Cross-Thames Travel Study Final Report south Oxfordshire District Council Oxfordshire County Council Reading Borough Council West Berkshire Council Wokingham District Council March 2002 CROSS-THAMES TRAVEL STUDY i March 2002 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1 2. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................. 2 2.1 THE STUDY ........................................................................................................2 2.2 STUDYOBJECTIVES ............................................................................................ 2 2.3 STUDYMETHODOLOGY ........................................................................................ 3 3 . SURVEYS AND ISSUES ................................................................................. 4 4 . STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................... 8 5. OPTION TESTING ...................................................................................... 14 6 . OPTION ASSESSMENT ................................................................................... 21 6.1 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ......................................................................................... 21 6.2 COST OF MEASURES ......................................................................................... 25 6.3 DEVELOPINGPACKAGE OPTIONS .................................................................. 27 7 . RESULTS .......................................................................................................... 29 7.1 BRIDGEOPTIONS .............................................................................................. 29 7.2 A NEWMASS TRANSIT MODE ............................................................................ 30 8 . RECOMMENDED STRATEGY .................................................................... 33 8.1 RECOMMENDEDSTRATEGY PRINCIPLES ............................................................ 34 9. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................ 38 CROSS-THAMES TRAVEL STUDY ii March 2002 List of Figures Study area Main river-crossing movements Planning constraints Approach to Strategy Development and Assessment. Recommended Strategy Principle: New Mass Transit Component: Reading Area. Recommended Strategy Principle: Park and Ride and Bus Component: Reading Area. Recommended Strategy Principle: Public Transport Component: South Oxfordshire Area. Recommended Strategy Principle: Traffic Management Component. CROSS-THAMES TRAVEL STUDY iii March 2002 FINAL REPORT 1, INTRODUCTION In October 1998 Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Reading Borough Council, Wokingham District Council and West Berkshire Council commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), in association with Dalia and Nathaniel Lichfield Associates (DNLA) to undertake the Cross-Thames Travel Study. The aim of the study was to seek a co-ordinated strategy that addresses cross-Thames travel issues. The study considered transport problems related to the Wallingford to Marlow length of the River Thames, with a focus on the section between and including the existing river crossings in central Reading and Henley. Previous Reports described the travel surveys carried out for the study, the issues that were identified and the results of the public consultation.l The study has developed a transport strategy for the area and measures are identified to achieve the objectives. This is, however, a pre-feasibility study; development of detailed design and costs etc forming part of a future programme. This Final Report summarises the findings of the study, recommends a transport strategy for improving cross-Thames travel conditions and suggests how to take the study forward. Cross-Thames Travel Study: Travel Survey Report (November 1999), Issues Report (December 1999) and Consultation Report (June 2000) are available from: South Oxfordshire District Councii, Council Offices, Crowmarsh, Oxfordshire, OX10 8NY. CROSS-THAMES TRAVEL STUDY 1 March 2002 FINAL REPORT 2. BACKGROUND The five authorities identified three common principal concerns that the study needed to address: the economic and environmental consequences of congestion on the existing river crossings and their approaches; the environmental damage associated with heavy traffic flows through residential areas, including Sonning village; and the environmental impact of heavy goods vehicles. The aim of the study was to seek remedies within the context of prevailing local and national transport policies, especially the principles set out in the government's planning policy guidance on transport2, and that are consistent with the wider planning aims set out in the local authorities' relevant development plans. The potential for demand management measures was to be explored along with a wide range of positive, innovative public transport proposals to resolve existing and anticipated transport related problems. Existing commitments were also to be taken into account. The five authorities identified three main objectives for the study: a) To seek a co-ordinated local strategy to address cross-Thames travel issues, recognising the joint aim of reducing travel by car and promoting travel by other means, assessing the short and long term effects of the feasible options in both counties. b) To consider the transport problems related to the Wallingford to Marlow length of the river, with a focus on the section between and including the existing river crossings in central Reading and Henley, but taking into account external factors. The study area for traffic transfers will be expected to encompass the A34-A404 corridors, but other considerations will depend upon the remedies to be considered and will ~ ~~ PPG13: Planning Policy Guidance Note on Transport, available from DETR CROSS-THAMES TRAVEL STUDY 2 March 2002 FINAL REPORT need to be drawn up on this basis. The study area is shown in Figure 2.1. C) To take into account influences of cross-Thames travel demand arising from development, services and traffic management on either side of the river, including possible measures identified by the study and from external causes (e.g. the Reading Urban Area Package and the Henley Transport Study). 2.3 STUDYMETHODOLOGY The study's methodology followed three phases, as follows: Establish the Facts; Examine the Options; and Exhibit the Plan. Establish the Facts Establishing the facts involved the collection of available traffic and travel data, the collection of additional survey data, and a consultation with local lnterest Groups. Details of the surveys carried out and the travel data collected are contained in the Travel Survey Report. A summary of the consultation with lnterest Groups is given in the Issues Report. The travel data was used in the second phase of the study, both to provide the study with site specific traffic data and as a basis for the development of the local area transport models. Examine the Options Strategy options were identified and developed in the context of the objectives of the study, national, regional and local transport strategy, and the issues identified in the first phase. The ability of strategy options to meet the study objectives was tested during this second phase of the study through the use of the two transport models and framework assessment techniques. Following an assessment of the views put forward, the strategy options were analysed in more detail and a preferred strategy formulated. Exhibit the Plan The public and lnterest Groups were consulted over the form of strategy that could be adopted to meet the objectives of the study. A public consultation was then held in March 2000 in order to obtain views on TRCs recommended strategy. The findings of the public consultation are described in the Consultation Report. CROSS-THAMES TRAVEL STUDY 3 March 2002 FINAL REPORT 3. SURVEYS AND ISSUES The study's travel surveys showed that the congestion experienced at river- crossings in the study area arises from the considerable demand to cross the River Thames in the Reading, Sonning and Henley areas. As a result, delays to road traffic are threatening to undermine the area's buoyant economy, and heavy traffic flows are having an adverse impact on towns and villages. During the surveys carried out in March 1999, approximately 100,000 private motor vehicles crossed the river between Wallingford and Henley in 12 hours on weekdays. In the morning peak, 85% of these journeys were made to work, 80% of vehicles had a single occupant and 64% of drivers crossing the river had free parking available at their destination. About 90% of all person trips crossing the river in the study area were made by car. Approximately 6% of journeys across the river were made by public transport, 3% were made on foot and 1% by pedal cycle. The main movements of private motorised trips that need to be addressed by the strategy were: * between Caversham and Reading; between South Oxfordshire and Reading; between CavershamIReadina and the south east: between South Oxfordshire and the south east; between Henley and the south east. Much of the traffic crossing Caversham and Reading Bridges was local traffic, whereas Sonning and Henley Bridges carry substantial volumes of through- traffic. In addition, the availability of public transport alternatives and the