Halcrow Group Limited North Staffordshire Integrated Transport Study Final Report May 2005 Stoke on Trent City Council Staffordshire County Council Advantage West Midlands Highways Agency Halcrow Group Limited Vineyard House 44 Brook Green London W6 7BY Tel +44 (0)20 7602 7282 Fax +44 (0)20 7603 0095 www.halcrow.com Halcrow Group Limited has prepared this report in accordance with the instructions of their client, Stoke on Trent City Council Staffordshire County Council Advantage West Midlands Highways Agency, for their sole and specific use. Any other persons who use any information contained herein do so at their own risk. © Halcrow Group Limited 2005 Halcrow Group Limited North Staffordshire Integrated Transport Study Final Report May 2005 Stoke on Trent City Council Staffordshire County Council Advantage West Midlands Highways Agency Halcrow Group Limited Vineyard House 44 Brook Green London W6 7BY Tel +44 (0)20 7602 7282 Fax +44 (0)20 7603 0095 www.halcrow.com Halcrow Group Limited has prepared this report in accordance with the instructions of their client, Stoke on Trent City Council Staffordshire County Council Advantage West Midlands Highways Agency, for their sole and specific use. Any other persons who use any information contained herein do so at their own risk. © Halcrow Group Limited 2005 Stoke on Trent City Council Staffordshire County Council Advantage West Midlands Highways Agency North Staffordshire Integrated Transport Study Final Report Contents Amendment Record This report has been issued and amended as follows: Issue Revision Description Date Signed 1 0 Draft Report for consideration at 07-02-05 DRT Steering Group Meeting on 10 eb 2005 Chapters 2 to 14, 16 to 20 No igures included 2 0 Complete Draft inal Report for 22-02-05 DRT consideration at Steering Group Meeting on 14 March 2005 2 1 inal Report incorporating 11-04-05 DRT/SH Steering Group Comments 2 2 inal Report including phasing 14-04-05 DRT/SH and Supporting ,nalysis 2 . inal Report addressing SoTCC 00-05-05 SH 28th April comments Contents 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Aims and Requirements of the Study 1 1.3 Acknowledgements 2 2 THE STUDY AREA 3 2.1 Introduction 3 2.2 The Historical Background 3 2.3 The Transport Network – An Overview 4 2.4 The Highway Network 5 2.5 The Bus Network 7 2.6 The Rail Network 9 2.7 Cycling and Walking 11 2.8 Water Based 12 2.9 Transport Policy Context 12 3 THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 15 3.1 Introduction 15 3.2 Central Government Objectives 15 3.3 Local and Regional Objectives 17 3.4 The Transport Related Local and Regional Objectives 17 3.5 Other Regional and Local Objectives 19 4 APPROACH TO APPRAISAL 23 4.1 Introduction 23 4.2 Central Government Objectives Based Assessment 24 4.3 Local Authority Objectives Based Assessment 24 4.4 Appraising the Impact on Problems 32 4.5 Supporting Analysis - Distribution and Equity 32 4.6 Supporting Analysis - Affordability and Financial Sustainability 35 4.7 Supporting Analysis - Practicality and Public Acceptability 35 5 BASE YEAR 2002 CONDITIONS 37 5.1 Introduction 37 5.2 Populations, Households and Employed Residents 37 5.3 Employment Opportunities 40 5.4 Mode of Travel to Work 40 5.5 Travel Demand and Travel Movement Patterns 41 5.6 Travel Characteristics 44 6 THE ENVIRONMENTAL REGIME 47 6.1 Introduction 47 6.2 Internationally Designated Environmental Assets 47 6.3 Nationally Designated Environmental Assets 47 6.4 Regionally Designated Environmental Sites 48 6.5 Locally Designated Environmental Sites 49 6.6 The Water Regime 50 6.7 Sensitive Land Uses 51 6.8 Local Air Quality Management Areas 51 7 PROBLEMS AND ISSUES, 2002 BASE YEAR 53 7.1 Introduction 53 7.2 Efficiency Conditions 54 7.3 Safety Conditions 59 7.4 Environmental Issues 66 7.5 Accessibility Issues 71 7.6 The Perceptions of Stakeholders 83 7.7 Summary of 2002 Base Year Problems and Issues 87 7.8 Overall Conclusions 88 8 THE 2021 REFERENCE CASE SITUATION 91 8.1 Introduction 91 8.2 Future Populations, Households and Employed Residents 91 8.3 Future Year Travel Demand and Travel Movement Patterns 93 8.4 The 2021 “Reference Case” Transport Network 96 8.5 Travel Conditions in the 2021 Reference Case Situation 98 9 2021 REFERENCE CASE PROBLEMS & ISSUES 103 9.1 Introduction 103 9.2 Efficiency Issues 103 9.3 Safety Issues 105 9.4 Environmental Issues 106 9.5 Accessibility Issues 110 9.6 Summary of 2021 Reference Case Problems and Issues 114 9.7 Conclusions 115 10 WHAT MIGHT THE SOLUTIONS BE ? 119 10.1 Introduction 119 10.2 Improve Public Transport Services and Infrastructure 119 10.3 Encouragement of Walking and Cycling 120 10.4 Encourage Less Car Use 120 10.5 Increase Highway Capacity 120 10.6 Increase the Cost of Car Use 120 10.7 The Way Forward 121 11 THE ROLE OF URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT 123 11.1 Introduction 123 11.2 The Issues 123 11.3 Urban Public Transport - Patronage and Funding 127 11.4 Willingness to Use Urban Public Transport 129 11.5 Urban Public Transport Service Improvements 130 11.6 Initial Conclusions Regarding Service Level Improvements to Urban Public Transport 135 11.7 Giving Public Transport Priority Over Other Vehicles 137 12 RESOLVING THE RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROBLEM 145 12.1 Introduction 145 12.2 The Case for Demand Responsive Transport 146 12.3 Market Town Bus Services 148 13 THE CASE FOR PARK AND RIDE 149 13.1 Introduction 149 13.2 The Location of Park and Ride Sites 149 13.3 Potential Performance of the Short Listed Park and Ride Options 155 14 WINNING OVER HEARTS AND MINDS 159 14.1 Winning Hearts and Minds 159 14.2 Development of a Walking Plan 160 14.3 Development of a Cycling Plan 162 14.4 School Travel Plans 163 14.5 Workplace Travel Plans 164 14.6 Teleconferencing 165 14.7 Home or Internet Shopping 166 14.8 Personal Journey Planning 166 14.9 Conclusions 167 15 THE CASE FOR INCREASED HIGHWAY CAPACITY173 15.1 Introduction 173 15.2 The Proposals Considered 174 15.3 Localised Improvements - Possible Schemes 174 15.4 Localised Improvements – The Benefits and Impacts 177 15.5 Major Highway Improvements 178 15.6 Major Highway Schemes – The Benefits and Impacts 182 15.7 Overall Conclusions 184 16 INCREASING THE COSTS OF CAR TRAVEL 189 16.1 Introduction 189 16.2 Public On-Street and Off-Street Parking Charges 191 16.3 Private Non-Residential Off-street Parking Charges 193 16.4 Cordon or Area Based Road User Charges 196 17 LAND USE ISSUES 205 17.1 Introduction 205 17.2 The Issues of Peripheral New Development 205 17.3 The Alternative Land Use Scenarios 206 17.4 The Expected Impact of Differing Land Use Distributions 208 17.5 Conclusions 208 18 DEVELOPMENT OF THE PREFERRED STRATEGY 213 18.1 Introduction 213 19 THE PREFERRED TRANSPORT STRATEGY 217 19.1 The Strategy in Outline 217 19.2 Public Transport Service and Infrastructure Improvements 219 19.3 The Park and Ride System 224 19.4 The Walking and Cycling Plans 225 19.5 Aggressive Promotion of Measures Aimed at “Winning Hearts and Minds” 227 19.6 Replacement Capacity Based Highway Improvements 228 19.7 Highway Improvements to Reduce Congestion, Improve Road Safety and Environmental Conditions 229 19.8 Parking Controls in Hanley, Newcastle and Stoke Centres 229 19.9 Congestion Charging 230 19.10 Changes in Land Use Policy 230 20 THE STRATEGY’S OVERALL PERFORMANCE 233 20.1 Introduction 233 20.2 Modal Choice 233 20.3 Overall Levels of Car Use with the Preferred Transport Strategy 235 20.4 Travel Conditions with the Preferred Strategy in Place 235 20.5 Efficiency Issues 238 20.6 Safety Issues 240 20.7 Environmental Issues 242 20.8 Accessibility Issues 246 20.9 Land Use Issues 251 21 THE STRATEGY’S COSTS AND BENEFITS 257 21.1 Introduction 257 21.2 The Implementation Costs – An Overview 257 21.3 Costs for Improvements to Public Transport 257 21.4 Costs for Introducing Park and Ride 259 21.5 Costs Associated with “Winning Over Hearts and Minds” 260 21.6 Costs Associated with Implementing Congestion Charging 262 21.7 The Strategy Costs – A Summary 262 21.8 The Economic Case 263 21.9 The Financial Case 265 21.10 Transport Funding Context 266 22 THE STRATEGY APPRAISAL 279 22.1 Introduction 279 22.2 Supporting Analysis – Distribution and Equity 295 22.3 Supporting Analysis - Affordability and Financial Sustainability 297 22.4 Supporting Analysis – Practicality and Public Acceptability 301 23 THE REJECTED STRATEGY VARIANTS 305 23.1 Introduction 305 23.2 The Impact of Removing the Traffic Free Bus Corridors 305 23.3 The Impact of Providing Replacement Capacity for the Northern Traffic Free Bus Corridors 308 23.4 The Impact of Adopting Different Park and Ride Solutions 309 23.5 The Impact of Adding an Eastern Bypass to the Strategy 313 24 PHASING AND IMPLEMENTATION 317 24.1 Introduction 317 24.2 The Implementation Plan 317 24.3 Short Term - The First Five Years 318 24.4 Medium Term - The Next Five Years 319 24.5 Long Term - The Last Five Years 319 24.6 The Need for Ownership and Co-ordination 320 24.7 The Next Steps 320 Figures 2.1 The Study ,rea 2.2 The Road Networ2 2.. The 3us Networ2 2.4 The Rail Networ2 5.1 Population Density, 2002 3ase 5ear 5.2 Percentage of Population 6nder 5 5ears 7ld 5.