Page 9 Agenda Item 5 London Borough of Sutton Sutton Area Committee - 21 June 2006 Carshalton and Clockhouse Area Committee - 5 July 2006 Report of the Interim Head Transport Planning and Works Team S4 BUS ROUTE PROPOSED EXTENSION Ward Location: Sutton Central, Sutton Author(s) and Contact Phone Number(s): North, St. Helier and The Colin Poore 020 8770 6046 Wyrthe Area Served: Sutton, Benhilton and Lead Councillor: Rosehill Councillor Colin Hall Key Decision Report Summary The report considers the results of the consultation on the proposal to extend the S4 bus route from Marshall’s Road (Sutton) to St. Helier Station (LB. Merton) via Benhill Avenue, Thicket Road, Oakhill Road, Benhill Road, Grennell Road (for Greenshaw High School), Edinburgh Road, Duke of Edinburgh Road, Whitby Road, Wrythe Lane (for St Helier hospital) and Green Lane. The consultation was undertaken by Transport for London (TfL). It further considers the implications and requirements of providing the extension to the route. Recommendations I recommend the Committee to: a. Agree to the introduction of an extension to the S4 bus route, on the road network indicated in this report. b. Request of TfL that the extension to the S4 bus route is introduced primarily as a ‘Hail and Ride’ service and that the need for permanent bus stops be reviewed at a later date once the service is operational. c. Introduce bus stops with clearways on Thicket Road, adjacent to 1 Lower Road and outside and opposite Oak Lodge, as shown on the attached plans, subject to funding from Transport for London. d. Agree to advertise the appropriate Traffic Order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, for the purpose of amending the parking layout of the Sutton CPZ on Thicket Road, and to delegate authority to the Interim Executive Head of Planning, Transport and Highways, in conjunction with Ward Members to proceed with the Making of the Traffic Order, subject to no material objections being received to the advertised order. e. Agree to the wording of the statement of reasons for the Order to read: - to allow for the introduction of bus stops and the safe and efficient running of bus services. 1 Page 10 f. Subject to the agreement of funding from TfL, amend capital estimates and release financial provision in the sum of £50K 1. Background 1.1 On the 20 April and 4 May 2005 a report was presented to the respective Area Committees of Sutton and Carshalton and Clockhouse. The report considered the proposal to extend the S4 bus route north from Marshall’s Road (Sutton) to St. Helier rail station (LB Merton). 1.2 The committee’s resolved to: - a. Support the proposal to extend the S4 bus route as detailed in the report. b. Subject to funding being made available by Transport for London (TfL), Authorise the Executive Head of Planning, Traffic and Highways: i) to investigate measures required to ensure safe and unobstructed access for the extension to the S4 route. ii) to identify with TfL suitable stopping locations. iii) In conjunction with TfL, to undertake a consultation on the S4 route extension and report the results back to a future committee. iv) to advertise an amended Traffic Management Order to permit buses servicing the route to use the roads as identified in the report. 1.3 There have been longstanding requests for a bus route closer to the vicinity of Thicket Road and Grennell Road in the Benhilton area. Transport for London (TfL) is in receipt of letters and a petition from local people asking for a bus service to these roads. In addition, TfL have also had suggestions from pupils at Greenshaw High School, on Grennell Road, that a bus service should operate from Roundshaw to Carshalton and Greenshaw High School. This confirmed to TfL that a transport case exists for providing this service with the bus route S4. 1.4 The Council for its part, in the past, has received significant correspondence from elderly residents in the Thicket Road area for the introduction of a bus service. These requests were support by the local Member of Parliament. This area is generally quite hilly and it is difficult for the elderly to negotiate especially when having to carry shopping. 1.5 When the Council was initially looking to establish its ‘Hoppa’ bus network, parts of the north Sutton area were identified by officers as being in excess of 400 metres from the nearest bus service. However, at the time it was not possible to establish a route into these areas. 1.6 The extension of the S4 service in the Roundshaw estate, initiated in January 2005, provided the opportunity for TfL to assess the feasibility of providing the requested new bus links to the Benhilton area. 1.7 Route S4 currently operates every 30 minutes on Mondays to Saturdays from around 06:00 to midnight and serves Roundshaw, Woodcote Green, Wallington, Carshalton on the Hill, Carshalton Beeches, Royal Marsden Hospital, Belmont and Sutton. It currently terminates at Sutton town centre, Marshalls Road. 1.8 The recent extension to the route is a result of the re-development of the Roundshaw estate. TfL could only find the additional resources to extend the route on the estate by reducing the bus frequency and as the earlier increase to a 2 Page 11 20 minute service did not justify the level of patronage the 30 minute service was re-introduced. 1.9 The service now runs the full length of Mollison Drive, picking up Wilson’s School, turning via Stafford Road, Redford Avenue and Link Lane in order to re-acquire the route. 1.10 As a result it was found that there is extra surplus time that will enable the route to be extended as outline below. 1.11 The service is designed to serve residential areas, which are heavily populated and often remote from other public transport facilities. It provides important links to shops, public transport and other amenities that would otherwise be difficult to access for people who do not have a car, or for those who prefer not to use a car. The Proposed Route Extension 1.12 It is proposed to extend route S4 from Sutton to St Helier along the following line of route: Benhill Avenue, Thicket Road, Oakhill Road, Benhill Road, Grennell Road (for Greenshaw High School), Edinburgh Road, Duke of Edinburgh Road, Whitby Road, Wrythe Lane (for St Helier hospital) and Green Lane to St Helier Station. The same roads would be served in both directions. 1.13 This route extension would benefit many residents in the Benhilton area, especially those with mobility problems, and also create new direct bus links to local amenities including stations, other bus services, hospitals, employment and shops. 1.14 The extension would also bring Benhilton and part of the St Helier estate new links to the St Helier, Royal Marsden (into the grounds) and Sutton Hospital sites. 2 Issues Bus Access 2.1 The existing S4 route already includes many residential roads, which are heavily parked due to high car ownership. In some places, buses have trouble navigating their way through. Where necessary the Borough has taken measures to alleviate these problems. 2.2 An initial survey using a bus of the relevant dimensions indicates that some of the roads on the proposed extension are also heavily parked. Once the extension to the service is running it may be found that there are sections of the route that gradually become increasingly difficult to negotiate and as a result will need be to be treated in a similar manner. 2.3 In the earlier report it had been stated that a Traffic Management Order for a 7.5 tonne lorry ban, including buses, also exists. This would not have permitted public service vehicles to use the proposed route between Benhill Avenue and Wrythe Lane without an amendment to that order. Further examination of the Order has confirmed that this is not the case and buses are permitted to enter these streets for the purpose of boarding and alighting of passengers. Stopping Arrangements – Serving the Community 2.4 The buses that operate on route S4 are low floor, fitted with kneeling mechanisms and wheelchair ramps. The Mayors Transport Strategy states that low floor buses will not give full value unless they are able to pull up adjacent to a kerb of the 3 Page 12 appropriate height. This has been confirmed by bus operations, which shows that low floor buses need to be able to access the kerb to be used to their full advantage. 2.5 Recent estimates suggest that as many as 22% of the adult population and 16% of working age population have a disability. The Borough and TfL need to work together to remove barriers that make it difficult for people to use public transport, by protecting kerbside access and providing visual indicators that a bus service operates on a road. 2.6 In many roads on the S4 route, bus users on hail and ride sections, either gather in places where there is a gap in car parking (such as dropped kerbs) or they expect the bus to stop in the road, requiring passengers to step out into the road between continuous lines of parked cars in order to board or alight. 2.7 Traffic and parking conditions are variable and sometimes it is not clear where the bus will be able to stop. The driver may also have a different opinion to the passenger about the suitability of a stopping point, based on safety or frequency reasons. Safety of bus and other road users may be compromised at points at which some passengers chose to wait.