Question 1 (Q1) – Are there any key transport issues that have not been included in the ‘Traffic, Travel and Transport in Hertfordshire’ section?
Anon. / Q1 / There is no specific mention of improving bus priorities. / Bus issues are covered through the Bus Strategy which is a daughter document of the LTP.
Abfly / Q1 / Yes – there is hardly any mention of rail improvement schemes. Totally roads focussed. / HCC have produced a Rail Strategy to accompany the LTP.
Association of British Drivers / Q1 / I am very pleased to see that congestion has been recognised for the major issue that it is. However I feel that you have failed to acknowledge that what you call “traffic management schemes” to reduce speeding have in fact significantly increased congestion. The balance between congestion relief and congestion causers such as humps and pinch points has not been addressed. / HCC have a Speed Management Strategy which highlights the measures to be used for addressing speeding issues in various circumstances. The monitoring of these schemes will demonstrate if traffic has been displaced.
British Motorcyclists Federation
British Motorcyclists Federation continued.
British Motorcyclists Federation continued.
British Motorcyclists Federation continued. / Q1 / Yes – Motorcycling!
2.1 refers to measures taken in the last 5 years in which motorcycling is conspicuous by its absence, yet there are references to walking and cycling in the context of sustainable transport networks. The original LTP made a token reference to motorcycling and unquantified targets to increase parking availability although few additional parking spaces were put in place.
For many of the problems to which this section refers, motorcycling can help to address them or should be positively involved in solutions to them.
- Motorcycling and 'The Wider Context"
Hertfordshire LTP's relationship with national and regional
planning.
The BMF was disappointed by the current L TP guidance from the Department for Transport for being less positive towards motorcycling than the 2000 LTP guidance. However, the DfT has also published The Government's Motorcycling Strategy where its primary theme is mainstreaming motorcycling as a mode of transport. It makes references to planning policy guidance documents and LTPs with the recommendations that:
- we will ensure that motorcycles continue to receive appropriate attention in future reviews of planning guidance documents
- without being prescriptive, we will continue to encourage local authorities to give proper consideration in their LTPs to appropriate provision for motorcyclists
The Institute of Highways Incorporated Engineers Guidelines for Motorcycling were given the Government's endorsement on their publication in April. In addition to making suggestions and recommendations on ensuring that the infrastructure is appropriate and safe for motorcycle use, they also consider aspects of transport planning that Hertfordshire would do well to take it on board both for the LTP and for wider aspects of planning the infrastructure.
It should also be noted that in 2003, the National Travel Survey showed that more journeys had been taken by motorcycle than by pedal cycle. Motorcycling should~ therefore, be accorded parity of treatment with cycling.
In "The London Effect", there is a reference to the high level of commuting into London. It fails to refer to the high proportion of motorcycles used to travel into and around the capital and their exemption from the London Congestion Charge because they help to reduce congestion and improve air quality. Motorcycling and "The Way We Work"
The local motorcycling community has been actively involved in the consultation process by attending L TP conferences and seminars; making representations to policy committees such as the Congestion Management Topic Group, and sitting on the LTP User Group. Yet, we feel that many of our concerns and recommendations are being ignored. Motorcycles appear to be predominantly viewed as a safety problem which outweighs their positive attributes. It suggests that there elements in HCC who have set their face against motorcycling resulting in institutional bias against them.
The implementation of a motorcycling forum may help to address this issue providing it looks at all aspects of motorcycling. / HCC agree to insert additional references to motorcycling where appropriate.
HCC have inserted further references to motorcycles in the LTP. HCC do have a Power-Two Wheelers Strategy which will accompanying the LTP submission as a supporting document.
HCC agree to insert wording on the use of motorcycles to commute into London.
HCC have positively engaged with the motorcycling community within the LTP process and have successfully agreed a Powered Two Wheelers Policy.
HCC are currently setting up a Powered Two Wheelers Forum.
British Horse Society / Q1 / Yes – horse riders as road users.
Horse riders were not even mentioned in the safety section.
British Horse Society / Q1 / Yes
- no mention of horse riders – need road safety measures to be for all vulnerable road users, not just walkers and cyclists
- there is mention of safety training for cycling for children and adults. It would be helpful if HCC would also assist road safety training, especially for children, for horse riders.
- Don’t relegate horse riders to be ROWIP section. The horses section of the last LTP was very good. Please keep.
CentralTown Residents’ Association / Q1 / Most key issues seem to be at least touched upon. / Noted.
Chiltern Society / Q1 / No / Noted.
CPRE – The Hertfordshire Society / Q1 / No / Noted.
General Aviation Awareness Council / Q1 / Yes – please ensure that general aviation is taken into account as part of transportation strategy. / HCC have included in the LTP about surface access strategies to airports
Hertfordshire Police / Q1 / Yes - There is no offence to a coherent plan to meet the needs of, and to increase the use of motorcycles. Motorcycles will reduce congestion and improve air quality. / HCC do have a motorcycle strategy which supports the LTP.
Herts Society for the Blind / Q1 / Yes - Increased transport options for people with disabilities in the county, particularly people with physical and sensory disabilities. Specifically flexible localised transport schemes. / HCC have a Transport Issues for Disabled People Forum and a Strategy which seeks to influence policy and schemes available.
Hitchin Visioning / Q1 / Yes - I see no commitment to any attempt at modal shift in order to improve accessibility and reduce road congestion. I believe this should be an important part of any local transport plans. / HCC has congestion as a key priority of the LTP. The document ahs been amended to include the Congestion Action Plan. HCC have produced an Accessibility Planning Strategy to accompany the LTP.
Living Streets / Q1 / Yes. Section 2.1 'The Last 5 Years' should include unwanted truths such as:
- . Car use has increased
- . Bus use has decreased
- . Walking has become more difficult and uncomfortable due to increasing dominance of the car in urban streets and increasing hindrance to pedestrians
Section 2.2 'Why is there so much traffic in Hertfordshire' should include the point. Bus services are poor and suffer from several ills including unreliability, uncomfortable vehicles, high fares, inconvenient routes, infrequent services
Metroline / Q1 / No / Noted.
St AlbansCommunityForest Association / Q1 / Yes - Rights of Way Improvement Plan
Rail Services
Sustrans
Impact from Luton/Stansted Expansion
Impact from EERA Projection re homes / The Rights of Way Improvement Plan will be incorporated into the LTP for July with a statement of progress to date.
There is a separate Rail Strategy which is a daughter document of the LTP.
The East of England Plan has yet to be adopted and therefore the projections are not accounted for in this plan.
St AlbansCommunityForest Association / Q1 / The document is so abbreviated that ref to all prior policies have been omitted, representing accumulated purpose. All issues, which they collective represent, not only key items (whatever that means) are essential in a plan. / This LTP has a different format to the first one following DfT guidelines. This LTP is delivery focused. The policies are still in place and in a separate supporting document.
St Albans Cycling Campaign / Q1 / Yes – there is practically no acknowledgement of the key part cyclists should play in reducing congestion and pollution . / HCC agree to insert further wording on the role of cyclists.
Spatial Graphics / Q1 / Yes - There is no mention of the impact of new regulations on driver’s working hours, which will soon be checked against digital tachograph records. To be workable, there should be sufficient rest areas for lorries (with adequate facilities). Foreign drivers may need special help if unable to read English road signs (which are often poor, anyway!) / HCC have developed and supported the Stevenage Freight Quality Partnership which addressed issues such as routeing, information and signage. The issue of rest areas in general needs to be considered further.
Welwyn Hatfield Friends of the Earth / Q1 / Pedestrianisation of more town centre areas, such as
Welwyn Garden City, to ensure that people travelling to
these areas are strongly encouraged to use methods of
transport other than the car, and reducing the number of
available car parking areas within town centres for the same
reasons as above, creating mini park and ride schemes. / The development of the Welwyn Hatfield Transport Plan will develop and implement local solutions.
Resident / Q1 / Yes – This pathetic excuse of a Transport Plan is NOT sustainable!! The great cop out on page related to tackling congestion presumably refers to no targets with RTRA 96. However no reference is made to Transport Act 2000 and role of local Highways Authority – embrace Sustainable Transport Strategy. / HCC have included congestion as a priority within the LTP. HCC have a Congestion Action Plan which has been inserted into the LTP stating action to be taken to tackle congestion. The Congestion target is on journey time reliability which is a new measurement for which data needs to be collected. HCC have long-term transport policies in place which support sustainable transport.
Resident / Q1 / Yes – Improving cycleway and cycle routes Redbury Way for example. / HCC have a countyCycling Programme which seeks to improve on and off road cycle routes.
Resident
Resident continued. / Q1 / Yes: the impact of traffic on communities. Whilst this is linked to congestion and to road safety, it deserves to be considered in its own right. For example, a major benefit from the Wadesmill-High Cross by-pass is the restoration of a community identity to Colliers End, High Cross, Wadesmill and Thundridge.
Also, transcending all the other issues, is the need to combat climate change. This is not directly mentioned as an issue and is only referred to in a small and inadequate section at 10.6. The emphasis given to it can be judged by the fact that it does not figure at all in the summary document. It ought to be the most important objective of the plan. It will be too late to start considering this in 2010. Such an objective would significantly alter many of the plan's proposals. As it is, there is no really innovative thinking in the minimal proposals made in the section at 10.6. / HCC will insert wording on community identity in the quality of life section..
HCC will insert further wording on CO2 emmissions in the Climate Change section.
CountyCouncillor / Q1 / No / Noted.
Resident / Q1 / Coping with the growth of Stansted airport now. / The growth of StanstedAirport is recognised and HCC plays an active role in the development of the airports Surface Access Strategy.
Resident / Q1 / There is almost nothing about cycling. / HCC agree to add further wording on cycling.
Resident / Q1 /
- is the network safer for pedestrians and cyclists – or are there fewer pedestrians and cyclists now?
- “Sustainable transport networks” within Bishops Stortford have not been significantly improved – where is the evidence for this statement?
Resident / Q1 / Yes – improved bus services from all points of the compass to Tring Station. / HCC is part of a partnership project to improve access to Tring Station.
Resident / Q1 / Title is misleading - This plan is solely about Road (traffic, ravel and transport). There is nothing much in this plan for Pedestrians or Cycles, and nothing for alternative forms of traffic, travel or transport; e.g. Air, Water, Rail or even Horse.
In terms of Road transport is excludes any concept of Public Transport Integration and any meaningful effort to contribute to reduction in Global Warming by maximising CO2 reductions. / HCC agree to insert further wording on pedestrians and cyclists.
Resident / Q1 / No. Tackling congestion is the number one priority. Limiting growth in new house building is one way to tackle increasing congestion.
Resident / Q1 / Yes. The railways are truly awful and unless the council can put pressure on the private sector to improve the quality of their service, you will never be able to convince people that there is an alternative. / HCC have produced a Rail Strategy to seek improvements to the rail service and facilities.
Resident / Q1 / Yes – improving flow of traffic into Watford from Hemel Hempstead and St Albans areas. / HCC have congestion as a key priority within the LTP and this is particularly seeking to improve journey time reliability and improve network efficiency.
Resident / Q1 / Yes – Elstree Lights Junction
Elstree & Borehamwood Station & High Street entrance / HCC address local transport issues through the Area Plan process.
Resident / Q1 / Maintaining our roads – Please don’t forget the poor state of many minor roads. I have returned to the area after 4 years and have noticed marked deterioration (or at least the same pot hole have got bigger!) / HCC have within the LTP 5 maintenance indicators demonstrating the commitment to improving the condition of the highway network.
Resident / Q1 / Yes - Standards of bus driving. Bus lanes have brought about a “culture” of aggressive bus driving. Driving artics are beginning to emulate those of “white van man” / There are bus driver training courses available which HCC support.
Resident / Q1 / Yes - Passenger Transport (coaches) around the M25 with coach station at Watford Junction Rail Station and other locations. / HCC have produced a Bus and Rail Strategy to complement the LTP.
Resident / Q1 / Yes -
Climate change
Air Travel
Speeding / Noted. These areas will be expanded and in the Quality of Life Section.
Resident / Q1 / Issues – yes – covered, but in such a woolly way! Specific – no. Please put in traffic calming on Duncombe Road, Bengeo. A safe crossing point on North Road (by St Joseph’s school). A safe crossing point at the bottom of Port Hill to get into Hartham common – many people cross to enter Hartham at the little lodge house but it is very dangerous. / The LTP is a strategic document and does not deal with local specific issues. The concerns raised here have been passed to the Area Highway Office for information.
Resident / Q1 / Yes – Roundabout traffic signals have been installed at Gascoyne Way, Stag House Roundabout, Hertford and are planned for Rush Green at the A10 junction with A414. Should this now include Sovereign House roundabout at the other Hertford access to Gascoyne Way, as the lights at Stag House cause tailbacks to that roundabout now. / This is a local traffic management issue and will be referred to the local Area Highway Office for information.
Resident / Q1 / Yes – I know there have been home zone initiatives – but why not put the pedestrian first – put in more crossings especially in Built Up Areas, and slow the traffic down – not help to speed it up. Put in other measures which I am sure you will know about to help pedestrians and reduce danger to them from speeding vehicles. / HCC agree to insert further wording on the needs of pedestrians.
Resident / Q1 / No / Noted.
Anon / Q1 / Better Sunday Services although fairly good, tring to get out and about without using a car on Sundays, must now be a priority e.g. – 1 an hour on most services is now unacceptable, also the services do not always serve rail stations or shopping centres on Sundays. If you wish more people than 55% to travel – more publicity is needed for the Hertfordshire areas, librarys, shopping centres needs to provide and information. Bus stops with numbers would also help or priority destinations. / HCC have a Bus Strategy which will accompany the LTP which sets out improvements to bus services and facilities. HCC have a bus infrastructure programme which is seeks to upgrade bus stops.
London Borough of Hillingdon / Q1 / Yes
a)Traffic Management Act 2004 and the Network Management Duty it imposes on local authorities.
b)Requirement for an Strategic Environmental Assessment of LTP. / The Traffic Management Act is covered in the congestion section.
The SEA is available and has been produced in conjunction with the LTP.