Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan 2006/07 -2010/11 Cabinet July 2005
- Introduction3
- Traffic, Travel and Transport in Hertfordshire 5
2.1 The Last Five Years5
2.2 Transport problems and opportunities in Hertfordshire5
- The Wider Context 10
3.1 National Policy 10
3.2 Regional Planning 10
3.3 Local Land-Use Planning11
3.4 Regional Economic Strategy11
3.5 Cross Boundary and Sub-regional Transport Planning.12
3.6 Through Traffic and Long Distance Travellers13
3.7 Growth Areas and Sustainable Communities13
3.8 Multi-Modal Studies13
3.9 Airports14
3.10The London Effect15
- The Way We Work in Hertfordshire17
4.1 Local Government Context17
4.2 Learning and Sharing Information Networks22
- Vision and Objectives25
5.1 Vision25
5.2 The Transport Objectives25
5.3 Long Term Strategies26
- Tackling Congestion27
6.1 Tackling Congestion27
6.2 Tackling congestion through Transport Planning27
6.3 Tackling congestion whilst meeting the needs of all users28
6.4 Network Management and Hertfordshire Highways29
6.5 Network Management Duty30
6.6 Tackling congestion by working with other authorities30
7.Delivering Accessibility 32
7.1 Social inclusion through local transport planning32
7.2 Accessibility Strategies32
7.3 Assessment and analysis of issues33
7.4 Tackling accessibility issues34
7.5 Performance measurement34
7.6 Accessibility Through Transport Planning34
7.7 Accessibility through Network Management36
8.Safer Roads37
8.1 Road Safety Strategy37
8.2 Targets and best use of information38
8.3 Road safety policy issues39
8.4 Links to other areas of work41
8.5 Funding and Investment41
8.6 Making the most of investment41
9.Better Air Quality42
9.1 Cost effective solutions42
9.2 Working in partnership with district/borough councils42
9.3 Air Quality Management Areas43
9.4 Targets and Action Plans43
10. Quality of Life Issues45
10.1Public space and better streetscapes45
10.2Community safety, personal security and crime45
10.3Healthy communities46
10.4Sustainable and Prosperous Communities46
10.5Noise47
10.6Climate Change and greenhouse gases47
10.7Landscape and Biodiversity48
11.Indicators and Locally Relevant Targets50
11.1Selection of targets and indicators for LTP250
11.2Mandatory Indicators50
11.3Non-mandatory Indicators64
12The Five Year Implementation Programme69
12.1Monitoring70
12.2Asset Management71
12.3Value for Money and Hertfordshire Highways71
12.4Efficiency in Highway Maintenance72
12.5Major Schemes72
12.6Longer Term beyond LTP275
Annex A – Rights of Way Improvement Plan Statement76
Annex B – District Council Statements85
Annex C – Air Quality Management Areas102
Abbreviations104
1. INTRODUCTION
The Hertfordshire Local Transport Plan 2006/07 -2010/11 sets the framework for achieving the vision for a better transport system for all. This plan will build upon the success of the first Local Transport Plan and focus on delivering the shared priorities of tackling congestion, delivering accessibility, providing safer roads, improving air quality and improving the quality of life for residents. Through these themes the plan will continue to tackle the complex transport problems that face Hertfordshire.
Hertfordshire has a population of over 1 million residents and increasing numbers of long distance travellers passing through. There are pressures for substantial growth which could have significant impacts on transport infrastructure in the county.
The transport network has a north-south focus serving London, the Midlands and the North on the A1(M), M1 and East Coast, Midland and West Coast Main Line railway routes. With the exception of the heavily congested M25 in the south of the county, there are very few east-west routes. This is a particular problem for east-west rail passenger journeys, which often require taking the train into central London.
Settlements within the county are no more than five miles apart and consist of small and medium sized towns creating complicated movements to access facilities and services. Congestion within local towns creates local difficulties for all users and impacts on the quality of the environment.
The county is affluent with low unemployment levels and high car ownership, but there are also those who are excluded due to the lack of transport availability. This plan sets the County Council’s framework for tackling these transport issues and is focused on delivering outcomes which will make a demonstrable difference to the transport choices for residents and visitors in Hertfordshire.
This Plan introduces the concept of Accessibility Planning which will help to tackle the problem of getting to key services such as work, education, health and food shopping. The full Accessibility Strategy will be published in March 2006. The Plan also introduces the Rights of Way Improvement Plan which will help accessibility particularly in rural areas.
The Local Transport Plan is the delivery vehicle for transport improvements in the county. The plan is supported by a number of daughter documents which provide greater detail on key areas of work. The diagram below shows the documents and the links to the Local Transport Plan.
Diagram showing the Local Transport Plan and associated documents.
This plan is the ‘provisional Local Transport Plan’ and will be submitted to the DfT on the 29th July 2005. This plan will be revised in light of funding announcements made in the December 2005 which will impact on the targets set. The ‘full Local Transport Plan’ will then be submitted in March 2006.
The County Council publishes the Local Transport Plan on its website at
2. TRAFFIC, TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT IN HERFORDSHIRE
2.1The Last 5 Years
The first Local Transport Plan published in July 2000 has achieved much in the provision of transport choice and this provides a good foundation for future progress during the next five years of transport delivery in Hertfordshire.
- The transport network is safer with a reduction in road injuries, fatalities and serious injuries.
- Less people are speeding in urban areas achieved through the implementation of traffic management schemes developed with local communities.
- Sustainable transport networks have been created and improved for walking, cycling and passenger transport journeys across the county.
- Innovative approaches such as Home Zones and Quiet Lanes have been implemented to improve the local environment and offer transport choices.
- Young people, parents and the local communities have been engaged through the Safer Routes to School programme and by developing School Travel Plans to improve their journeys to school.
- The network has been maintained through the introduction of an asset management approach.
- Local communities have been engaged in identifying problems and developing solutions to transport issues through tools such as the use of maps for local people to pinpoint areas of concern and possible solutions in developing Area and Town Transport Plans and through the Village Travel Plan process.
A full analysis of the improvements brought about by the first Local Transport Plan (which is current until March 2006) will be published in the LTP Annual Progress Report in July 2006.
2.2Transport problems and opportunities in Hertfordshire.
Congestion
A MORI Poll(2004) identified that a key priority and concern of the Hertfordshire residents was the issue of congestion, 64% residents said that it was their main concern.
The County Council has been monitoring congestion through congestion reference flows which assesses the physical capacity of the network with the amount of traffic being carried to provide areas of congestion.
The County Council has been developing a Congestion Action Plan in response to the concerns raised about this issue. The Congestion Action Plan includes the map below which highlights perceived congestion hot spots within the county.
The continuing growth in road traffic in Hertfordshire poses a serious threat to the quality of life in the county. The significant problems of safety, congestion, access and the environment can all be linked to traffic flows that are 35% higher than the national average. These traffic flows combined with traffic growth (which has reduced over the last three years to less than 1% per year), are the main causes of Hertfordshire’s road congestion on a network at capacity.
Why is there so much traffic in Hertfordshire?
The high level of traffic is a result of many interacting factors:
- over 1 million residents
- spread amongst a dozen medium sized towns (more than 25,000 population) and many more smaller towns;
- villages are generally no more than 5 to 10 miles from a town creating complex journey patterns.
- neighbouring London attracts large commuting flows;
- rail services do not provide for east-west movements;
- the county sits astride three of the most important national routes (M25,
- M1 and A1(M));
- car ownership is the sixth highest in the country.
- 40% of households have 2 or more cars.
- Access to key services, particularly healthcare, is difficult by sustainable transport.
Furthermore, the County Travel Survey (2002) highlighted the importance of the following travel related aspects, in order:
Reducing road accidents
The number of killed and seriously injured, and children killed and seriously injured have reduced by 25% (2000-2003), and the number of slight casualties by 13%. The Road Safety Strategy will continue to seek improvements in this area through education, engineering and enforcement measures.
Maintaining existing roads
The County Council introduced the first Highway Asset Management Plan in 2002 and through Hertfordshire Highways is maintaining the highway network. The condition of the network is a continuing concern of the public which this plan will seek to improve.
Improving bus and rail facilities
The County Council has seen a trend of declining bus use in recent years which it is seeking to reverse through the Bus, Rail and Intalink Strategies. The County Council has a number of key issues to tackleincluding recruiting and retaining drivers, working in partnership with the commercial sector, and dealing with congestion in order to deliver services which are reliable, affordable and accessible.
Tackling air pollution
Transport has a particular impact on air quality due to emissions from vehicles. The principal pollutants from road transport are nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulates.
Air quality is monitored by the district councils, and where pollutants exceed national threshold levels Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) are declared. There are several AQMAs in Hertfordshire relating to motorway traffic, but none at present on local roads. However, the current reviews suggest that this may change in the near future and the County Council will seek to tackle the cause and improve air quality.
Managing Traffic in urban areas
In Hertfordshire, traffic in urban areas is managed through the Area and Town Transport Plans. These plans have introduced innovative solutions such as Home Zones to mange traffic and improve the local environment. This remains an important issue in Hertfordshire due to the transport pressure on the network.
Safer Routes to School
Tackling the school run is a major issue. The Safer Routes to School schemes have been very successful in Hertfordshire. The County Council introduced the first walking bus scheme and now has School Travel Plan advisors to provide support to schools. The County Council has participated in a study undertaken by University College London to look at the relationship between transport and children’s health. This plan seeks to continue this work due to the new entrants to the education system
Furthermore, through working with stakeholders and local people two key areas which have been highlighted are the importance of rights of way and the impact of speeding traffic on the local environment.
Rights of Way
Hertfordshire has more than 1900 miles of public rights of way which are open to users. The routes provide access to facilities and services and provide recreational routes for walking, cycling and horseriding. The County Council is developing a Rights of Way Improvement Plan to improve access to the network and a progress statement can be found in Annex A.
Speeding
Speeding traffic continues to be a major contributory factor towards accidents in Hertfordshire. Speed was a contributory factor in 43% of fatal road accidents and 39% of all accidents in 2002. National statistics show that a pedestrian has a 45% chance of being killed if hit by a car travelling at 30mph. This rises to 85% if the car speed is 40mph. The County Council has developed a Speed Management Strategy to help address the safety and environmental impacts of inappropriate speed.
3. the Wider Context
3.1National Policy
The Department for Transport has set criteria for the development of Local Transport Plans which reflects the shared priorities of tackling congestion and delivering accessibility, safer roads and better air quality. The DfT has also provided mandatory indicators which local authorities have to deliver.
The County Council has been in discussions with the DfT regarding detrunking issues within the county. The A10 is a route which is scheduled for detrunking and which the County Council has highlighted funding issues within its Annual Progress Report. The detrunking was delayed due to construction problems with the Wadesmill Bypass.
The County Council is working closely with the Strategic Rail Authority to deal with rail issues within the county to meet demand. The County Council has produced a Rail Strategy which accompanies this LTP containing detail on route strategies.
3.2Regional Planning Context
Hertfordshire is in the East of England region but has close links and geographical borders with London and the South East regions. For example, two thirds of commuter trips out of the county are to London. However, this plan has to give primary reference to the policy framework of the East of England.
The draft regional spatial strategy (RSS) for the East of England region was published for consultation in December 2004 and it will not be finalised before this Local Transport Plan is published in July 2005. However, once finalised, the RSS will provide the statutory framework for local authorities to produce more detailed local development plans and local transport plans for their areas.
The draft RSS sets out a spatial strategy for economic and housing growth in the region. Hertfordshire County Council does not accept this strategy and the levels of growth proposed for the county will have major implications on surface access particularly in the housing growth areas.
The Regional Transport Strategy (RTS) is contained in the RSS. The strategy sets out the objectives, such as the need to reduce travel while improving access for all, together with policies and investment proposals.
While welcoming the objectives, Hertfordshire County Council does have concerns in relation to the draft policies. Many of the policies are not focused on the key issues affecting the region but are merely reiterating government policy. While the policies set out good intentions it is not clear how the objectives will be delivered or schemes implemented. The main concern however is that there is no clear demonstration of how the regional transport strategy relates to the spatial strategy and the growth areas.
Whilst the County Council has many concerns about the overall spatial strategy, it is also considered that the proposed regional strategic transport network and improvements to public transport will not in the county’s view adequately address the existing backlog in transport infrastructure.
The County Council influences the regional agenda through a number of forums and bodies, such as the Regional Technical Advisors Group (RTAG), the Regional Research and Monitoring Group (RRMG) and the Demography Sub Group. Furthermore, the County Council is involved in specific locational sub-regional groups which are considering development proposals in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy.
As the RSS and RTS are only in draft form at present and so this LTP does not incorporate the regional policies and proposals. The LTP will be revised as necessary when the regional strategies are finalised. Revision is unlikelyto affect the main thrust of the LTP but may affect some of the investment priorities for new infrastructure.
3.3LocalLand-Use Planning
The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires local planning authorities to prepare a Local Development Framework (LDF) which provides the essential framework for planning in their area. An LDF will comprise a development plan documents, supplementary planning documents, a statement of community involvement, a local development scheme and annual monitoring reports.
The Government has emphasised that the preparation of the local development framework is a participatory process. Planning Policy Statement 12 (PPS12) on Local Development Frameworks states that local planning authorities should seek the advice of county councils. Local planning authorities should also take account of the principles of other relevant strategies. The Local Transport Plan is specifically identified as a key strategy which should be taken into account and which the County Council will actively promote.
3.4 Regional Economic Strategy
The current Regional Economic Strategy for the East of England was published in December 2004. The strategy contains a number of strategic goals and priorities which address the economic development of the region.
Goals / PrioritiesGlobal leadership in developing and realising innovation in science, technology and research / ensuring strong links between regional universities, research institutes, and the private sector – by ensuring that the region’s universities and research centres are among the world’s most accessible to industry
High quality places to live, work and visit / ensuring the provision of social and transport infrastructure
developing and enhancing green spaces and infrastructure to support economic growth
Social Inclusion and broad participation in the regional economy / Supporting disadvantaged communities and groups to access sustainable employment opportunities
Providing improved access to essential services
Making the most from the development of international gateways and national and regional transport corridors / Promoting the delivery of strategic road, rail, and other public transport priorities for the region.
Ensuring that transport solutions serve economic growth in a sustainable manner
Understanding and addressing the importance of transport links with London
A leading information society / Promoting the use of network based technologies among businesses, organisations and individuals
LTP2 assists in delivering a number of these goals and priorities in particular, work on accessibility planning will assist in achieving high quality places to live, work and visit, and the programme of major projects and infrastructure improvements will support the RES goal which aims for sustainable transport solutions to deliver economic growth.