and it is possible that we will also include Kingston and Westcroft as a major timing point.

5.0 Rural Transport

5.1 Improvements to the provision of rural transport will compliment the Countryside Traffic Management Strategy, and will contribute to the SITS objectives. However it is recognised that there needs to be a comprehensive review of the provision and usage of bus services in rural areas resulting in a clear strategy statement of what residents in rural communities can expect from bus service provision.

5.2 The provision of the Rural Bus Grant has helped in improving services but it was initially difficult to engage rural communities in deciding how this money should be spent. The provision of additional facilities has resulted in raised awareness of service levels.

5.3 However as Rural Services withdrawn more recently have not fallen under the guidelines for Rural Bus Grant subsidy some communities, notably between Northampton, Newport Pagnell and Milton Keynes have lost their workers journeys.

5.4 The Council supports the ‘Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Rural Transport Strategy’. 6.0 Park and Ride

6.1 33% of car journeys to work in Milton Keynes originate from outside the Council area. The majority of these trips have a destination in Central Milton Keynes. Even with improvements in the provision of public transport, there will still be many journeys to Milton Keynes that do not have a viable alternative mode. For SITS to be successful, we need to encourage alternatives to driving especially to the centre.

7.0 Transport Patterns

7.1 Milton Keynes Council undertakes traffic flow monitoring in association with English Partnerships. The Council also monitors usage of CMK parking, and undertakes regular bus passenger and attitude surveys. The main bus operator in Milton Keynes has also given a commitment to provide passenger information. Surveys of rail passenger numbers have also been recently undertaken. 7.2 In citizen satisfaction surveys undertaken in Milton Keynes in early 2000 Public Transport and its provision has come high up the items of importance and the fact that the network should be improved.

7.3 During late 1997 a comprehensive household travel survey was undertaken throughout Milton Keynes. The survey, the first for over ten years, covering both the rural and urban areas of the borough and was designed to establish a base for transport patterns and behaviour.

7.5 One of the major requirements of the recent Household Survey was to establish the current modal share of all journeys. This information supplements the previous estimate from the 1991 Census, which provided information on the modal split of journeys to work only. Details of current modal share for the whole Council area and the City area are shown below.

Usual means of travelling to destinations by Milton Keynes residents (%)

MK (Whole) Mode Destination car car bus walk train Bicycle taxi m/c other Purpose driver passenger Work 69 9 4 13 1 3 1 1 0 Home 48 19 5 23 0 3 1 0 0 Education 3 31 15 47 1 3 1 0 0 Visit 43 21 3 28 0 3 0 0 0 Shopping 46 19 7 25 0 2 1 0 0 Leisure 36 26 2 31 0 3 1 0 0 Personal business 56 19 4 19 0 1 0 0 0 Employers business 81 4 2 7 2 0 1 0 4

MK (City) Mode Destination car car bus walk train Bicycle taxi m/c other Purpose driver passenger Work 67 11 4 11 1 3 1 1 0 Home 47 20 6 23 0 3 1 0 0 Education 2 37 10 45 0 4 1 0 0 Visit 42 22 4 26 0 5 0 0 0 Shopping 45 19 8 24 0 2 1 0 0 Leisure 38 27 2 29 0 2 1 0 1 Personal business 54 22 6 17 0 1 0 0 1 Employers business 82 2 2 7 2 0 2 0 3

Source: MK Household Survey 1997

8.0 Meeting the SITS Objectives and Demand Management Strategy

8.1 A transport strategy has been developed for CMK, which incorporates a series of transport improvements together with demand management proposals. 8.2 In line with the objectives set out in SITS and giving consideration to the issues indicated above, the future strategy proposals for CMK are:

· CMK will be accessible to all who wish to go there; · There will be an efficient, comprehensive and frequent network of bus services to CMK; · There will be adequate park and ride facilities for drivers who do not wish to park in CMK; and, · Those who wish to drive to, and park in CMK will be able to do so. 9.0 Quality Bus Initiative

9.1 In partnership with local bus operators, notably MK Metro as the main provider of bus services in Milton Keynes, we will provide an attractive, reliable and frequent service - service 5 runs every 20 minutes which is the highest frequency of service in Milton Keynes. The quality of service will go a long way to addressing the currently perceived imbalance in benefits of car journeys compared to public transport journeys.

9.2 We recognise that not only do we need ‘sticks’ to achieve modal shift but also ‘carrots’. High quality bus services will be a viable alternative to the car. Our Quality Bus Partnership is a core element of SITS and essential to reverse the local and national trend in declining bus use. We will promote an upward spiral in bus usage.

9.3 We will develop quality partnerships with operators to provide high quality services that meet demand, maintain the local economy and are widely publicised. £750,000 had been allocated to implement the first Quality Bus Initiative on Service 5 in 1999/2000, this implementation has been delayed until 2002/03 because of issues in resolving priority at Milton Keynes Central Rail Station. Further implementation problems have followed but bus stop and shelter works have commenced in 2002/03.

9.4 Following on from the Transport white paper published in 1998, a ‘daughter’ document ‘From Workhorse to Thoroughbred - A better role for bus travel’, was published in March 1999. It says of quality partnerships:

“There are places where bus use has been increased, reversing the long-term downward trend. Usually, what those success stories have in common is a joint approach by bus operators and local authorities. Both parties make investment. Bus operators invest in higher quality services, including new vehicles (often environmentally friendly ones) and staff training. Local authorities invest in traffic management schemes, which give buses priority, or in better bus stations, shelters and other facilities for passengers. Often too there are concerted efforts to improve passenger information, covering both timetables - how the buses ought to run - and day to day, or even minute by minute, operational information - how they are actually running.”

9.5 Generally service use has increased on MK Metro’s bus services because of better vehicle age profiles and better staffing levels which has led to less journeys being lost and improving passenger’s perceptions.

9.6 Real time information systems are being researched to evaluate what could be most effectively used in Milton Keynes. 9.7 We will also investigate alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles for use in CMK and consider banning vehicles in parts of the City that do not meet agreed criteria. We intend to introduce a new design of urban bus shelter that is more attractive, and less intimidating.

9.8 Our commitment to a quality bus partnership with local operators will ensure that Milton Keynes obtains frequent, reliable and high quality bus services. We will monitor passenger usage on routes before and after their implementation. We will also monitor other routes to ensure that there is not just a shift in bus usage, but a clear increase in overall passenger numbers. The monitoring will also report on the effectiveness of the quality route to ensure that the expected benefits of the route in terms of increased reliability and reduced journey times are occurring.

9.9 It is not sufficient to just measure improvements to services in terms of journey times frequency and reliability. Public attitudes and perceptions need to be considered. Public participation in both the planning and monitoring of the routes will be undertaken. In this way elements outside the remit of traditional quantifiable monitoring can be addressed such as ‘whole’ journey experience and staff attitudes, etc. Continuing information is gathered using regular feedback from citizen’s surveys, focus groups on publicity and questions in the current NOP survey; these relate to the current accessing of public transport information and where users and potential users want that information providing.

9.10 The Long Term Public Transport Options study is likely to reinforce the use of Quality Bus Initiatives. The report should also indicate what delivery mechanisms are available to better deliver such schemes in the future.

Recommendation 18 Quality Bus Partnerships The current approach to developing Quality Bus Partnerships should be retained and enhanced.

9.11 Development of Quality Bus Initiatives, the following services are programmed to be introduced: · Service 14: Lakes Estate - Bletchley - CMK - Stony Stratford - Wolverton · Service 4: Bletchley - CMK - Stony Stratford · Service 23: Bletchley - CMK - Wolverton - Stony Stratford · Service 1: Bletchley - CMK - Newport Pagnell (with peak extensions to Sherington, Emberton and Olney) · Service 19: Bletchley - Kingston - Central Milton Keynes – Bradville

9.12 Quality Bus will integrate with railway services at Wolverton, Milton Keynes Central and Bletchley railway stations with improved access and priority for buses. We will also improve access for pedestrians and cyclists at these interchanges. The Park and Ride sites will cater for those who wish to cycle/walk and ride and, indeed, those who may wish to park and then cycle.

Recommendation 7 Bus Priority Measures The council should seriously consider developing more bus priority measures, these should include bus lanes, designated lanes and priority lanes. The possibility of the traffic light system in Central Milton Keynes being responsive to oncoming buses should also be explored. 10.0 Ticketing 10.1 In partnership with MK Metro, and other bus operators within the Milton Keynes area we will investigate the provision of a single area-wide ticket. It will either be a revised Cityrider ticket or a new ticket.

10.2 Add-on bus travel tickets can be purchased for rail traveller coming to Milton Keynes. The take up of this facility has been low but is now improving following better publicity by rail operators.

10.3 MK Metro offer a family ticket at a cost of £5.00 on weekends and bank holidays for up to two adults and two children. The Council will encourage better marketing of this ticket and include promotion of its availability in the Travel Guide.

Recommendation 39 Family Tickets Family ticketing arrangements should be reviewed to ensure that buses are an economical method for family travel.

10.4 Mk Metro offer an add on fare of £1.00 for rail passengers arriving in Milton Keynes which allows onward travel by bus to any destination. This add on must purchased at the same time as the purchase of the rail ticket.

Recommendation 40 Ticketing Incentives Ticketing incentives should be considered as a way of encouraging greater usage of buses, for example: · Linking tickets to discount schemes, e.g. sponsorship by fast food companies or local attractions. · Linking bus tickets to train journeys as in the London rover tickets. · Council discounts such as leisure centre activities.

10.5 MK Metro provide just over 87% of the bus network in Milton Keynes. They offer a number of commercially available tickets and passes including a daily ticket and weekly/monthly Metro Savers.

10.6 The Council is currently investigating the introduction of through fares within Milton Keynes for elderly and disabled concessionary fare holders.

Recommendation 41 Through Ticketing The group recommends that an investigation of through ticketing schemes be undertaken. This should include developing and promoting a number of schemes that facilitate this including daily, weekly and monthly passes. It should also include a consideration of alternative arrangements such as time-valid tickets and zonal fare structure.

10.7 Most fares are determined commercially by bus companies operating bus services. The Council will encourage the simplification and moderation of bus fares. Recommendation 44 The Cost of Bus Fares The group has examined attitudes to bus fares and has generally found bus users reasonably content with the level of fares in Milton Keynes. However the group recommends that fares must not become a disincentive to travel on the buses and that any increases should be kept consistent with the rate of inflation.

Recommendation 43 A Simplified Fare Structure A simplified fare structure should be considered, either a single fare throughout Milton Keynes or a simple zone system; the grid layout of the city could provide zonal boundaries. The group believes that a simplified fares structure would considerably enhance marketing and promotional opportunities.

11.0Level of Service

11.1 There is no doubt that service frequency is seen as a key aspect in the effort to make public transport more effective in influencing modal shift. The Milton keynes Transport Partnership has identified frequency improvements as being a key requirement in influencing travel choices.

11.2 The Council is also amongst local authorities who have agreed and signed a Local Public Service Agreement, of which bus service frequency increases are being introduced on route 14 between Stony Stratford and Central Milton Keynes in April 2003. The frequency enhancement is designed to exceed stretched targets for modal shift to public transport in return for a performance reward grant for meeting those stretched targets.

Recommendation 19 Service Frequency a) Using existing routes the group recommends that the Council and the bus company seek to find a way to increase the frequency on the following routes 5,14, 23, and 4 to at least 4 or possibly 5 an hour during the day. We believe that this objective should be achieved within 3 years commencing with the No 5 service. b) Saturday timetables should reflect different travel patterns compared to weekday services, however they should not generally offer a reduced bus service.

11.3 The Second Deposit Local Plan recognises the need for frequent bus services to be provided for all new residential development by requiring that all new residential development must be within 400m of a minimum 20 minute frequency bus service to Central Milton Keynes.

11.4 The Council is currently undertaking a review of all contracted evening and Sunday bus services. This review will identify any gaps, over and under provision of service. Additional funds have been made available in 2003/04 for support of additional evening and Sunday bus services.

11.5 The Council, along with other partners including the City Centre Partnership, piloted the Night Owl bus service in late 2001. The usage of the service, although initially encouraging, was disappointing. It is not clear why the usage tailed off and a further experiment is proposed at some point during the next two years. Recommendation 20 Evening, Sunday and Night Time Services a) We recommend that the Council uses its powers to commission bus services to considerably improve evening and Sunday services, to complement shopping, leisure and employment needs. b) A reasonably comprehensive network of services should be available up to at least 11pm in the evening. Consideration should also be given to ensuring that at least key employment areas can be reached by 6am in the morning. c) The group acknowledges that larger towns have been able to develop all night services in a way that is perhaps beyond the reach of MK at the moment. However the group does recommend that further attempts and experiments aimed at this market up to and including at least 2am be investigated. d) The safety of both passengers and staff should be considered on any services that might either go through potential trouble spots or at certain times of day, especially with evening and late night services.

11.6 Further work is required as part of the review of contracted services on service level criteria. The Bus Review has suggested a set of criteria which needs to be benchmarked against current provision and a further analysis of service standards such as value for money criteria or minimum service levels can then be further consulted on.

Recommendation 22 Minimum Service Standards Milton Keynes Council should develop a coherent service standard as part of a single document and this should be made available to members of the public and bus users. In addition a minority of the group (3 members) made a further recommendation detailing the level of service standard. Access to services a) That in the urban area of Milton Keynes (including Newport Pagnell) that bus shelters along bus routes are provided within 500 metres of all houses to at least to at least 95% of the population. b) That at least 75% of the population in the urban area live within 300 metres of such a bus shelter. c) That at least 75% of the population in rural areas live within 500 metres of a bus shelter on a bus route. d) That direct services connecting to Central Milton Keynes be available for all parts of the urban area and at least the principal towns in the rural area including Lavendon, Olney, Sherrington, Hanslope and Woburn Sands. e) That in the Urban area 95% of the population live within 500 metres of a bus shelter that provides services direct to Central Milton Keynes on at least the following basis 1) Daytime Half Hourly. Early morning and evening until 11.30pm and Sundays Hourly 2) Similar frequencies to at least one other major interchange point (previously described) f) That the major towns and principal villages in the rural area enjoy a service frequency of at least hourly during the daytime and two hourly in the evenings until 11pm to Central Milton Keynes and at least one other major interchange point. g) That fast direct routes be provided from and to the following destinations on at least a 5 per hour day time basis 1) Newport Pagnell to CMK 2) Bletchley to CMK 3) Bletchley to CMK via West Bletchley 4) Lakes Estate to CMK via Bletchley 5) Hospital to CMK Recommendation 22 Minimum Service Standards 6) Hospital to Bletchley 7) Wolverton to CMK h) That fast direct routes be provided from and to the following destinations on at least a twenty minute day time basis 1) Kingston to CMK 2) Kingston to Bletchley 3) Westcroft to CMK 4) Westcroft to Bletchley 5) Stony Stratford to Wolverton/CMK Punctuality i) The group recommends minimum service acceptability levels, as on trains e.g. 95% of services should reach their destination within say 5 mins of time and 98% of services should run. Cleanliness j) The council should adopt minimum cleaning standards and frequencies for bus shelters. Lighting and visibility standards k) The council should adopt minimum lighting requirements for bus shelters.

11.7 The Traffic Commissioner has determined the punctuality standards required by local bus service operators and a performance indicator measuring punctuality based on this standard may become one of the required Best Value Performance Indicators in the future.

11.8 This punctuality information is already being collected by the Council and is based on roadside surveys and route inspections. The Council has adopted the standards set down by the Traffic Commissioner and expects operators to meet or exceed those standards. Any concerns about reliability will be reported to the Traffic Commissioner who has the powers to ensure services are reliably provided. The Traffic Commissioner will expect that 95% of buses will depart within the bracket "up to 1 minute early or up to 5 minutes late".

11.9 A new bus shelter design has been produced by the Council and is being installed on Quality Bus Initiative routes and where new shelters have been requested. The current shelter maintenance contract covers cleaning frequencies/standards and repainting/repair requirements, these requirements are current being reviewed. All bus shelters are supplied with lighting.

Recommendation 3 Bus Shelter Design and Location a) Bus shelters should have adequate shelter, seating, lighting and information. Minimum standards should be developed. b) At key locations, such as interchange points (see recommendation 4 below), intercom- speaking facilities should be introduced. c) A survey of bus stops and shelters in Milton Keynes should be undertaken, in consultation with local people and Parish Councils, to identify poorly located stops, where both passengers and drivers do not have a good line of sight. An action plan should be developed to address problems identified, and minimum standards should be considered. 12.0Accessibility Criteria

12.1 We will review the Buckinghamshire County Council accessibility criteria on walk distances to standard frequency bus services we adopted on becoming a unitary authority. We will move towards level access at all stops, and introduce this as a minimum standard at any new stop in any new development or road infrastructure improvement. The aim of the ‘Master Plan for Milton Keynes’, to have housing within 500 metres of a bus route, is achieved in most places.

12.2 The Second Deposit Local Plan indicates that all houses and most other development must be no more than 400m from a bus stop.

Recommendation 32 Better Access for People with Disabilities (a) Better availability of large print information (b) Audible announcements of approaching stops (c) Enhanced driver training (d) Progressive introduction of vehicles to full DIPTAC standards (e) Measures to improve lighting, remove dark vegetation cover and other community safety measures from grid road bus stops into the main housing estates (f) Larger number and service information on the front of bus vehicles. (g) Similar information on the side of vehicles (h) Adequate storage (pushchairs and luggage) facilities in the buses (i) Better facilities inside buses for the disabled

13.0New Development

13.1 We will identify developments and sites where there is little public transport provision and high car use, and develop partnerships to identify and introduce new services to promote modal shift.

13.2 The Second Deposit Local Plan makes reference to a Transport Hierarchy and specifically sets a minimum bus service standard for new development.

13.3 The Second Deposit Local Plan states in section 7.18:

In major developments and in new development areas, developers will be expected to help ‘pump prime’ public transport services through planning obligations, to provide a satisfactory bus service of at least 3 buses per hour.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT POLICY T5

(i) Road layouts must include direct, convenient and safe bus routes (ii) Bus priority measures must be implemented, where appropriate (iii) All houses and most other development must be no more than 400m from a bus stop (iv) Bus stops must have suitable bus shelters, good pedestrian access and be open to public supervision (v) Specific consideration must be given to the provision of public transport services in planning new development

13.4 The above is a minimum requirement for bus service provision and any proposed services for new developments would be tested against modal shift targets in the Local Transport Plan and the Sustainable Integrated Transport Policy and tested against the number of trips likely to be generated by the development. Any proposed services delivered by planning obligation or by negotiation with local providers would be assessed to determine whether the Second Deposit Local Plan (and subsequently agreed or amended Local Plan) Public Transport Policy requirements have been met.

13.5 Supplementary Planning Guidance is currently being developed as a response to the Central Milton Keynes Framework and this will also cover the required public transport infrastructure and service levels for development in Milton Keynes.

13.6 Such public transport improvements will generally be delivered through planning obligations under the Town and Country Planning Act

Recommendation 10 Planning policy and the development of bus services a) Newly developing areas should be provided with a level of bus service that is consistent with the level that would be reasonable once they are fully developed. We recommend that planning policies be amended and developed to ensure that development occurs sequentially and in a less fragmented way. b) All new developments should take into account bus travel and install appropriate traffic calming measures that do not have a negative impact on bus services.

14.0Routeing Strategy

14.1 For Central Milton Keynes we are investigating

· the use of segregated busways and/or guided busways; · use of a people mover from Milton Keynes Central railway station to the Shopping Centre and beyond through Campbell Park and through to the first permanent Park and Ride site at Junction 14, M1; · Restriction of car access to evenings and Sundays to certain public transport routes in Central Milton Keynes.

This work is currently ongoing as part of the Longer Term Public Transport Options Study.

14.2 As part of the Long Term Public Transport Options Study a number of key routes will be identified . It is possible that the upgrade of these routes could lead to a major scheme bid in the Local Transport Plan process.

Recommendation 11 Key Corridor Routes Key corridor routes should be identified and developed and this should be a high priority.

14.3 The Council will tender for a pilot express route service to assess the demand of such services.

Recommendation 12 Fast Routes and Local Services a) A dual approach to fast routes whereby both fast and local services are developed. The policy described above (recommendation 4) of making enhanced use of interchange points may provide an opportunity to address both needs. b) Fast Direct Links should generally use grid roads between destinations. There are some obvious exceptions such as Newport Road (New Bradwell), Jonathans (Coffee Hall), and Whaddon Way (Bletchley). Other routes are more likely to use roads through housing estates. c) In order to satisfy local demand a range of services, possibly circular in nature should be developed that will service local estates with CMK and at least one other principal interchange facility.

14.4 The Council has recognised that accessing employment and industrial Areas is difficult without changing bus services in Central Milton Keynes. The Council has submitted two Urban Bus Challenge bids to address this gap in service provision but has to date been unsuccessful. The content of these bids will be reviewed and resubmitted if bids are subsequently reinvited.

14.5 An Urban Bus Challenge has also been submitted for improving access to the hospital and surrounding gridsquares to enable better connections between Central Milton Keynes and the hospital and within the hospital grounds.

Recommendation 13 Accessing Employment and Industrial Areas a) Evening bus services should be developed to ensure that major industrial and employment areas where shift working is undertaken are served b) The main industrial estates, employment centres and educational campuses should also be adequately serviced either by careful route planning alongside the recommendations above or by other routes if necessary. c) Direct services linking towns to the north of central Milton Keynes (Newport Pagnell, New Bradwell, Wolverton and Stony Stratford) nearby industrial areas and educational facilities should be considered for improvement.

Recommendation 15 Accessing the Hospital A review of routes should be undertaken to ensure that all areas have good direct links to the Hospital.

15.0Rural Bus Service Grant

15.1 This grant has enabled the Council to improve public transport provision in the Council’s main rural areas so as to increase its use and reduce the reliance on car use and rural social exclusion. The grant is worth just over £91,000 in 2002/03

15.2 Existing Rural Bus Grant supported services are reviewed and amended/withdrawn/replaced by other gaps in the network if found to be little used.

15.3 The Council has been subsidising rural bus services, complementing commercially operated bus services, for a number of years. The Rural Bus Service Grant, which started in 1998/99, enabled the funding of additional rural services on an experimental basis. The more successful services were continued into 1999/2000 and 2000/01. Two services are operating on a rolling six-monthly review. The Rural Bus Grant was extended for a further 3 years from 2001/2002. 16.0Rural Transport Partnership

16.1 In partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) and Buckinghamshire Community Action (BCA), a joint bid was successfully submitted to the Countryside Agency to set up a Rural Transport Partnership. This partnership funds a dedicated full-time post to initiate, implement and administer community-based transport projects aimed at reducing rural social exclusion. The bid has been successful and the partnership Officer appointed. In conjunction with this Council and the Buckinghamshire authorities a list of projects and funding sources is being compiled. Milton Keynes schemes include the provision of rural bus stop facilities, shelters, publicity displays etc. and identifying and using methods of more effective promotion. 17.0Rural Transport Challenge

17.1 The council has recently bid successfully for a three year funding stream a community-based daytime and evening service on the Central Milton Keynes to Hanslope corridor provided by a demand responsive service.

17.2 This success adds to the previous challenge bid success for a service between Woburn Sands and Central Milton Keynes.

17.3 The council intends to submit further bids, when appropriate challenge bid funding opportunities are identified, to upgrade the infrastructure at rural stops by providing raised kerbs, recognised stops and timetable cases. In addition we will determine rural interchange points where appropriate.

17.5 Other bids for rural services will be developed in partnership with parish councils. 18.0Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS)

18.1 The installation of a Variable Messaging System and Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system in Central Milton Keynes will now allow the Council to identify opportunities to give priority to buses at traffic signals as part of the Quality Bus Initiative.

18.2 Intelligent Transport Systems could be used to: · signalling of North Grafton Roundabout; and, · changes to the existing traffic signal sequences on Midsummer Boulevard.

To enable better priority for buses at signalised junctions.

18.2 A bus passenger real time information system for bus arrivals will be considered as part of the Quality Bus Initiative when technology becomes better proven and cost effective.

19.0Park and Ride

19.1 Park and Ride services at Christmas are now established from two sites at the Coachway and at the Bowl. The park and ride service from the Coachway is provided all year round by a dedicated service on Saturday and Sunday and as part of service 210 on Monday to Friday.

19.2 A study was commissioned into the feasibility of a cordon of five Park and Ride sites. It found that only one site (at The Coachway) was viable using dedicated bus services. A number of additional ‘Arrive and Ride’ sites were proposed which would also cater for those arriving by other modes. These would feed into a revised bus services on routes 14 and 23 which are also included on the schedule of routes to receive infrastructure improvements as part of the Quality Bus Initiative. Their provision will provide an opportunity for cars to be removed from the City’s roads, thus, reducing the likelihood of congestion. We will allocate released road capacity to bus priority measures ensuring we do not ‘induce’ new car trips. Park and Ride is complementary to demand management of parking in CMK.

19.3 Monitoring the usage of Park and Ride/Arrive and Ride facilities will be undertaken by a combination of assessing passenger ticket numbers and car park usage.

19.4 Further detailed analysis and consultation is needed on the future of park and ride for Milton Keynes. This work has been started but hasn’t been fully consulted on. The Park and Ride Strategy will be consulted on and adopted during 2003.

Recommendation 16 Park and Ride Services a) The 210 service should be developed as a model, integrating park and ride facilities with other services. A strategy should be developed to support this. b) The 210 service should run to Kingston at weekends. c) The potential of developing a similar service that includes Park and Ride from the MK Bowl site should also be explored. d) The 210 should be developed and times extended to ensure that it better covers employment needs. In addition a minority of the group (2 members) felt that: e) 210 frequencies should be improved. 20.0 Best Value Performance Indicators

20.1 There are a number of Best Value Performance Indicators associated with the provision of both bus services and bus service information.

20.2 The indicators are as follows:

BV 102 Local bus services (passenger journeys per year).

‘The annual total number of local bus journeys originating in the authority’ with local bus service being defined in section 2 of the Transport Act 1985 or the Greater London Authority Act 1999. The indicator includes all bus operators serving the general public, but not school buses. Originating in the local authority meaning that the journey started in the local authority. Target setting: Local. In setting targets, best value authorities should have regard to the PSA target of improving accessibility, punctuality and reliability of local public transport (bus and light rail) with an increase in use of more than 12% from 2000 levels by 2010.

BVPI 103 and BV 104 User satisfaction survey

BV 103 - The % of respondents satisfied with local provision of public transport information. BV 104 - The % of all respondents satisfied with the local bus service. 21.0Strategy for Interchange 21.1 We will audit the principle locations for interchange. We cater for formal (at bus stations) and informal (on-street) interchange by providing minimum standards of public transport information and clear identification of stops. This is covered by the separate Bus Information Strategy.

21.2 For on-street interchange, we will group stops and services together to make journeys easier with all services to a common destination leaving from the same stop. A previous review looked at bus stops locations and termini in Central Milton Keynes and these were reorganised in Easter 2000 to make journeys to destinations easier.

Recommendation 5 Infrastructural changes a) One of the features of Milton Keynes bus services is that buses travel East/West through the City Centre and then often North South on their main route. This produces a number of anomalies. For example at CMK it is possible to catch buses to Bletchley from stops opposite each other. This mitigates against signing such as ‘buses for Bletchley’. The group notes that the CMK Structure Plan should address issues around integrated transport and recommends that solutions to these anomalies are explored. b) At the Hospital/Netherfield interchange a solution should be found that will enable all buses to converge on one side of the road. For most passengers at this busy location such a facility would double the frequencies of the buses they could catch.

21.3 Bus stops are currently being geo-coded and renumbered as part of the work with National Public Transport Information System for linking into GIS mapping and information systems.

21.4 Where funding allows infrastructure at main interchange locations will be upgraded at rail stations and at the proposed Coachway/Park and Ride station at Junction 14. The provision of toilets in CMK and Milton Keynes Central rail station is also a key infrastructure requirement. The Council will investigate better interchange between bus/rail and bus/bus at other locations such as Bletchley, Wolverton, Olney and Woburn Sands.

Recommendation 9 Bletchley Bus Station Bletchley Bus Station should be upgraded with improved passenger and driver facilities as well as a travel information centre, possibly as part of the Bletchley regeneration scheme.

21.5 Rural Interchange opportunities are limited given relatively small rural area, but opportunities are being investigated as part of the rural transport strategy especially in the Olney area.

Recommendation 4 Interchange Points a) A full review of existing interchange points should be undertaken with the objective of providing better and faster routes throughout the city, better centres for information and better waiting facilities. b) The following locations should be designated as key interchange points: Bletchley, the Hospital, Wolverton, CMK, CMK Rail Station, Westcroft and Kingston. Similar facilities in the North of the new City and the Open University should also be considered.

22.0Assessment of Bus Infrastructure Accessibility and Stopping Arrangements 22.1 Bus infrastructure on the Grid Roads tends to be good and almost all stops have a shelter and a timetable case. The shelters were initially provided by the former Milton Keynes Development Corporation and now by its successor, English Partnerships, formerly Commission for the New Towns. The Council maintains the shelters. Hardstanding, shelter and timetable information is less satisfactory within the Grid Squares where many bus routes are ‘Hail and Ride’. There is a need to provide timetables at a greater range of alternative outlets in these areas.

22.2 It is important that mobility impaired residents can get around Milton Keynes easily and affordably. Many mobility-impaired residents do not have access to a car and, therefore, rely on public transport services. Although our Strategy generally seeks to reduce car use, we will try to maintain ease of movement and accessibility for mobility impaired residents who have access to a car.

22.3 Elderly and disabled residents are not the only people who have difficulty getting about. Many others can be considered ‘mobility impaired’ - notably people accompanied by young children or with heavy shopping. We have included this category in our definition of the ‘mobility impaired’.

Recommendation 2 Hail and Ride a) Where possible hail and ride sections should be equipped with fixed bus shelters, to encourage passengers to congregate in designated areas. b) Where fixed bus shelters are not possible, stops with timetable information but without shelters should be provided to encourage passengers to congregate at an appropriate location.

Recommendation 6 Traffic Management (traffic calming) A policy of removing or altering vertical and non-bus friendly traffic calming to other non- vertical schemes or safety cushions is needed. A programme to remove at least 80% of all such obstacles within 5 years is recommended, starting immediately with those that affect a number of bus services and affect the most passengers. Recommendation 8 Low floor buses and raised kerbs The policy of introducing low floor buses with raised kerbs to facilitate entry and exits from and onto buses is to be welcomed and the majority of the group (five members) felt that these improvements should be phased in at the earliest opportunity. However two group members also felt that such a combination should be available at 30% of all stops within a year and 90% of all stops within 5 years.

23.0Assessment of Community Transport

23.1 Community transport is provided for frail, elderly and disabled residents who are unable to use conventional public transport. The service consists of 4 wheelchair accessible minibuses and 6 wheelchair accessible ‘Fastchair’ vehicles. The minibus service operates Monday-Saturday and the Fastchairs operate every day. The 1,700 members of the scheme make approximately 90,000 trips per year.

23.2 Community Transport provides a link with other Milton Keynes Council transport service providers/users in areas such as Social Services and Education. The aim is for Community Transport to be fully integrated with other Council transport service providers as possible.

23.3 Additional funds of £125,000 are being made available for improvements to Community Transport in 2003/04. 24.0Social Inclusion

24.1 The Council has purchased ACCMAP and is currently populating the database associated with the software. This will allow the Council: · To model Social Inclusion against known parameters and indicators (such as Housing benefit, elderly and disabled concessionary fare users) with respect to accessibility to frequent/high quality public transport, · To assist the development of public transport modelling, · To provide visual representation for awareness raising/publicity, · Identified targets to increase public transport accessibility for all residents/group of residents for use within the Local Transport Plan (LTP), · To assist in determining Parking Standards, · Monitoring and implementing future Land Use Planning guidelines, · To assist in sustainable planning issues, · To assist in determining whether planning obligation towards public transport provision is appropriate within section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. · To assist in the determining the relationship between public transport accessibility and areas where of Air Quality Monitoring and Management may be required so as to enable the specific targeting of resources.

24.2 One encouraging development has been the indication from English Partnerships of their interest in the outcomes to inform their internal processes.

24.3 The Bus Strategy provides the opportunity for those without access to a car to access better public transport. The needs and requirements of the mobility impaired will be addressed in the detail design of schemes. Our public transport improvements will be designed such that all those who wish to use the services can access them. Similarly, information and timetables will be provided in an accessible format for all.

Recommendation 33 Addressing the Needs of Certain Wards We recommend that the specific needs of estates and wards with low car ownership, high unemployment, low incomes and a high level of dependency on public transport be investigated and addressed.

Recommendation 34 Bus Users from Black and Minority Ethnic Backgrounds The review group recommends that further work is undertaken to investigate and ascertain the particular needs of bus users from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

25.0 Concessionary Fares

25.1 The Council offers two concessionary fares schemes for the elderly and disabled – the statutory national half fare scheme and the Council’s local flat fare scheme of 35 pence per journey. Residents are restricted to only one of the schemes.

25.2 A concessionary fares scheme also operates for children and young adults in further education. This is a flat fare scheme of 50 pence or a weekly or monthly pass.

25.3 There are no proposals to change the available schemes at the present time as the flat fare scheme offered as an alternative to the statutory national scheme offers a better concession that half fare.

25.4 Both schemes will be available to men aged between 60 and 64 from April 2003.

Recommendation 35 Concessionary fares for the elderly and disabled a) The group recommends concessionary fares for the elderly and disabled should be incrementally reduced with the objective of achieving free transport for these groups within 3 years. b) The group also recommends that concessionary fares are made available to both men and women at the age of 60.

25.5 Where local residents cross over into neighbouring authority area, bus companies generally offer an add on commercial concession to concessionary pass holders. The Council will investigate the continuation and improvement of such arrangements.

Recommendation 36 Reciprocal agreements for concessionary fares when journeys cross local boundaries The Council should investigate the possibility of instituting reciprocal concessionary fares arrangements for passholders where their journey goes across neighbouring authorities.

25.6 The Department for Education (DfES) has recognised that there is a gap in the provision of services for education purposes in recently reported studies. As a result it has awarded around £75,000 to help with developing a transport policy for 16-19 year olds in full time education. The way in which this additional funding is spent has to be developed within the Lifelong Learning Partnership. Recommendation 14 Accessing Education a) A strategy should be developed to ensure that the main educational campuses are well served. Routing opportunities should be considered at all campuses, such as Woughton, working alongside students and the educational establishments concerned. b) Consideration should be given to how school bus services and ordinary bus services could co-operate better together. c) The possibility of linking the concessionary fares for children and young people alongside the provision of free home to school transport, for those entitled to this should be explored. There are particular opportunities here for the 16 to 18 age group.

25.7 The Council will work towards making the cost of joining the concessionary fares scheme for young people free at the point of application.

Recommendation 37 Concessionary fares for young people a) It is recommended that the concessionary fares scheme for children and young people (under 19 if still in full time education) should be better promoted. b) The charge for issuing the pass should be dropped (in line with the arrangements for the elderly and disabled). c) Schools and colleges should be used as information dissemination points, and schools enabled and encouraged to issue such passes. In addition a minority of the group (3 members) made a further recommendation: d) It is also recommended that journey costs be reduced from the current 50p to 35p.

25.8 The Council recognises the difficulty for concession holders with both visual and manual dexterity disabilities and will investigate the provision of free travel for this group of residents.

Recommendation 38 Concessionary fares for the blind If the Council is unable to accept Recommendation 35 (free concessionary travel for the elderly and disabled), then the group recommends that it be applied to certain disabled groups, in particular the blind.

26.0 Longer Term Public Transport Options

26.1 The Council, in conjunction with English Partnerships, have commissioned a Long Term Public Transport Options study by consultants Faber Maunsell. This report is due in March 2003 and is likely to make reference to the link between residential dwelling densities and sustainable high quality public transport. The study conclusions, if agreed, will give a long term vision of how public transport should be provided over the next 25-30 years.

Recommendation 44 Setting a clear, long term vision The Council should set clear and unambiguous long and medium term objectives. These should aim to make bus services in Milton Keynes an example of excellence to all comparably sized towns and cities throughout the UK. 27.0 Staff and Financial Resources

27.1 Well in excess of £1,000.000 will be additionally provided for the provision of contracted local bus services, community transport and publicity. Resources are required to deliver these additional services and also to monitor their effectiveness in delivering modal change. The process has started to recruit four permanent additional staff to deliver these new areas of service.

Recommendation 45 The Passenger Transport Section a) The sections limited resources should be targeted at monitoring reliability and punctuality both of contract services and commercially registered services as well as ensuring that publicity and information is of a high standard. b) The section should work co-operatively with the bus companies to implement the bus strategy. c) The section should develop methods and techniques of both collating and disseminating information not just about ridership, but also about journey patterns and modal use, alongside other colleagues in the Environment Directorate and elsewhere in the Council. d) Consideration should be given to frequent passenger and non-passenger surveys and census.

28.2 Recommendation 46 Travel Plans for Companies within Milton Keynes (a) The work of the Sustainable Transport Co-ordinator should be supported by a number of measures including pro-active planning policies. The Council should develop a strategy to work with schools on travel plans to minimise the use of cars. (b) In addition the Council should lead by example and implement their own green travel to work plan.