Consultation on proposed changes to East London Transit bus routes EL1 and EL2 Response to the main issues raised February 2016 1 Consultation on proposed changes to East London Transit bus routes EL1 and EL2 Response to the main issues raised Contents 1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………1 2 Main issues raised and TfL's response…………………………………………….2 1 Introduction Transport for London (TfL) recently consulted stakeholders and the public about proposed structural changes to the route of EL2 and frequency increases to routes EL1 and EL2. The consultation ran from 3 November 2015 to Monday 18 January 2016. There were a number of questions and queries raised during the consultation and this report sets out the main issues raised and our responses. Our proposals We proposed to change the route of EL2 to run from Dagenham Dock to a new terminus at Becontree Heath bus station. This would mean that the EL2 would no longer serve the section of Ilford Lane between Barking and Ilford town centre. Route EL2 would instead be routed down Longbridge Road and Wood Lane to Becontree Heath addressing existing capacity concerns. We also consulted on a proposal to increase the frequency of both routes EL1 and EL2 as set out in the table below. These frequency improvements sought to address the capacity concerns on Ripple Road and ensure sufficient capacity was provided on Ilford Lane following the re-routeing of the EL2. 1 2 Main issues raised and TfL's response Concern over frequency and capacity on Ilford Lane Routes EL1, EL2 and 169 all serve Ilford Lane and together provide a bus every 3 minutes during the daytime. The scheme consulted on results in a reduction to a bus every 3-4 minutes on Ilford Lane. Ilford Lane would therefore continue to be a high frequency bus corridor. When initial responses received to the consultation raised these concerns, a further survey was undertaken to identify passenger demand on Ilford Lane. The survey results supported previous survey data that show the proposed frequency of a bus every 3-4 minutes on Ilford Lane would be sufficient to meet passenger demand without causing crowding. Re-routeing the EL2 will detrimentally affect existing users – e.g. passengers will no longer have a direct bus journey and be required to pay twice The scheme would result in the loss of a direct bus route between Ilford/ Ilford Lane and locations east of Renwick Road. Currently there are around 160 such trips made between these locations on a typical weekday. This is about 1.5% of all trips made on route EL2. However, as many responses to consultation highlighted, we need to address crowding issues on route 5 along Longbridge Road. On route 5 alone, there are around 16,700 trips made per day on the section of Longbridge Road where the EL2 would be extended. For this reason, it is considered appropriate to continue with the proposal to re-route the EL2. We understand that for those who would lose their direct bus journey, travel would be more complicated and some users would need to change buses, walk further to route EL1, and pay twice. However, the scheme does minimise the disruption to these passengers as frequency increases on routes EL1 and EL2 would mean wait times when changing buses would be reduced. In addition fares are currently capped after three bus journeys. The EL1 and EL2 scheme will not be enough to resolve current problems of crowding and will result in the quality of service on routes EL1 and EL2 deteriorating The scheme significantly increases frequencies on routes EL1 and EL2. In total there would be a 45% increase in capacity at peak times across both routes. It is considered that this would be sufficient to meet demand for the next few years. The higher frequency and capacity is expected to improve passengers’ experience of using local buses. London continues to grow and major developments, such as at Barking Riverside, continue to be built. This scheme forms part of a number of planned public transport improvements that seek to provide for this additional growth. As well as the opening of Crossrail, improvements have been made or will shortly be made to routes 62, 145, 173, 366, 368 and N15. The bus network will continue to be monitored to ensure it is meeting the needs of passengers in the most optimal way and it is expected that further proposals will be developed. Any major changes to bus services will be the subject of further consultations. 2 Our bus routes are continually monitored with regard to service performance to ensure a reliable service is provided. The East London Transit (ELT) routes benefit from high levels of bus priority and we will be working with the local Boroughs to identify further highway improvements to improve bus reliability. We will also upgrade bus stops to ELT standard on the new section of the transit network. Alternative routeing ideas proposed Feedback was received which suggested alternative routeings for one, or more of the routes concerned. This feedback broadly fell into two categories; further changes to routes EL1 and EL2, and alternative ways of providing additional capacity on Longbridge Road and Ripple Road. Further changes to ELT routes Suggestions to extend routes EL1 and EL2 beyond the proposed termini e.g. to Dagenham Heathway or Romford would have significant additional cost implications. At the present time it is not considered that incurring that additional cost would be the best use of available funding. The bus network will continue to be kept under review. As noted above, we are confident that the proposed new frequencies for routes EL1 and EL2 will provide the additional capacity required for the near future. Suggestions for alternative route changes There were also a number of suggestions to achieve the objectives of the scheme by different means. Examples included extending route 179 to the south, and extending route 238 to Becontree Heath rather than route EL2. It is not thought that it would be as cost effective solution as the proposed scheme. For example, extending route 238 to Becontree Heath would assist with addressing crowding on Longbridge Road, but not on Ripple Road and the Thames View Estate. This would necessitate a further scheme such as the extension of the 179 and result in higher costs but achieve many of the same benefits as the EL1 and EL2 scheme. Interpeak frequencies should not be increased to encourage walking and improve air quality Improving frequency of buses throughout the daytime, and not just during peak periods, benefits a large number of passengers at only a marginal cost. By providing a high service level throughout the whole day it caters for flexible travel patterns and, when the network is taken as a whole, offers a viable alternative to the car which is a typically less active and more polluting (per person) form of travel. It also provides the necessary capacity at school finishing times which can sometimes be as busy as typical commuter times. London’s bus fleet is one of the youngest and an iterative process of using ever cleaner engines when new buses are introduced means that buses are becoming cleaner. General behaviours – e.g. comments about driver behaviour Good customer service is an essential part of providing a good quality bus service. TfL works closely with the bus operators to improve customer service 3 and, in addition to our existing driver training, we are about to commence a new driver training scheme with an enhanced focus on customer care. 4 .