The advent of the Government's

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1 FOREWORD FROM THE MERSEYSIDE STRATEGIC TRANSPORTATION AND PLANNING COMMITTEE (MSTPC) The advent of the Government's 1998 White Paper on Transport signaed a new era in transport poicy. At the heart of the White Paper was the concept of integration: W e want transport to contribute to our quaity of ife, not detract from it. The way forward is through an integrated transport poicy. By this we mean integration within and between different types of transport - that each contributes its fu potentia and peope can move easiy between them; integration with the environment - so that our transport choices support a better environment; and integration with and use panning - so that transport heps to make a fairer, more incusive society. Foowing pubication of the White Paper, Loca Authorities and Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs) in the UK were asked to prepare Loca Transport Pans setting out a 10 year Transport Strategy and within it a 5 Year Pan for transport investment and improvement. On Merseyside, with the benefit of Objective 1 funding the ast 5 years has seen considerabe investment in transport - in Apri this year the region was awarded Centre of Exceence status by the Government for it's pubic transport improvements. But much sti remains to be done. Over the next seven years, Merseyside is once again cassified as an Objective 1 area and is eigibe for over 800 miion of grant support. In addition Liverpoo Vision provides a focus for the regeneration of Liverpoo City Centre. The growing roe of the ports and airport are aso recognised as is Merseyside's roe within the wider North West region. In this context, the Loca Transport Pan, and in particuar the first five year programme, presents a major opportunity to coordinate transport investment to achieve the regeneration vision for Merseyside and the objectives that we have set for the LTP - to ensure INCLUSIVE, SUSTAINABLE REGENERATION and to provide OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL who ive and work in, or visit Merseyside. This Loca Transport Pan provides fu detais of the programme incuding the roe that the Loca Authorities, Merseytrave and other organisations and interest groups have payed in its deveopment. Most importanty, it highights the roe the pubic of Merseyside has had in shaping the Strategy. This has resuted in a set of targets and performance indicators which wi be used as a measure of success and as a means for on-going pubic participation in the deveopment and impementation of our Loca Transport Pan and our aim of buiding a transport system to riva any in Europe.

2 STATEMENT OF SUPPORT A of the Partners recognise the need to ensure that we meet, through the deivery of INCLUSIVE and SUSTAINABLE REGENERATION, the overarching Vision for Merseyside as : A word cass city region that attracts peope to ive, work, invest and visit. which can boast the foowing key assets: A thriving City Centre; A wide range of empoyment opportunities; Low eves of crime and disorder; High quaity housing and infrastructure; and Heathier, incusive and sefsustaining communities. To this aim the Loca Transport Pan for Merseyside wi deveop a fuy integrated and sustainabe transport network through a baanced package of measures, incuding: A singe integrated pubic transport network which puts the passenger first ; Improved safety and security on the transport network; Measures to improve access to key faciities and empoyment opportunities; Improved pedestrian and cycing opportunities; Better freight routes; and Improved maintenance of our road network, ighting and car parks. The Partners a fuy endorse the LTP and wi, as far as possibe, support the actions required to deiver the programme over the next five years. Increasingy prosperous town and district centres; Improved access for ALL the community across Merseyside;

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION The Government's Transport White Paper A New Dea for Transport: Better for Everyone, set out a new agenda for integrated transport panning. A direct resut of this is the requirement to produce a Loca Transport Pan (LTP) covering a 5 year period (2001/2-2005/6). On Merseyside this task has been undertaken by the five oca authorities (Liverpoo, Knowsey, Sefton, St Heens and Wirra) and Merseytrave (the Passenger Transport Executive and Authority). These partners have deveoped the LTP by undertaking extensive research and studies and a comprehensive pubic participation and consutation programme. The LTP is aso the resut of a series of partnerships with operators and interest groups ed by the Integrated Transport Forum. THE OPPORTUNITY The aim of the LTP is to present an ambitious but affordabe and reaistic programme which wi maximise the benefit of a series of opportunities that are avaiabe to Merseyside over the next 5-10 years. These are: Merseyside's continuing Objective 1 status for European funding to aid regeneration of the region; Other funding opportunities incuding Singe Regeneration Budget (SRB), and Kensington New Dea; Liverpoo Vision - a regeneration company estabished foowing pubication of the Urban Taskforce Report on Urban Renaissance, which aims to regenerate Liverpoo City Centre; Deveopments in Merseyside's Ports incuding a new faciity at Tweve Quays on the Wirra; The continuing expansion of Liverpoo Airport; The Government's Transport Bi which wi pace LTPs on a statutory footing and support improvements for buses and the raiways; Re-franchising of the Merseyrai Eectrics network; and New investment in the oca bus network. The LTP has been deveoped to pay a compementary roe to the wider aims of the Objective 1 programme to regenerate Merseyside. This programme resuts from a series of economic, socia and environmenta probems facing the region. The Objective 1 Singe Programming document has estabished the foowing vision: A word-cass cityregion that attracts peope to ive, work, invest and visit. Emphasising its compementary roe the LTP's vision statement states: The aim of the Pan is to deveop a fuy integrated and sustainabe transport network for Merseyside, which supports economic, socia and environmenta regeneration and ensures good access for a in the community. To meet this aim the LTP has four main objectives: To ensure that transport supports sustainabe economic deveopment and regeneration To moderate the upward trend in car use and secure a shift to more sustainabe forms of transport such as waking, cycing and pubic transport To secure the most efficient and effective use of the existing transport network To enhance the quaity of ife of those who ive, work in, and visit Merseyside

4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE CHALLENGE In Apri 2000 Merseyside was awarded Centre of Exceence status for pubic transport by the Government in recognition of the deveopments and investment in the network over the ast 5 years. However, much remains to be done. Bus passenger journeys have decined and the quaity of the oca rai network is faing despite increased passenger numbers. The partners' research shows a high dependency on pubic transport with over 40% of househods having no access to a car. The partners have produced a Road Traffic Reduction Act report which forecasts increases in traffic of over 30% over the next 10 years. This wi resut from traffic growing from it s current ow base and the traffic that wi be generated by the increased economic activity associated with the Region's regeneration programme. As part of this programme, a series of Strategic Spatia Deveopment Areas (SSDAs) have been identified as the focus for investment and creation of new jobs. These incude the Ports (Liverpoo, Garston, Tweve Quays) and the expansion of freight traffic through the Region. In tota a further 56,500 new jobs are forecast to be created as a resut of the regeneration programme. THE TRANSPORT STRATEGY In order to address the chaenges outined above, the partners have reviewed a range of top-eve Transport Strategy aternatives focusing on Environment; (unconstrained) Deveopment; or a baanced approach to Regeneration. Foowing appication of the Government's key appraisa criteria (Economy, Environment, Safety, Accessibiity & Integration) the partners seected a Transport Strategy to promote Sustainabe, Incusive Regeneration that woud offer Opportunities for A. This was judged to best meet the objectives of the LTP and the wider Strategic Vision for Merseyside. PROGRESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP The partners have deveoped the LTP with the invovement of a wide range of stakehoders and interest groups incuding operators, the Poice, Highways Agency, Chamber of Commerce, Environment groups, the Women's Forum, Advisory and Access Panes, representatives of the 38 Objective 1 Pathways areas and other community groups on Merseyside. In addition, an extensive pubic consutation and participation programme has aso been used to identify the key issues and themes to be incorporated within the LTP. The programme has incuded the distribution of newsetters and questionnaires, a series of exhibitions and presentations, and a web-site for information. Focus groups and on-street surveys were aso used. In addition, the proposas for Liverpoo City Centre were aso the subject of a separate questionnaire survey and exhibition. STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT The overa strategy deveoped by the partners proposes a package of measures to aid regeneration and contro the anticipated growth in traffic. This wi be achieved through the foowing measures: provide a singe integrated high quaity pubic transport network provide a demand management strategy to contro traffic fows by monitoring and increasing the efficiency of the existing road networks provide a network of strategic signing and other measures to support efficient freight movements provide a programme of management and promotiona initiatives to promote the use of more efficient forms of transport and reduce the need to trave A road user hierarchy has been defined for freight and genera traffic which serves the main centres, ports and SSDAs; and for pubic transport which serves the City, Town and District Centres and improves inkages between the Pathway areas and SSDAs. The LTP Strategy consists of: COUNTY-WIDE MEASURES; CENTRE AND CORRIDOR PROPOSALS; AND MAJOR SCHEMES. THE 10 YEAR STRATEGY A ong term 10 year transport strategy has been deveoped to provide a transport system to equa the best in Europe. The strategy incudes: impementation of the Centre of Exceence programme. a fuy integrated pubic transport system incuding a network-wide series of improvements to the Merseyrai network foowing refranchising incuding new trains, station enhancements and new service and punctuaity standards. Extensions of the network in Woodchurch, St Heens and Kirkby with new and refurbished stations wi be proposed together with improvements to the service on the City Lines at Lime St to Aerton. A 3 ine LRT network to compement the existing heavy rai network. An extensive network of high quaity bus services to SMART standards incuding good quaity infrastructure, trained staff, rea time information, operating with high eves of segregation to meet agreed reiabiity and punctuaity targets. Countywide interchange faciities. An airport access strategy maximising the use of pubic transport by its empoyees and passengers. A comprehensive improvement to

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Liverpoo City Centre incuding Lime St Gateway and improved inks to the Waterfront. There wi be Cear Zones where appropriate. This work wi be undertaken in cose cooperation with the regeneration company, Liverpoo Vision. Improvements for cycists across Merseyside incuding a comprehensive network of dedicated cyce routes, secure parking in the centres, at rai stations, interchanges and other suitabe ocations. A pedestrian-friendy programme giving more priority to Home Zones in residentia areas and Cear Zones to protect conservation areas or other sensitive ocations. High quaity infrastructure as a resut of a co-ordinated programme of principa road maintenance, bridge strengthening and ighting improvements across Merseyside. This initiative wi aso contribute to road safety targets. An expanding roe for sustainabe freight movements, and designated freight routes to and from the Port of Liverpoo, Garston Docks and the new ro on/ro off faciities in Boote and at Tweve Quays. Improvements to regiona and nationa inks with the new West Coast Main Line rai services to London Euston, improved rai inks to Manchester and an expanding choice of destinations served by Liverpoo Airport. The Mersey Bet Linkages Study wi be a compementary strategy to assist this part of the process. deveop Commuter Trave Pans, Safer Routes to Schoos and Heath Action Zone initiatives. An integrated and use and transport strategy for sustainabe freight distribution; investment in rai and road improvements to further improve access and environmenta conditions; promoting freight transfer from road to rai with new intermoda faciities and a particuar focus on new Port-reated deveopment opportunities. Improved access to the City Centre from the M62 and to the Ports and Airport as part of the NorthWest Regiona transport strategy. The ong term strategy wi ensure that a Merseyside Centres become foca points for new deveopment, better oca services and community and neighbourhood faciities served by an accessibe singe integrated pubic transport network. THE FIVE YEAR PLAN Within the 10 year strategy a package of measures has been identified which forms the 5 year Loca Transport Pan. Key eements described in the pans are: Deveopment of the bus network - 15 new Quaity Bus Corridors Deveopment of the rai network - 25 station upgrades, underground station enhancements Improvements to interchange - 15 new interchanges cyce routes and other measures Improvements to road safety and urban safety management Improvements to the Urban Traffic Contro network Road maintenance proposas Freight proposas buiding on the Merseyside freight study Four major schemes are proposed in the LTP: The first ine of the 3 ine LRT network Aerton Interchange Ha Lane improvements Liverpoo centra station improvements The Loca Transport Pan bid to impement the fu range of proposas is 310 miion for the five year period (2001/ /06). This wi be supported by "matched" funding from other sources estimated to tota 182 miion. In the first year of the LTP, the amount of the bid is 47 miion with "matched" funding of 23 miion. Finay, the LTP incudes a comprehensive section on targets and performance indicators, which wi be progressed together with the Best Vaue performance pans to produce an annua update on progress in deivering the LTP. The partners have deveoped these performance indicators and targets to ink them with a the LTP components. MERSEYSIDE - A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR TRANSPORT PLANNING Expanded and more frequent ferry connections with the Ise of Man, Befast and Dubin. Increased trave awareness and the reduction of crime and the fear of crime through the TraveWise and TraveSafe initiatives. Partners wi Improvements to information use and provision new 'Loca Information Maps' A waking strategy - Merseysidewide improvements A cycing strategy - Comprehensive As part of this LTP submission, the partners have incuded a bid to be awarded Centre of Exceence status for Transport Panning. The bid highights the progress made with the LTP and sets out a programme of promotiona activities designed to disseminate best practice.

6 CONTACTS Panning & Transportation Liverpo City Counci Miennium House Victoria Street Liverpoo L1 6JF Te : Transportation Division Chief Executives Department St Heens Metropoitan Borough Counci Town Ha, Corporation Street St Heens WA10 1HP Te : Strategic Transport Poicy Unit Sefton Metropoitan Borough Counci Baio House, Baio Road Boote L20 3NJ Te : Borough Engineers Wirra Metropoitan Borough Counci Town Ha Annex, Civic Way Bebington CH63 7PT Te : Department of Panning & Deveopment Knowsey Metropoitan Borough Counci PO Box 26 Yorkon Buiding, Archway Road, Huyton L36 9FB Te : Corporate Strategy Department Merseytrave 24 Hatton Garden Liverpoo L3 2AN Te : The foowing information can be provided in aternative formats on request.

7 CONTENTS SECTION 1 : INTRODUCTION 1 - A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN TRANSPORT PLANNING : MERSEYSIDE'S BID SECTION 2 : PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION & OPPORTUNITIES 11 - THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT - NATURE OF THE CHALLENGE - TRAVEL TRENDS ACROSS MERSEYSIDE - FUTURE FORECASTS - THE ROAD TRAFFIC REDUCTION ACT - THE PUBLIC VIEW - OPPORTUNITIES & OBJECTIVES SECTION 3 : STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT 43 - STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - STRATEGY ALTERNATIVES - THE 10 YEAR TRANSPORT STRATEGY FOR MERSEYSIDE - THE 5 YEAR PLAN - LTP OBJECTIVES & GUIDING PRINCIPLES - INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS 73 Liverpoo City Centre Southport St. Heens Od Swan Corridor A - Liverpoo-Boote-Crosby-Formby-Southport Wirra Waterfront Kirkby / Gimoss - TRANSPORT & ACCESSIBILITY THEMES 99 - Integrated Land Use and Transport Panning - Accessibiity for A - Improving Safety - Air Quaity Management and Cimate Changes - Waking - Cycing - Pubic Transport - Taxis and Private Hire Vehices - Demand Management - Urban Traffic Contro (UTC) - Highway Signing - Encouraging Change - TraveWise - Freight - Highway Maintenance - Bridge Maintenance & Strengthening - Lighting - Detrunking - Rura Issues - CROSS BOUNDARY ISSUES SECTION 4 : DELIVERING THE STRATEGY YEAR CAPITAL PROGRAMME SECTION 5 : MEASURING PROGRESS & HITTING KEY TARGETS TARGETS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

8 INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND - GOVERNMENT TRANSPORT POLICY The introduction of five-year Loca Transport Pans (LTPs) was announced by the Government in the White Paper "A New Dea for Transport : Better for Everyone" pubished in Juy The White Paper sets out the need to deveop an integrated transport poicy with a focus on the foowing overarching objectives: To protect and enhance the buit and natura environment. To improve safety for a traveers To contribute to an efficient economy, and to support sustainabe economic growth in appropriate ocations. To promote accessibiity to everyday faciities for a, especiay those without a car, and To promote the integration of a forms of transport and and use panning, eading to a better, more efficient transport system. The Merseyside Loca Transport Pan provides the oca response to these over-arching objectives by setting out the Pan in the context of the wider Merseyside regeneration initiatives which are targetting improvements in a wide range of poicy areas incuding: Environmenta improvements Job creation and training initiatives Socia incusion initiatives Heath Since ast Juy the Merseyside oca authorities - shown in Figure 1.1 (Liverpoo, Knowsey, Sefton, St. Heens and Wirra) and Merseytrave (the pubic transport executive/authority) have been working to produce the fu Merseyside Loca Transport Pan for Merseyside which contains: A 10 year Transport Strategy for Merseyside covering a forms of trave, incuding freight movements; A 5 year Pan for investment in a wide range of measures covering 2001/02 to 2005/06. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MERSEYSIDE There is now a growing focus and impetus on addressing Merseyside's probems and ensuring that regeneration takes pace. Over the next 5-10 years there are a series of opportunities for Merseyside which, if co-ordinated, wi ead to a significant improvement in the economic weath, socia heath and environmenta webeing of the region. The Opportunities Merseyside's continuing Objective 1 status means that over 800 miion is avaiabe to support a wide range of empoyment, training and infrastructure investment projects across the Strategic Spatia Deveopment Areas (SSDA s) and pathways areas between Merseyside has made bids for three major Singe Regeneration Budget (SRB) funded projects for Liverpoo City Centre, Wirra Waterfront and South Sefton. Liverpoo Vision - an urban regeneration company - has been formed foowing the report by the Urban Taskforce "Towards an Urban Renaissance". Liverpoo Vision's roe is to deveop and co-ordinate a major regeneration strategy for Liverpoo City Centre - severa major deveopments are panned incuding proposas for 1 miion sq. ft of new retai and eisure space; the City Centre Living programme - converting unwanted office space into modern residentia apartments; and major investment in the Waterfront. Deveopments in the Ports faciities, incuding new ro-on ro-off faciities at Tweve Quays on the Wirra, which wi serve the growing trade 1

9 INTRODUCTION and passenger inks with Ireand. The extension of the existing termina and construction of a new termina at Liverpoo Airport to accommodate growth to over 2 miion passengers per year with a focus on the rapidy expanding budget trave and charter markets. The Government's Transport Bi - which is soon to become an Act of Pariament, which wi pace Loca Transport Pans on a statutory footing and wi encourage Quaity Partnership Agreements between Loca Authorities, Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs) and Bus operators to ensure improvements to bus networks, and the creation of the Strategic Rai Authority to impose quaity standards on train operating companies. The Merseyrai network is a key asset for Merseyside providing an extensive urban rai system featuring five underground rai stations. Outside London, ony Newcaste and Gasgow have comparabe underground systems. However, the network requires significant investment to improve the quaity of the system and its performance. The opportunity to address these issues occurs eary in 2001 when the current Merseyrai Eectrics franchise is due for renewa. Other franchises incuding the Trans-Pennine services are aso due for eary renewa. Earier this year, MTL, the operator of Merseyrai and the majority of Merseyside's buses, was sod to Arriva one of the argest pubic transport operators in the UK. Aready Arriva are investing in over 100 new buses to repace many of the out-of-date vehices sti seen in Merseyside. Other operators are aso investing in feet repacement. Given these opportunities and the need for action and investment over the next five years, the Loca Transport Pan is presented at two eves: the first, the overview and presentation of the ong-term Transport Strategy, inked to wider poicy themes. The second eve is a set of more detaied proposas and schemes which wi aow an immediate start to the impementation of the LTP programme. MERSEYSIDE'S STRATEGIC VISION A wide set of agencies are responsibe for the way in which Merseyside wi deveop over the next 10 years. These agencies incude the Government Office for the North West (GONW) and the North West Deveopment Agency (NWDA) - which emphasises Merseyside's important regiona functions and connections with the rest of the UK and indeed Europe. Given the ow economic base couped with the socia and environmenta probems faced by Merseyside, the emphasis for the next 10 years is on regeneration that is incusive - providing benefits for a sectors of the community - and sustainabe - ensuring that the actions, projects and programmes can be impemented without harming future generations. The need for regeneration - new deveopments, job creation, training and education - has been the core focus of the Objective 1 Singe Programming Document, which sets the framework for the regeneration programme over the next seven years. A word cass cityregion that attracts peope to ive, work, invest and visit. 2

10 INTRODUCTION The aim of the Pan is to deveop a fuy integrated and sustainabe transport network for Merseyside, which supports economic, socia and environmenta regeneration and ensures good access for a in the community. OBJECTIVE 1 STATUS - EUROPEAN FUNDING SUPPORT In parae to the LTP, the Merseyside region has been cassified again as an Objective 1 area by the European Commission and is, as a resut, eigibe for deveopment funds to aid the regeneration of the Region over the next 7 years. The European funding is targeted forwards the 38 designated Pathway Areas which are particuar areas of socia need within Merseyside aong with a series of new foca points for empoyment initiatives (the Strategic Spatia Deveopment areas (SSDA s)) which have aso been identified. Again, the LTP has been deveoped to ensure that transport provision is of the highest quaity to serve these areas to ensure OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL who ive in, work in or visit Merseyside. MERSEYSIDE'S REGENERATION VISION The Objective 1 Singe Programming Document for Merseyside for has adopted the foowing vision: A word cass cityregion that attracts peope to ive, work, invest and visit. Supporting this vision are the foowing aims: to improve the economy of Merseyside and the weath generation activity of its residents and businesses; to increase the empoyment and the prosperity of the peope of Merseyside; to raise educationa attainment and skis eves; to reduce economic and socia disparities within Merseyside, buid sustainabe neighbourhoods and ensure equaity of opportunity for a Merseyside peope and communities; and to create an environment for growth that wi stimuate economic activity, and which capitaises on the unique natura character and architectura, historic, cutura and sporting heritage of Merseyside to create a premier European city-region. The Objective 1 programme contains a wide range of initiatives to meet these aims and is forecast to create 56,500 additiona jobs over the programme period. MERSEYSIDE S LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN To support the wider Merseyside Vision and its objectives, the Loca Transport Pan has it's own, compementary, Vision Statement and set of objectives. The Loca Transport Pan vision statement: The aim of the Pan is to deveop a fuy integrated and sustainabe transport network for Merseyside, which supports economic, socia and environmenta regeneration and ensures good access for a in the community. 3

11 INTRODUCTION The Loca Transport Pan Objectives To meet the aim of the LTP, four main objectives have been set: 1: To ensure that transport supports sustainabe economic deveopment and regeneration. 2: To moderate the upward trend in car use and secure a shift to more sustainabe forms of transport such as waking, cycing and pubic transport. 3: To secure the most efficient and effective use of the existing transport network. 4: To enhance the quaity of ife of those who ive and work in, and visit Merseyside. PROGRESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP The LTP Strategy presented in this document is the end resut of a comprehensive partnership programme that has invoved a wide range of stakehoders, businesses, interest groups and representatives of the oca community. A series of news sheets, a web-site, exhibitions and questionnaires have been used to encourage contributions to the emerging strategy. Through this process, Merseytrave, the Loca Authorities and key stakehoders have identified a range of key themes that run through a aspects of the strategy: The need to raise and maintain the standards and quaity of the transport network; The need to incorporate safety and security measures for a transport users; Incusiveness and accessibiity for a; and A focus on sustainabe improvements that wi bring ong-term environmenta gains. The Partnership approach has heped frame an LTP that is reevant to the needs of Merseyside. The aim now is to continue the process through to the impementation of measures contained in the strategy and in the monitoring of the performance of the Pan. SUMMARY OF PROGRESS SINCE THE PROVISIONAL LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN The Provisiona LTP (PLTP), submitted to GO-NW/DETR in Juy 1999, forms the basis of the fu LTP presented in this document. The PLTP estabished the need for the strategy to address issues of environment, accessibiity, safety and security, and incusiveness as part of a wider objective of supporting Merseyside's regeneration initiatives. Themes that were introduced at that stage incuded Putting the Passenger First and the need for a singe integrated Pubic Transport Network and Merseyside's continuing focus on major centres and corridors as part of a fuy integrated Transport Network. In deveoping these themes the foowing technica studies have been competed and used to inform the fu LTP Strategy: Interchange Strategy Park & Ride Strategy Freight Strategy Liverpoo City Centre Movement Strategy Mersey Bet Linkages Strategy Road Traffic Reduction Act report Heath Impact Assessment The Centres & Corridors theme has been addressed through the comprehensive appication of a Road User Hierarchy that has been appied across the county. This has defined the most appropriate hierarchy of users - waking, cycing, pubic transport, traffic and freight - for each centre and corridor. To support the Centres & Corridors approach a comprehensive review of pubic transport options has aso been undertaken. This covered bus priorities, SMART, Intermediate modes (guided bus, troeybus), Light Rai Transit (LRT) and heavy rai options within each centre and corridor. Compementary 4

12 INTRODUCTION demand management, waking, cycing and parking measures have aso been reviewed to deveop integrated packages of measures which in combination form the Strategy presented in the Loca Transport Pan. These are presented in three categories - County-wide Measures, Centre & Corridor-specific proposas and Major Schemes (> 5 miion) that, in combination, are required to meet the objectives set for the LTP. MAJOR SCHEMES In the PLTP four major schemes were advocated: Merseyside Rapid Transit Aerton Interchange Ha Lane Area Improvements Birkenhead Town Centre Link Each of these schemes has been the subject of further comprehensive review and now have the foowing status within the Fu Loca Transport Pan: Merseyside Rapid Transit - the county-wide review of centres & corridors and the comprehensive review of pubic transport options has concuded that rapid transit is required, as part of the Singe Integrated Pubic Transport Network to provide high quaity, sustainabe pubic transport in the major non-rai corridors in Eastern Liverpoo. Therefore, a rapid transit system is retained in the fu LTP. A three-ine network is proposed, radiating from the city centre to serve pathways communities and ink with Objective 1 SSDAs. In Liverpoo City Centre, itsef a significant SSDA, the rapid transit system wi be integrated with other eements of the Movement Strategy (rai, bus, ferry interchange, pedestrian priority areas) and provide key inks between Lime Street Gateway, the city centre core, incuding major new retai deveopment proposas and the Waterfront. The seected technoogy for the rapid transit network is Light Rai Transit (LRT), and repaces the previous troeybus option, as it is a proven technoogy in commercia service; is avaiabe from a wide range of manufacturers; provides environmenta benefits as it is eectricay-powered; is proven to be of a quaity to attract car users; can be used as part of a wider package to aid regeneration particuary within the SSDAs; and wi improve journey times and accessibiity as part of the wider Singe Integrated Pubic Transport Network. Aerton Interchange - the proposa for this major muti-moda interchange in South Liverpoo has been reassessed and is considered to sti meet the objectives of the LTP, particuary in supporting regiona connections to Merseyside and aiding access to the Speke - Garston area, incuding Liverpoo Airport. Ha Lane Area Improvement - This is a major scheme providing a new ink to bypass Ha Lane in Liverpoo, which now forms a part of the wider Liverpoo Vision Strategy and the City Centre Movement Strategy. This is one of the main 'gateways' to Liverpoo City Centre and is on the strategic freight route from the M62 via Edge Lane. The scheme wi hep improve the Kensington New Dea area, makes specific provision for pedestrians and cycists, and wi yied environmenta benefits and opportunities for bus priority on parae roads. It aso brings deveopment opportunities at the nearby Liverpoo University and Roya Hospita. Birkenhead Town Centre Link - foowing a review of the scheme a smaer-scae set of traffic management measures has been deveoped as part of an integrated package for Birkenhead Town Centre. Consequenty, the scheme as previousy defined, is no onger to be pursued as a Major Scheme within the Fu LTP. PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDED PROJECTS The PLTP isted three private sector funded projects: The re-use of the Wateroo Tunne on a "commercia" route inking the M62 to Liverpoo North Docks area; The Liverpoo Eectric Tram System Project; and The Centra Raiway project. The PLTP stated "a are at eary stages of deveopment and woud need to go through a number of statutory requirements before they coud proceed. The Partners are of the view that these projects are worthy of more detaied assessment to demonstrate their compiance with the LTP Strategy and objectives. This woud require a robust business pan and environmenta statement to be prepared". The current status of each project is as foows: Wateroo Tunne - The project woud provide a ink between the M62 and Liverpoo North Docks. Detaied studies have been undertaken on the Wateroo Link covering engineering, environment, regeneration and traffic issues. The findings of the Feasibiity Study have confirmed that the construction of a ink woud be technicay feasibe and woud have regeneration benefits for the city and greater Merseyside. However, it is evident from the studies that without substantia constraints on the surface network that the commercia and freight traffic ony option woud generate insufficient to revenue to fund the tota project. A substantia amount of pubic sector funding woud be required. During the course of the study, a modified proposition was put forward by the private sector promoter. This woud consist of: Use of the toed tunne by a traffic; A ink from the M62 to the city centre; Extensive demand management measures on 5

13 INTRODUCTION routes parae to the M62 - Wateroo Tunne route; A partnership between the private sector and the pubic sector to enabe financing of the project (i.e. the project woud need to be adopted as a Major Scheme within the LTP). Athough the technica deveopment work on the project has been considerabe, it is considered premature to incude the project within the LTP, as it has not been estabished that the project, in its revised form, fits with the objectives of the City Centre Movement Strategy and the Freight Strategy. Consequenty, the Wateroo Tunne project is not incuded in the 5 Year Loca Transport Pan. This does not precude further deveopment work on the project as part of a transportation and and use soution to the eastern approaches, with the proviso that it must demonstrate that it meets with the objectives of the LTP Strategy. The Liverpoo Eectric Tram System (LETS) project proposed a four-ine ight rai network with ines from Liverpoo City Centre to Speke; Croxteth; and Woodchurch (Wirra) and an orbita route on Queen's Drive. The 48km system woud be introduced through outine and fu panning permission, within the 5 Year LTP period. The promoters propose that the scheme is whoy private funded, athough they woud seek pubic funds to aid their investment programme. LETS submitted documents outining their proposas in March Foowing a review, considerabe correspondence with LETS has taken pace to estabish further detais of their proposas incuding capita & operating costs, demand and revenue assumptions and journey time (run-time) forecasts, a of which woud form inputs to the business pan for the project. These detais have not been provided by LETS. Consequenty, the Partners have been unabe to reach a concusion on the robustness of the business case for LETS. In addition, the Partners have concerns regarding the proposed means of securing powers to buid the system, the timescae for its construction and whether the programme is achievabe. Aso, insufficient detai has been suppied by LETS to expain how the scheme woud be whoy private sector funded without any pubic sector inputs. On this basis, the LETS project is not incuded in the Fu Loca Transport Pan. This does not precude the promoter from undertaking further deveopment work if they wish to promote the scheme as a onger-term option with the proviso that it must demonstrate that it meets the objectives of the LTP strategy. However, it shoud be noted that LRT, but not the specific LETS tram technoogy, is to be promoted by the Partners as an integra part of the LTP. Subject to progress with the Partners' LRT project, tender documents woud be issued seeking competitive bids for the design, construction and operation of the first ine of the LRT system during the 5 year LTP period. The Centra Raiways Project proposa for a Lie to Liverpoo freight scheme is a whoy privatey financed funded and promoted project, which was briefy previewed in the Provisiona Loca Transport Pan. The scheme woud have to be subject to detaied consutation and its progression is dependent upon suitabe powers being sought and gained via a Transport & Works Act Order. Because of the compexity of the scheme as panned, it is ikey to be regarded as a scheme of Nationa Significance by the Secretary of State and thus subject to detaied consideration by Pariament. In view of this, the Centra Raiways proposa, if it progresses, is ikey to come forward beyond year 5 of the Loca Transport Pan. OTHER PLTP ISSUES The Partners have taken carefu note of the settement etter issued by GONW in December 1999, and in particuar, the comments regarding road space reaocation. Exampes of INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS are presented in the LTP to highight the approach to providing comprehensive designs that incorporate demand management measures. 6

14 INTRODUCTION STRUCTURE OF THE LTP DOCUMENT The LTP is presented in five sections: SECTION 1: Introduction SECTION 2: Probem Identification and Opportunities SECTION 3: Strategy Deveopment SECTION 4: Deivering the Strategy SECTION 5: Measuring Progress & Hitting Key Targets SECTION 2 addresses the probems facing Merseyside incuding the wider regeneration agenda and the reative decine in pubic transport usage, and increasing traffic eves and freight movements in the Merseyside region. The section highights the need for action and investment, within the next five years in particuar, and identifies the compementary poicy initiatives that are being addressed concurrenty: The Regiona Panning Guidance and Regiona Transport Strategy The Merseyside European - funding Objective 1 programme The Liverpoo Vision initiative in Liverpoo City Centre, and other singe regeneration Bid (SRB) areas; and The updating and repacement of the Unitary Deveopment Pans for the five Merseyside districts (Liverpoo, Knowsey, Sefton, St. Heens and Wirra). The section sets out the Vision for Merseyside over the next 10 years and estabishes a compementary and supporting transport-reated Vision for the Loca Transport Pan. Four main objectives (reated to the Government's own over-arching objectives) are then presented, through which it is intended that the LTP vision wi be deivered. SECTION 3 provides the background to the deveopment of the Pan incuding detais of how the various aternatives have been anaysed. Aternative strategies are then presented, concuding that the LTP must support INCLUSIVE, SUSTAINABLE REGENERATION if it is to succeed. Having estabished the basis of the strategy, the section continues by outining a series of key themes; an overview of the 10 Year Transport Strategy and the immediate 5 Year Pan which the Partners agree is deiverabe. The section incudes exampes of INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS that are proposed as key parts of the Pan. The section concudes with detais of the components of the Pan incuding a range of county-wide measures, specific proposas for Merseyside's centres and major corridors of movement and a ist of major schemes (each costing over 5 miion) that are considered essentia to fuy meet the objectives of the LTP. SECTION 4 presents the Impementation Programme for the 5 year LTP period (2001/ /06) incuding detais of the funding requirements. The section aso incudes detais of how the Pan wi be deivered with the arrangements for each component, and with a particuar emphasis on the first year of the Pan. SECTION 5 covers the Targets that have been set for the Pan and the headine performance indicators that wi be used to measure the progress of the Pan and the monitoring of its performance. 7

15 INTRODUCTION A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN TRANSPORT PLANNING: Merseyside s Bid INTRODUCTION The Merseyside Loca Transport Pan Partners (Merseytrave, Liverpoo, Knowsey, Sefton, St. Heens and Wirra) wish Merseyside to be considered for designation as a Centre of Exceence in Transport Panning. THE FULLY INTEGRATED APPROACH The Merseyside LTP, the onger term 10 Year Transport Strategy and the wider Merseyside Vision represent an exampe of a fuy integrated approach to transport panning which: Fuy meets the Government's over-arching objectives for integrated transport poicy Sets the objectives in the context of specific issues that effect Merseyside Is fuy integrated with wider poicy initiatives: -The Objective 1 regeneration programme -The Liverpoo Vision -The SRB projects across Merseyside -The updating of the five Unitary Deveopment Pans for each authority -The North West Regiona Strategy Incudes innovative measures such as the deveopment of Heath Impact Assessments, Heath Action Zones and the Deveopment of Cear Zones. THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION The LTP has been produced with the fu invovement and support of a wide cross section of stakehoders and interest groups. Its deveopment has aso invoved an extensive pubic participation exercise invoving community groups, questionnaires, focus groups, seminars, exhibitions and a web site to ensure that the LTP is deveoped for the peope of Merseyside by the peope of Merseyside. Highights of this incusive approach are the Integrated Transport Forum which has heped steer the deveopment of the LTP; the Merseyside Strategic Transportation and Panning Committee; Merseyside's designation, in Apri 2000, as a Centre of Exceence for Pubic Transport; and Merseyside's countywide Bus Quaity Partnership Agreement which was signed in Juy 2000, three months ahead of programme. PARTNERSHIPS The Bus Quaity Partnership Agreement is the first step towards a wider singe, integrated Pubic Transport Quaity Partnership Agreement that wi cover a pubic transport modes and traffic management agencies and car park operators. At a detaied eve, as part of Merseyside's Bus Strategy, corridoreve agreements wi aso be deveoped to cover: Bus reiabiity and punctuaity targets for commercia operators - inked to egay binding corridor - eve proposas Bus age, quaity, ceaniness, driver standards Corridor-based information & timetabes (as part of "Merseyside Connects" countywide information strategy) Links with the Merseyside Interchange Strategy Links with City, Town and District centres programmes Links with Objective 1 Strategic Spatia Deveopment Area (SSDA)/Pathway programmes AN INTEGRATED LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN The Partners have deveoped a Loca Transport Pan that meets the needs of the Merseyside region and which focuses on the major centres and corridors, and in particuar incudes proposas to aid the regeneration of Liverpoo City Centre, the Ports and Airport and the EU Objective 1 Strategic Spatia Deveopment areas. This comprehensive approach with strong inks to wider and use, regeneration, heath and socia incusion poicies wi ensure that Merseyside's LTP is fuy integrated and provides OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL. TARGETS AND MONITORING To ensure its success the LTP contains a series of targets and performance indicators for each component of the Pan. These wi form the basis of the Merseyside LTP Annua Monitor, which wi be pubished to highight progress with the impementation of the Pan. PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES The Partners' approach to providing fuy integrated transport functions is through the "INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS" contained in the LTP aong with the "MERSEYSIDE CONNECTIONS" Muti-moda Information Strategy. These eements wi be highighted by the Partners as exampes of Best Practice, and wi form the basis of their promotiona activities as part of the Centre of Exceence initiative with a series of information packs, workshops and a web-site to disseminate information to other practitioners in the UK, the rest of Europe and esewhere to demonstrate how transport provision assists in the creation of a Word-cass City Region. 8

16 THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT It is important that the LTP Strategy takes account of a the reevant Strategic Guidance to enabe it to be consistent with Regiona, Nationa and European Poicy EUROPEAN AND NATIONAL ISSUES The wider poicy context for the new Loca Transport Pan for Merseyside is set by the foowing key European and UK Strategies incuding: European Spatia Deveopment Perspective. The Citizens' Network - the European Commission's 'bue print' for better pubic transport. EU Urban Poicy Paper. A Better Quaity of Life - The UK Sustainabe Deveopment Strategy. Towards an Urban Renaissance - report of the Urban Task Force. A New Dea for Transport: Better for Everyone The UK Government's White Paper on the Future of Transport accompanied by its various daughter documents. Saving Lives: Our Heathier Nation : The UK Government's White Paper on Heath. Disabiity Discrimination Act. Nationa Air Quaity Strategy. Road Traffic Reduction Act Transport Bi. The Government's 10 Year Pan for Transport. The Environment Act The Roya Commission on Environmenta Poution Raitrack's Network Management Statement. New Dea for Trunk Roads in Engand. The Port of Liverpoo is the gateway of a Trans European Network (TEN) to Ireand and beyond to North America. This is a key economic engine for the region and strategic transport inks are vita to the continuing economic regeneration of the Mersey Region. TRANSPORT BILL As we as the Transport White Paper 'A New Dea for Transport: Better for Everyone' pubished in 1998, the Merseyside Loca Transport Pan wi be strongy infuenced by the new Transport Bi which is currenty before Pariament. This covers new egisation for Loca Transport, Road User Charging and Work Pace parking charges, Raiways and Nationa Air Traffic Contro. The Bi when enacted wi provide wider powers for oca authorities, wi inter aia, make LTPs statutory documents and encourage Bus Quaity Partnership agreements. THE GOVERNMENT'S TEN YEAR PLAN FOR TRANSPORT The Merseyside Loca Transport Pan is compementary to the Government's 10 Year Transport Pan setting out a onger term nationa programme for transport to the year The Pan is intended to offer a more stabe cimate for investment in transport for the pubic and private sectors. The Pan features the foowing eements: Targets Technoogy European Benchmarking Pubic and Private Partnership REGIONAL ISSUES Key regiona poicies incude: Regiona Panning Guidance The Merseyside oca authorities and Merseytrave are working with the North West Regiona Assemby and other regiona partners, to deveop a revised Regiona Panning Guidance (RPG) for the North West, which incorporates a Regiona Transport Strategy. It is expected that a draft RPG wi be issued for pubic consutation in ate Summer 2000, after the Merseyside LTP has been submitted for approva. The Merseyside LTP is, however, consistent with both the existing RPG13 and emerging RPG. The emerging RPG aims to promote sustainabiity in future patterns of regiona deveopment, growth and change. This is taken forward through six key themes, which underpin a RPG poicies: Prudent management of the region's environmenta and cutura assets; Achieving greater economic competitiveness and growth, with associated socia progress; Securing an urban renaissance in the cities and towns of the North West; Sustaining the region's rura, periphera and coasta communities; Physica regeneration and environmenta improvement, and; Creating an accessibe region. To incorporate a Regiona Transport Strategy, RPG wi set out poicies for transport, priority schemes and regiona car parking standards. The emerging RPG is ikey to incude the foowing schemes as regiona priorities: West Coast Mainine Upgrade Improvements to Trans-Pennine rai routes Deveopment of a network of major passenger interchanges 13

17 THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT High and sustainabe eves of growth Deveopment of a network of inter-moda freight interchanges Deveopment of the Merseyside strategic Pressing for improved West Coast Mainine passenger services. and empoyment. Socia progress which meets the needs of everyone. bus network Deveopment of the Merseyside LRT network Urging nationa improvements in rai freight capacity. Effective protection of the environment. Prudent use of natura resources. Access improvements to Liverpoo and Manchester Airports Access improvements to the Port of Liverpoo Regionay significant proposas arising from the Mersey Bet Linkages Study The Regiona Strategy The Merseyside LTP has aso taken into account the North West Regiona Deveopment Agency's Regiona Strategy. This sets out a vision for the North West, to create a region which: Supporting investment proposas for "piggyback" rai freight and the Centra Raiway proposa. Investigating a new regiona intermoda freight faciity at the Parkside coiery site. Encouraging the deveopment of oca passenger rai services. Pursuing Integrated Pubic Transport Soutions. AFS incudes an Action Pan, which sets out headine objectives under the headings of the four principes mentioned above. These objectives incude: To reduce the need to trave and improve choice and use of sustainabe transport modes. To increase the eve of investment in and use of rai and water freight transport. To protect, or where necessary, improve oca air quaity. Attracts and retains the skied and taented. Brings everyone into the mainstream of community ife. Nurtures its environment, heritage and cuture. Kindes creativity, innovation and competitiveness. Transforms its image. Strengthens its infrastructure. And is naturay on the short ist for new investment Merseyside s North West regiona context is shown in Figure 2.1 A centra theme of the Regiona Strategy is to promote urban renaissance in the region, and the Mersey Bet, inking Merseyside and Greater Manchester, is a Priority Regeneration Area. Liverpoo City Centre (aongside East Manchester) is considered a Regiona Regeneration Chaenge, on the basis of the probems it faces, its potentia for reshaping the future of Merseyside subregion and its contribution to the weath of the North West. The Regiona Strategy aso sets out aims for strengthening communications. Proposas incude: Supporting Airport Expansion. Encouraging Port expansion by recognising the pivota roe of the Port of Liverpoo and pressing for recognition of the need for further growth in UK, Irish and EU poicies. Pressing for action to improve access to the Mersey Crossing at Runcorn and Liverpoo Docks and City Centre from the M62 (incuding any necessary capacity improvements to Junction 6). ACTION FOR SUSTAINABILITY The North West Regiona Assemby and the Government Office for the North West, together with other regiona stakehoders and partners, are deveoping a Regiona Sustainabe Deveopment Framework for the Region. Action For Sustainabiity, (AFS) aims to enhance the decisions and choices made in the North West to pace sustainabe deveopment at the heart of the Region's future. It is based on the four principes of the UK Strategy for Sustainabe Deveopment, with the key areas where rea improvements can be made being: To improve access to basic goods, services and amenities. The Merseyside Loca Transport Pan aims to support the achievement of these headine objectives, and has integrated sustainabiity throughout the strategy, objectives and strategy appraisa. MERSEYSIDE POLICY FRAMEWORK The key Merseyside strategies impacting on the Merseyside LTP incude: Merseyside Objective One Programme The Objective One Partnership has the objective of Merseyside being A Word- Cass City-Region that attracts peope to ive, work, invest and visit. To achieve this objective the aims for the Programme are: 1. To improve the economy of Merseyside and the weath generation activity of its residents and businesses through the creation of a competitive knowedge driven economy focused on growth, higher 14

18 THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT skis, entrepreneurship and word cass management skis. 2. To increase empoyment and the prosperity of the peope of Merseyside to a eve coser to the rest of the North West. 3. To raise education attainment and skis eves through the creation of an active, effective and incusive ifeong earning community. 4. To create an environment for growth that wi stimuate economic activity, and which capitaises on the unique character and architectura, historic, cutura and sporting heritage of Merseyside to create a premier European city-region. 5. To reduce economic and socia disparities within Merseyside, buid sustainabe neighbourhoods and ensure equaity of opportunity for a Merseyside peope and communities. THE STRATEGIC PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR GREATER MERSEYSIDE The Merseyside oca authorities, together with Haton Borough Counci, have deveoped an interim Strategic Panning Framework for the conurbation. The principa purpose of this non- statutory document was to input a positive statement to the process of reviewing RPG, but the Framework aso aimed to set out a and use panning context for the LTP. It compements other work by the oca authorities to integrate the LTP with Unitary Deveopment Pans at a oca eve. The Framework states: The focus of strategic panning in Greater Merseyside wi be on the sustainabe regeneration of the urban area, by encompassing the range of socia, economic and physica measures required to create sustainabe patterns of deveopment and trave. The framework promotes: A high quaity, integrated, safe and sustainabe transport system to provide better access to Merseyside and within it; The most effective possibe contribution from transport to economic, socia and environmenta regeneration. Sustainabe urban form, incuding compact, mixed use neighbourhoods, to ensure easy access by waking, cycing and pubic transport to jobs and faciities and to reduce the need to trave. Improvement in pubic transport inks across the conurbation particuary on key bus and rai corridors. Improvements to oca wakways and cyceways. The Transport priorities of the Merseyside and Haton LTPs, and the Regiona Strategy. OTHER KEY LOCAL POLICIES Other key oca poicies, which wi have an infuence on impementation of the Loca Transport Pan, incude: The Unitary Deveopment Pans (and use pans for each of the five Merseyside district authorities). Liverpoo Vision. Liverpoo First. Loca Agenda 21 strategies. Merseyside Heath Action Zone. Education Action Zones. Air Quaity Management Pans. Crime Reduction Pans. Heath Improvement Programmes. Disabiity Discrimination Act impementation. Singe Regeneration Budget Programmes and other oca regeneration strategies, particuary the New Dea for Communities programme in Kensington. Empoyment Services. 15

19 THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT LIVERPOOL VISION A key eement in the urban renaissance PIER HEAD of Merseyside is the regeneration of Liverpoo City Centre. Foowing the pubication of the Government's Urban Task Force Report in 1999 entited 'Towards an Urban Renaissance'; Liverpoo was chosen as a pioneer city for an Urban Regeneration Company (URC), Liverpoo Vision. The Regeneration Company has been tasked with boosting weath, investment and sustainabe job creation in the City centre. A of this wi ead to new and greater demands for trave, which must be managed as we as catered for. Liverpoo Vision has produced a Strategy Framework for the regeneration of Liverpoo City Centre which wi provide the framework for regeneration over the next eight years. Up to 1.4 biion of improvements have been proposed eading up to the 800th anniversary of the city's charter in 2007, and Liverpoo's bid for European Capita of Cuture status in Liverpoo Vision have identified the foowing Strategic Objectives as a focus for City Centre regeneration over the next eight years: Transform the Pier Head into a word-cass urban environment that reinforces its function as a key City Centre Gateway and visitor destination. Create a word-cass business exchange providing the appropriate space and environment for new and existing businesses to fourish. Estabish critica inkages within the historic core by creating a mixed-use urban environment and quaity pubic ream. Reinforce the Cutura Quarter as a cutura destination and Lime Street as a quaity Gateway to the city. Deiver a step-change in the Liverpoo retai offer by extending the main retai area of the City Centre. Deveop the King's Dock into a word-cass eisure and famiy entertainment faciity. Encourage the Hope Street Charter as a key cutura resource for the city and the region. Raise the internationa profie of Liverpoo by maximising its cutura strength and assets. Impement a baanced movement strategy that deivers an approachabe and accessibe City Centre for a. Deiver a unique high-quaity pubic ream that unifies the City Centre. Ensure that a sectors of the community are engaged and invoved throughout the impementation of the Strategic Framework. Reinforce City Centre communities by making the most of current and future City Centre opportunities so that socia disparities between communities are eradicated. Deveop and attract competitive businesses, buiding on existing City Centre key sectors and custers, whist deveoping and responding to new opportunities particuary the knowedge-based economy. LIVERPOOL FIRST Liverpoo First has been deveoped by the Liverpoo Partnership Forum as a comprehensive 10-year programme of integrated action covering the whoe of the City. Liverpoo First is a comprehensive management strategy designed to guide the regeneration of the City of Liverpoo. Liverpoo First seeks to deiver a ong term and sustainabe regeneration of the City of Liverpoo through: Impementing a ong term strategy. Extending regeneration work into main programmes and budgets. Providing a strategic framework for estabishing the goas and priorities of a the organisations that work in the City. 16

20 NATURE OF THE CHALLENGE The transport network pays an important roe in satisfying economic and socia needs, by giving peope access to services, goods, activities and opportunities. Within Merseyside it has a particuar roe to pay in addressing the economic, socia and environmenta regeneration of the area. But it aso creates and contributes to other issues such as: Road safety Poution Congestion Heath Socia incusion This section outines the key issues that must be addressed in deveoping the LTP Strategy. THE ECONOMIC CONTEXT Over the past twenty years the economy of Merseyside has undergone a period of decine and change, posing substantia chaenges to business, the pubic sector and oca communities. Merseyside is the poorest urban area in the UK with ow economic activity rates, beow average business surviva rates, very high eves of unempoyment and ong term unempoyment, ow domestic incomes and educationa and ski eves we beow those of the NW region. Party due to the ack of empoyment opportunities, Merseyside's resident popuation has continued to decine. Structura decine in high empoyment industries over many years has contributed to this picture of Merseyside, which has encouraged a persistent negative image of the area in the UK. Figures iustrate Merseyside s popuation distribution, unempoyment eves, and eves of socia deprivation. The Merseyside Economic Assessment (Cambridge Econometrics, May 1999) suggests that the Objective 1 Programme significanty sowed the continuing reative decine between Merseyside and the UK average, but that the differentia was not cosed. It is the overriding objective of the next Objective One Programme to reverse the decine. There are strengths in the Merseyside economy upon which a substantia recovery can be based. The area has a resident popuation of 1.42m, and a popuation of 1.93m within a 30-minute catchment of Liverpoo City Centre. Merseyside is the home to a number of word cass companies, to three major Higher Education Institutions, and to companies in key growth sectors, incuding automotive, food manufacturing, construction, pharmaceutica and environmenta technoogy. Tourism represents 2.5% of GDP and has the potentia to doube visitor spend and jobs created; the creative and cutura sectors (argey based in Liverpoo City Centre) aso have strong growth potentia. Merseyside has been granted Objective 1 status by the EU for a second period, and over 800m has been aocated to support the Programme. The eigibiity for redesignation of Objective 1 status for Merseyside was determined by the 1996 GDP figures, which indicated that the Merseyside GDP per head was 73.1% of the EU average. (Beow 75% is the eigibiity criteria for Objective 1 status). OBJECTIVE ONE FUNDING: - The new Singe Programming Document (SPD) The new Singe Programming Document focuses regeneration effort on a series of Strategic Spatia Deveopment Areas (SSDA's) ocated across Merseyside. These SSDA's wi be the focus of major empoyment, deveopment and infrastructure investment over the next 6-7 years. These contain drivers for growth such as the Port of Liverpoo, now the principa port in the North West region. Liverpoo Airport, aso in a SSDA, has undergone a significant reviva in recent years, and is the fastest growing regiona airport in the UK. Consequenty the priorities for transport in this Loca Transport Pan wi need to compement and reinforce regeneration priorities as set out in the SPD. The Objective 1 Programme wi aocate funding to four Priorities: Deveoping Business; Deveoping Peope; Deveoping Locations; and Deveoping Pathways areas. The Programme aso has three cross cutting themes Information & Communication Technoogy (ICT); Environmenta sustainabiity; and Equa opportunities. Measures to support transport investment are focused on improving access to these areas from Pathways areas, and to improving oca transport within Pathways areas. In the Objective One Programme, 38 Community Economic Deveopment areas were estabished, as a focus for neighbourhood renewa and investment to address socia excusion. Each area was represented by a Community based Pathways partnership. The Pathways areas wi remain a priority of the Objective One Programme. Consequenty the priorities of the LTP have been deveoped to fuy compement the Objective 1 Programme. The SSDA's and Pathway areas are 19

21 NATURE OF THE CHALLENGE shown in Figure 2.5. A key priority of the Merseyside LTP is to support sustainabe growth of the Merseyside economy. This wi be achieved by deveoping a fuy integrated and incusive strategy that promotes sustainabe access to key ocations such as the City Centre and Liverpoo Airport, and to other gateways and strategic deveopment areas. The LTP wi support wider regeneration strategies and wi ensure strong inks between economic deveopment, socia and environmenta regeneration, education, heath and transport proposas. By matching LTP funding with Objective 1 funding there is a rea opportunity to assist the regeneration of the area. THE SOCIAL CONTEXT Economic decine has ed to high eves of socia excusion in Merseyside, with unempoyment running at 10.5%, amost doube the UK average of 5.4%. The ong term unempoyment rate is 40.1% ocay compared to 33.5% for the UK, and income support caimants represent 14.8% of the Merseyside popuation, compared to 8.8% of the UK popuation as a whoe. Aso, 41% of househods do not have access to a car. The growth in car use and the creation of a car-orientated society has contributed to: The decine of pubic transport services, reducing accessibiity to services and opportunities for the non-car owners. Less daiy exercise contributing to decreasing eves of heath in genera and increasing eves of coronary heart disease in particuar. The design of street environment and pubic transport infrastructure not taking account of those with mobiity difficuties. Community severance created either by new roads or increased voumes of traffic. These issues are particuary reevant for the 41% of househods in Merseyside who do not have access to a car, and who are increasingy finding themseves disadvantaged to terms of access to goods, services and opportunities. The Merseyside Economic Assessment, stated that not ony is it essentia that there shoud be an increase of empoyment in sectors which had the prospect of future growth, but aso that there shoud be a major take-up of these jobs by the oca popuation. It is cear therefore that regeneration of the economy and accessibiity for the oca popuation have a common purpose with respect to socia incusion. REGENERATION During the ifetime of this LTP, the overarching priority for the Merseyside partners is the socia and economic regeneration of the area. In order that a members of the community can have the opportunity to benefit from this strategy, it is vita that those without access to a car or other forms of private transport are not disadvantaged. SOCIAL INCLUSION The deveopment of faciities which are easiy accessibe ony by car, and the cosure of oca faciities. An increase in the vunerabiity of pedestrians and cycists as they become ess obvious, thereby discouraging these sustainabe modes of transport. For many peope, this wi mean increasing the opportunity to trave. For those in the ower income range, 'reducing the need to trave', is not a viabe option. Trends in decentraisation have affected key and uses such as heath, education, eisure and retai faciities in Merseyside. The most deprived oca neighbourhoods can subsequenty ack basic services as we 20

22 NATURE OF THE CHALLENGE as opportunities for empoyment, and a number of housing areas have been characterised as 'food deserts' due to the ack of avaiabiity of fresh food. Changes in empoyment patterns incude more fexibe hours and shorter shifts, which combined with decentraisation, have aso undermined the viabiity of estabished pubic transport services from poorer areas. Pubic transport has a significant roe to pay in addressing socia incusion. There has been a period where panning and and use deveopment has been based upon car orientated poicies so that those without access to a car have become increasingy disadvantaged. Many of these probems are particuary acute for women who aready make up 65% of a pubic transport users, and where demands on chidcare and easy access onto buses and trains is important, or where fear for persona security, especiay in hours of darkness is a major concern. For many with physica or other disabiities, these issues wi be compounded by difficuties accessing faciities where the surrounding pedestrian environment is often of very poor quaity. Unempoyment, particuary amongst young peope, is a major concern and priority. Often, many wi have very imited trave horizons, preferring to stay cose to their immediate neighbourhood. Such reuctance to trave can reduce the chance of gaining empoyment or training opportunities. Most wi be dependent on pubic transport and often the causes of this reuctance to trave wi be due to excessive trave time or cost or ack of direct services, or insufficient information. Pubic transport therefore has a significant roe to pay in addressing socia incusion, and must provide improved access to major empoyment and service ocations. Waking and cycing are ow cost and heathy forms of transport, but can, perversey, be east attractive to residents of areas where there has been under investment in traffic management or community safety faciities. It has been recognised that taxis are more widey used by those without access to a car, even those on ow incomes, and it is vita that the LTP deveops a strategy to integrate a modes of transport in support of socia regeneration. HEALTH IMPACTS In recognition that significant heath inequaities continue to exist amongst communities across Merseyside, the Government has designated the area as a Heath Action Zone. This new status, (which stems from the Governments Heath White Paper "Our Heathier Nation") offers new funding opportunities to tacke heath probems through a targeted muti-agency approach. The HAZ has funded, for exampe, an additiona TraveWise officer. This LTP has been the subject of a comprehensive Heath Impact Assessment, undertaken by Liverpoo Heath Authority. A copy of the Executive Summary of this Assessment is incuded in the Loca Transport Pan - Technica Appendices. This identified the foowing key issues where transport has a direct infuence on persona heath: Road Traffic Accidents Air Poution Noise Socia Excusion Access to shops, services, friends and famiy Dependence on cars Cycing, waking and use of pubic transport Pubic transport competition Pubic transport safety Economic vitaity The heath impacts of transport are iustrated in Figure 2.6 The Heath Impact Assessment identifies the foowing heath priorities to be addressed by the LTP: Air quaity Access to goods and services Accidents and Safety (incuding risk of crime) Activity (physica exercise) Assurance (reiabiity and journey panning) Attitudes (to pubic transport, heath, transport and car use) THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT The environmenta impacts of transport are we known, and the foowing particuary appy to Merseyside: Increased air poution and emissions, with effects on: Loca air quaity and persona heath, contributing to increases in respiratory diseases Greenhouse gas emissions contributing to the reduction of ozone The continued consumption of nonrenewabe resources, to power, construct and maintain the transport network Increased noise poution with affects on psychoogica heath Increased congestion which undermines safety and economic efficiency, and exacerbates the impact of air and noise poution Transport can aso have positive benefits on the environment, and can assist in environmenta regeneration, through the foowing: Good transport infrastructure can improve the attractiveness of dereict sites as areas for investment Transport is a key factor in the attractiveness of residentia areas and can promote sustainabe city iving High quaity, integrated transport services can not ony assist the growth of sectors such as tourism, but can aso hep minimise damage caused by activities on the environment. The Merseyside LTP wi contribute to improving nationa environmenta quaity by addressing issues such as poution, biodiversity and cimatic change. In doing so, however, the aim is to aso 21

23 TRAVEL TRENDS ACROSS MERSEYSIDE Trave trends across Merseyside give an indication of both the affect of the current transport network and current attitudes towards transport on behaviour. Across Merseyside the foowing trends have been identified: Increasing car ownership Increasing dependence on the car Increase in the number of trips, whie trip ength has remained constant Decining bus patronage Increasing reative costs of pubic transport CURRENT TRAVEL PATTERNS Figure 2.7 beow shows that at the time of the ast Countywide Trave Survey in 1996, car trave accounted for 52% of tota journeys in Merseyside, compared to 46% in Waking accounted for 25% (29% in 1988) of a journeys, with pubic transport (buses and trains) accounting for 17% (19% in 1988). In addition to the increase in car use, the average trip rate per person per day has increased 10% since 1988, to a 1996 eve of 2.7 trips, and whist trip rates for waking and bus have faen, they have increased for car driver and car passenger. The overa increase in trip rates has previousy been seen as a positive improvement, refecting increasing economic growth and prosperity. However, in recognising the need to reduce the need to trave, it is important to ensure that any increase is not due to more trips being made out of necessity ie, as oca choice for schoos, shops, empoyment and heath faciities becomes more restricted. INCREASING CAR OWNERSHIP AND DEPENDENCE Figure 2.8 shows the number of cars generay avaiabe per househod on Merseyside. It shows that in 1996 an average of 41% of Merseyside househods did not have access to a car. The average journey ength for a modes has however remained steady, with an average trip ength of 5km (there was a genera fa in journey ength for recorded wak trips from 1km to 0.7km). Hence whie journey engths have remained constant, overa trave has increased due to increased trip rates. DECLINING BUS PATRONAGE, INCREASING RAIL PATRONAGE Figure 2.9 and Tabe 2.1 summarises the gradua decine in bus passengers from over 227 miion journeys (1987/88) to 168 miion (1998/99) - a decine of 26%. In contrast, patronage on the Merseyrai network has shown a steady increase rising by 11% over the period 1995/96 to 1998/99. Ceary, the trends for bus patronage are disappointing, and iustrate the chaenge to improve the quaity of services and change trave behaviour. In contrast, the position for rai is more positive, particuary when taken against a background of operating probems over the ast few years. It is expected that car ownership and car usage wi rise on Merseyside, at east in the ifetime of this LTP. However, the Partners beieve that the approach as set out in the Pubic Transport Theme wi ead to an increasing use of pubic transport. TRAFFIC FLOWS INTO LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE Tabe 2.2 shows 16-hour two way traffic fows across the Liverpoo City Centre Cordon. The figures are encouraging in 27

24 TRAVEL TRENDS ACROSS MERSEYSIDE terms of the aim of traffic restraint since they suggest traffic fows into the City Centre have ony been increasing marginay since 1991, athough much of this may be attributabe to suppressed economic activity in the City Centre over the period. Even in 1998, the highest eve for 7 years, was ony a maximum of 3.9% higher than the 1991 eve. However, whist traffic growth into the City Centre has been reativey stabe, the rea growth in traffic and car use has occurred on the periphery of the urban area. Tabe 2.2 : 16-hour two way traffic fows across Liverpoo city centre cordon Vehices ,600 Change Since , % , % , % , % , % , % , % , % INCREASING RELATIVE COST OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMPARED TO MOTORING Figure 2.10 shows the trend in the rea cost of bus and rai fares in Merseyside, compared to genera motoring costs and the Retai Price Index (RPI). It can be seen that the rea cost of pubic transport fares have doubed since 1986, whereas the cost of genera motoring has decreased when compared to the RPI. Figure 2.11 iustrates the comparison between current transport usage on Merseyside and two of the principa targets set by the Roya Commission on Environmenta Poution (RCEP), for car use and cycing by It confirms that as the regeneration of the area takes pace, the transport system has the capacity to accommodate further traffic growth up to 2020, before the RCEP's target for the area is exceeded. However the graph aso shows that more measures need to be introduced to encourage more peope to cyce in order to meet the RCEP's target for cycing. 28

25 FUTURE FORECASTS - Road Traffic Reduction Act The Road Traffic Reduction Act (1997) requires oca authorities to prepare a report reating to the eves of road traffic in their areas. The Partners have produced a report which is contained in the Technica Appendices of the LTP. In this summary, the forecast growth in traffic in Merseyside is described aong with the targets to be adopted for controing its growth over the Transport Strategy period to FUTURE FORECASTS At present the road network in Merseyside does not experience network-wide congestion, athough there is ocaised congestion in the peak periods on some of the major arteria routes in Liverpoo and at certain of the busier oca centres outside Liverpoo. Making use of Government forecasts adapted to the circumstances of Merseyside, projections of baseine growth in tota traffic from 1996 have been cacuated as 15.6% by 2006 and 24.1% by This refects expected growth in househod numbers, car ownership and icence-hoding as we as genera increases in weath. Incusive and sustainabe regeneration has been estabished as the primary goa in Merseyside. This is set out in detai in the Singe Programming Document with, in particuar, a projected 56,500 new jobs across the county and 12,500 Pathways residents targeted to enter empoyment. The partners are aso pursuing deveopment of freight faciities at key ocations to support the genera increase in economic activity. These changes are expected to ead to further increases in traffic above the baseine. The forecasts of tota traffic growth incuding these regeneration targets are: 21.5% by 2006 and 30.9% by Over the short term, the network as a whoe can accommodate much of this road traffic growth without an unacceptabe increase in congestion or its impacts. There is, however, a need to contain the worst effects of this growth and to prepare the transport system of Merseyside so as to prevent difficuties which unconstrained road traffic growth over a onger period of time woud cause. It is widey acknowedged that mode switch ony becomes a feasibe aim once a high quaity aternative to the car is avaiabe. The 10-year strategy is therefore based on achieving high quaity transport first, during the period when deveopment constraints need to be minimised to encourage regeneration, and appying poicy measures to promote mode shift second, once regeneration is we estabished. Estimates have been made of the ikey effects upon road traffic of a package of pubic transport interventions proposed and these have been used to set demanding targets for the management of traffic growth. The targets are presented in Tabe 2.3 beow. 29

26 THE PUBLIC VIEW The deveopment of the LTP incorporates the feedback from a comprehensive pubic participation exercise. This showed strong support for the introduction of measures which: Reduce traffic congestion Reduce traffic poution and noise Improve pubic transport Give greater priority to waking and cycing This section describes the pubic participation process and highights the resuts which have then been taken forward to aid formuation of the Merseyside LTP. THE CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION STRATEGY Merseyside Connections was the theme given to the consutation process to support the new Loca Transport Pan for Merseyside. However, it is the intention of the partners to take this process beyond the submission date of the LTP, Pubic participation wi continue through both the ongoing deveopment and impementation of the 5 Year Programme. As part of the review of the origina MerITS strategy in the ead up to the production of the Provisiona LTP, the partner authorities carried out a comprehensive consutation exercise with key stakehoders. This showed continued strong support for the overa direction of transport poicy in Merseyside. This 'fu' Loca Transport Pan has been deveoped foowing a comprehensive community consutation exercise, which was carried out in three stages: Stage One: Widespread Community Participation (November 1999 to January 2000) Stage Two: Market Research (March 2000) Stage Three: Key Stakehoder Consutation (Apri 2000) STAGE ONE CONSULTATION From the eary stages, a high priority was given by the partner authorities to ensure community participation in the deveopment of the LTP and its objectives. The aim was to ensure that the community input better informed the identification of the key priorities in the new Loca Transport Pan for Merseyside. The process incuded: Distribution of 20,000 'Connections' newsetters, questionnaires and posters via post offices, housing and other counci offices, ibraries, and community distribution ists BBC Radio Merseyside phone-in debate Staffed dispays in shopping centres, ibraries, town has etc Advertisements and features in oca papers Presentations to community and interest groups Distribution of consutation packs to stakehoders Stakehoder workshops Ongoing consutation and participation in the deveopment and impementation of the Pan has been steered by the Integrated Transport Forum made up of representatives of: Merseytrave The oca authorities Pubic transport operators Liverpoo Vision Environmenta Organisations Transport user groups Other groups and forums that participated in the process incuded: The Merseytrave Advisory Panes (one in each of the Merseyside Districts), Women's Forum, and the Access Pane Area Committees in Liverpoo and Sefton Transport User Groups (such as the Wirra Cyce Forum) Environmenta Groups (LA21 groups in each District) Community Groups (such as the Pathways Coordinators in each District and other groups representing peope iving in regeneration areas incuding the Partnership of Parents in Newton - an SRB funded project.) Community Transport and Vountary Transport organisations The Highways Agency Main Messages from Stage One Stage one provided a good response from a wide cross section of the community across Merseyside. In tota over 1,600 questionnaire forms were returned and over 50 detaied etters of comment from individuas and organisations were received. Overa the consutation showed good support for the over-arching objectives as we as the broad direction of the strategy of the Merseyside LTP. The most significant messages being as foows: Transport and the Environment 91% of respondents stated they were concerned about the effect that traffic poution is having on heath. Traffic congestion 70% of respondents think that traffic congestion is a probem in Merseyside, and ways to combat it shoud feature as a key priority of the LTP. Parking Poicies Given the above messages over 31

27 THE PUBLIC VIEW 60% of respondents stated that they favour higher parking charges with the extra revenue raised used to fund improvements to pubic transport, waking and cycing routes. However respondents were concerned that such poicies shoud ony be introduced on a region wide basis. Priority needs to be given to pedestrians, cycists and pubic transport users Over 70% of respondents think that poicies in the LTP shoud ensure greater priority is given to pedestrians, cycists and pubic transport users. Routes, frequency and hours of operation of services (in particuar the need for better orbita services and inks to hospitas and Liverpoo Airport. Connections between bus and train services Accessibiity of bus and rai services (incuding the need for more accessibe ow foor buses and easier to use stations) Leves of persona safety and security of pubic transport users Range of ticketing options avaiabe to passengers Avaiabiity of good and accurate information at a stages of the journey More bus priority measures need to be introduced to reduce bus journey times and protect services from traffic congestion Reduce car use when traveing to schoo There was recognition that the 'schoo run' is a major contributor to peak hour congestion on roads and traffic probems in the vicinity of schoos. 84% of respondents are in favour of reducing the number of schoo trips by car. Strong support for measures to reduce traffic speeds 80% of respondents indicated that they are in favour of more traffic caming measures, especiay in residentia areas and in the vicinity of schoos. Concerns over the standard of road maintenance This was not ony an issue for car drivers. The majority of respondents who do not have access to a car aso emphasised the need for better-maintained footways and cyceways. Making the transport network more accessibe for disabed and mobiityimpaired peope The LTP shoud seek to deiver a fuy integrated pubic transport network, with priority being given to improving the: Reiabiity of train and bus services More Park and Ride schemes need to be introduced and existing schemes need to be improved The LTP shoud identify and fuy evauate opportunities to deveop new high quaity pubic transport systems (such as ight rai, guided bus or troeybus systems) across Merseyside. STAGE TWO: MARKET RESEARCH Focus Groups The resuts of the first stage of the consutation exercise were verified by a series of 10 focus groups spread across the area (five of which are in Pathways areas): Knowsey Liverpoo (Norris Green and Wavertree) St. Heens (Parr & Ecceston) Sefton (Boote & Southport) Wirra (Birkenhead & Moreton) In terms of emerging key issues the focus groups identified the need for: Lower pubic transport fares. More reiabe pubic transport services. Low-foor, easy-access bus services. 32

28 THE PUBLIC VIEW Greater staff presence and better passenger care training on the pubic transport network. More frequent bus services and easier to understand routes. Better integration between bus and rai services. More Eco-friendy buses and motor vehices. More cyce anes (segregated & continuous). Traffic caming, especiay in the vicinity of schoos and in residentia areas. Safer and more secure pedestrian environments. A the Focus Groups concuded that pubic transport improvements shoud form a key eement of the Loca Transport Pan, and pubic transport has more chance of reducing car use and dependency than either waking or cycing. Particuar emphasis shoud be given to improving: The reiabiity of services; The frequency of services; and Reducing the cost of trave on pubic transport and improving ticketing options. However when seeking to encourage peope to use pubic transport, the Focus Groups identified the need to improve persona safety and reduce the fear of crime. Focus Group participants indicated that they woud ony support effective demand management measures if high quaity aternatives (pubic transport, waking and cycing routes) were in pace. Furthermore as the majority of the young peope in the Focus Groups strongy aspire to owning a car, trave awareness campaigns were identified as paying a major roe in persuading this key group to make more sensibe use of the car. On-Street Surveys In order to ensure that the resuts of the first stage of consutation and the Focus Group exercises provide representative concusions for support of the objectives of the LTP, over 500 detaied on-street interview surveys were conducted at the foowing centres across Merseyside: Liverpoo Huyton Southport Boote Birkenhead and St. Heens Samping was used to ensure the views of a representative cross section of the popuation were obtained. The resuts of the on-street interview surveys strongy reaffirmed the views expressed through the earier pubic consutation work. The need for better pubic transport was again highighted. The preferred pubic transport improvement options were : Fu SMART Package 32% Merseyrai improvements 18% Light Rai system 14% Park & Ride 9% Bus Lanes 8% The main issues reating to bus service improvements were: More reiabe and frequent services; Better integration with other modes; and Repacing oder buses with modern easiy accessibe vehices The survey identified that SMART bus services, where currenty avaiabe, present a much better image for bus trave than traditiona bus services. Safer and more attractive waiting environments at bus stops are aso important. Respondents mentioned the need to provide comprehensive pubic transport information at a stages of the journey. Poor environments at oca rai stations were viewed as a major deterrent, to use, particuary at night. It was fet that the reativey high cost of rai trave is not justified by the current standards of service provision. The need to better manage the demand for car trave was aso highighted. This matched the strong concerns expressed during stage one that increasing car use 33

29 THE PUBLIC VIEW and dependency is harming the environment and resuting in worsening traffic congestion. Over 50% of peope questioned during the on-street interview surveys indicated that they woud support the introduction of poicies, which woud seek to reduce car commuting. When seeking to achieve this there was very strong support (78%) for the introduction of Green Commuter Pans. 60% of peope aso stated that they woud support the introduction of poicies which woud restrict the avaiabiity of car parking spaces for commuters, whist favouring short stay parking for commuters. However when asked whether they woud support the introduction of road toing on roads to pay for improvements to the oca transport network, the vast majority of peope (72%) stated their opposition to such a poicy. The strongest feeings against the introduction of this poicy are amongst the age group and car users. This is in direct contrast to earier stage one consutation which showed that over 60% of respondents woud be in favour of increased car parking charges with the extra revenue coected being used to fund improvements to the oca transport network. The need to improve road safety and persona security when traveing was highighted. Again there was strong support for the introduction of measures designed to improve road safety. The majority of peope interviewed thought that this shoud be one of the key priorities of the new LTP. Peope viewed cycing on the main roads as the most dangerous form of transport. In terms of heping to improve eves of persona security, peope pointed to the need to provide a safer and more secure environment at bus stop and rai stations, as we as aong pedestrian routes to and from bus and rai stations. STAGE THREE CONSULTATION To address these views a Key Issues Paper (and questionnaire) was circuated to over 3,000 key stakehoder organisations across Merseyside for comment during Apri and May 2000, incuding: The Chamber of Commerce Businesses Heath sector The Ports and Liverpoo Airport Freight operators Pubic transport operators Environmenta organisations Community and vountary organisations 10% (320) of organisations responded to the questionnaire, the resuts of which again pointed to strong support for: The further reaocation of road space to favour pedestrians, cycists and pubic transport users The introduction of more SMART / Quaity Bus Partnership corridors across Merseyside featuring a package of new ow foor buses, rea time passenger information, high quaity waiting faciities, better information and bus priority measures. 34

30 THE PUBLIC VIEW Stricter centra area car parking contros to discourage car commuting with any extra revenue raised being used to fund improvements to waking, cycing and pubic transport routes. The introduction of road user / congestion charging or workpace parking charges if revenue was used to fund improvements to waking, cycing and pubic transport. However respondents fet that such charges shoud ony be introduced foowing further investment in the pubic transport network. The fina eement of the consutation programme focussed on the proposas for Liverpoo City Centre. This showed over 90% of respondents in favour of the measures. improve sustainabe forms of transport (waking, cycing and pubic transport), the review identified a reuctance amongst many car users to make ess journeys by car. The study aso reveaed the reuctance of peope to trave by pubic transport because of the ack of good information. Simiary, peope were reuctant to cyce, despite the introduction of some cyce priority measures, due to concerns for persona safety. Typicay peope cited the ack of awareness of cycists by drivers. The review concuded that trave awareness campaigns such as Merseyside TraveWise, wi pay an increasingy important part in changing attitudes to trave across Merseyside. SUMMARY to be effective peope fet this needed to be introduced on a region-wide basis. Efficient Use of the Network The Pan shoud give greater priority to pedestrians, the mobiity impaired, cycists and pubic transport users. Improving Safety and Accessibiity The need to improve road safety and eves of persona security across the transport network. The need to improve the quaity and attractiveness of pubic transport services across Merseyside. Strong support for traffic caming especiay in the vicinity of schoos and in residentia areas. ATTITUDES TO TRANSPORT To accompany the pubic consutation exercise, Merseyside Information Services (MIS) carried out a simutaneous review of a range of different surveys and studies on transport carried out across Merseyside between 1995 and This confirmed that Merseyside peope and business highighted simiar issues and themes to those raised through the LTP consutation. The study identified that attitudes coud be spit into two categories: Identifying what needs improving: Again peope caed for the need to improve the pubic transport network (through the creation of a fuy integrated system featuring more accessibe services, better interchange points, more ticketing options and better information), safer, more attractive waking and cycing routes, and to reduce the impact transport has on the environment. Attitudes to behavioura change: Whist peope recognised the need to The key findings from the pubic consutation exercise are as foows: Reducing environmenta impact and encouraging a moda shift There is widespread acknowedgement of the probems resuting from increasing car use and dependency, and that measures shoud be introduced aimed at reducing peak hour car commuting. To do this, peope tend to favour the introduction of Green Commuter Pans and shifting the baance of ong stay car parking spaces from ong stay to short stay shopper parking in town centres. Better pubic transport, waking and cycing routes shoud be in pace before restrictions are introduced on car use. There is very itte support for the introduction of road toing as a way of infuencing the demand for car trave. Peope stated that they woud, however, support the introduction of higher car parking charges if the extra revenue was coected to be used to improve the oca transport network. But in order There was widespread acknowedgement of the need to improve waking and cycing routes in Merseyside. That the provision of a high quaity pubic transport network offers the greatest potentia to improve genera eves of accessibiity as we as reducing car dependency. FURTHER CONSULTATION Ongoing consutation and pubic invovement ies at the heart of the continued deveopment of the LTP. Monitoring of pubic attitudes to trave wi continue through targetted market research and the reguar Merseytrave Tracking Survey. A three stages of consutation on the deveopment of this first LTP pointed to the need to ensure the fu invovement of a members of the community in the ongoing deveopment of the LTP. In particuar the programme is seeking to identify and consut with what are termed "difficut to reach" groups of peope on the LTP. As a priority more targeted consutation wi be carried out with the foowing: 35

31 OPPORTUNITIES AND OBJECTIVES INTRODUCTION The preceding sections have set out the context for Merseyside s LTP and the nature of the chaenge facing the Region; a position which is reinforced by the outputs of the pubic consutation and participation exercise undertaken by the partners. This section highights the opportunities that exist for the Region and the key part that the LTP has in reaising Merseyside s wider Strategic Vision for Sustainabe, Incusive, Regeneration. The section concudes by presenting the LTP Vision Statement and the four main objectives that have been set for Merseyside s Loca Transport Pan MERSEYSIDE LTP AND THE WIDER STRATEGIC VISION The LTP is designed to support the wider regeneration programme for Merseyside, compement other poicy areas and maximise the benefit of other avaiabe funding sources over the next 5-10 years, The way in which the LTP integrates into this process is shown in Figure STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS In deveoping the LTP, the partners have considered a wide range of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) which faces Merseyside s transport network. The resuts of this SWOT are summarised in Tabe 2.4. SETTING THE LTP OBJECTIVES The poicy context and anaysis presented in the preceding sections, aong with the opportunities that currenty exist on Merseyside have been used as inputs to the definition of the Loca Transport Pan Vision which states: The aim of the Pan is to deveop a fuy integrated and sustainabe transport network for Merseyside, which supports economic, socia and environmenta regeneration and ensures good access for a in the community Four main objectives have then been estabished for the Loca Transport 37

32 STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME OVERVIEW The partners have deveoped a systematic approach to the deveopment of the LTP which accords with the guidance issued by the DETR. The overa approach is presented in Figure 3.1. This highights the need to ensure that the Transport Strategy fits with wider poicy objectives and that the LTP objectives that are adopted address ceary defined probems and opportunities (these issues are addressed in Section 2 of the LTP). Having set the LTP Objectives, the next stages of the process needs to identify the preferred Transport Strategy through the appication of the New Approach to Appraisa (NATA) criteria; deveop the range of strategy components; and the range of proposas for the LTP. This is then foowed by the deveopment of an Impementation Programme (covered in Section 4 of this document) and the need to set comprehensive Targets and performance indicators together with proposas for monitoring the LTP (covered in Section 5). IDENTIFYING THE RIGHT MEASURES FOR THE RIGHT LOCATIONS To aid the review and appraisa of LTP components, the partners have defined the main centres and corridors in the Region. This is a continuation of the approach adopted in the Provisiona LTP. The Corridors and Centres Approach The pan sub-divides Merseyside into a number of centres and corridors - i.e. where peope and goods are going and the route taken to get there. This approach assists in identifying: the main probems for movement within the area. appropriate soutions to the identified probems dependent on the characteristics of the ocation. Figure 3.2 shows the main corridors and centres identified in Merseyside: THE CENTRES: are the main centres in Merseyside, together with the two 'gateways' of the Port of Liverpoo and Liverpoo Airport. THE CORRIDORS: are the main corridors of movement between these centres, together with their regiona and nationa inks. Within this approach the partners aso identified the key Pathways areas and SSDA's, the inking up of which by attractive and sustainabe trave choices is a key priority of this first LTP. In essence, the corridors and centres approach assumes that there are different types of trave demand to be addressed depending on the ocation. Ceary this approach does not cover the whoe area, but focuses on key ocations with particuar characteristics. Whie the LTPs poicies, naturay for a metropoitan area, remain urban based, there is aso a need to identify the countryside areas within Merseyside as areas with particuar characteristics which may require separate consideration. This is covered in Rura Issues in the Transport & Accessibiity Themes. ROAD HIERARCHY The roads of Merseyside in each corridor and centre have been assigned a pace in an agreed hierarchy so that the roe of each is ceary stated and understood within the strategy of the LTP. At the highest eve are the Strategic Routes. These are Trunk and Principa Roads, which incudes Motorways and other cassified roads. They cater for heavy voumes of onger-distance 45

33 STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME LOCATION ROLE OF ROAD JUSTIFICATION HIERARCHY DESIRED MODE HIERARCHY STRATEGIC ROUTES WITH PRIORITY FOR FREIGHT MOVEMENT STRATEGIC ROUTES WITH PRIORITY FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT OTHER STRATEGIC ROUTES Principa inks to regiona road network for peope & goods Main routes for through trave Main access to distributor roads from outside area Essentia roe as bypass for traffic from more sensitive areas Parae routes or tota segregation for cycists Chosen as the strategic routes for pubic transport Main routes for through trave Main access to distributor roads from outside area Essentia roe as bypass for genera traffic from more sensitive areas Parae routes or tota segregation for cycists Strategic route but without particuar priority for freight or pubic transport Essentia roe as bypass for genera traffic to keep it out of more sensitive areas Parae routes or tota segregation for cycists 1. Freight 2. Pubic Transport 3. Cars 4. Pedestrian 5. Cycists 1. Pubic Transport 2. Goods Service Vehices 3. Cars 4. Pedestrians 5. Cycists 1. A motorised traffic 2. Pedestrians 3. Cycists LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR ROADS Coect traffic from the Service and Residentia Estate Roads and provide access to the Strategic Network (and vice versa) Hep to keep oca through-traffic out of residentia roads or Town Centre Roads Inappropriate for onger-distance through-traffic having no business in the immediate area Parae routes for cycists preferred, but where traffic speeds are suitaby 1. Pubic Transport (where appropriate) 2. Service Deivery Vehices 3. Cars 4. Pedestrians 5. Cycists (where part of the cyce network, cycists move to priority 2) RESIDENTIAL AREAS Provide immediate access for a groups by a modes between houses in residentia areas and the oca distributor roads Provide high-quaity, safe and secure environment for residents Roads appropriate for use by pedestrians and cycists Feed into designated cyce network Through-traffic, having no business in the area is deterred. 1. Pedestrians 2. Cycists 3. Pubic Transport 4. Service Vehices 5. Cars SERVICE ROADS PEDESTRIANISED ROADS Provide immediate service access Provide access for buses and taxis to most convenient stopping paces in the centre Provide access to cyce & motor vehice parking Through-traffic (ie that having no business in the centre) is inappropriate and to be discouraged Free movement of pedestrians achieved by tota segregation 1. Pedestrians 2. Cycists 3. Buses 4. Taxis 5. Deivery vehices 6. Car-borne shoppers etc 7. Car-borne commuters 1. Pedestrians inc disabed pedestrians Tabe 3.1 : Merseyside s Road User Hierarchy 46

34 STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME traffic, to keep it out of more sensitive areas. Next in the hierarchy are the Loca Distributor Roads. Previousy, many of these were cassified as 'C' Roads. These provide the connection between Strategic Routes and the third category in the hierarchy, which are the Residentia Roads which provide direct access in residentia areas and Service and Access Roads which have a simiar roe in shopping or business areas. STRATEGIC ROUTES These are divided into three categories: 1) Strategic Routes with priority for Freight Movement 2) Strategic Routes with priority for Pubic Transport 3) Other Strategic Routes without the above priorities but which sti perform an essentia roe to protect other areas from through-traffic. On these roads, specific provision for cycists and pedestrians is either in the form of fu segregation, or if that cannot be provided, on parae routes. LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR ROADS Many Loca Distributor Roads are ocated within residentia areas and are fronted by houses. Athough they woud be considered the busier roads in an estate, their use must sti be sensitive to this dua roe. Some Loca Distributor Roads wi carry buses to serve a oca area, inking it to a Strategic Route that has priority for pubic transport. In some cases, where traffic conditions are appropriate, Loca Distributor Roads may appear on the Cyce network. However in genera, parae routes are to be preferred for cycists. RESIDENTIAL ROADS As we as giving direct access to properties, these roads aso provide the setting for the home environment for the majority of peope in an urban area. As such they are characterised by the need for ow speeds of traffic, priority for pedestrians and cycists, and an environment which fees safe, secure and attractive. SERVICE AND ACCESS ROADS In Town Centres there is ideay segregation between roads giving access for vehices to premises or parking, and those which have been given over entirey to pedestrians. APPLICATION OF THE ROUTE AND ROAD USER HIERARCHY In genera, cassification of roads has foowed their existing roe. However, in preparing the Loca Transport Pan, their actua characteristics have been examined. Having defined the priorities (hierarchy) for each centre and corridor, an appropriate package of measures has then been identified. In combination these form the Centres and Corridors programme in the Loca Transport Pan. (Fu detais of the proposas for each Centre and Corridor are contained in the Loca Transport Pan - Technica Appendices). The fu definition of the Road User hierarchy is shown in Tabe 3.1. Its appication across Merseyside is shown in Figure 3.3 SUMMARY OF RESEARCH AND STUDIES The Loca Transport Pan is based on extensive research and a series of major studies. These have been used to inform the partners on a range of key issues and the resuts have been used to formuate the proposas contained in the Loca Transport Pan. This section briefy summarises the work that has been undertaken (Fu detais are contained in the Loca Transport Pan - Technica Appendices). The Singe Integrated Pubic Transport Network was one of the key themes of the Provisiona Loca Transport Pan. Studies that have been undertaken to deveop this theme incude: A series of area studies, covering the whoe of Merseyside which reviewed the scope for a range of pubic transport options incuding bus priorities; SMART; Guided Bus; Intermediate Modes (troeybuses etc.); Light Rai Transit (LRT) and raiway improvements. This incuded a series of workshops with a the partners to identify options for appraisa. Merseyside Interchange Strategy - a comprehensive review of interchange opportunities across Merseyside to improve inkages between bus, rai and ferry services. Merseyside Information Strategy - a review of pubic transport information provision incuding the requirements of the nationa PTI2000 programme and the scope for integrated bus-rai trave information. Merseyside Park & Ride Strategy - a county-wide review of the potentia for increasing Park & Ride faciities at Merseyrai stations and other strategic sites on the edges of the conurbation. Liverpoo City Centre Is the key focus to the regeneration of the City-Region. Aongside the wider Liverpoo Vision initiative, Merseytrave and Liverpoo City Counci have undertaken the City Centre Movement Strategy to deveop an integrated package of transport improvements to compement the wider deveopment programme. Merseyside Freight Strategy The expanding roe of the Merseyside Ports 47

35 STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME is centra to the regeneration of the region. The Strategy has been deveoped to review the ikey growth in freight traffic and deveop a series of proposas for a Sustainabe Freight poicy. Heath Impact Assessment As an Objective 1 area, Merseyside is faced with a series of socia deprivation issues incuding poor heath. As part of a wider poicy initiative with the Region's Heath Authorities, the Merseyside Partners have pioneered a Heath Impact Assessment of the emerging eements of the Loca Transport Pan. 48

36 STRATEGY ALTERNATIVES The partners LTP objectives have been defined to support Merseyside s regeneration programme. To ensure that the emerging LTP fuy meets these objectives three broad aternatives have been considered. These are: ALTERNATIVE 1: An environment -focused Strategy ALTERNATIVE 2: A deveopment - focused Strategy ALTERNATIVE 3: A regeneration - focused Strategy Tabe 3.2 provides a summary of the Performance of each aternative assessed against DETR s NATA criteria. The anaysis concudes that the SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE, REGENERATION aternative best meets the requirements of the Merseyside LTP. The tabe aso highights the improved performance of the aternative with the addition of the four Major Schemes proposed within the first LTP. Further detais of the performance of each aternative are presented in the Simpified Appraisa Summary Tabes (tabes ). 51

37 THE 10 YEAR TRANSPORT STRATEGY FOR MERSEYSIDE Aong-term Transport Strategy has been deveoped for Merseyside. The aim of the 10 Year Strategy is to provide a transport system to riva the best in Europe. The Strategy features the foowing eements: A fuy impemented Centre of Exceence programme for Pubic Transport and Transport Panning; A fuy integrated Pubic Transport Network featuring: Network-wide station improvement and a feet of new trains for the Merseyrai network running to the highest standards of safety, reiabiity, punctuaity and ceaniness; Extensions of the rai network in Woodchurch, St. Heens and Kirkby with a series of new stations and the introduction of improved frequencies on the City Line and Lime Street - Aerton ine; A 3-ine LRT network as a compement to the rai network to provide a fu Merseyside-wide network to a the main centres and Strategic Spatia Deveopment sites; An extensive network of high quaity bus services with newer vehices, fuy accessibe and with ow emissions, operating across the strategic network with high eves of priority and segregation to meet agreed reiabiity and punctuaity targets; County-wide provision of interchange points to provide high eves of accessibiity for a residents and visitors to the fu range of opportunities, services and amenities in the county; Merseyside-wide park & ride faciities at a the main rai stations and at strategic sites on the edge of the conurbation to imit the voume of traffic on the principa road network; A modern, up-to-date integrated information system, incuding rea time eements, providing fu detais of Merseyside's pubic transport network, regiona, nationa and internationa connections, and information on traffic conditions and parking avaiabiity and news on tourist sites and events taking pace in the region; Strategic route signing for genera traffic and freight movements to, from and within Merseyside directing traffic to appropriate routes avoiding busy oca and district centres, with variabe message signing guiding traffic to offstreet car parking in Liverpoo City Centre and Merseyside's other main town centres; An Airport Surface Access Strategy for Liverpoo Airport which maximises the use of pubic transport by empoyees and passengers by providing a high quaity oca bus network, dedicated bus inks to Aerton Interchange for convenient access to the oca and regiona rai network, and express coach services direct to the upgraded Lime Street Station and the City Centre's main hotes; A comprehensive improvement in the city centre incuding Lime Street Gateway, improvements on a the approaches, pedestrian priority areas inking the core of the city centre to the Waterfront, improvements to traffic fows and more efficient use of the major car parks, high quaity interchange between rai, LRT, bus and ferry and a high quaity pubic ream and signing for the increased number of city centre residents, businesses, empoyees, shoppers, students, visitors and tourists. There wi be Cear Zones where appropriate; Improvements for cycists across Merseyside incuding a comprehensive network of dedicated cyce routes, secure cyce parking in the centres, at rai stations and interchanges and other key ocations; More priority to pedestrians, cycists and pubic transport with the introduction of widespread Loca Authority parking Enforcement areas, Home Zones, in residentia areas and Cear Zones to protect conservation areas and other sensitive ocations; A high quaity infrastructure as a resut of a co-ordinated programme of principa road maintenance, bridge strengthening and ighting improvements across Merseyside; An expanding roe for sustainabe freight movements with designated freight routes to and from the Port of Liverpoo and Garston Docks and new ro on/ro off faciities in Boote and at Tweve Quays. Aso new rai inks to the docks and new mutimoda Freight interchanges; Improvements to regiona and nationa inks with the new West Coast mainine rai services to London Euston, improved road and rai inks to Manchester, and an expanding choice of destinations served by Liverpoo Airport; Expanded and more frequent ferry connections with the Ise of Man, Befast and Dubin; Increased trave awareness and reduced Crime and fear of crime through the TraveWise and TraveSafe programmes with Commuter Trave Pans, Safe Routes to Schoo initiatives and Heath Action Zones being commonpace; A Merseyside's centres thriving as the foca points for new deveopment, oca services and community and neighbourhood faciities and served by accessibe and we-it waking and cycing routes and the singe, integrated pubic transport network. An integrated and use and transport strategy for sustainabe freight distribution: investing in rai and road improvements to improve access and environmenta conditions; promoting freight transfer from road to rai with new intermoda faciities, and a particuar focus on new Port- 57

38 THE 5 YEAR PLAN MERSEYSIDE LOCAL TRANSPORT PLAN INTRODUCTION The 5 Year LTP consists of a series of Countywide measures, Centre and Corridor proposas and Major Schemes. This section provides an overview of a the key eements. The LTP proposas are shown in Figure COUNTY WIDE MEASURES Pubic Transport The Loca Transport Pan proposes the creation of a singe, integrated pubic transport network for Merseyside. This wi provide a high quaity system that is easy to use, safe, cean, reiabe and punctua, and aows easy access to a of Merseyside's faciities - for jobs, shopping, eisure activities, tourism and business. THE KEY COMPONENTS The Bus Network As part of the overa pubic transport network, proposas for the bus network incude: a comprehensive bus sheter programme introducing 315 new sheters a year; a roing programme of investment by the operators in new buses; the instaation of enforcement cameras on bus anes; improvement programmes for driver training. and SMART buses as the standard. The Rai Network The LTP proposes a comprehensive upgrade of the rai system. This wi incude: the current franchise to operate the Merseyrai services wi be renegotiated and re-aunched in As part of this process a compete set of new trains wi repace the existing feet; a county-wide programme of improvements to 25 of the county's 78 stations incuding improved signing, ighting, refurbishment, and security measures; additiona and improved parking provision at Merseyrai stations to encourage rai park & ride; in Liverpoo City Centre the four underground Merseyrai stations wi be comprehensivey upgraded with improvements to the appearance of ticket has, escaators and patforms. Interchange Strategy interchange easier and safer. The interchanges wi incude: Cean, modern sheters; CCTV and security measures; High quaity ighting and signing ; Secure cyce parking faciities; We it, cyce and waking routes to/from interchanges; High quaity information systems incuding rea time information at key ocations; and Staff (at major interchanges ony). Information Strategy A new information system of maps, timetabes, hepines and other faciities wi be introduced to aid easy movement around the network. Improvements wi incude: a countywide "underground" stye map showing a major rai, bus (and future Light Rai Transit (LRT)) routes, and highighting inks with the nationa rai network, ferries, the airport and a the new interchange points; fu detais of a destinations at key ocations - e.g. interchanges and bus stations; simpe corridor maps showing a oca bus and rai services and connections; a county-wide programme of "seective vehice detection" (SVD) measures at traffic signas that wi give priority to buses; a programme of bus priority schemes to be introduced in the main corridors and centres across Merseyside. The programme incudes over 90km of bus anes; The improvements and investment in the various pubic transport modes wi be compemented by the introduction of a county-wide programme of pubic transport interchanges. These purposebuit faciities wi improve access around the county by providing inkages between bus, rai, ferry, airport and ight rai with safe, secure, interchange points which feature high quaity information systems and inks to oca faciities. The key to this strategy is to make oca area maps/guides based on city, town and district centres showing bus and rai services and a guide to oca faciities; a new, easier to use, timetabe for individua bus and rai services. Mersey Ferries The Mersey Ferries are an important feature of the oca pubic transport 59

39 THE 5 YEAR PLAN : Merseyside Loca Transport Pan network - for commuter and eisure use. Proposas for the Ferries incude: a strategy for the river cruise and charter market and the deveopment of the cross-river commuter market; a comprehensive deveopment of the Pier Head termina faciities; further deveopments of the Seacombe termina and Seacombe Annexe; a continuous repairs and renewas strategy for the Ferry services and assets; Engine repacements for two vesses. OTHER COUNTY-WIDE MEASURES Waking In the five-year programme, many highway and traffic management schemes wi offer the opportunity to enhance the safety and faciities for pedestrians. Measures for pedestrians incude: The introduction of pedestrian priority areas across the city centre - featuring improved paving and ighting, priority over traffic at junctions and improved signing; Greater priority for pedestrians with particuar attention to access points into oca centres (shopping, eisure, empoyment, education); Safety improvements; Improving and extending the pedestrian environment (new footways and footpaths, maintenance, signage, ceaniness, remova of obstructions and persona security). Cycing A Merseyside cyce network wi be introduced which inks main empoyment and education sites with surrounding residentia areas. It combines on and off-road routes. The five year County-wide programme concentrates on the introduction of a core network featuring inks between each SSDA and oca residentia areas. Other cyce measures incude: provision of cyce parking at pubic transport interchanges at appropriate new deveopments arrangements for cyces to be carried by rai and ferry other faciities for cycists to be provided by empoyers in green commuter pans (eg showers and changing faciities, secure cyce storage) promotion of cycing through TraveWise Campaigns Road Safety and Urban Safety Management The programme in the LTP is in ine with the Government's Road Safety Strategy Review: 'Tomorrow's Roads - Safer for Everyone', and takes into account the specia need to reduce chid casuaties. The type of measures to be introduced incude: new pedestrian crossings and traffic signas, modifications to signaised and priority controed junctions; traffic-caming; anti-skid treatment to road surfaces at key junctions; red-ight/speed cameras; street ighting improvements; changes to signs and ines; Education Training and Pubicity programmes incude: Interactive presentations in Primary and Secondary Schoos; Cyce Training; Safer Routes to Schoo Campaign. Wider improvements to safety and security are aso panned particuary in residentia areas. These incude improvements in street ighting; and traffic caming (home zones) to reduce the speed and amount of traffic. Urban Traffic Contro UTC improves the efficiency of the highway network by eectronic monitoring and contro. It encompasses a range of measures from basic traffic signa time between vehices and pedestrians, through to sophisticated computerised systems, which ink adjoining junctions, optimise throughput, or offer seective priority for particuar types of traffic such as buses. The County-wide five-year programme incudes an aocation for renewa of existing equipment, as we as the introduction of new systems. In addition to this, the next five years wi see new deveopments of UTC technoogy to incude: Poution Monitoring, Automatic Traffic Counting, Variabe Message Signing and other inked uses in Teematics incuding contro strategies and traveer information as deivered by Integrated Urban Traffic Management Contro systems. Road Maintenance The LTP has a five and ten year programme for the structura maintenance of Principa Roads in Merseyside. The schemes in the programme are to renew those engths of road, which wi reach the end of their predicted ife within the programme 60

40 THE 5 YEAR PLAN : Merseyside Loca Transport Pan period. Simiary, the partners have agreed a joint programme for the structura renewa of highway bridges. A high proportion of the bridges sti to be treated are owned by Raitrack, and the programme assumes cose co-operation with them. The five year programme aso incudes proposas to renew street ighting to ensure that a equipment on Principa roads is designed to modern standards. Freight The abiity to move freight efficienty to and from the ports and industria areas is crucia to the economic heath and attractiveness of Merseyside. The LTP proposes a ong-term sustainabe distribution strategy supported by an integrated package of transport measures. The key eements of the strategy are: A and use strategy which identifies strategic ocations for freight distribution and inter-moda faciities The enhancement of a strategic rai and road network to improve freight access and maximise moda choice The deveopment of a Freight Quaity Partnership. Access to the Port of Liverpoo is centra to the strategy, because of the voume of freight movements it currenty generates and the potentia for further growth to support Merseyside's regeneration. Simiary, access to Garston Docks and the new deveopment at Tweve Quays features in the strategy. CENTRES AND CORRIDORS The LTP identifies a the major centres and corridors in Merseyside each of which has its own INTEGRATED SOLUTION Exampes are provided ater in the Loca Transport Pan. MAJOR SCHEMES The 5 year LTP features four major Schemes (each costing more than 5 miion) as part of the overa strategy. In order of priority, these are: Light Rai Transit (LRT) The singe integrated pubic transport network is designed to provide a high quaity aternative to car use. As part of this integrated approach Light Rai Transit can contribute by offering: a high quaity rai-based transit system; high eves of segregated operation; an eectricay powered system - bringing noise and air poution improvements. The three ine network woud serve areas not connected by Merseyrai incuding Croxteth, Kirkby-Gimoss SSD; Od Swan and Page Moss; and a ink to South Liverpoo. In the city centre the LRT wi aso provide inks between Lime Street, the city centre core and the Waterfront. In the LTP the first ine inking the Waterfront, City Centre, Croxteth and Kirkby wi be promoted with construction panned for the end of the 5 year period, subject to the necessary powers and funding being awarded. The proposed first ine and fu network are shown in Figure 3.5. Ha Lane Area Improvements This is a major scheme providing a new ink to bypass Ha Lane in Liverpoo (see Figure 3.6). This is one of the main 'gateways' to Liverpoo City Centre and is on the strategic freight route from the M62 via Edge Lane. At present, the traffic on Ha Lane suffers deays and extensive queuing on its way to the City and has a detrimenta environmenta effect on the Kensington 'New Dea' area, where there is a major regeneration initiative. The scheme makes specific provision for pedestrians and cycists, and wi yied environmenta benefits and opportunities for bus priority on parae roads. It aso brings deveopment opportunities at the nearby Liverpoo University and Roya 61

41 LTP OBJECTIVES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES To ensure that the transport network pays its fu roe in heping to meet the overa adopted Vision for the area the over-arching Objectives for the oca transport system have been estabished. These are supported by a series of Guiding Principes and Key Goas that have been devised as a way of guiding the Loca Transport Pan to meet these objectives and to identifying the LTP measures that wi be required. The foowing key issues run throughout a the objectives: Sustainabiity Socia incusion Integration The objectives provide the basis for the determination of appropriate indicators and the setting of targets which wi be used to measure the overa performance of the Pan, within the context of the new system of Best Vaue Loca Performance Pans. (Section 5 covers these detais). The foowing tabes (Tabes ) present each Objective of the LTP with its Guiding Principes and Key Goas. This highights the inkages between each Objective and the measures and proposas that are contained within the LTP. 67

42 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS Liverpoo City Centre Regeneration is the key theme of much of the work which is currenty taking pace in Merseyside. As the foca point for much of the economic activity in Merseyside, the city centre has an important roe to pay. This key roe has been recognised through the deveopment of a number of initiatives incuding; Designation of the City Centre as a Strategic Spatia Deveopment area (SSDA) as part of the Merseyside Objective 1 programme. Creation of the Liverpoo Vision urban regeneration company to promote the regeneration of Liverpoo City Centre with a wide range of pubic and private sector partners. City Centre Living Strategy which aims to increase the residentia popuation of the centre from 9000 to 30,000. Interest in a number of major deveopment sites incuding the proposed Paradise Street Retai Area and King's Dock. Short isting of the Waterfront and part of the City Centre as a UNESCO Word Heritage Site. Expansion of the University campuses incuding new ibrary faciities and student accommodation. Transport within and to the city centre is vita to these regeneration initiatives, both contributing to their successfu impementation by providing a high eve of accessibiity and in managing the consequences in terms of traffic growth. For these reasons a City Centre Movement Strategy has been deveoped by Merseytrave and Liverpoo City Counci. This forms the basis of the transport eement of Liverpoo Vision s Strategy Document. BACKGROUND - TRANSPORT ASSETS AND PROBLEMS A review of transport provision and movements in the city centre highighted a number of assets and aso probems: Assets Lime Street Station - nationa rai gateway to the city. Four underground rai stations. 73

43 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS: Liverpoo City Centre Queen Square and Paradise Street bus stations, serving over 10 miion peope per year. Queensway Tunne / Kingsway Tunne. Major muti-storey car parks. Mersey Ferries. Norton Street Coach Station. Probems Lime Street has poor pedestrian crossing faciities and poor passenger information direction signing for onward movement into the city centre. It is severed from the city centre by the adjacent road system. Severance from residentia communities and aong the Waterfront. Rai station environments are poor, access is difficut and quaity information is required. Bus issues incuding quaity, 'over bussing' aong certain routes and on-street ayover. Poor pubic ream and ack of pedestrian faciities particuary within the city centre. Poor information and signing for a users. Management and enforcement of pubic ream. The eastern approaches to the city. OBJECTIVES & STRATEGIES The City Centre Movement Strategy seeks to: improve accessibiity to the city centre to aid economic regeneration and to provide access for a. create a peope friendy city centre that is safe, cean and attractive for work, shopping, business, tourism and eisure. make best use of the city centre's key transport assets - the Merseyrai stations, bus faciities, ferries and major car parks. support the improvement of the city centre's architecture and townscape. ensure that measures can be funded and impemented. These objectives coud be met through a variety of approaches. Three approaches were tested using the New Approach to Assessment (NATA) techniques, as estabished by DETR, these were: A 'car free' city centre which woud invove the introduction of car restraint measures. A car priority approach which open the city centre to a traffic A baanced approach which prioritised sustainabe modes but aso provided for access by car. The resuts of the anaysis indicated that the baanced approach was most cosey aigned with nationa and oca poicy objectives and woud produce the greatest benefits in terms of the NATA criteria. COMPONENTS OF THE BALANCED APPROACH The baanced approach is made up of three eements: i. Pedestrian Priority Areas. These consist of pedestrian and cyce friendy areas but do not necessariy invove extensive pedestrianisation (see Figure 3.9). The approach woud be to introduce measures such as widened footways, improved pedestrian crossings, consistent and cear signing and better maintenance and security on an area basis. The first area for treatment woud extend from the Lime Street Gateway to the Waterfront and incorporate Dae Street, Caste Street and improved pedestrian faciities across the Strand. Within the residentia areas, the deveopment of 20 mph/home zone approach coud be used to deveop the community 'encaves'. To assist tourists a more extensive tourist trai is proposed. ii. High Quaity Pubic Transport Corridors. There are three eements to the pubic transport corridors shown in Figure 3.10: 1 Rai - Lime Street and the Merseyrai stations are significant city centre assets. However they are in need of upgrading incuding improved safety and greater staff presence, improved signing, better interchange faciities/signage between rai services and buses, taxis and pedestrian inks and upgrading stations and maintenance. Deveoping the Centra Underground Station fagship project to serve the new retai core. 2 High Quaity Pubic Transport routes - Two cross-city centre routes have been identified which compement the existing rai network. These routes wi form a network of high quaity services operating using LRT technoogy and running aong routes that are mosty separated from other traffic, and directy serving key areas of the city centre. 3 Key Bus Routes aong these routes, measures wi reduce deays to buses giving them priority over other traffic. 74

44 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS: Liverpoo City Centre iii. Traffic/Parking Circuation Pan. There are three eements to this strategy. 1 Strategic Road Network. This network wi form a series of high quaity access ways into the city centre whie reducing the amount of through traffic, by removing a number of the existing cross city strategic routes. Extend on-street parking contro. Improve enforcement through Loca Authority contro. Other improvements which wi be incorporated incude better information for car park users and upgrading of the car parks themseves. 2 Loca Road Network. This network wi meet oca access requirements and oading /unoading requirements of oca business. Many of these routes wi fa within the pedestrian priority areas and wi be subject to the measures described above. Foowing an assessment of the main routes within the centre a series of networks have been deveoped these are shown on Figure The major approaches to the city have been identified as areas for further studies and wi be worked up into proposas with partners. 2 Parking. Contro of parking wi be an important eement of the strategy. The City Counci has a City Centre Parking Poicy which aims to: Cap parking provision in the city at 16,500 spaces. Shift the baance of parking provision from ong to short stay. Provision of Variabe Message Signing at the edge of the city to the major muti-storey car parks. 75

45 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS Southport The transportation strategy for Southport aims to ensure the town's continuing success in retai, tourism, eisure and business. This means maintaining good access to the town, easing circuation within the town and enhancing the environment both in the town centre and surrounding residentia areas. The strategy is based around three key themes, centra to a transport strategies in Sefton: Economic regeneration Attractive aternatives to the car Environmenta improvement In accordance with these themes, the main aims of the Southport strategy are ; To manage transport demand and maximise the use of the existing transport network. To make pubic transport more attractive and increase its use. To manage oca and visitor trips within Southport. To increase the use of non-motorised forms of transport, i.e. cycing and waking. To improve pedestrian faciities in the town centre and at the seafront. To maintain and improve the environment. COMPONENTS OF THE STRATEGY The proposas for Southport Town Centre are shown in Figures 3.13 and 3.14 and described beow: Pubic transport interchange The ack of adequate pubic transport interchange faciities in Southport wi be addressed through the upgrading of the existing raiway station and the provision of a new bus station and interchange next to the raiway station. Providing strong inks between the new faciity and the raiway station wi be an integra part of the proposas. Bus priority measures Southport wi benefit from the Merseyside wide programme of bus priority measures, with seective vehice detection provided on important bus corridors at four key signa-controed junctions. These measures wi aow buses to negotiate the junctions with minima deay. Parking contros A controed parking zone has been in force in Southport town centre since In February 2000, Sefton Counci took over responsibiity for enforcing parking restrictions by adopting oca authority parking enforcement (LAPE) powers. An integra part of the transport strategy for Southport is to extend the controed parking zone and impose a greater contro on the numbers of vehices entering the town centre. This wi be combined with the provision of additiona park and ride spaces to compensate for the reduced number of spaces in the extended controed parking zone. The LAPE powers wi enabe the Counci to make sure that the restrictions are effective. Park and ride A successfu park and ride service has operated in Southport since 1993, when the Espanade park and ride site opened. The site operates 6 days a week and contains 600 spaces with an overfow area capabe of accommodating a further 900 vehices. In February 1999, new singe-decker environmentay friendy gas-fueed buses were introduced to serve the park and ride site. A new visitor centre is panned for the Espanade site as part of a programme of improvements to the park and ride services in Southport. The other park and ride site at Fairways has space for 1000 vehices and currenty operates ony on Sundays. This site is being improved and wi be open 6 days a week during the hoiday season. However, the Counci recognise that traffic entering Southport from the east (aong the A570) is not served by any park and ride faciities, uness it goes through the town to the existing sites. Therefore, Sefton Counci is proposing a new 1000 space park and ride faciity on the eastern edge of the town, which wi be integrated with both the extended controed parking zone and the two existing park and ride sites. Traffic management Athough Southport does not suffer significant commuter-reated congestion, it does have to cope with heavy traffic eves trying to enter the town during the hoiday season and for major events, such as the Air Show, the Fireworks competition and the Fower Show. The argest of these events, the Air Show, attracted 300,000 visitors in 1999, 62% of whom came by car. Management of this traffic is therefore a critica eement of the strategy. Two of the main junctions on the approach to the town (Crossens and Kew roundabouts) wi be re-designed to improve traffic fow and the traffic signa contro system SCOOT is being introduced in the town centre to improve both circuation and through traffic fows. We are aso seeking to prepare event management strategies in co-operation with event organisers to ensure that as many peope as possibe are abe to enjoy the experience of coming to Southport. Cycing measures Encouraging peope to cyce instead of using their cars is an important 81

46 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS: Southport contribution to reducing traffic and supporting more sustainabe means of transport. Segregated cyceways have aready been provided aong the coasta route and part of Bentham's Way and advanced stop ines have aso been provided at eight junctions. There are proposas for estabishing an extensive cyce network incuding the provision of more cyceways, marked advisory routes, signed advisory routes, advanced stop ines at junctions and a significant increase in cyce parking faciities in the town centre and at the seafront. Pedestrian environment The town centre shopping area is vita for the success of Southport as a whoe and we are seeking to enhance this area for pedestrians. This wi incude measures to make the pedestrian environment both more attractive, enjoyabe and, above a, safe. Significant progress has aready been made aong Lord Street and Chape Street is now the centre of attention. The Counci proposes the pedestrianisation of Chape Street, which wi provide better conditions for shoppers and improve pedestrian access to the raiway station (and proposed interchange). Links from the town centre to the seafront are aso important and these wi be enhanced by the provision of more signing, pedestrian crossings where necessary and, in particuar, the restoration of Marine Parade bridge and the pedestrianisation of Scarisbrick Avenue. Environmenta improvements As an important centre for tourists and visitors, Southport's environment, in terms of air quaity, sense of space, visua appearance and history is very important. Significant environmenta improvements have aready been achieved aong Lord Street and on Marine Drive. Further schemes are proposed on Eastbank Street in the town centre and at Churchtown viage. Panning issues Sefton Counci's Unitary Deveopment Pan is currenty under review and the revised pan wi incorporate the transport strategy for Southport and integrate it with the and use proposas and poicies. Part of these revised strategies wi be the requirements imposed on new deveopments for transport assessments, green transport pans and, in some cases, contributions to transport infrastructure improvements. The proposed eisure deveopment at Ocean Paza and the mixed retai and commercia deveopment at Derby Road have aready been subject to these requirements. Externa rai inks Southport is we served by rai inks to south Sefton and Liverpoo (via Merseyrai Northern Line) and to Wigan and Manchester (via First North Western Trains). There is a ong-standing concern in the town, however, over the absence of rai inks to Ormskirk and Preston. Addressing this issue is a ong term goa and wi require the invovement and commitment of severa parties, incuding Raitrack, West Lancashire District Counci and Lancashire County Counci. Sefton is committed, however, to deveoping and improving cross-boundary inks as a basis for improving Southport's externa rai inks. Schoo Trave Pans The 'schoo run' is acknowedged by nationa Government as a significant transport management issue. One way of tacking this is to support the deveopment of schoo trave pans. In the Southport area, five schoos have aready started to deveop trave pans and these numbers wi increase over the ifetime of the LTP. Safety Improving the safety of a transport users, especiay road users, is an overarching principe appied throughout the Merseyside LTP. The rai station improvements and new bus station/interchange wi incude measures such as CCTV and ighting to assure passenger security. New road safety schemes for 2000/01 are proposed at the junctions of Lord Street West/Duke Street and Duke Street/Tabot Street. Road safety promotion, especiay in schoos, is an ongoing commitment of Sefton Counci. 82

47 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS St Heens St. Heens Town Centre has a Centre Manager who answers to the Town Centre Partnership Group consisting of representatives from business, St. Heens Coege and the Counci. The Town Centre Manager conducts reguar meetings with counci officers and other representatives to agree the way forward on issues such as signing, car parking and other transport reated matters in a working partnership arrangement. The proposas for the town centre improvement programme are shown in Figure 3.15 and described beow. TOWN CENTRE AREAS Core Pedestrianised Area Pedestrians are given priority; a vehicuar traffic is prohibited between and hours and ony servicing traffic is permitted outside these hours. Cyce parking faciities are provided on the edges of this area but cycists are prohibited from riding through many of these areas to avoid dangerous pedestrian/cyce conficts. Taxi ranks and designated disabed parking bays are provided on, or as cose to the edge of this area as possibe to assist those with mobiity impairment. Outer Core Area Pedestrians are sti given priority by widening footways / narrowing carriageways and prohibition ofvehicuar traffic between the hours of and However, buses, cyces and in some cases taxis, are permitted through the area at a times to maintain pubic transport penetration particuary for the edery and disabed. Access Ces Buses, taxis, cycists, servicing and access traffic, incuding car parking traffic is abe to gain access to the Town Centre from the Ring Road via these ces but ony buses/taxis/cycists can pass through the centre; a other through traffic is directed around the ring road. This minimises the amount of traffic inside the ring road, thereby minimising air poution and vehice/pedestrian conficts. Ring Road Anticipated competion by the end of June 2000, this road picks up a the radia routes coming into the Town Centre and particuary those passing right through (A58, A570). Through traffic is then directed around the centre with traffic requiring access abe to use the designated access ces. Some road crossing points have aready been provided to enabe pedestrians and cycists to get to and from the centre safey; further faciities are sti to be introduced. Residentia Areas There are over 800 dweings within the Town Centre and more residentia accommodation is being introduced through fat conversions above shops etc. The existing residentia areas are being supported through: (i) traffic caming of streets to stop 'ratrunning' which brings danger and poution. (ii) the introduction of residents parking, where necessary, to avoid abuse by commuters and protect space for residents. (iii) ensuring that suitabe, safe pedestrian and cyce routes ink these areas to the centre. Car Parks A series of improvements to the operation and condition of the car parks has been started, the overa number of parking spaces in the Town Centre (onstreet and off-street) has been capped and a number of ong-stay (commuter ) spaces have been converted to shopper spaces. PUBLIC TRANSPORT Bus A new staffed bus station has been buit recenty with a trave shop, CCTV surveiance and pubic toiets. A number of sections of highway within the centre are now restricted to bus/taxi ony which reduces deay and new, high quaity sheters have been introduced throughout the Centre. Rai Improvements are panned for St. Heens CentraStation which wi incude an extension of the Park and Ride faciities, improved access to the car park, improvements to the station buiding and an improved pedestrian ink between the rai station and the bus station. CONSERVATION AREAS The Town Centre contains one conservation area (Victoria Square ) which has recenty been pedestrianised and one proposed conservation area within which there are pans in the LTP to rationaise traffic fows and improve pedestrian amenity. MOBILITY IMPAIRED There is a free car park (18 spaces) specificay designated for the disabed and a further 15 designated on-street spaces with more to be introduced as the atest traffic and pedestrianisation work in the centre is competed. A shopmobiity scheme has now 85

48 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS Od Swan Od Swan is ocated on the A57 Prescot Road near its junction with Queens Drive and is an important District Centre for shops and other services. It suffers major congestion and environmenta intrusion as a resut of the considerabe amount of through traffic using the A57. The centre and adjacent junctions aso have high accident rates, many of these invoving pedestrians. The existing position and the proposed measures for Od Swan are shown in Figures 3.16 and 3.17 respectivey. The District Centres are an important part of the shopping provision for the City as outined in the UDP - The vitaity and viabiity of district centres wi be maintained and enhanced in order to secure the best access for a the city's residents to shopping and other reated faciities. The UDP recommends they shoud be enhanced by:- Environmenta Improvements, incuding the safety and security of pedestrians and the enhancement of open spaces. Improvements to the transport infrastructure - in particuar to passenger transport and cycing faciities. Od Swan is currenty we served by buses athough interchange between services is poor particuary between east/west and north/south movements. The Centre is accessibe by foot and bicyce but faciities need upgrading. The streetscape aso requires improvement and there is a genera ack of focus or identity for the centre. The Government's objective with regard to District Centre shopping is to sustain and enhance the vitaity and viabiity of existing centres, and to ensure the avaiabiity of a wide range of shopping opportunities to which peope have easy access. Od Swan District Centre is acknowedged as being in decine and in need of regeneration. In order to improve its vitaity and reduce environmenta intrusion major through traffic needs to be decreased with road space reaocated to provide quaity-integrated transport and better pedestrian inkages. In addition the Centre and Corridor review has highighted Od Swan as a potentia interchange ocation. In order to reduce through traffic and encourage other modes major improvements to pubic transport are sought, incuding enhancement and extension of bus anes, and a rapid transit system. The approach invoves directing traffic to the most appropriate route for the type of journey. In this corridor the A57 woud be prioritised for pubic transport and car traffic with oca needs whist the Edge Lane route woud serve as the main strategic ink for cars and freight. This redistribution of traffic to strategic routes woud be achieved by signing and other measures. Od Swan woud become a major interchange ocation between rapid transit and bus services. This woud be achieved by providing good quaity passenger stops and sheters, ceaned and maintained to a high standard, together with an information strategy and rea time information. Quaity Bus Partnerships with operators woud seek to provide for new fuy accessibe ow foor buses with ow emission engines and a vehices woud be maintained to very high standards. These measures as we as improving pubic transport patronage woud aso resut in greater use of Od Swan as an interchange with beneficia consequences for adjacent shops. Environmenta improvements to the streetscape woud improve the safety and security of pedestrians and cycists and improve the genera ambience of the centre. A reduction in traffic eves through the centre woud have benefits for the oca environment by improving air quaity and reducing noise eves making Od Swan a more attractive pace to visit and shop. Od Swan aso has a good exampe of integration between and use and transportation panning. A retai deveopment is proposed for the corner of St Oswad's Street and Prescot Road. The proposa aims to reduce the number of shoppers who trave outside the centre for their main food shopping. This woud hep to improve the viabiity of existing shops in the Centre. The deveopment's car park woud be avaiabe for visitors to the existing centre thus reducing the current probems caused by the ack of adequate off street parking provision. The number of spaces provided, however, woud be beow the City Councis guideines. This is desirabe given the District Centre ocation, the wak-in catchment area, ow car ownership and the improved pubic transport faciities proposed. Highway works designed to ensure pedestrians can move safey between the 87

49 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS Corridor A CORRIDOR A: LIVERPOOL - Boote/Crosby/ Formby/Southport Corridor A is a good demonstration of the great socia and economic contrasts found in Merseyside, extending from the highy urbanised areas of Liverpoo and Boote in the south to the suburban towns of Crosby, Formby and Ainsdae in the north of the corridor. The transport strategy for the corridor (shown in Figure 3.18) therefore needs to address these considerabe differences and make sure that the very different transport needs of the peope in the corridor are met. The basic principes underying the strategy for Corridor A are : to support economic regeneration, especiay in the south of the corridor; to manage transport demand and maximise the use of the existing transport network; to make pubic transport more attractive and increase its use; to increase the use of non-motorised forms of transport, i.e. cycing and waking; to improve pedestrian faciities within and access to oca district centres; to maintain and improve the environment. COMPONENTS OF THE STRATEGY Bus improvement corridors The A567 (Staney Road) from Liverpoo through Boote, the A565 through Wateroo, Crosby and up to Ainsdae and the B5422 (Gorsey Lane) to Netherton have been identified as bus improvement corridors. A package of bus priority measures, incuding bus anes in some ocations and seective vehice detection at key signacontroed junctions wi be provided through the LTP. These measures are designed to reduce bus journey times and improve reiabiity on these key routes. In addition, there wi be improvements to bus interchange faciities in Crosby and Netherton as part of the Merseyside wide interchange strategy. Raiway stations and park and ride The Merseyrai Northern Line is the pubic transport spine of Corridor A. Station upgrades and increased provision of park and ride spaces are proposed at Wateroo, Ha Road, Bundesands, Formby and Birkdae. Sandhis station forms a vita interchange between the Southport, Ormskirk and Kirkby ine services, and aso forms the hub for the 'Soccerbus' ink to the footba grounds. This service was triaed successfuy ast season and is seen as an increasingy important part of the footba match day strategy to reduce car borne trips in the corridor. Station upgrades and improved pedestrian inks are aso proposed at Seaforth and Litherand and Boote, Orie Road (part of the Boote strategy). These wi compement upgrades to the city centre stations and wi hep to increase the attractiveness of traveing by rai, especiay for commuters, and improve accessibiity and the eve of security (and perception of persona safety) at stations. Pathways Areas and Strategic Spatia Deveopment Areas (SSDAs) inks The corridor contains severa important economic regeneration areas, in particuar, the Atantic Avenue SSDA. Providing transport inks to these deveopment areas is vita to enabe oca peope, especiay in the more deprived North Liverpoo, Boote and Dunnings Bridge Pathways areas, to gain access to job opportunities. Estabishing and strengthening these inks are priorities for the waking, cycing and pubic transport components of the strategy. This is particuary important because of the reativey ow eves of car ownership in the Pathways areas. Freight management Freight movement, especiay road freight, is a major issue in the southern part of the corridor, particuary associated with Liverpoo docks and the Freeport. The Merseyside Freight Strategy has recommended the concentration of freight activity in certain areas and this coud have significant impications for the corridor. Competing the upgrade of Atantic Avenue (A565) in Liverpoo and improvements in freight route signing wi hep to address the issue in the short term. In the ong term, however, further measures wi be required and a detaied study of the existing freight route infrastructure wi be undertaken within this LTP period as a basis for deveoping onger term proposas. Traffic management The A565 through Crosby and the A5036 (Dunnings Bridge Road) experience some weekday peak hour congestion. The probem is worst at the Switch Isand junction (A5036/A59/M57/ M58). To address this probem the whoe junction is being remodeed, with Phase 1 competed and Phase 2 expected during the LTP period. Once Switch Isand is competed, the traffic signa contro system SCOOT wi be used to manage traffic fows aong the A5036. Two of the main junctions on the A565 wi aso be re-designed to improve traffic fow. Detrunking of the A565 wi give Sefton Counci greater opportunity for deveoping traffic management schemes aong this route. Competion of the A565 upgrade in 91

50 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS: CORRIDOR A Liverpoo and the introduction of SCOOT, wi be compemented by further capacity reaocation measures on parae routes incuding pedestrian and cycing measures to support redeveopment of the docks at the southern end of the corridor. In the densey popuated residentia areas in the south of the corridor, numerous traffic caming schemes have been competed and more are proposed, for exampe, in Wateroo. Cycing measures Encouraging peope to cyce instead of using their cars is an important contribution to reducing traffic and supporting more sustainabe means of transport. There are proposas for estabishing an extensive cyce network (particuary between Pathways areas and SSDAs) incuding the provision of more cyceways, marked advisory routes, signed advisory routes, advanced stop ines at junctions and a significant increase in cyce parking faciities in district centres and at transport interchanges. Pedestrian environment The district centres of the corridor are economicay and sociay important and we are seeking to enhance access to and within these areas for pedestrians. This wi incude measures to make the pedestrian environment both more attractive, enjoyabe and, above a, safe. These incude the provision of new pedestrian crossings, upgrading the urban footpath network, Phase 4 of the Crosby pedestrianisation and measures to reduce the effects of severance aong the A59 Scotand Road and aeviate the detrimenta effects the road has on the community of Vauxha. there is a risk of faiing to meet nationa air quaity objectives aong a the major roads in the corridor (A565, A5038, A5036, A5058, A5090). This means that they wi a be subject to more detaied assessment. If this sti shows a faiure to achieve the objectives, the oca authority wi have to decare an Air Quaity Management Area and prepare an Air Quaity Action Pan to improve air quaity. Panning issues Sefton Counci's Unitary Deveopment Pan is currenty under review and Liverpoo City Counci wi be commencing a review of theirs in the autumn. These revised pan's wi incorporate the LTP strategy and integrate it with the and use proposas and poicies. Part of these revised strategies wi be the requirements imposed on new deveopments for transport assessments, green transport pans and, in some cases, contributions to transport infrastructure improvements. Schoo Trave Pans The 'schoo run' is acknowedged by nationa Government as a significant transport management issue. One way of tacking this is to support the deveopment of schoo trave pans. In Corridor A, three schoos have aready started to deveop trave pans and these numbers wi increase over the ifetime of the LTP. Safety Improving the safety of a transport users, especiay road users, is an overarching principe appied throughout the Merseyside LTP. The rai station improvements wi incude measures such as CCTV and ighting to assure passenger security. A traffic management, cycing and pedestrian schemes wi incorporate measures to improve safety. Road safety promotion, especiay in schoos, is an ongoing commitment of both Liverpoo City and Sefton Councis. Air quaity assessment and management The review and assessment of air quaity, which is a ega requirement on a oca authorities, has shown that 92

51 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS Wirra Waterfront The Wirra Waterfront SSDA covers the main empoyment corridor aong the eastern coastine of Wirra, from New Brighton in the north, to Bromborough in the south. It comprises an area of hectares and serves and empoyment base of 35,000 peope. It contains 180 hectares (80%) of Wirra's empoyment and, 90% of which is brownfied. Contained within the SSDA are the whoe of the Hamiton Quarter (Wirra SRB1 area), the major part of Lairdside (SRB2), part of New Waasey (SRB3), the whoe of Birkenhead Town Centre and the Wirra Internationa Business Park (WIBP), which is one of the 11 Regiona Strategic Sites in the North West Regiona Deveopment Agency Regiona Strategy. The area therefore contains the major empoyment deveopment opportunities within Wirra, particuary concentrated at Lairdside, WIBP, and Wirra Dockands. The SSDA contains varied transport infrastructure. The main north-south movements are catered for by the A41 road, which is aso a SMART bus route serving Birkenhead, Rock Ferry, Bromborough and Eastham, and the Merseyrai Birkenhead-Chester rai ine. Both Mersey road tunne entrances are ocated within the SSDA, as are both Wirra's Mersey Ferry terminas. Birkenhead Centre contains the Borough's main bus station. Other areas within the SSDA are aso served by the Merseyrai West Kirby and New Brighton ines. The main transport probems are severance of the communities of Waasey and New Brighton due to the Docks; unnecessary through and ong distance traffic in Birkenhead Centre due to the ack of an adequate ring road; poor interchange faciities at Woodside, Hamiton Square and Conway Park Station/Birkenhead Bus Station; severance of the empoyment opportunity areas from Pathway areas by the A41; congestion on the A41 which is at or above practica capacity at peak times; and poor east-west inks form the SSDA. KEY STRATEGY ELEMENTS The transport initiatives outined in Figure 3.19 are designed to address these probems. The Moington Link Extension and associated viaduct works wi improve traffic circuation and hep to remove non-essentia traffic, particuary HGV's from the Town Centre; Variabe Message Signing (VMS) wi aid movement across the Docks, particuary foowing the deveopment of the Tweve Quays Ro-on Ro-off (Ro-Ro) termina; Pubic transport improvements wi increase the viabiity and attractiveness of more sustainabe modes, particuary the introduction of SMART 2 into Waasey area and the proposed interchange improvements; Pedestrian severance is addressed by schemes at Green Lane and the A41 roundabouts, and at Bromborough; Junction improvements on the A41 wi particuary aid bus and essentia freight movements; and The re-opening of the freight ink to Wirra Docks wi introduce a new freight mode and reduce some HGV movements. 95

52 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS Kirkby/Gimoss The Kirkby-Gimoss SSDA covers an area of around 900ha mainy zoned for industria/business use. It is ocated by junctions 4 and 5 of the M57 Motorway and has direct access onto the A580 East Lancashire Road. It ies party in Knowsey and party in Liverpoo, and incudes the Knowsey Industria and Business Parks to the east of the M57 and the Aintree and Gimoss Industria Estates to the west of the M57. This SSDA is home to many firms of nationa and internationa status, some ong-estabished in the area, others having arrived in recent years. Across the SSDA as a whoe, there is however, a considerabe area of and avaiabe for new deveopment to provide more empoyment It is recognised that for regeneration to be sustained, constant attention is required. For exampe, the Knowsey Industria Park Partnership Board has overseen regeneration in its area in recent years and continues to strive for the ongoing prosperity of the Park. It has been active in the deveopment and promotion of the schemes described in this section. The objective is to ensure that transport infrastructure: Supports the prosperity of existing firms, Heps attract new investment, eading to additiona empoyment opportunities. Is responsive to needs of the private sector as they are known now and as they emerge over the ife of the LTP. To achieve these aims, the foowing issues have been identified with appropriate schemes identified in the programme: 1. Opportunities for freight to be transported by rai are being expoited. A new rai termina is under construction with the prospect of further extensions. The objectives are to minimise the number of HGVs on the road, and to widen the ogistics choices for firms in the area. 2. Most freight and goods wi sti trave by road, so access to the strategic highway network must be of high quaity and sufficient capacity. Schemes are incuded in the programme to safeguard this position. 3. Two new junctions on A580 East Lancashire Road, (one under construction and one proposed) wi open up additiona areas of and for deveopment 4. Access by pubic transport from the surrounding Pathways areas is to be improved with Bus priority measures, a new SMART route, an ECO bus feeder into the estate, and ine 1 of the LRT 97

53 INTEGRATED LAND USE AND TRANSPORT PLANNING It is essentia that transport panning is cosey integrated with and use panning to ensure that we promote more sustainabe communities where access is improved for a in the community. Through and use panning the Partners have the opportunity to: reduce the demand for trave and encourage more sustainabe ifestyes by ocating new deveopments at accessibe ocations, or cose to pubic transport, waking and cycing routes; and encourage the deveopment of a sustainabe transport network THE STRATEGY FOR MERSEYSIDE The underying principe for Merseyside is its regeneration in a sustainabe and incusive way. The strategy adopted to deiver this is based on a hierarchy of discrete, yet compementary, eements: Primariy to focus on the regeneration of Liverpoo City Centre as the main economic engine of Merseyside. This wi generate a cascade of positive benefits throughout the Mersey region. This hierarchia approach, as shown in Figure 3.21, is fundamenta to both making best use of existing assets and faciities, and achieving the eve of regeneration which Merseyside is striving for. Merseyside s strategy, therefore, is based on the aignment of transport panning and and use issues, achieved through integrated design and panning soutions offering rea aternatives to car trave to, within and from these targetted areas (see the exampes for the city centre, Southport town centre and Od Swan district centre contained in Integrated Design Soutions ). Simiary, the strategy and programme of schemes proposed in the 5 Year Pan and the 10 Year Strategy have been devised with a view to impement the high quaity pubic transport measures in years 1 to 5, ie, putting in pace the aternatives, with years 6 to 10 then focussing on the demand management measures. It is within years 6 to 10 that many of the strategic Park & Ride sites wi be impemented, however, issues of securing and and appropriate and use zoning wi be required in earier years to ensure compatibiity with the five UDPs. CONSULTATION FEEDBACK Pubic consutation showed that: Counci s is shorty to be adopted. Reviews of the UDPs are now 'on hod' pending the production of revised Regiona Panning Guidance (RPG). The LTP pays regard to the draft RPG (incuding the draft Regiona Transport Strategy), athough the RPG wi ony be at the pubic consutation stage by the time of the submission of the LTP. In addition, the Merseyside oca authorities, in association with Haton Borough Counci, have produced 'the Strategic Panning Framework for Greater Merseyside ' to assist in the review of the authorities' UDPs and aso to feed into the deveopment of the RPG. The 'Strategic Panning Framework' supports the objectives and the priorities of the LTP. At present the Merseyside oca authorities have decided against the production of Interim Transport Panning Statements (specia Suppementary Panning Guidance). The view has been taken that the LTP wi, as a statutory document subject to the progression of the Transport Bi, act as an interim statement of the partners transport poicy. Ceary the oca authorities wi monitor this situation with particuar reference to the progress of Panning Poicy Guidance Note 13 (PPG13), the RPG and their UDPs. OPPORTUNITIES A focus on the existing town and oca district centres across Merseyside, with the aim of reinforcing and supporting their roes within the oca communities, through site-specific packages of integrated transport measures. The deveopment of the Strategic Spatia Deveopment Areas (SSDAs) and Pathway areas which offer the potentia for concentrated areas of economic regeneration and new empoyment opportunities. Peope ike to ive in and visit environmentay attractive urban areas; Businesses ike to ocate in areas offering a high quaity urban environment; and A better and more baanced mix of transport choices shoud be provided, to reduce car dependency and use. THE STRATEGY FRAMEWORK The four oca authorities have a adopted their Unitary Deveopment Pans (UDPs), and Liverpoo City The and use panning system wi pay an increasingy important roe in ensuring that the partners hep improve accessibiity for a whist fostering ess car dependent ifestyes. Land use panning aso pays a major roe in heping to increase socia incusion by ocating a new residentia deveopment cose to existing we served pubic transport routes as we as providing a better diversity of services within an area. Many of the socia excusion probems faced by disadvantaged groups (isoation of edery and young 99

54 INTEGRATED LAND USE AND TRANSPORT PLANNING peope for exampe) are deepy rooted in the way we have structured the urban area. We need to foster more sustainabe and equitabe communities. This poicy has the added benefit of ensuring that we make the best use of the existing transport network of the area. THE LOCATION OF DEVELOPMENT Within the UDP reviews, the oca authorities wi each encourage the foowing and use priorities in order to meet the LTP Objectives: Use of Brownfied Land: The majority of deveopment opportunities identified within the UDPs concentrate new deveopment on brownfied and (previousy used and) sites within existing urban areas which are often cose to existing main road and pubic transport corridors. This wi hep to ensure that trave and freight movement demand generated by new deveopments are we catered for. Specia emphasis wi be paced on ensuring that a new major deveopment is ocated at accessibe ocations on the Merseyside Core Bus Route Network or at key transport interchanges. Inner urban areas often offer the best opportunities for this type of new deveopment. Presumption against further edge of town deveopment: In order to encourage ess car dependent ifestyes the Merseyside oca authorities wi pursue poicies which discourage new deveopment (residentia, commercia, retai and industria) from ocating at sites on the edge of the urban area. Deveopment wi instead be encouraged to ocate at sites within the heart of the urban area, and wi maximise accessibiity to the whoe community. Increasing urban densities: More compact urban densities and higher residentia densities wi pay a major roe in heping to foster ess car dependent ifestyes. Where possibe we need to deiver higher density residentia deveopment at ocations or on sites we served by the existing Core Pubic Transport Network. Higher urban densities can aso support a richer and more diverse range of faciities for oca communities heping to improve choice and the quaity of ife for a in the community. Promotion of more mixed use deveopment: and use and transport poicies wi seek to foster the deveopment of more mixed use deveopments. Cosey tied in with the need to increase urban densities, a better mix of compementary and uses in order to reduce the need for communities to trave for key services, shopping and empoyment opportunities. Such deveopments shoud be panned in ine with the adopted Road User Hierarchy so that pedestrians, cycists and pubic transport have priority over the car. The UDPs wi consider the promotion of the 'Urban Viage' concept to hep meet the above objectives. Strengthening the roe of existing urban centres: A key eement of the LTP and UDPs is to further enhance the attractiveness and vitaity of existing urban centres across Merseyside, in ine with PPG 6 and draft PPG 13. Concentrating deveopment and regeneration activity in the existing urban centres can therefore encourage the use of sustainabe forms of transport. It aso pays a major roe in heping to increase socia incusion as centray ocated services are easier to access than those ocated on edge of urban area car dependent ocations. Key transport investment priorities wi be to improve pubic transport inks to the centres and improve the environmenta quaity in the centres (incuding better traffic management, improved air quaity and greater priority to pedestrians and cycists). Promotion of Car-Free Deveopments: Car free deveopments can pay an increasing roe in heping to foster ess car dependent ifestyes. This type of deveopment can pay an important roe in the regeneration of the existing urban centres, especiay Liverpoo City Centre. The City Counci wi work with deveopers to bring forward proposas to create more car-free high density residentia deveopment within the City Centre. Car-free deveopments work we where quaity aternatives (pedestrian, cycing and pubic transport services, and in particuar, car-share cubs) are in pace. 100

55 INTEGRATED LAND USE AND TRANSPORT PLANNING ADDRESSING THE TRAVEL DEMAND OF NEW DEVELOPMENT As panning authorities, the oca authority partners are responsibe for ensuring that the trave demands of deveopment are met in as safe and sustainabe a manner as possibe. For major deveopments, transport assessments (TAs) - as proposed in draft PPG13 - wi be required which wi examine the potentia for the trave demand to be met by, in order, waking, cycing, pubic transport and private car - and identify the measures required to achieve this. Hence, rather than the simpe provision of car parking to meet the trave demand, deveopments wi be required to: Incude measures which promote waking, cycing and pubic transport use; Consider the adoption of green commuter and trave pans; Support identified measures which wi hep meet the trave demand in accord with the LTPs objectives Provide car parking taking account of the above and the adopted maximum parking standards. Accessibiity profiing criteria wi be deveoped to assist the above process (see aso 'Demand Management'). THE IMPLICATIONS OF TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE In reviewing the UDPs, the Partners wi pay particuar regard to the foowing eements of the transportation strategy, particuary in reation to: Locating deveopment within a sustainabe transport network; Seeking deveoper contributions towards measures which wi address the trave demand of deveopments Pubic Transport Interchanges Traffic Management, incuding Bus Priorities (Draft PPG 13 advocates that routes subject to traffic management proposas and bus priorities shoud be indicated in UDPs). Cycing and Waking Strategies (routes and faciities shoud be incuded in UDPs as we as adopted cyce parking standards). Quaity Bus Partnerships and Contracts (Contracts may specify routes which coud have and use impications in terms of preferred ocations for deveopment.) Quaity Freight Partnerships (Coud have significant and use impications for UDP's in terms of routes, transfer to rai, safeguarding and for inter-moda sites, air quaity and noise poution) Parking Strategy (As part of Demand Management, to cover strategy, contros and charges) Major Schemes (Major schemes have obvious UDP impications in terms of safeguarding and) Road User and Workpace Parking Charges (Land use impications wi be indicated in UDPs) Road User Priorities and Road Space Re-aocation (Again this is advocated in PPG 13 for incusion in UDPs) Park & Ride sites, as part of the countywide strategy. heping to reduce the impact that transport has on communities across Merseyside. In particuar, consideration wi be given to issues of noise, visua intrusion and physica severance both of new infrastructure as we as the existing transport network. Safeguarding and for transport infrastructure; In addition, and use panning and deveopment contro powers of oca authorities wi pay an important roe in 101

56 ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL The Loca Transport Pan aims to: Ensure the needs of a the community are met deveop a fuy accessibe transport network A fuy accessibe pubic transport network wi be better for the whoe community. Everyone wi find that traveing becomes easier and more convenient. For a significant group of peope, this wi transform their ives. It wi mean that they can go paces, do things and be independent in ways that they coud never do before. This wi in turn benefit empoyers, community groups and other pubic services. Initiatives to ensure that the needs of a the community are met incude Shopmobiity and Merseyside Community Transport which has been estabished to hep identify and meet the demand which woud otherwise be ignored. In promoting accessibiity for a the partners recognise the need to meet the requirements of the Disabiity Discrimination Act to ensure that the rights of everyone to use the transport network are met. MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL THE COMMUNITY MERSEYSIDE COMMUNITY TRANSPORT Merseytrave has faciitated the deveopment of Merseyside Community Transport (MCT) as a company imited by guarantee and with a remit to deveop ocay based transport soutions at a community eve. Community transport is a vauabe too with which to tacke economic and socia probems in oca communities. Community transport, as a community ed activity, often makes effective and imaginative uses of various forms of avaiabe and imited resources, paying particuar attention to their passengers and serving oca needs. Detaied research taken within the designated Pathways areas in Merseyside has shown a arge measure of demand for ocay based schemes to address particuar oca issues. Despite a significant pubic transport network throughout Merseyside, particuar shortcomings in the needs it can meet have been identified throughout the area. The groups affected by these shortcomings are generay some of the most vunerabe in society. Without soutions to these transport gaps being deveoped, these individuas wi miss out on opportunities to improve their financia position, their heath and their quaity of ife. MCT recognises the need for oca communities to be invoved in deveoping and promoting the soutions to their own transport probems. Dispersed job and training opportunities in areas not served by adequate pubic transport make them impossibe to access by peope who do not have their own transport. This means that some individuas may be barred from obtaining the skis they need to move through the intermediate abour market, it aso means empoyers may not achieve the workforce they wish, oca faciities wi not receive the custom they require and the deveopment of new businesses and new community groups wi be hed back. In Merseyside, as in other parts of the UK, the existing community transport activity concentrates on the traditiona roe of group hire and transport provision focussed on the needs of the edery and disabed. These services wi aways be required of course but a broader view of transport probems affecting the wider community, incuding the unempoyed and younger individuas needs to be taken. MCT is now invoved in seeking new forms of soutions and bringing these about. Estabished community transport 103

57 ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL projects are being encouraged to broaden their view and their range of services. The roe envisaged for them is something new and wi require assistance and resources to undertake the significant proactive deveopment of these new areas of provision. A community transport operator's forum has been estabished by MCT to encourage and promote new ideas and deveopments in the provision of their services. The forum wi aso deveop quaity standards in Community Transport (CT) training and service provision to ensure communities are getting best possibe service. New and innovative transport inks wi be deveoped within the communities to provide access to empoyment opportunities, which are often away from existing centres and often work 24 hours with short shift working, much of which is targeted at women. These inks wi be provided by fuy accessibe vehices driven by trained vounteer drivers from within the communities they are serving. Simiar services wi be provided to training opportunities outside the oca area, giving a wider choice to individuas wishing to access them in order to improve their empoyment prospects. Training opportunities that aready exist in some of the projects wi be deveoped to provide the training and support that wi ead to improved empoyment prospects for individuas, training such as minibus driver training, vehice maintenance, customer care and transport operation wi give individuas the confidence and abiity to enter the empoyment market. MCT wi co-ordinate CT services by the introduction of a centraised booking service so that vehice downtime can be identified and used to provide services to other areas, thereby making fu use of resources that have never reached their fu potentia. A centra purchasing unit is aso being deveoped so that projects wi be abe to benefit from buk buying and the money saved can be used to provide improvements and extensions to their services. A new project in the Netherton area of Liverpoo wi refect many of the points raised beow. The project has grown from an idea to a compete scheme and now provides a vauabe service to the oca community. The project is run by a management committee made up of oca peope who know the transport needs of the area and want to do something about meeting them. The project is providing transport services to empoyment and training as we as transport for community groups to aow them to widen the range of options to their members. The project has attracted 30 vounteers, most of whom have never done any other vountary work. Vounteers are being trained through the project in the areas of safe minibus driving, customer care, disabiity awareness and first aid. There is a rea sense of ownership of the scheme by the oca community because they have been invoved in its panning, 104

58 ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL deveopment and estabishment and are now invoved in its operation. SHOPMOBILITY Increasing numbers of towns and cities across the country are introducing Shopmobiity schemes. Merseyside has been in the forefront of deveoping these schemes with its residents and visitors aready benefiting from a network of Shopmobiity schemes. Shopmobiity schemes form a vita part of a baanced package of measures aimed at improving accessibiity within our town and city centres for mobiity impaired peope. It is a service designed to meet the access and mobiity needs of disabed or oder visitors, whether traveing by pubic transport or by car. These schemes which are usuay ocated in Shopping Centres, end manua and powered Wheechairs and Scooters to peope who cannot wak, or cannot wak very far. The mobiity aid a person borrows enabes them to conduct business or go shopping typicay within a 2-mie radius of the Shopmobiity unit. The great advantage of Shopmobiity schemes is that they give peope a great dea of independence. Shopmobiity is avaiabe to anyone, young or od, no matter whether their mobiity impairment is temporary or permanent, or caused by iness accident or ageing. There is cear evidence that Shopmobiity schemes do generate wecome additiona economic activity in town and city centres that have schemes. In a report by the British Counci of Shopping Centres, peope using Shopmobiity schemes spend more on average per visit than the nationa average. Furthermore 30% of Shopmobiity users shopped more than once per week. 61% brought a companion who aso shopped and a further 15% brought 2 more peope with them. Research suggests that Shopmobiity generates oca trade and that the absence of Shopmobiity means a oss of business to the town centres or, indeed, a gain by a competing town. There is another good reason why Shopmobiity shoud be promoted and encouraged. The popuations of most western countries are becoming oder. In Merseyside there are number of Shopmobiity schemes principay run by the community / vountary sector. Dedicated fu time Shopmobiity schemes are currenty operating in Liverpoo City Centre (Cayton Square Shopping Centre - run by MCVS), Birkenhead and Waasey town centres (run by the Wirra Association for Disabed Peope). A new scheme is panned to open in St. Heens in the Autumn of In addition two new permanent schemes are due to open in This incudes a new scheme in Southport operated by a vountary organisation caed Sefton Carers. In addition MCVS operate a mobie Shopmobiity unit which visits key secondary centres across Merseyside at set days during the week. The mobie unit visits the foowing centres: Monday:- Asda Hunts Cross ; Tuesday: - Bee Vae Shopping Centre; Wednesday: - Kings Dock Car park, Abert Dock Compex, Liverpoo. Thursday:- Bee Vae Shopping Centre; and Friday:- Kirkby Market. Over the next coupe of years MCVS are keen to aunch a new Shopmobiity scheme to serve communities in the Toxteth and Dinge areas of Liverpoo. The scheme wi be aunched in cose partnership with oca community groups and wi have to refect the rich mix of cutura, reigious and racia backgrounds in these areas. VIEWS OF SHOPMOBILITY USERS. Mr Jarrod is a reguary and committed user the Shopmobiity scheme at east once per week, using Merseyink to trave to and from the City Centre. He says: "Merseyink and Shopmobiity give me the independence to visit town without having to rey on friends and famiy. As I have been a member for of the scheme a number of years now, I actuay hep train new vounteers for the Trave Companion scheme. Shopmobiity is a "must" in the new Loca Transport Pan" Mary Roberts is another reguar weeky user of the scheme. Again she traves to the scheme by Merseyink and makes reguar use of the Trave Companions. She says: "Shopmobiity is great it is a rea 105

59 ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL hep. I cannot use the eectric scooters therefore the Trave Companions are essentia." John and Aen are currenty competing their GNVQ Care Studies course through the MCVS, and spend approximatey one day per week as Trave Companions. John said:-"the course has reay opened my eyes to the rea benefits Shopmobiity gives peope. You can reay see them pick up when they come to the Centre. Athough the scheme is good there is sti much to do to make the City Centre more accessibe. For exampe whist dropped kerbs have been introduced there are sti some important crossings that sti do not have dropped kerbs, so the Loca Transport Pan wi need to isten and take note of rea peope's concerns." A FULLY ACCESSIBLE TRANSPORT NETWORK MERSEYSIDE CODE OF PRACTICE ON ACCESS AND MOBILITY The Partner Authorities in consutation with the oca disabed peope's groups have together pubished a 'Code of Practice on Access and Mobiity', and have adopted it as suppementary panning guidance. The Code of Practice, which is intended for the guidance of deveopers and Loca Authority service providers, gives good practice and egisation standards covering panning, buiding highways and transport issues. It is avaiabe on CD-ROM and on request in other formats. MERSEYTRAVEL'S ACCESS STRATEGY Merseytrave has deveoped a Pubic Transport Access Strategy which aims to deveop a fuy accessibe pubic transport system in Merseyside. Access improvements wi provide specific benefits to a wide range of pubic transport users. These users incude: Peope with waking difficuties Peope who use wheechairs or other mobiity aids Peope with restricted vision (both bind peope and those who are partiay sighted) Peope with restricted hearing (both deaf peope and those who are hard of hearing) Peope who have difficuty communicating Peope who have earning difficuties Peope with physica and menta heath probems Peope of arge or sma stature Peope who are frai or have restricted stamina Peope who are encumbered with uggage, buggies or prams Peope with sma chidren Peope who do not fee confident or secure using pubic transport Peope with mutipe disabiities. Tabe 3.11 opposite identifies some of the issues which wi be taken into account in the design of transport services. In addition to the service provisions isted in the Merseytrave Access Strategy. Merseytrave has commissioned a number of fuy accessibe bus stations, and identified the provision of a number of new accessibe raiway stations, and the refurbishment of existing stations to make them accessibe. Merseyrai trains have spaces for passengers using wheechairs, and First North Western trains are being equipped with ramps for heping passengers board and aight. The provision of Merseyrai Eectric's trains with ramps is being investigated. Major stations and bus stations have accessibe toiets. Information is made avaiabe in other formats for bind and partiay sighted peope. Teephone contact ines are equipped with Minicoms, and enquiry offices with Induction Loops. A number of staff have received basic British Sign Language training. Information is circuated directy to disabed peopes' organisations and information centres. Merseytrave won a "See it Right Award" from the Roya Nationa Institute for the Bind in Disabiity awareness training is incuded in the induction course for new empoyees in the Partner organisations. Additionay, a programme of Disabiity Awareness training courses for a its staff is in train, to update and revise their knowedge. 106

60 ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL ONGOING CONSULTATION ARRANGEMENTS Each of the five Districts, in conjunction with Merseytrave, consut their oca access groups and disabed peopes' organisations on a reguar basis to hep ensure that issues are brought to the attention of the Partners. For exampe the Merseytrave Advisory Panes, meet in each of the five Districts to discuss oca transport issues, incuding access to the transport, with oca residents. Merseytrave aso hosts a Merseyside Women's Forum, which has a number of co-opted disabed Members and a Transport Access Pane whose coopted members are drawn from disabed peopes' organisations across Merseyside. The provision of accessibe pubic transport wi grow so that an increasing number and proportion of trips by the disabed can be made spontaneousy. 107

61 IMPROVING SAFETY The safety of peope as they use the transport network is of paramount importance. The Loca Authorities and Poice have deveoped a Road Safety Strategy for Merseyside, which: Describes the nature and size of the probem of Road Casuaties Sets Loca Targets for Casuaty reduction in the context of Nationa Targets incuding specific Targets to reduce injuries to Chidren Provides a Pan of Action for the Partners and other Agencies Creates a framework for Monitoring Identifies and encourages Partnership working throughout the process A ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY FOR ALL MERSEYSIDE The five Highway Authorities and Poice, have worked together, to produce the foowing Road Safety Strategy for the whoe area of Merseyside. Many other organisations and individuas have aso payed a part in its preparation, particuary through consutation on the Loca Transport Pan. These are discussed ater, because the partnerships and reationships so formed are expected to pay a significant roe in future actions to deiver the pan. THE CURRENT PROBLEM In 1999, there were 9,957 casuaties in traffic accidents recorded by the Poice on the roads of Merseyside. At this scae of probem, the ives of most peope in the area wi have been affected directy or indirecty by a road accident in recent years, with effects ranging from disruption and trauma through to serious injury or death. There is extensive information coected by the Poice about each accident in which someone is recorded as being kied or injured. The study of these facts provides an understanding of the trends and characteristics in Merseyside, and how these compare with other areas. Tabe 3.12 compares the average annua number of casuaties for the period and the base period. In 1987, the oca authorities on Merseyside supported Centra Government's target for a reduction of one-third in the number of casuaties. As shown in Tabe 3.12, there has been a decrease of this order in respect of the number of casuaties kied and seriousy injured. However, there has been an accompanying increase of 50% in the number of casuaties reporting minor injuries. The overa increase in 'sight' injuries is entirey accounted for by an increase of amost 200% in one sector, namey: occupants of cars who have reported injury in muti-vehice coisions. Research by TRL, sponsored by the North West Regiona Road Safety Group has shown that there are parts of Merseyside and Greater Manchester which have been particuary affected by increases in this kind of casuaty, to a greater extent than esewhere in the Country. COMPARISON WITH ELSEWHERE A comparison is made in Tabe 3.13 of casuaty rates per 100,000 popuation between Merseyside, the North West Metropoitan Areas across the Country (exc London) and Great Britain as a whoe. The above tabe demonstrates (row 3) a substantia increase in the rate of sight casuaties compared with the wider areas. 109

62 IMPROVING SAFETY However, it aso shows in row 2 that the rate of fata and serious casuaties is ower than in other parts of the country in both the origina base period 81 to 85 and the review period of 94 to 98. Other points to note are (from row 4) that athough the rate of chid pedestrian casuaties in Merseyside has faen, it is sti higher than in the wider areas. Aso shown is a rapid increase in the rate of chid 'in-vehice' casuaties (row 5). Taking these two together paces Merseyside high in priority for chid casuaties and in consequence further investigation is being made. CHILD CASUALTIES Figure 3.10 shows the distribution of chid casuaties across Merseyside as either pedestrian or vehice occupants. This shows a disproportionatey high number of chid pedestrian casuaties occurring in Pathways areas which are the paces of greatest deprivation. Not surprisingy the 'in-vehice' chid casuaties are more widey distributed. Further anaysis of the accident records has confirmed that younger chidren are more ikey to be hidden from view by vehices (masked) and that a much higher proportion of such casuaties occur on residentia roads rather than the main road network. NEW NATIONAL CASUALTY REDUCTION TARGETS In March 2000 the Government s Road Safety Strategy Review - Tomorrows Roads - Safer For Everyone announced a series of new 10 year targets for the reduction of road accident casuaty rates. By the year 2010 the foowing improvements are proposed compared to the revised base period of 1994 to 1998: (see Tabe 3.17) reduction of 40% in the number of peope kied or seriousy injured; together with a reduction of 50% in the number of chidren kied or seriousy injured a reduction of 10% in the sight injured casuaty rate (per 100 miion vehice kiometres) These new nationa targets are even more chaenging than those set in the 'Saving Lives: Our Heathier Nation' White Paper which seeks a 20% reduction in the rate of road accidents by 2010, athough they ceary move in the same direction. NEW MERSEYSIDE CASUALTY REDUCTION TARGETS The reativey ow rate of serious and fata casuaties suggests that the new targets wi present a particuar chaenge on Merseyside. Therefore the partners beieve that the new Nationa Targets are appropriatey onerous and shoud be adopted. In addition, a further target is proposed to strengthen the focus on chid pedestrian casuaties for: a reduction of 20% in the number of chidren pedestrian casuaties suffering minor injuries The partners have noted that they are unabe to undertake a strict interpretation of the Government s target for the reduction in the rate of sight casuaties per 100 miion vehice kiometres because there are no reiabe figures for vehice kiometres traveed on non-principa roads, and the casuaty rate as per the target, for principa roads. For now, on Merseyside it is proposed simpy to monitor the tota number of sight casuaties on non-principa roads, the effect of a 10% reduction being shown in Tabe ROAD SAFETY - WIDER VIEWS Issues reating to Road Safety arose during each stage of the Pubic Consutation with responses via Questionnaires, Focus Groups and representative samping through the Citizen's panes. The views expressed were as foows: The need to improve road safety and 110

63 IMPROVING SAFETY eves of security across the transport network. Over 80% were concerned about the speed of traffic and this was by far the highest priority road safety issue identified. Strong support for Traffic Caming in the vicinity of Schoos and residentia areas The need to improve waking and cycing routes, especiay their safety. HEALTH The Directors of Pubic Heath for Merseyside, in their Annua Report 1999,noted that between 1995 and 1997, 33% of a mae deaths were transport-reated. This was the argest cause of death among maes as a whoe. In the same period 20% of a femae deaths were transport-reated. This was referred to in the Heath Impact Assessment of the Merseyside Loca Transport Pan, which made a number of recommendation to reduce accidents and improve safety, summarised as foows: Need to segregate cycists and pedestrians from other road traffic where possibe in reation to drink-driving. A bid shoud be submitted for HAZ funding to extend accident inteigence. PLAN OF ACTION The Road Safety Strategy provides the framework for a Pan of Action in the Business Pans of the Loca Authority Partners, the Poice, and many other Agencies who address Road Safety Issues. LOCAL AUTHORITIES There is direct action by the LAs as Highway and Panning Authorities on a range of poicy areas incuded here and esewhere in the LTP: Accident Anaysis Education Training and Pubicity Loca Safety Schemes Traffic Caming and areas of Urban Safety management, Safety Audit of a highway schemes UDP poicies requiring safety measures to be incorporated within new deveopments Waking strategy POLICE Operationa traffic safety and accident scene management Data Coection and Anaysis Targeted Enforcement ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION, TRAINING & PUBLICITY STRATEGY (ETP) Whist supporting the Nationa campaigns aunched by the DETR, ocaised Education, Training and Pubicity programmes are deveoped using oca accident data. They take account of changes in trends and target groups, together with revisions in teaching and training methodoogies to continuay check and monitor the effectiveness of existing ETP programmes. Significant resources continue to be devoted to faciitating Education, Training and Pubicity initiatives within Merseyside, with 20.5 fu time staff dedicated to deveoping both contemporary and effective oca ETP programmes which amount to approximatey 110,000 annuay. ETP DEVELOPMENT & DELIVERY - LOCAL PROGRAMMING The poorest fifth of the popuation have the highest risk of death or injury from road traffic, and traffic caming schemes shoud be targeted to take this into account. High-quaity cyce-training shoud be promoted for aduts Accident prevention shoud be targeted at young men aged for whom road traffic accidents are a major cause of death and disabiity The Merseyside Transport Heath and Environment Forum shoud work with the Merseyside Heath Action Zone (HAZ) and Merseyside Poice to reduce acoho consumption on pubic transport and Cycing strategy Motorcycing strategy Economic Regeneration & Trave to work pans Trave to schoo pans incuding 'Safer Routes' Other areas of LA responsibiity with important safety inks, incuding: Education Socia Services Licensing Leisure Heath Improvement Pans A wide variety of campaigns are aimed specificay at chidren, incuding chid pedestrian training, cyce training and interactive presentations and the deveopment of curricuum based activities within Primary and Secondary Schoos remain a common thread throughout Merseyside. There are aso a number of campaigns which are directed at a variety of age groups and road users. In addition to the key ETP themes identified beow, a five year pan is identified within the Technica Appendix. Pedestrian training is being undertaken by an increasing number of young chidren on Merseyside, which is normay introduced either as a stand- 111

64 IMPROVING SAFETY Tabe 3.12 : Casuaty Reduction Targets - Past Performance Average Annua Target 2001(1/3 reduction) Actua Annua Performance: Actua Change Casuaties 1981 to 1985 Annua casuaties Casuaties in Casuaty to Kied & Serious % Sight % A Casuaties % Car Occupant casuaties reporting minor injuries % in muti-vehice accidents Tabe 3.13 ; Casuaty Rates, Merseyside & Esewhere GB Mets NW M/side 1 A Casuaties av av Fata and Serious Casuaties av av Sight Casuaties av av Fig 3.22 : Chid Casuaty Data 4 Chid Pedestrian Casuaties av av Chid 'In-vehice' Casuaties av av Adut Pedestrian Casuaties av av Adut 'In-vehice' Casuaties av av Tabe 3.14 : Casuaty Reduction Targets - Future Targets Target Target Target Target Tota Casuaties 9622 mean 2005(%) 2005(No.) 2010(%) 2010(No.) A Fata & Serious Casuaties % % 500 Chid KSI % % 99 Adut KSI 636 A Sight Casuaties % % 879 Chid Sight 1391 Adut Sight 7408 Sight casuaties per 100miion % % 87.7 veh kms on Principa roads Sight casuaties on % % 3533 non-principa roads Chid pedestrian % % 364 casuaties (a severities) 112

65 IMPROVING SAFETY Tabe SCA Funded Loca Safety Schemes Impemented 1992 to 1999 Type of Scheme No. of Schemes Tota Annua Average Accident Tota Cost of FYRR Annua Av. Reduction (Up to 3 Years After) Schemes ( ) (%) * Rate of Return* No. % (Up to 3 Yrs After) % Peican Crossings ,193, Junction Improvement ,451, (non traffic signa) New Traffic Signas ,053, Improvements to Existing ,388, Traffic Signas Improvements to Existing , Pedestrian Faciities Traffic Caming ,800, Anti-skid Treatment , Bend Definition , Red ight/speed Camera , Lighting Improvement ,800 1,522 1,336 Signs & Carriageway ,000 1, Markings Other , A Schemes ,181, Tabe 3.16 : Proposed Programme /02 Type of scheme Estimated Expenditure New Pedestrian Crossings 312k Junction Improvement (non traffic signa) 641k New Traffic Signas 275k Improvements to Existing Traffic Signas 363k Improvements to Existing Pedestrian Faciities 75k Traffic Caming 471k Anti-skid Treatment 112k Bend Definition 17k Red ight / Speed Camera 65k Lighting Improvement 17k Signs & Carriageway Markings 40k Other 12k Tota 2.4 M Tabe 3.17 : Casuaty Severity of Pedestrians & Vehice Occupants Apart from pedestrians, figures are for vehice occupants (passengers/drivers/riders) A Kied/Serious (KSI) Sight Car, Van, Taxi (CVT) (36.1%)31329 (71.3%) Pedestrian (42.1%)5850 (13.3%) Motor Cycist (M/C) (9.6%)1221 (2.8%) Peda Cycist (P/C) (9.1%)2594 (5.9%) Heavy Goods Vehice (HGV) (0.6%)293 (0.7%) Bus or Coach (PSV) (1.6%)2186 (4.9%) Other Motor / Non-Motor Vehice (0.6%)229 (0.5%) Minibus / Motor Caravan (MBS) (0.3%)250 (0.6%) A Casuaties (100.0%)43952 (100.0%) CVT Comprises: Car (33.5%)28905 (65.8%) Taxi (1.4%)1740 (4.0%) Light Goods Van (1.2%)684 (1.6%) 113

66 IMPROVING SAFETY aone activity, as part of a arger "Trave To Schoo" initiative or as the ETP eement of a oca engineering scheme. Trave To Schoo (Safer Routes To Schoo) schemes are beginning to feature heaviy in oca road safety ETP panned programmes. Existing schemes have attracted nationa recognition, whist deveoping schemes are embracing a hoistic approach and breaking new ground in terms of community consutation, invovement and ownership. Partnerships with Head Teachers, Governors, parents and pupis are recognised as imperative in deveoping workabe Schoo Trave Pans which not ony resut in moda shift, but aso reduces Persona Injury Accidents at the same time. In addition to changes in the physica ayout adjacent to the schoos invoved, each Road Safety Team deivers carefuy designed and targeted workshop sessions and other curricuum-based activities at Primary and Secondary Schoos. Initiatives range from pre-schoo parenting packs produced in partnership with the Regiona Heath Authorities to essentia pre-driver training. Cyce training is aso on the increase across Merseyside as a resut of Road Safety Officers activey promoting cyce use. In a move away from tradition, cyce training is no onger confined to schoos but now takes pace a year round at a variety of ocations, often carried out in partnership with other Loca Authority departments and outside agencies. Car Offenders Project: Merseyside's Road Safety Teams have, in partnership with the Merseyside Poice and Hospita A&E consutants, payed a crucia roe in the creation and deivery of the Probation Service's COP (Car Offenders Project) programme. The aim of the scheme is to chaenge and change the attitudes and behaviour of the offenders. The initiative has been a major success - recidivism after a custodia sentence for this type of offence is usuay over 90% - the COP programme achieves a rate of 35%. Given that peope who drive iegay are 200 times more ikey to be invoved in a road accident than are ega drivers, the continued success of this scheme wi continue to have a major impact on road safety and on wider issues of citizenship and crime. Fit-Safe Sit-Safe scheme aimed at persuading parents to purchase suitabe chid and baby restraints has been particuary successfu. The extensivey promoted scheme has aowed thousands of parents to fee reassured that their choice of chid-seat or carrycot has been propery fitted. Nationa DETR Campaigns: A crossauthority working group co-ordinates the oca promotion and aunch of nationa campaigns. The aunch is aways we resourced and consistenty attracts nationa and regiona media coverage incuding TV, radio and the press. Campaign-based iterature, posters and videos are distributed to oca companies, retaiers, community groups, parent groups and to a host of other outets incuding those provided via the Regiona Heath Authority. Road safety education, training and pubicity programmes are no onger considered in isoation. ETP initiatives are seen as an integra part of oca safety schemes and other engineering initiatives, and form essentia part of an integrated transportation and safety strategy. New ETP initiatives are continuay being devised and existing programmes revised. ENFORCEMENT It is estimated that a reduction of up to 15 KSI per year coud be achieved from enforcement campaigns. Resources for traffic aw enforcement are argey a poice responsibiity. However, increasingy the five Merseyside Districts have a roe to pay in this area, particuary in supporting the poice in the use of new technoogy for speed imit enforcement, etc. Resources are avaiabe through the annua Loca Safety Schemes Programme to support certain enforcement activities, incuding the use of speed and red ight traffic signa cameras. There are currenty 31 speed and 34 red ight enforcement camera sites in Merseyside. Additiona enforcement cameras are proposed for 2000/01 and subsequent programmes. Traffic aw enforcement impications are taken into account in the design of a highway improvements and traffic management schemes. Schemes are routiney designed to make traffic reguation eements sef-enforcing, recognising that there are potentia road safety impications if reguations are abused or ignored. 2000/01 LOCAL SAFETY SCHEMES PROGRAMME In the 1999/2000 Highways Capita Programmes the Highway Authorities have incuded, a tota of 1.8 miion for Loca Safety Schemes funded through SCA from the Transport Bock. It is hoped that the DETR wi approve spending of 2.4m for such schemes in 2001/02. The proven track record of the Merseyside partners in deivering successfu high rate of return casuaty reduction schemes is indicated in the monitoring section and Tabe Over the ife of the LTP it is intended to introduce schemes which wi achieve high rates of return. Based on previous experience, the programme wi incude schemes as seen in Tabe The Technica Appendix incudes a draft programme of Loca Safety schemes for the first year of the LTP The aim throughout the ife of the LTP,wi be to save over 100 road traffic accidents per year in Merseyside from this part of the programme. Such tried and trusted types of schemes are expected to be incuded in 114

67 IMPROVING SAFETY future Loca Safety Schemes Programmes unti 2005/06. However new types of innovative ways of soving accident probems are being pursued and minor changes to future years' programmes wi refect additiona types of work. It is aso hoped, wherever possibe, to introduce additiona oca safety schemes through aternative funding sources. These wi incude highways maintenance budgets, private sector funding, Singe Regeneration Budgets, and other such types of funding. ACHIEVEMENTS Between 1992 and 1998 Merseyside introduced 252 oca safety schemes, at a tota cost of approximatey 7.3miion. These schemes which were a derived from in-depth anaysis of the Poice records have resuted in an average annua reduction of 437 reported road traffic accidents. The five Merseyside districts have been successfu in their innovative approach to soving accident probems. These incude:- Traffic caming areas and prioritising introduction based on accidents and casuaties; The use of variabe message signs, traffic isands, and enforcement cameras to reduce the number and severity of casuaties and vehice speeds; High intensity ighting and improved conspicuity of Zebra Crossings to reduce pedestrian accidents in the dark; Introduction of bus and emergency vehice friendy speed reduction measures on oca distributor roads; and Speed reduction measures at motorway interchanges. Whist not aways funded from Transport Suppementary Grant for Loca Safety Schemes, significant programmes of speed reduction schemes have been a key feature of the concerted casuaty reduction strategy within Merseyside. Foowing the Government s wecome reaxation of reguations to encourage 20mph zones and speed imits, such measures are normay incorporated into traffic caming schemes. To ensure the revised speed imits are respected and minimise the impact of additiona enforcement upon the poice, a such schemes are routiney designed to be sef-enforcing. These successfu programmes of redesignating roads with appropriate speed imits wi continue to feature prominenty in future programmes. As previousy, they wi continue to be prioritised for those ocations where such measures contribute to the overa objectives of casuaty reduction. Consideration is given within a initiatives to the needs of vunerabe road users (pedestrians, cycists, chidren etc). MONITORING PROGRESS Foowing impementation, casuaty figures for each scheme and programme is routiney scrutinised to determine its effectiveness. The performance of the Merseyside authorities oca safety schemes both as individua schemes and as overa types of scheme are shown in Tabe 3.15 for the 7 years between 1992 and This monitoring process provides a check that finance for future casuaty reduction schemes is appropriatey targeted. URBAN SAFETY MANAGEMENT As we as high-return traffic caming schemes as referred to in Tabe 3.15, there are many more residentia areas where traffic caming is sought by oca residents, based on their disike and fear of speeding traffic. Measures to treat this probem may not quaify as Loca Safety schemes, by 115

68 IMPROVING SAFETY their forecast rate-of return, but the issue is considered of such importance by oca residents that such schemes figure wi often prominenty among those which are favoured in the SRB programmes. It has been noted that pedestrian accidents (particuary affecting chid pedestrians) are more ikey to occur on residentia roads than on the main road network, and that this is a probem that affects deprived areas disproportionatey. Accordingy, a specia programme has been introduced in the LTP to address this issue, which wi in many cases attract matched funding from other programmes. Other issues which are frequenty raised by residents incude security of person and property, with particuar reference to car-crime. These are addressed in a simiar manner. SAFETY OF WALKING, CYCLING AND MOTORCYCLING Esewhere in this document strategies are described for Waking and Cycing and the use of powered two-wheeers in which the vunerabiity of these groups is recognised. So, athough they are acknowedged as more sustainabe forms of transport, their increased use is counterbaanced by measures to offset their risk. Significant parts of the respective strategies are devoted to this aim. IMPROVING SAFETY THROUGH PARTNERSHIP As mentioned at the outset, the Merseyside Authorities have for a number of years co-ordinated and combined their individua road safety strategies and programmes. This approach is designed to maximise the ikeihood of achieving the oca and nationa road safety targets and to fuy integrate its comprehensive road safety strategy with the Merseyside; regiona and nationa transportation strategies. The Merseyside Road Safety Panning Group (MRSPG), incudes representatives of a District Highway Authorities together with Merseyside Poice and Merseytrave. It meets to set and monitor the overa safety strategy across Merseyside. Support and co-operation at a more detaied eve is provided by a number of sub-groups of the MRSPG which have specia responsibiities for road safety education, training and pubicity; traffic accident data anaysis; and eectronic enforcement camera technoogy. In recent years there has been increasing co-operation with professionas in other discipines such as Heath, Socia Services and Education. The MRSPG aso pays a significant roe at a regiona eve, sending two representatives to the North West Regiona Road Safety Group. The cose working reationship between the Merseyside Authorities and Merseyside Poice on both strategic and practica eves was recenty highighted and highy praised by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabuary. The formation of Heathy Aiances with Heath Authorities and Hospitas has enabed many co-ordinated programmes to be deveoped, and has aowed extensive research into under-reporting of accidents and casuaties to be carried out. Merseyside's recent designation as a Heath Action Zone has significant impications for the road safety partnerships with the Heath Authorities to achieve joint goas. A Heath & Transport Forum has been set up to progress the initiative. Consutation with stakehoders has taken pace for many years, and has incuded individua consutation on ocaised Traffic Management schemes, Traffic Caming and Loca Safety Scheme proposas. In recent months, this has been extended to incude extensive iaison with schoos with a view to formuating Schoo Trave Pans and Safer Routes to Schoos initiatives. Partnership working is therefore at the heart of the Merseyside approach, but with ampe scope for innovation and initiative at the oca eve. This has resuted in significant programmes for accident reduction: Loca Safety Schemes; manua and automatic traffic aw enforcement regimes; arger scae engineering projects; focused programmes of road safety education, training and pubicity, a underpinned by the highest standard of data coection and anaysis that can be achieved. 116

69 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES Transport, especiay road traffic, is one of the most significant factors affecting today's environment, in particuar air quaity and noise eves. The LTP therefore has a vita roe to pay in determining the future quaity of the environment on Merseyside. The LTP provides an opportunity for coordinated action from environmenta, transport and heath professionas in both the pubic and private sectors to address existing environmenta probems and ensure that future transport proposas hep to aeviate such probems, not make them worse. AIR QUALITY AND NOISE MANAGEMENT ON MERSEYSIDE Responsibiity for managing air quaity and noise issues, other than those associated with industria sites under Environment Agency enforcement, rests with oca authorities. On Merseyside, the five oca authorities have estabished an organisationa framework for integrated and cooperative management of these issues. The Merseyside Poution Group deas with a poution reated issues on Merseyside and incudes representatives from a the Merseyside authorities pus Haton. This group has an overview roe in deaing with air quaity, noise, water quaity and contaminated and. There are specific sub-groups of the Poution Group that dea with the different poution issues. These incude the Merseyside Air Quaity Management Group and the Merseyside Noise Group. Both the Air Quaity and the Noise groups are made up of representatives from the environmenta heath departments of the Merseyside authorities. The groups provide an opportunity for : iaison and exchange of ideas and information on Merseyside wide basis; appraisa of Merseyside wide proposas requiring joint funding; co-ordination and management of Merseyside wide initiatives such as the Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and Heath Action Zone proposas. The integration of air quaity and noise issues into the LTP is being coordinated by a separate group of transport panners and environmenta heath professionas from across Merseyside. This Transport and Environment group meets reguary to discuss recent monitoring resuts, consider the impications of transport emissions and noise and identify potentia measures for managing or reducing the environmenta impacts of transport. As we as preparing the environmenta input to the LTP, the group has provided input to the Heath Impact Assessment (HIA) of the LTP and is aso taking the ead in specific projects funded through the Merseyside Heath Action Zone (HAZ). The group aso activey contributes to the Merseyside Transport Heath and Environment (THE) Forum. The THE Forum has been estabished to provide a common approach to transport, heath and environment poicies and foster cose working reationships between these different sectors. AIR QUALITY STRATEGY REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT The Environment Act 1995 formay requires oca authorities to review and assess air quaity in their area against a set of nationa objectives. These nationa air quaity objectives have recenty been revised and pubished in The Air Quaity Strategy for Engand, Scotand, Waes and Northern Ireand (The AQS) in January This supersedes the 1997 Nationa Air 117

70 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES Quaity Strategy. The objectives have been given ega effect in Engand through the Air Quaity (Engand) Reguations Nationa objectives have been set for seven key poutants: benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon monoxide, ead, nitrogen dioxide, partices and suphur dioxide. The achievement of the AQS objectives has been identified as a headine (key) performance indicator for the LTP. In accordance with these requirements, a the Merseyside authorities have been progressing with the three stage process of air quaity review and assessment. A five authorities have competed and pubished their Stage 1 review and assessment, which provides a genera indication of areas/ocations where there is a risk of faiing to meet one or more of the nationa objectives by the target dates. Second and third stage assessment is ony required for those poutants where a potentia probem exists. The resuts of the Stage 1 review and assessment on Merseyside show that, in each authority, further assessment wi ony be required for nitrogen dioxide, partices and suphur dioxide. Of these, road transport emissions make a significant contribution to nitrogen dioxide and particuates. The potentia probem areas identified in the Stage 1 assessment are of two main types : heaviy trafficked radia routes and motorways; town centres, especiay Liverpoo city centre. A the motorways (M62, M57, M58 and M53) and most of the main roads on Merseyside (e.g. A580 East Lancashire Road, A5058 Queen's Drive, A41 Chester Road, A59 Ormskirk Road, A5047 Edge Lane, A57 Prescot Road, A565 Liverpoo Road and A5036 Dunnings Bridge Road) wi require further assessment, mainy in reation to nitrogen dioxide, because of the high traffic eves they carry. Liverpoo city centre is of particuar concern because of the number and density of congested streets. Heavy concentrations of buses and taxis aso contribute significanty to the city centre probems. Stage 2 and 3 assessments wi incude detaied modeing of the city centre to provide greater resoution in defining probem areas. This work wi feed into the review of traffic circuation within Liverpoo city centre and infuence proposas for traffic management. A the authorities are currenty working on their Stage 2 and 3 assessments, but none have competed the process to date. A authorities expect to compete their assessments by the end of If the further assessment identifies areas where the nationa objectives wi not be met by the required date, the authority is obiged to designate the area as an Air Quaity Management Area (AQMA) and deveop an air quaity action pan for the area. No AQMAs have yet been defined on Merseyside. ATMOSPHERIC EMISSIONS INVENTORY In 1997, the Merseyside oca authorities cooperated with the London Research Centre in the production of an atmospheric emissions inventory (AEI) for Merseyside, as part of a DETR project. The AEI provides a comprehensive coverage of poutant sources, incuding 'mobie' (road, rai, aeropane and ship), 'point '(industria sources, power stations, incinerators) and 'area' (domestic, agricutura etc.) sources. The quantities of poutants emitted from each of these sources and in tota have been cacuated in the inventory. Information on eight poutants is incuded - nitrogen oxides, suphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, non-methane voatie organic compounds, benzene, 1,3- butadiene and particuate matter. The origina 1997 AEI was found to contain some anomaies and it has therefore been updated in 1999/2000. The authorities now have much greater confidence in the accuracy of the updated AEI. The AEI is of great vaue because it provides : readiy avaiabe information on existing sources of poution and the quantities of poutants emitted from each source; summary information on tota poutant emissions by either sources or areas; an indication of the reative contribution of different sources to tota poution eves on Merseyside; input to air quaity modes being used in the Stage 2 review and assessment process. The reative contribution of transport sources to tota emissions on Merseyside (from the AEI) and nationay (DETR figures) is given in Tabe The information in the inventory and its future updates wi be used to assess some of the environmenta performance indicators and targets, e.g. tota transport-reated poution emissions and greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) emissions. CLIMATE CHANGE (GREENHOUSE GASES) Nationay, the transport sector is the third argest source of greenhouse gas emissions, mainy carbon dioxide, but, more significanty, it is aso the fastest growing source. This is why transportreated emissions of greenhouse gases is identified as an vita issue, both in the LTP guidance and in the Government's Cimate Change Draft UK Programme. Reducing transport reated emissions has a important roe in contributing to the UK's efforts to meet the commitments in the Kyoto Protoco on reducing wordwide greenhouse gas emissions. The best avaiabe estimates of oca carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions come from the Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (AEI) (see above). This shows that industry is the dominant oca source, accounting for 60% of CO2 whereas transport accounts for about 118

71 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES 18%. The remainder is made up mainy from commercia and domestic sources. Carbon dioxide was not incuded in the update of the AEI in 1999/00, but it wi be updated for 2000/01. The AEI wi provide the means of monitoring tota CO2 emissions on Merseyside and estimating the contribution of transport. The LTP has an important roe in minimising transport reated greenhouse gas emissions, both through measures to manage the voume of road traffic and encourage the use of more sustainabe forms of transport. The Road Traffic Reduction Act report for the LTP, however, predicts an increase in traffic on Merseyside, due to the combination of a background increase in car ownership and use and additiona traffic resuting from economic regeneration. These predictions indicate that there wi inevitaby be a rise in the tota quantities of transport reated greenhouse gas emissions (and other poutants) on Merseyside. The measures in the LTP seek to keep this rise as sma as possibe, principay by promoting waking, cycing and pubic transport as aternatives to the car and providing the necessary infrastructure to support transport choices. In addition, the TraveWise campaign wi continue to incude cimate change as one of the issues to be considered in deciding on trave choices. A Merseyside authorities are aso committed to the Loca Agenda 21 process, which provides an umbrea for co-ordinating action on the environment. There are strong inks in each authority between the technica groups deveoping the LTP and the LA21 strategies. This wi ensure that measures proposed in the LTP are incorporated into each authority's LA21 strategy. NOISE Noise is an issue receiving an increasing amount of attention, both as an environmenta nuisance and because of its effects on heath. Nationay, the Roya Commission on Environmenta Poution recognises that "For the majority of peope in the UK, transport is the most pervasive source of noise in the environment". Noise intrusion can be a major source of stress and dissatisfaction and its heath effects are being increasingy recognised. The Heath Impact Assessment of the LTP has considered noise as one of the main heath-reated impacts of transport and it has been assessed as part of the standard appraisa methodoogy for transport proposas and strategies. Transport noise, especiay from road traffic, however, does not stimuate significant numbers of compaints to environmenta heath departments, presumaby because it is regarded as an unfortunate but inevitabe part of 119

72 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES AIR BREATHING SPACE POLLUTION SCREENING FORM One of the main achievements of the Merseyside transport and environment group has been the deveopment in 1998 of an air poution screening form for use in assessing a proposed transport schemes. The form is appied to schemes at the preiminary design stage and identifies a series of traffic reated threshods. Proposed schemes at ocations where the threshods are exceeded require further, more detaied assessment of the potentia air quaity impacts. The traffic threshods and subsequent assessment were revised in 1999 to take account of the review and assessment process and the revised methods for air quaity assessment in the DETR's Design Manua for Roads and Bridges. The use of the form compiments the approach given in government guidance on the appraisa of transport schemes and the preparation of appraisa summary tabes (ASTs). A the Merseyside authorities have agreed to use the form to assess proposed transport schemes and ensure that air quaity issues are addressed at the design stage. The impementation of the form to date has been reviewed. In some of the authorities, sma schemes where traffic eves are we beow the threshod (e.g. in residentia areas) have been pre-screened and the form has not been used. The form has been appied to a tota of 163 schemes, with 23 of these requiring further assessment. The form is continuing to be roed out through the authorities so that a the LTP proposas wi be subject to the form and can be formay and consistenty assessed for their effects on air quaity. It is aso panned to expand the form to incude an assessment of effects on noise (see overeaf). modern ife. Compaints are not therefore an appropriate measure of the eve of noise nuisance on Merseyside. Furthermore, the ow eve of compaint is no justification for a ack of action in seeking to reduce noise eves. For this reason, the Transport and Environment group, together with the Merseyside Noise Group is proposing a Merseyside-wide study of existing noise conditions eading to the deveopment of a noise strategy. The strategy wi address opportunities for improving noise conditions on Merseyside and aso identify requirements and appropriate methods for monitoring and review. HAZ funding is being sought for this study, which, subject to the aocation of funding, shoud be competed in Aongside this study, a screening form simiar to the air poution form is being deveoped. This wi be competed in 2000 and wi be used to assess the noise impacts of oca authority transport schemes. This wi provide the opportunity for incuding noise reduction or management measures into such proposas, e.g. quieter road surfaces, barriers to absorb or defect noise, traffic fow smoothing and speed management. TRANSPORT, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT It is widey recognised that there are important inks between transport, environmenta conditions and heath. These are discussed in detai in the Department of Heath's pubication SEFTON COUNCIL'S AIR QUALITY STRATEGY In conjunction with its review and assessment process, Sefton Counci has pubished a borough-wide air quaity strategy. The aims of the strategy are : to improve air quaity in ocaities with specific air quaity probems; to promote ongoing improvements of air quaity across Sefton; to respond to poution incidents. The strategy presents a series of specific objectives and actions reated to each of the three aims and provides the basis for future air quaity management in the Borough. One of the key objectives is to reduce emissions from the transport sector and the transport, panning and environmenta heath services in Sefton have been working cosey together in the deveopment of the strategy. This cose cooperation wi be essentia in the deivery of the strategy. Proposed actions focus on : vehice emissions testing and enforcement; promotion of cean vehices, incuding increasing the proportion of cean fueed vehices in the Counci feet; integration of and use and transport panning; promotion of green transport pans for businesses and support for the authority's green transport pan; promotion of and support for schoo trave pans; support for TraveWise assessment of proposed transport schemes for air quaity impacts (through the use of the Merseyside air poution screening form) identify potentia for traffic management schemes on air quaity grounds. 120

73 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES entited 'Making THE Links'. Merseyside has been taking the ead in addressing these inks, both through the estabishment of the Transport, Heath and Environment Forum and the competion of a comprehensive Heath Impact Assessment (HIA) of the LTP. Key eements of the HIA are the inks between transport, especiay road traffic, emissions, air quaity and heath and between noise and heath, especiay menta heath (stress). The HIA has incuded a detaied study of the reationships between air quaity and heath, based on rea air quaity monitoring data and oca area heath statistics for Merseyside. The THE Forum wi ensure the continuing integration of these issues at a Merseyside eve and wi support the deveopment of oca reationships, e.g. with the individua heath authorities and heath improvement committees, in each of the oca authorities. REVIEW OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF LTP ON AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND GREENHOUSE GASES The appraisas of the components of the LTP, incuding the proposed major schemes, the pubic transport strategy and the corridor and centre strategies, have incuded a quaitative assessment of the possibe effects on air quaity and noise, in accordance with government guidance on appraisas. The appraisa summary tabes provide the concusions of this assessment. Through the ifetime of the LTP, a the major schemes and many of the minor capita works wi be the subject of detaied air quaity and noise appraisas by the partner authorities. Overa, the measures proposed in the LTP are expected to have a beneficia effect on air quaity, noise and greenhouse gas emissions on Merseyside. Many measures are ikey to resut in a reduction in transport reated emissions, over and above the reductions expected from the improvements in engine technoogy in newer vehices. The reationship between the quantities of poutant emissions and the concentrations of poutants in the air is compex and a reduction in emissions does not guarantee a noticeabe change in air quaity. Nevertheess, ongoing reductions in emissions wi have a positive effect in the ong term. This wi be most important where emissions from transport are the main sources of poution (e.g. for nitrogen dioxide). 121

74 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES LTP MEASURES/OUTPUTS LIKELY TO RESULT IN ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT, IN TERMS OF A REDUCTION IN EITHER POLLUTION EMISSIONS, NOISE OR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS LTP MEASURES/OUTPUTS LIKELY TO RESULT IN ENVIRONMENTAL DISBENEFIT, IN TERMS OF AN INCREASE IN EITHER POLLUTION EMISSIONS, NOISE OR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS Freight routing and restrictions to take freight off environmentay sensitive routes. Pubic transport improvements and promotion to achieve greater pubic transport patronage and moda switch from the private car. Measures to promote cycing and waking instead of car use, especiay for short journeys. Trave awareness programme (TraveWise) to improve awareness of transport choice and its environmenta impacts. Park & Ride strategy to increase use of park and ride (especiay rai-based) and reduce car use, especiay for commuting. Town centre parking restrictions to cap commuter parking and stimuate use of aternative transport means for commuting. Panning requirements on new deveopments for transport assessments, incorporation of support for non-car transport modes and estabishment of green trave pans. Promotion of green transport pans for businesses and schoo trave pans to encourage a shift from car use to aternative transport modes. Impementation of SCOOT traffic signa management systems as a means of reducing congestion and improving traffic fow.increase the proportion of new and/or environmentay friendy buses in the tota Merseyside bus feet. Increase the proportion of new and/or environmentay friendy buses in the tota Merseyside bus feet. Continuing traffic growth due to increasing car ownership and increased car use. Support of economic regeneration is ikey to resut in increased business traffic, both commuters and freight/goods movements. Freight routing wi resut in concentration of heavy goods traffic on specified routes with resutant effects on air quaity and noise. 122

75 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES Transport, especiay road traffic, is one of the most significant factors affecting today's environment, in particuar air quaity and noise eves. The LTP therefore has a vita roe to pay in determining the future quaity of the environment on Merseyside. The LTP provides an opportunity for coordinated action from environmenta, transport and heath professionas in both the pubic and private sectors to address existing environmenta probems and ensure that future transport proposas hep to aeviate such probems, not make them worse. AIR QUALITY AND NOISE MANAGEMENT ON MERSEYSIDE Responsibiity for managing air quaity and noise issues, other than those associated with industria sites under Environment Agency enforcement, rests with oca authorities. On Merseyside, the five oca authorities have estabished an organisationa framework for integrated and cooperative management of these issues. The Merseyside Poution Group deas with a poution reated issues on Merseyside and incudes representatives from a the Merseyside authorities pus Haton. This group has an overview roe in deaing with air quaity, noise, water quaity and contaminated and. There are specific sub-groups of the Poution Group that dea with the different poution issues. These incude the Merseyside Air Quaity Management Group and the Merseyside Noise Group. Both the Air Quaity and the Noise groups are made up of representatives from the environmenta heath departments of the Merseyside authorities. The groups provide an opportunity for : iaison and exchange of ideas and information on Merseyside wide basis; appraisa of Merseyside wide proposas requiring joint funding; co-ordination and management of Merseyside wide initiatives such as the Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and Heath Action Zone proposas. The integration of air quaity and noise issues into the LTP is being coordinated by a separate group of transport panners and environmenta heath professionas from across Merseyside. This Transport and Environment group meets reguary to discuss recent monitoring resuts, consider the impications of transport emissions and noise and identify potentia measures for managing or reducing the environmenta impacts of transport. As we as preparing the environmenta input to the LTP, the group has provided input to the Heath Impact Assessment (HIA) of the LTP and is aso taking the ead in specific projects funded through the Merseyside Heath Action Zone (HAZ). The group aso activey contributes to the Merseyside Transport Heath and Environment (THE) Forum. The THE Forum has been estabished to provide a common approach to transport, heath and environment poicies and foster cose working reationships between these different sectors. AIR QUALITY STRATEGY REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT The Environment Act 1995 formay requires oca authorities to review and assess air quaity in their area against a set of nationa objectives. These nationa air quaity objectives have recenty been revised and pubished in The Air Quaity Strategy for Engand, Scotand, Waes and Northern Ireand (The AQS) in January This supersedes the 1997 Nationa Air 117

76 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES Quaity Strategy. The objectives have been given ega effect in Engand through the Air Quaity (Engand) Reguations Nationa objectives have been set for seven key poutants: benzene, 1,3-butadiene, carbon monoxide, ead, nitrogen dioxide, partices and suphur dioxide. The achievement of the AQS objectives has been identified as a headine (key) performance indicator for the LTP. In accordance with these requirements, a the Merseyside authorities have been progressing with the three stage process of air quaity review and assessment. A five authorities have competed and pubished their Stage 1 review and assessment, which provides a genera indication of areas/ocations where there is a risk of faiing to meet one or more of the nationa objectives by the target dates. Second and third stage assessment is ony required for those poutants where a potentia probem exists. The resuts of the Stage 1 review and assessment on Merseyside show that, in each authority, further assessment wi ony be required for nitrogen dioxide, partices and suphur dioxide. Of these, road transport emissions make a significant contribution to nitrogen dioxide and particuates. The potentia probem areas identified in the Stage 1 assessment are of two main types : heaviy trafficked radia routes and motorways; town centres, especiay Liverpoo city centre. A the motorways (M62, M57, M58 and M53) and most of the main roads on Merseyside (e.g. A580 East Lancashire Road, A5058 Queen's Drive, A41 Chester Road, A59 Ormskirk Road, A5047 Edge Lane, A57 Prescot Road, A565 Liverpoo Road and A5036 Dunnings Bridge Road) wi require further assessment, mainy in reation to nitrogen dioxide, because of the high traffic eves they carry. Liverpoo city centre is of particuar concern because of the number and density of congested streets. Heavy concentrations of buses and taxis aso contribute significanty to the city centre probems. Stage 2 and 3 assessments wi incude detaied modeing of the city centre to provide greater resoution in defining probem areas. This work wi feed into the review of traffic circuation within Liverpoo city centre and infuence proposas for traffic management. A the authorities are currenty working on their Stage 2 and 3 assessments, but none have competed the process to date. A authorities expect to compete their assessments by the end of If the further assessment identifies areas where the nationa objectives wi not be met by the required date, the authority is obiged to designate the area as an Air Quaity Management Area (AQMA) and deveop an air quaity action pan for the area. No AQMAs have yet been defined on Merseyside. ATMOSPHERIC EMISSIONS INVENTORY In 1997, the Merseyside oca authorities cooperated with the London Research Centre in the production of an atmospheric emissions inventory (AEI) for Merseyside, as part of a DETR project. The AEI provides a comprehensive coverage of poutant sources, incuding 'mobie' (road, rai, aeropane and ship), 'point '(industria sources, power stations, incinerators) and 'area' (domestic, agricutura etc.) sources. The quantities of poutants emitted from each of these sources and in tota have been cacuated in the inventory. Information on eight poutants is incuded - nitrogen oxides, suphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, non-methane voatie organic compounds, benzene, 1,3- butadiene and particuate matter. The origina 1997 AEI was found to contain some anomaies and it has therefore been updated in 1999/2000. The authorities now have much greater confidence in the accuracy of the updated AEI. The AEI is of great vaue because it provides : readiy avaiabe information on existing sources of poution and the quantities of poutants emitted from each source; summary information on tota poutant emissions by either sources or areas; an indication of the reative contribution of different sources to tota poution eves on Merseyside; input to air quaity modes being used in the Stage 2 review and assessment process. The reative contribution of transport sources to tota emissions on Merseyside (from the AEI) and nationay (DETR figures) is given in Tabe The information in the inventory and its future updates wi be used to assess some of the environmenta performance indicators and targets, e.g. tota transport-reated poution emissions and greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) emissions. CLIMATE CHANGE (GREENHOUSE GASES) Nationay, the transport sector is the third argest source of greenhouse gas emissions, mainy carbon dioxide, but, more significanty, it is aso the fastest growing source. This is why transportreated emissions of greenhouse gases is identified as an vita issue, both in the LTP guidance and in the Government's Cimate Change Draft UK Programme. Reducing transport reated emissions has a important roe in contributing to the UK's efforts to meet the commitments in the Kyoto Protoco on reducing wordwide greenhouse gas emissions. The best avaiabe estimates of oca carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions come from the Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (AEI) (see above). This shows that industry is the dominant oca source, accounting for 60% of CO2 whereas transport accounts for about 118

77 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES 18%. The remainder is made up mainy from commercia and domestic sources. Carbon dioxide was not incuded in the update of the AEI in 1999/00, but it wi be updated for 2000/01. The AEI wi provide the means of monitoring tota CO2 emissions on Merseyside and estimating the contribution of transport. The LTP has an important roe in minimising transport reated greenhouse gas emissions, both through measures to manage the voume of road traffic and encourage the use of more sustainabe forms of transport. The Road Traffic Reduction Act report for the LTP, however, predicts an increase in traffic on Merseyside, due to the combination of a background increase in car ownership and use and additiona traffic resuting from economic regeneration. These predictions indicate that there wi inevitaby be a rise in the tota quantities of transport reated greenhouse gas emissions (and other poutants) on Merseyside. The measures in the LTP seek to keep this rise as sma as possibe, principay by promoting waking, cycing and pubic transport as aternatives to the car and providing the necessary infrastructure to support transport choices. In addition, the TraveWise campaign wi continue to incude cimate change as one of the issues to be considered in deciding on trave choices. A Merseyside authorities are aso committed to the Loca Agenda 21 process, which provides an umbrea for co-ordinating action on the environment. There are strong inks in each authority between the technica groups deveoping the LTP and the LA21 strategies. This wi ensure that measures proposed in the LTP are incorporated into each authority's LA21 strategy. NOISE Noise is an issue receiving an increasing amount of attention, both as an environmenta nuisance and because of its effects on heath. Nationay, the Roya Commission on Environmenta Poution recognises that "For the majority of peope in the UK, transport is the most pervasive source of noise in the environment". Noise intrusion can be a major source of stress and dissatisfaction and its heath effects are being increasingy recognised. The Heath Impact Assessment of the LTP has considered noise as one of the main heath-reated impacts of transport and it has been assessed as part of the standard appraisa methodoogy for transport proposas and strategies. Transport noise, especiay from road traffic, however, does not stimuate significant numbers of compaints to environmenta heath departments, presumaby because it is regarded as an unfortunate but inevitabe part of 119

78 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES AIR BREATHING SPACE POLLUTION SCREENING FORM One of the main achievements of the Merseyside transport and environment group has been the deveopment in 1998 of an air poution screening form for use in assessing a proposed transport schemes. The form is appied to schemes at the preiminary design stage and identifies a series of traffic reated threshods. Proposed schemes at ocations where the threshods are exceeded require further, more detaied assessment of the potentia air quaity impacts. The traffic threshods and subsequent assessment were revised in 1999 to take account of the review and assessment process and the revised methods for air quaity assessment in the DETR's Design Manua for Roads and Bridges. The use of the form compiments the approach given in government guidance on the appraisa of transport schemes and the preparation of appraisa summary tabes (ASTs). A the Merseyside authorities have agreed to use the form to assess proposed transport schemes and ensure that air quaity issues are addressed at the design stage. The impementation of the form to date has been reviewed. In some of the authorities, sma schemes where traffic eves are we beow the threshod (e.g. in residentia areas) have been pre-screened and the form has not been used. The form has been appied to a tota of 163 schemes, with 23 of these requiring further assessment. The form is continuing to be roed out through the authorities so that a the LTP proposas wi be subject to the form and can be formay and consistenty assessed for their effects on air quaity. It is aso panned to expand the form to incude an assessment of effects on noise (see overeaf). modern ife. Compaints are not therefore an appropriate measure of the eve of noise nuisance on Merseyside. Furthermore, the ow eve of compaint is no justification for a ack of action in seeking to reduce noise eves. For this reason, the Transport and Environment group, together with the Merseyside Noise Group is proposing a Merseyside-wide study of existing noise conditions eading to the deveopment of a noise strategy. The strategy wi address opportunities for improving noise conditions on Merseyside and aso identify requirements and appropriate methods for monitoring and review. HAZ funding is being sought for this study, which, subject to the aocation of funding, shoud be competed in Aongside this study, a screening form simiar to the air poution form is being deveoped. This wi be competed in 2000 and wi be used to assess the noise impacts of oca authority transport schemes. This wi provide the opportunity for incuding noise reduction or management measures into such proposas, e.g. quieter road surfaces, barriers to absorb or defect noise, traffic fow smoothing and speed management. TRANSPORT, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT It is widey recognised that there are important inks between transport, environmenta conditions and heath. These are discussed in detai in the Department of Heath's pubication SEFTON COUNCIL'S AIR QUALITY STRATEGY In conjunction with its review and assessment process, Sefton Counci has pubished a borough-wide air quaity strategy. The aims of the strategy are : to improve air quaity in ocaities with specific air quaity probems; to promote ongoing improvements of air quaity across Sefton; to respond to poution incidents. The strategy presents a series of specific objectives and actions reated to each of the three aims and provides the basis for future air quaity management in the Borough. One of the key objectives is to reduce emissions from the transport sector and the transport, panning and environmenta heath services in Sefton have been working cosey together in the deveopment of the strategy. This cose cooperation wi be essentia in the deivery of the strategy. Proposed actions focus on : vehice emissions testing and enforcement; promotion of cean vehices, incuding increasing the proportion of cean fueed vehices in the Counci feet; integration of and use and transport panning; promotion of green transport pans for businesses and support for the authority's green transport pan; promotion of and support for schoo trave pans; support for TraveWise assessment of proposed transport schemes for air quaity impacts (through the use of the Merseyside air poution screening form) identify potentia for traffic management schemes on air quaity grounds. 120

79 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES entited 'Making THE Links'. Merseyside has been taking the ead in addressing these inks, both through the estabishment of the Transport, Heath and Environment Forum and the competion of a comprehensive Heath Impact Assessment (HIA) of the LTP. Key eements of the HIA are the inks between transport, especiay road traffic, emissions, air quaity and heath and between noise and heath, especiay menta heath (stress). The HIA has incuded a detaied study of the reationships between air quaity and heath, based on rea air quaity monitoring data and oca area heath statistics for Merseyside. The THE Forum wi ensure the continuing integration of these issues at a Merseyside eve and wi support the deveopment of oca reationships, e.g. with the individua heath authorities and heath improvement committees, in each of the oca authorities. REVIEW OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF LTP ON AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND GREENHOUSE GASES The appraisas of the components of the LTP, incuding the proposed major schemes, the pubic transport strategy and the corridor and centre strategies, have incuded a quaitative assessment of the possibe effects on air quaity and noise, in accordance with government guidance on appraisas. The appraisa summary tabes provide the concusions of this assessment. Through the ifetime of the LTP, a the major schemes and many of the minor capita works wi be the subject of detaied air quaity and noise appraisas by the partner authorities. Overa, the measures proposed in the LTP are expected to have a beneficia effect on air quaity, noise and greenhouse gas emissions on Merseyside. Many measures are ikey to resut in a reduction in transport reated emissions, over and above the reductions expected from the improvements in engine technoogy in newer vehices. The reationship between the quantities of poutant emissions and the concentrations of poutants in the air is compex and a reduction in emissions does not guarantee a noticeabe change in air quaity. Nevertheess, ongoing reductions in emissions wi have a positive effect in the ong term. This wi be most important where emissions from transport are the main sources of poution (e.g. for nitrogen dioxide). 121

80 AIR QUALITY, NOISE AND CLIMATE CHANGES LTP MEASURES/OUTPUTS LIKELY TO RESULT IN ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT, IN TERMS OF A REDUCTION IN EITHER POLLUTION EMISSIONS, NOISE OR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS LTP MEASURES/OUTPUTS LIKELY TO RESULT IN ENVIRONMENTAL DISBENEFIT, IN TERMS OF AN INCREASE IN EITHER POLLUTION EMISSIONS, NOISE OR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS Freight routing and restrictions to take freight off environmentay sensitive routes. Pubic transport improvements and promotion to achieve greater pubic transport patronage and moda switch from the private car. Measures to promote cycing and waking instead of car use, especiay for short journeys. Trave awareness programme (TraveWise) to improve awareness of transport choice and its environmenta impacts. Park & Ride strategy to increase use of park and ride (especiay rai-based) and reduce car use, especiay for commuting. Town centre parking restrictions to cap commuter parking and stimuate use of aternative transport means for commuting. Panning requirements on new deveopments for transport assessments, incorporation of support for non-car transport modes and estabishment of green trave pans. Promotion of green transport pans for businesses and schoo trave pans to encourage a shift from car use to aternative transport modes. Impementation of SCOOT traffic signa management systems as a means of reducing congestion and improving traffic fow.increase the proportion of new and/or environmentay friendy buses in the tota Merseyside bus feet. Increase the proportion of new and/or environmentay friendy buses in the tota Merseyside bus feet. Continuing traffic growth due to increasing car ownership and increased car use. Support of economic regeneration is ikey to resut in increased business traffic, both commuters and freight/goods movements. Freight routing wi resut in concentration of heavy goods traffic on specified routes with resutant effects on air quaity and noise. 122

81 WALKING Waking is the most fundamenta mode of transport avaiabe. As a consequence, waking ies at the heart of the Merseyside LTP Strategy. Most journeys invove waking, and form an integra part of iving in towns and cities. Waking is the most environmentay sustainabe, heathy and most sociay accessibe form of transport. Waking shoud therefore be considered as both: the preferred form of persona transport over short distances; and trave time waking. Persuading peope to wak either on its own or in conjunction with pubic transport woud hep to reduce car dependence and tacke congestion. As we as being an essentia form of transport, waking aso has many other important benefits too, which incude being: free, making it an instanty accessibe form of trave avaiabe to many regardess of persona income; heathy, having been described by heath experts as the "nearest activity to perfect exercise"; the remova of obstaces for pedestrians to create more direct pedestrian routes an integra part of a journeys at the origin, destination and during any necessary interchange. The Merseyside Waking Strategy wi hep to achieve these goas. OPPORTUNITIES sociabe, not ony as a form of recreation, but aso increased numbers on the street woud hep reduce the fear of crime; and environmentay sustainabe and centra to improving the environment of our towns and city centre. On Merseyside, waking accounts for a quarter of a trips and eight out of ten trips under one mie invove at east one wak, as do most bus and train journeys. Furthermore, on average, peope spend around a fifth of their tota PUBLIC CONSULTATION Strong support was identified for: better maintained pedestrian routes safer pedestrian routes and crossings 123

82 WALKING co-ordinated action to prevent cars being parked indiscriminatey on pavements and footways greater traffic speed enforcement especiay in residentia areas. CONSULTATION IN THE CITY CENTRE The need to create more attractive pedestrian environments in Liverpoo City Centre emerged as a key priority in the community consutation exercise carried out by Liverpoo Vision, Merseytrave and Liverpoo City Counci in March A safer pedestrian environment was fet to be a necessity especiay for those with disabiities. Key priorities to improve the pedestrian environment incude: Better ighting. Improved pavements and no uneven surfaces. A secure environment with CCTV. Cear priority for pedestrians. Deivery vehices in the pedestrianised areas were fet to be a constant probem. Remova of barriers to aow more direct pedestrian routes, foowing desire ines, through the City Centre. Barriers identified incude: major roads, tunnes and shopping centres cosed outside opening hours. Improve pedestrian inks across the Strand. Penty of attractive open spaces for peope to sit and reax. Better signage of pedestrian routes, incuding signs which hep guide disabed peope around the City Centre. Expansion of the City Navigators scheme. THE MERSEYSIDE WALKING STRATEGY The Partners, in conjunction with representatives from the Heath Authorities and the Pedestrian Association, are currenty deveoping a Waking Strategy for Merseyside (due to be pubished in December 2000). The emerging Merseyside Waking Strategy wi be subject to wide pubic and key stakehoder consutation as the Partners seek to deveop partnerships with a reevant bodies to improve the environment for pedestrians. PRINCIPLES OF THE EMERGING WALKING STRATEGY to seek to fuy integrate pedestrian poicies into a appropriate and compementary poicies, pans and strategies on issues such as transportation, education, heath, eisure and the environment. to improve the accessibiity for the mobiity impaired and create a safer environment for pedestrians. to improve the waking experience by: a) giving pedestrians greater priority b) improving the genera pedestrian environment, and c) reducing the fear of crime and improving persona safety to improve the image of waking through pubicity and education programmes, incuding promoting waking as part of a heathier ifestye. to promote waking as a eisure and tourism activity. to ensure that a pubic rights of way are egay defined and propery maintained. KEY ELEMENTS OF THE WALKING STRATEGY The Strategy wi seek to impement a 'Streets for Peope' poicy to achieve these principes through estabishing an urban and rura pedestrian network to identify priorities for improvement, by identifying: ocations where pedestrians shoud have priority (e.g. in town and oca centres, and residentia areas). direct, convenient and safe routes for waking (inking destinations such as residentia areas, eisure faciities - incuding pay areas - empoyment centres, shopping areas pubic transport interchanges, and schoos). rights of way, Greenways, quiet roads and other rura routes. 124

83 WALKING PEDESTRIANISED CROSBY CENTRE, SEFTON CCTV new opportunities for footways and footpaths (the "missing inks"). key accident backspots. How pedestrians wi be given priority: Creating and extending pedestrian priority areas in residentia areas and the main and oca centres across Merseyside. Ensuring deveopments cater for the needs of pedestrians. Reaocating road space to pedestrians, for exampe through wider pavements and pedestrianisation. Providing more pedestrian crossings at desired ocations. Reducing pedestrian waiting times at traffic signas and giving them priority in the aocation of time at junctions where this supports more waking. Promoting waking, in partnership with other organisations, through initiatives such as green trave pans; Heath Improvement Pans (HImPs); TraveWise and Loca Agenda 21 initiatives. Improving Maintenance: Promoting and pubicising standards of service for ceaning, maintenance, winter maintenance and provision of footways, crossings, ighting etc. Improving Safety: Reducing the number and severity of pedestrian casuaties (incuding footway fas) by identifying areas for better speed enforcement and traffic reduction, incuding: Introducing traffic caming in "home zones" and some country anes (e.g. Greenways and Quiet Lanes). Extending the number of Safer Routes to EXAMPLE: FARNBOROUGH ROAD JUNIOR AND INFANT SCHOOL To tacke congestion outside the schoo, to deveop waking routes in the area and to promote cycing, Sefton Counci, foowing detaied surveys and participation exercises, introduced: A schoo zone next to the schoo - comprising warning signs, traffic caming measures and crossing points Improved crossings - new traffic ights with a pedestrian phase; and dropped crossings to assist push chair and whee chair access Stop, Look and Listen signs at every crossing point to remind the chidren not to run across the road A Safer Route to foow, marked out by yeow (pavement stenci) pencis pointing the way to schoo; and Ongoing cassroom and theatre in education sessions to reinforce the messages of improved safety, environment and heath. 125

84 WALKING Schoos projects and traffic caming near schoos (see aso 'TraveWise' and 'Improving Safety'). Road crossings. Reducing conficts between cycists and pedestrians. Addressing issues reated to the mobiity impaired. Improving the genera pedestrian environment by: Improving footpath maintenance and ceaniness. Addressing issues of obstruction (e.g. pavement parking). Promoting aesthetic and amenity improvements to the pedestrian environment and aong routes (e.g. trees, townscape, shop fronts, facades, views, fountains, amenities, pubic art, etc.). Improving route signage and provision of information. addressing persona security concerns by promoting and pubicising CCTVs; considering the deveopment of 'Night Routes'; and ensuring appropriate ighting. SAFER ROUTES TO SCHOOL To date, 24 schoos on Merseyside have introduced safer routes and / or schoo trave pans. The Partners woud ike to ensure that such measures are being deveoped in haf the schoos across Merseyside by the end of this LTP. Interchange: Improving faciities provided for pedestrians who use pubic transport at interchange points and aong those routes used to access pubic transport (see aso 'Pubic Transport') As a eisure activity by promotiona materia such as the Merseytrave "Wakabout" guides The definition, maintenance, pubicising, promoting and safeguarding of pubic rights of way, Greenways and Quiet Roads etc (see aso 'Rura Issues'). IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY We must 'pan for pedestrians'. It is important to ensure that their needs are not overooked but are catered for as a matter of course when panning, designing, buiding and managing highways and pubic rights of way. In particuar the Partners wi ensure that the needs of peope with mobiity difficuties are taken into account in the panning and design of new infrastructure. There is aso a great dea of work aready being progressed by the Partners on issues such as ceansing, maintenance, persona safety, panning, engineering, road safety, pubic rights of way, promotion, etc. The emerging Waking Strategy wi incude a number of steps incuding: Access Audits: to identify barriers to accessibiity: and prioritisation of areas for pedestrian reviews. Identifying maintenance priorities (incuding repairs and winter CASE STUDY: LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE GOLD ZONE Providing a ceaner more attractive pedestrian environment in Liverpoo City Centre is the driving force behind Liverpoo City Counci's 'God Zone' initiative. God Zones wi improve the city centre in a three pronged campaign: CLEANING UP keeping the city cean and attractive for residents, businesses and visitors Attacking itter and graffiti Ceaning the pavements with a specia street washing machine Waging war on fy posting BRIGHTENING UP Street entertainment and events Decoration and street ights at specia times Hanging baskets and fower beds SPEAKING UP Estabishing uniformed God Zone Crews to patro the God Zones, monitoring environmenta standards and reporting any probems with street ceaniness, paving and refuse coection Encouraging oca businesses and the community to participate in the God Zone initiative. Coin York (City Manager) states: "The God Zone is a partnership based initiative which focuses our coective efforts on making the City Centre environment ceaner, greener and safer for everyone who ives, visits or works in the City Centre" 126

85 WALKING CASE STUDY: LIVERPOOL HAT Liverpoo Housing Action Trust, in partnership with Merseytrave, has deveoped comprehensive guideines designed to improve accessibiity to housing deveopments. A high proportion of HAT residents are edery, suffer from mobiity impairment and do not have access to a car. A good pedestrian environment and easy access to pubic transport is therefore of critica importance to them. The guidance sets out recommended waking distances from peope's homes to pubic transport. The guide recommends that deveopers shoud ensure new deveopment is easiy accessibe by pubic transport. It recommends that the maximum distance from any dweing to a bus stop shoud be 400 meters or ess (waking time of 5 minutes) These guideines have been used to determine improvements to pedestrian routes as part of the redeveopment of Storrington Heys a Liverpoo HAT run deveopment at Croxteth. Tom Cay, Director of Deveopment at Liverpoo HAT stated: "The Storrington Heys Deveopment incudes the demoition of five tower bocks in Croxteth and their repacement with a new purpose buit oder peope's viage and mixed famiy accommodation. A pedestrian friendy environment and easy access to pubic transport is very important to our oder residents in particuar, so LHAT schemes ike this across the City are being deveoped to our "Design for Trave" criteria. At Storrington Heys, the residents association has aso purchased a mini-bus with grant aid from the HAT and the Nationa Lottery, to hep with days out and journeys which are not easiy reached by pubic transport." maintenance) recognising: Accident risk. Whoe ife and remedia costs. Roe of the route in the waking network. Shopmobiity: Working with the vountary, statutory and private sectors, and potentia users to extend the number of Shopmobiity schemes (see aso Accessibiity for A ) Panning: Reviewing the UDPs and panning poicies to: ensure that the and use mix, ayout and design of deveopment is safe, attractive and convenient for waking; incuding producing pedestrian friendy guideines for new housing and commercia deveopment; increase residentia densities, promote mixed and uses and encourage more residentia deveopment in the main centres; Identifying and maximising the potentia for waking to meet the trave demands of deveopment incuding seeking deveoper contributions where appropriate (see aso 'Integrating and Use and Transport Panning') Safety: Identifying and prioritising oca safety schemes paying regard to safety considerations) and the roe of the ocation in the pedestrian network, incuding: provision of pedestrian crossings and refuges. other traffic management measures. Continuing to undertake and review the current road safety training and pubicity programmes (see aso 'Improving Safety'). Priority: identify opportunities for retiming signas to favour peope on foot Design: Adopting good design standards and best practice, as recommended in the Urban Task Force Report and the DETR revised Design Buetin 32. Ensuring waking and cycing measures are compimentary, and minimise the potentia for confict by adopting the foowing preference order; 1. Segregated off-road provision 2. Separate waking provision 3. Shared off-road faciities Consuting a key service providers and integrating poicies from partnership working such as the poice and heath authorities (particuary in reation to the Heath Action Zones) THE WALKING ENVIRONMENT AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO OTHER INITIATIVES Improvements to waking and the genera pedestrian environment feature as a key eement of the foowing strategies: City and Town Centre Improvement Programmes. Creation of Home Zones and traffic camed areas. Regeneration strategies such as New Dea for Communities and SRB. Residentia area improvements such as Estate Action Programmes and Housing Action Trusts. TARGETS 127

86 CYCLING Cycing is an idea form of transport for many short journeys. It is sustainabe, heathy and arguaby an accessibe mode due to the costs invoved. The partners wi therefore encourage its use for many short journeys by: Deveoping a safe and convenient cyce network. Giving cycists priority in accord with the appropriate mode hierarchy. Cycing faciities. OPPORTUNITIES Cycing has a major roe to pay in achieving the LTP's overa objectives, to demonstrate this, our vision for cycing on Merseyside is: "To increase cyce use in order to reduce the use of private cars and improve the quaity of ife for a. This is to be achieved by deveoping a transport infrastructure that is safe, convenient, efficient and attractive for cycists" Previous package bid submissions have provided a basic cycing infrastructure that needs to be deveoped further. The partners are determined to make a significant moda shift to cycing (and other non-pouting modes) during the term of this Loca Transport Pan. As part of our road-user hierarchy the partners wi give priority to cycists, aong with pedestrians, in the design and panning of a highway infrastructure, athough it is recognised that in certain circumstances aternative routes and faciities may be more appropriate, particuary to avoid and eiminate potentia conficts. Whist the partners intend to fufi the ong term target in the Nationa Cycing Strategy (Department of Transport, 1996), of quadruping cyce usage by 2012, the Merseyside authorities, as has been recognised nationay, wi be unabe to meet the short term target of doubing cyce use by In recognition of this our target for the increase in cyce usage on Merseyside has been amended. The headine target to measure this increase is: To increase the overa moda share of trips by cyce to 4.0% by 2006 and to 8% by 2012 (The Merseyside Transport Authorities, 1999). STRATEGY Each oca authority wi review their own cycing strategy to meet the standards outined in the emerging Merseyside Cycing Strategy, in addition, ensuring consistency across Merseyside, and with the Government's Integrated Transport White Paper and the Nationa Cycing Strategy. The Merseyside and oca authority cyce strategies wi be reviewed as part of the LTP process every 5 years. Target: Each oca authority wi produce a revised cycing strategy in ine with the Merseyside Cycing Strategy by Apri Furthermore, a key eement of the Merseyside Cycing Strategy is the appication of a Road- User Hierarchy, which affords top priority - jointy with pedestrians - for cycists within a oca and district centres, and aong many roads within the network. CYCLE NETWORK The partners wi institute a comprehensive network of cycing faciities, as shown in Figure 3.23, panned in accordance with the procedures outined in Cyce-Friendy infrastructure (The Institute of Highways and Transportation). Best practice is difficut to show ocay given the imited amount of cycing that currenty exists on Merseyside. 129

87 CYCLING However, the partners endeavour to ensure that best practice is adopted and wherever possibe exceeded, and have consequenty adopted the London Cyce Network Design Guideines (London Cyce Network Steering Group, 1998). To assist in this Liverpoo City Counci have recenty been accepted to take part in the first year of the Cycing Touring Cub Best Vaue Benchmarking project. This wi invove visits to each of the participating 11 authorities, workshops and sef-audits. Participants wi agree action pans using the resuts of the benchmarking process to impement their cyce strategies in subsequent years. In order to ensure Best Practice is adopted across Merseyside, the resuts of this process wi be shared with the partners within our reguar monthy working group meetings. A Merseyside cyce network wi provide for a significant change in the provision of faciities for cycists such as cyce-anes and cyce parking, eading to moda shift. The network aso aows the partners to integrate measures to assist cycists with other transport and panning deveopment, such as pubic transport interchanges and new eisure and pubic buidings. The proposed Merseyside Cyce Network is shown in Figure The proposed network has a strong focus on inking main empoyment sites with surrounding areas. The network combines both on and off-road routes, providing a greater degree of autonomy and accessibiity to faciities and empoyment and education opportunities for oca residents and the peope of Merseyside. The many compementary effects, such as socia integration, improved persona heath and reduced environmenta impact that the network wi deiver, wi aso be supported through Heath Improvement Programmes and TraveWise initiatives. Target: By 2005, 40% of a journeys under 3 mies, wi be undertaken by waking and cycing combined. The core network (strategic routes within and between the Pathways and SSD areas), is programmed to be competed by the end of the first five year pan, with the remainder of the network to be competed by The network is dependent on part funding through the Objective One programme and is supported by the Singe Programming Document. In addition to this network, the Merseyside authorities wi aso be impementing compementary cyce routes and faciities as part of their individua cycing strategies and greenways deveopment. Target: The partners wi institute a comprehensive core cyce network by The sections inking the pathways areas to the SSDAs wi be competed by

88 CYCLING CYCLE AUDIT AND REVIEW Within the ife of the LTP, the partners wi appy the cyce audit process to a schemes ikey to have impications for cycists incuding: highway schemes; traffic management schemes; highway safety schemes; pubic transport infrastructure; traffic caming schemes; road and footway maintenance schemes, and panning proposas with highway impications The cyce review process wi be appied to existing transport networks to identify their positive and negative attributes for cycing and to assess ways in which those networks coud be changed to encourage cycing. A documentation resuting from audit and review procedures wi be avaiabe to the pubic on request. CYCLE PARKING The provision of safe, secure and fu accessibe cyce parking is an important consideration when deciding whether to make a journey by cyce. In recognising this as a minimum requirement, the authorities wi revise cyce parking standards to the criteria in draft PPG 13. Furthermore, to ensure faciities are appropriate, cyce user groups wi activey participate in decisions such as the number and ocation of parking faciities. A programme of cyce parking provision wi be undertaken to provide adequate parking at a oca authority pubic buidings, eisure centres. The authorities wi encourage other simiar estabishments to make provision for cyce parking. The panning process wi be used to ensure that appropriate cyce parking provision is provided as part of panning permissions in accordance with the standards defined above. Target: Cyce parking wi be provided at a pubic transport interchanges (and other pubic transport faciities where appropriate) by the end of Target: Cyce parking wi be provided at a oca authority pubic buidings by the end of INTEGRATION WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORT A oca trains currenty carry cyces free of charge and without restriction (space permitting, but without the need to make a reservation). The authorities are determined to continue this practice. The partners wi additionay endeavour to ensure that a new heavy rai roing stock, carries cyces under the same conditions. The Mersey Ferries provide an important aternative means of crossing the Mersey, for both eisure and commuter cyce trips. Cyce users are charged as pedestrians and this is a trave opportunity, which wi be activey marketed with a view to increasing cross river cyce traffic. The partners wi encourage pubic transport operators to be innovative in their approach to promoting cycing, and wi support schemes such as cyce hire at interchanges. Detaied information on proposas for cycists on pubic transport can be found in the Pubic Transport and Interchange strategies. CYCLING TO THE FUTURE Cycing underpins the TraveWise strategy, through the active promotion of Schoo Trave Pans, Green Transport Pans and genera cyce promotion and pubicity, to make transport on Merseyside more sustainabe. The partners wi ensure cycing has a major part to pay in these initiatives. The partners wi, continue to appy the principes of our road-user hierarchy and the guideines provided in cycefriendy infrastructure to ensure that conficts between different highway users and cycists, are minimised. The authorities wi each undertake an annua review of accidents invoving cycists, and identify any appropriate remedia measures. The partners wi work in partnership with the heath authorities to promote cycing, and seek support from the Heath Action Zone to fund projects to remove the barriers to cycing, expanding cyce training schemes to incude aduts, provision of cyce training through exercise on prescription schemes, cyce oan schemes to enabe access to empoyment and education opportunities. The measures outined above wi require a rea commitment in revenue expenditure in addition to funding 131

89 DEMAND MANAGEMENT In seeking to reduce car use and dependency it is not sufficient to rey on improvements to aternative modes (waking, cycing and pubic transport) aone. The demand for car trave wi aso have to be managed in a more direct way. Demand management is centra to the effective deivery of the LTP Strategy. It seeks to impement an integrated range of measures, aimed at directy reducing car use and dependency where quaity aternatives to the car are readiy avaiabe. Emphasis within the first LTP wi be to minimise the voume of cars on roads across Merseyside during peak periods. Car commuters, and parents taking chidren to schoo by car wi be speciay targeted, with compementary measures panned on waking, cycing and pubic transport routes. Demand Management has the foowing key eements: The parking strategy Mersey Tunne Toing Poicies Road space / capacity reaocation Trave management pans ROAD TOLLS AND WORKPLACE CHARGING The new Transport Bi offers oca authorities the opportunity to introduce road toing and workpace parking charges. Athough the Partners recognise that such measures coud be highy effective, there was a strong view expressed during the consutation that their introduction coud seriousy jeopardise regeneration of the oca economy which is the heart of our transport poicy. As regeneration picks up pace over the next five years, the Partner authorities wi however evauate the potentia of introducing road user toing and workpace parking charges for the second LTP in 2006/7 to 2010/11. This wi be carried out in fu consutation with key stakehoders such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Highways Agency etc. PARKING STRATEGY Managing Traffic Leves and Congestion: The Partners beieve that parking contro offers the most effective curb on car usage. In particuar centra area car parking contros wi pay an important roe in heping to reduce peak hour traffic voumes and congestion by encouraging commuters to use more environmentay friendy trave aternatives. The Parking Strategy is based on the foowing eements: Strict contro of the overa number of car parking spaces and charges On-street parking contros Effective parking enforcement Appication of maximum car parking standards CONTROL OF THE OVERALL NUMBER OF CAR PARKING SPACES There wi be no overa increase in the number of car parking spaces beyond current eves in the main centres, except to meet the minimum operationa needs for major new city and town centre deveopments. Private sector car park operators are a significant provider of off-street spaces in Liverpoo City Centre (of the 16,500 off-street spaces in the City Centre, ony 3,000 are operated by the City Counci). An aim of the Merseyside parking strategy wi therefore be to deveop partnership working between the oca authorities and private sector car park operators and deveopers. 157

90 DEMAND MANAGEMENT Aso, some oca authorities wi aso use panning agreements to encourage private deveopers to operate their car parks in ine with the adopted Car Parking Strategy. The UDP Reviews wi contain poicies to strengthen this approach. The Parking Strategy takes on board advice in PPG6 (Town Centre and Retai Deveopments), and wi encourage car parks inked to particuar deveopments to serve the needs of the centre as a whoe and not just the particuar deveopment. The oca authorities wi, through the UDPs, encourage the redeveopment or reuse of existing private parking, and refuse parking proposas which add to an over-suppy of spaces and therefore contribute to congestion and environmenta probems. Charging Poicies Discouraging Long-Stay: The Merseyside Districts have been appying charging regimes which activey discourage ong-stay parking at the main centres, by progressivey seeking to increase the cost of ong-stay parking. In contrast, short stay-parking charges in the main centres are being set at eves so as not to discourage shoppers and visitors. Monitoring of charges appied in the main centres across Merseyside has confirmed that there have been significant increases to ong-stay charges in recent years. However as the quaity and attractiveness of aternatives to the car are introduced the Partner authorities wi increase the reative cost of shortstay parking. Private Operators: The Partner authorities wi aso encourage the deveopment of common pricing structures with private sector car park operators to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the Parking Strategy. Simiary private sector car park operators wi be encouraged to manage their car parks so as to discourage use by a day commuters in favour of short stay shoppers parking. On-Street Parking Contros On-street parking is controed in Liverpoo City Centre, Boote, Southport and Birkenhead, athough parking prohibitions are in pace on some streets in a centres. The City Centre Movement Strategy is proposing the creation of "pedestrian priority areas" in which some on street parking provision wi be removed to be repaced in some instances by oading bays. This approach wi aso aow footways to be widened and wi eiminate cutter created by ines of parked cars on the carriageway. The effectiveness of enforcement of controed parking is essentia for its success, as discussed in the next section. 158

91 DEMAND MANAGEMENT DECRIMINALISED PARKING IN SEFTON MBC CASE STUDY On 1st February 2000 Sefton MBC took on the powers avaiabe under the Road Traffic Act 1991 to enforce "yeow ine" offences within its boundary. This foowed a two year preparatory period during which the systems, equipment, accommodation and staff necessary to undertake a decriminaised parking operation where put in pace. Cose partnership working with the appointed enforcement contractor and efficient depoyment of the contractors staff have seen a considerabe increase and improvement in enforcement and a consequent improvement in traffic management and traffic fows within the Borough. The new system has enabed the authority to target enforcement action at known probem areas such as around oca shopping centres and at schoos at the start and finish of the schoo day. It aso resuts in the Authority being the "one stop shop" for parking and avoids the probems that can resut from the spit of responsibiities between the Poice and Loca Authority Parking Enforcement The adoption of decriminaised parking powers by the City of Liverpoo and Sefton MBC as permitted under the Road Traffic Act 1991, wi pay an important roe in heping to manage the demand for car trave. Sefton have (Feb 2000) and Liverpoo are preparing to (Spring 2001) take over responsibiity from Merseyside Poice for enforcing parking restrictions. Revenue raised from parking enforcement wi be used to improve the oca transport network in ine with the objectives of the LTP. Other authorities are to study the resuts of this exercise which is forecast to: Promote the safe free fow of traffic. Promote ega parking. Assist measures to promote pubic transport. Improve residentia amenity and the environment. Enabe measures to assist residents and businesses to access their property. Promote the viabiity and vitaity of shopping areas. Parking Standards for New Deveopment Reducing the eve of parking aowed in new deveopment (and in the expansion or change of use of existing deveopment) wi pay an important roe in promoting more environmentay friendy forms of trave. Reduced car parking requirements can aso hep to drive down costs to business, and can pay a major roe in heping to combat increasing traffic congestion. In ine with Draft PPG13 (Transport) the Partner authorities wi seek to ensure that: Deveopers wi not be required to provide more car parking spaces than they themseves actuay need; Encouragement wi be given to the shared use of parking faciities, particuary in the City Centre and the other main centres, where peak eves of car use do not coincide. This wi hep to reduce the overa space taken up by parking; Secure and attractive cyce and powered two wheeer parking faciities are avaiabe as part of a new deveopment; and The eve of parking permitted at periphera deveopments does not act as an incentive to deveop in such ocations. Maximum Parking Standards: The UDPs wi adopt what is termed 'Maximum parking standards'. This means that the Partner authorities have specified the maximum number of spaces they woud aow deveopers to provide for certain categories of deveopment. The emerging Draft North West Regiona Panning Guidance (RPG) contains suggested maximum parking standards for a wider range of deveopments which are at the more rigorous end of the standards in PPG 13. These are to be "ceiing" standards covering the whoe region. It aso suggests a set of more rigorous ceiing standards for what is termed the "urban conurbations", which in effect cover the whoe of Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Warrington and Haton. The Partners intend to appy the 'urban conurbation' standard to defined centres across Merseyside, and appy maximum standards, beow the regiona ceiing, according to some or a of the foowing criteria: proximity to pubic transport nodes and corridors; high eves of popuation and deveopment density; traffic reduction objectives as expressed in the LTP; controed on-street parking; good avaiabiity of off-street parking; eves of waking and cycing; regeneration, eves of economic activity and economic deveopment objectives; neighbouring authorities' standards; potentia for shared use of spaces; and mixed use deveopments. (see aso Integrating Land Use and Transport Panning for further detais) 159

92 DEMAND MANAGEMENT A41 BUS LANE, CORRIDOR V How we wi do this LIVERPOOL PARKING STRATEGY Whist the number of car trips into the City Centre have remained reativey stabe over the ast five years, the regeneration of the City Centre coud generate a arge increase in the demand for car trave by commuters if demand restraint measures and quaity aternatives are not introduced. In ine with the Merseyside Parking Strategy the City of Liverpoo wi 1. provide adequate parking for residents, shoppers and visitors. - cater for parking for shoppers and visitors - deveop car free residentia deveopment where possibe - manage visitor and shoppers parking to ensure commuters are excuded e.g. opening after am. 2. imit the provision of off-street pubic parking to the current ceiing of 16,500 spaces 3. continue zona parking pricing poicy of encouraging short stay shopper and visitor parking cose to the centra area, with onger stay parking ocated on the periphery of the City Centre. 4. concentrate a off-street parking at the edge of the City Centre at sites and ocations which enjoy good access to the highway network to ensure minima environmenta intrusion, especiay from cars. Shared use of space by time of day wi be attempted wherever possibe to minimise space requirements 5. review the extent of the Controed Parking Zone as new deveopments take pace. The City Counci wi ensure adequate parking for cycists, motorcycists and coaches. The introduction of controed parking to the outer zone wi be compete by eary 2001 and Decriminaised enforcement wi be introduced by Spring These deveopments wi further reduce on-street ong stay spaces and provide more short stay spaces for shoppers and aow more residentia parking schemes. The extension of the contro zone wi be reviewed if commuter parking becomes a probem beyond the present contro zones. 6. ensure that there is adequate parking for the mobiity impaired in terms of numbers, design and ocation. 7. impement car parking standards for new deveopment based on Regiona maximum eves as set out in the Panning Guidance. 8. review the possibiity of introducing workpace-parking charges as a City Centre demand management too - with fu consutation with businesses during the ife of the first LTP. MERSEY TUNNEL TOLLING Merseytrave operates the two Mersey Tunnes inking the City of Liverpoo and the Wirra. Tos are charged for most casses of road vehice (with the exception of motorcyces and peda cyces) in order to cover operating costs and service the Tunnes construction debt. The setting of to eves can be used to directy manage the demand for a road vehices wishing to cross the river. Merseytrave is currenty sponsoring a Mersey Tunnes Bi, which is seeking Pariament's approva to raise tunne tos in ine with infation without the need for pubic inquiries, to et a concession to operate the road tunnes and use surpus to income to cross subsidise pubic transport deveopment. Tabe 3.22 shows annua vehice fows through both the Mersey Tunnes over the period 1992/3 to 1999/00. Tabe 3.22 : Mersey Tunne Fows Vehices % Change since 1992/3 1992/3 23,470, /4 23,990, /5 24,854, /6 25,062, /7 24,966, /8 25,523, /9 25,690, /0 25,714, ROAD SPACE AND CAPACITY REALLOCATION In order to make better, more efficient use of the existing road network and to better infuence the demand for car trave the Partner authorities wi impement a comprehensive programme of road space capacity reaocation in favour of pedestrians, cycists and pubic transport. This wi be appied in accordance with the adopted Road User Hierarchy approach in each of the main corridors and centres across Merseyside. Typicay road capacity reaocation wi take the form of: 160

93 DEMAND MANAGEMENT Bus Priorities These are specific traffic management measures, which are designed to give buses priority over other road traffic, whie aso reducing capacity for private cars. This can hep bus services avoid traffic congestion and thereby reduce bus journey times and improve service reiabiity. Bus priority measures wi pay a vita roe in heping to deiver a first cass fuy integrated and sustainabe pubic transport system in Merseyside. When impementing further bus priority measures in Merseyside, the Partner authorities wi be mindfu of the 'Keeping Buses Moving' 1/97 technica guidance note issued by the DETR in 1997 which offers specific advice on new innovative techniques such as bus advance areas, bus priority in SCOOT and other signa contro systems, camera enforcement of bus anes and the importance of decriminaised parking contro in the movement of buses. As part of this first LTP the Partner authorities have fuy evauated the potentia benefits of introducing effective Bus Priority measures across Merseyside. They wi therefore pay a vita roe in heping to deiver effective and sustained improvements as part of the Pubic Transport Theme of the LTP. Measures wi ony be introduced foowing extensive consutation with oca communities, business, operators and other key stakehoder groups. Bus anes - ensure that buses receive priority treatment over other genera traffic on the main routes (generay on main routes with heavy traffic fows, served by more than 20 buses per hour) These bus anes take the form of either a day bus anes or peak period bus anes. The most typica type of bus ane is the with fow type. Other vehice casses which may be permitted to use bus anes incude cycists, motor cyces, taxis, goods vehices, dia -aride services for mobiity impaired peope. The Partner authorities wi adopt a common approach to the management of bus anes, incuding their use by other categories of road user. Seective Vehice Detection - buses fitted with eectronic devices receive priority treatment over other road traffic at signaised junctions on the highway network. Traffic signas are abe to detect the approach of buses fitted with these specia devices (transponders) and ensure that other traffic is hated at the ights so that the bus has an unhindered fow across the junction. Often these measures work we when backed up with physica bus priority measures on the highway such as bus anes and bus advance areas. Both wi be impemented across the Core Bus Route Network as part of the Loca Transport Pan. The introduction of seective vehice detection is dependent on the extension of the SCOOT centraised traffic signa contro system across Merseyside. PRIORITIES FOR CYCLISTS The Merseyside Cycing Strategy wi seek to impement an integrated range of measure which wi reaocate more road space from genera traffic use in favour of cycists in ine with the principes of the Road User Hierarchy. PRIORITIES FOR PEDESTRIANS The Merseyside Waking Strategy wi seek to impement an integrated range of measures, which wi reaocate more road space from genera traffic use in favour of pedestrians in ine with the principes of the Road User Hierarchy, particuary in residentia and shopping areas. TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLANS Trave management pans which can assist communities and business to adopt the green trave habit, come in a variety of formats. Commuter Pans and Schoo Trave pans are discussed esewhere. LIVERPOOL AIRPORT SURFACE ACCESS STRATEGY (ASAS) Liverpoo Airport is currenty the UK's fastest growing regiona airport, handing over 1.3 miion passengers in 161

94 DEMAND MANAGEMENT 1999, a 47% increase over the previous year, much of this based on the growth of ow cost schedued "budget" fights and the charter fight market. The Airport has traditionay been a major gateway for Irish Sea fights and freight traffic. In order to accommodate the projected growth in passenger and freight fights, the Airport has received outine panning permission to deveop a new 38 miion passenger termina. As a condition of this deveopment, the Airport signed a Section 106 agreement with Liverpoo City Counci which incuded a number of obigations on the Airport incuding, surface access issues and the setting up of an Airport Transport Forum. The growth in passenger numbers at the Airport wi consequenty ead to a increase in the demand for surface trave to the Airport. As the majority of passenger journeys to the Airport are currenty by car the Airport Company as part of the LTP is deveoping an ASAS which has the expicit aim of encouraging more passengers / empoyees to trave to the Airport by more environmentay friendy means such as pubic transport. Initia resuts of the recent CAA Passenger Survey (1999) showed that over 90% of passengers traveed to Liverpoo Airport by car, hire car or taxi in 1999, with a further breakdown by other forms of transport shown in Tabe Tabe 3.23 Liverpoo Airport - mode spit of trave to Airport Mode % of Passengers Private Car 65.9% Taxi / Minicab 23.7% Nationa Raiways 3.5% Hire Car 3.4% Bus / Coach 3.2% Other 0.3% Office for the North West, key empoyers and deveopment agencies. In order to match the proposa in Surface Access Strategy indicators and targets are being deveoped. The ASAS wi seek to achieve the targets by a package of improvements focused around the foowing key issues: PUBLIC TRANSPORT The current percentage of passengers arriving by pubic transport is 6.7% Projected targets wi be set foowing further anaysis of the CAA Passenger Survey (1999). An Airport empoyee transport survey is currenty underway to determine the proportion of empoyees arriving by pubic transport. From this survey data, targets wi be incorporated into the Airports Green Transport Pan. OTHER MODES Given the ocation of the Airport, other than those iving cose by, it is unikey that any empoyees wi wak to the site. However, waking within the airport area (non airside) between car parks, pubic transport interchange (incuding taxis), between the two terminas (on competion of the second termina), between offices and paces of empoyment, is to be encouraged. The ASAS wi promote this by the provision of safe, we signed, segregated routes, which are fuy accessibe. Cycing to the Airport is to be encouraged and the ASAS wi make provision for this by examining a number of on and off site faciities and improvements for incusion in the Green Transport Pan. opening of the new Termina, to some 6 miion per year by Current empoyment eves at the Airport are approximatey 1,000 staff. This is anticipated to increase in ine with passenger growth to the industry standard of approximatey 1 empoyee per 1,000 passengers. DELIVERY The ASAS wi seek to achieve a package of improvements focused around the foowing: Short Term Measures (2 Years) A new high quaity express coach service inking the Airport to the City Centre incuding key hotes. Improved pubic transport access to the oca rai stations at Garston, Aerton and Hunts Cross via a circuar bus service in addition to the existing connection. Improved bus connections to other parts of Merseyside by the introduction of new SMART services and the diversion of existing oca bus services (September 2000). Improved pubic transport connections to Runcorn. Improved footway standards and pedestrian access in and around the airport termina and car parks. Introduction of a Green Transport Pan for airport empoyees. Medium Term Measures (3-5 years) A new muti-moda faciity, Aerton Interchange. The ASAS is currenty being steered through the Surface Access Forum which is a broad partnership of oca organisations incuding the Airport Company, oca authorities, Merseytrave, pubic transport operators, the Highways Agency, the Government AIRPORT USAGE FORECASTS Passenger numbers have grown from 0.6 miion in 1996 to a forecast of 2.1 miion in Passenger voumes are expected to grow further, with the A new "fixed" ink bus service to Aerton Interchange. An express quaity bus service to Liverpoo City Centre via Aerton. 162

95 DEMAND MANAGEMENT EVENT MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY: MILLENNIUM EVE CELEBRATIONS - LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE Events pay an increasing important roe in generating both oca and externa visits to the prime tourism destinations of Merseyside. Pubic Transport provision and information makes a substantia contribution to the success of such events which often require street cosures and the temporary extension of pedestrian zones. Liverpoo's Miennium Eve ceebrations incuded a major pop concert at the Pier Head, a famiy Miennium funfair and River of Light ceebration at Chavasse Park/Abert Dock and a free concert on St George's Pateau. Together these events drew hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city centre over a 12 hour period. The avaiabiity of a frequent, ow cost bus service organised by Merseytrave, throughout the night on main arteria routes undoubtedy added to the overa numbers enjoying the ceebrations and heped make them so successfu from a; pubic safety standpoint. Provision of segregated bus and cyce ways to the new termina. Improved pubic transport interchange ayout, incuding eve boarding faciities. Improved passenger transport information and through ticketing via air and bus/train operators. Provision of safe cyce storage, changing and shower faciities Long Term Measures (5 years pus) Remote check in faciities. Possibe Rapid Transit Link to Aerton Interchange. Over the coming months as the ASAS is deveoped, the Airport Transport Forum wi carry out comprehensive market research on the trave needs of empoyees and existing / potentia passengers using the Airport. VISITOR TRAVEL MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES Tourism is one of the fastest growing eements of the Merseyside economy and is set to pay a major roe in the regeneration of the region. Tourism is a substantia contributor to weath and empoyment in the region, currenty supporting some 18,000 jobs (3.6% of tota empoyment) and 500 miion of visitor spending (2.5% of tota regiona GDP). Tourism aso pays a major roe in heping to deveop a positive image of Merseyside, enhancing the quaity of ife for residents, underpinning eisure, cuture, retai and oca services and encouraging environmenta improvements. The Merseyside Tourism Strategy "Visiting Merseyside: A five-year programme for sustainabe tourism" sets out a comprehensive framework aimed at doubing visitor spending to 1biion and create 12,000 new jobs by As Merseyside features a arge number of visitor attractions, managing the demand for car trave to these sites wi pay an important roe in heping to CASE STUDY: QUEEN SQUARE CENTRE A COMBINED MERSEYTRAVEL AND MERSEY TOURISM FACILITY The Queen Square Centre opened for business on 8 November The buiding is modern in appearance and acts as a beacon to peope in the area of Queen Square Bus Station. High quaity design and graphics give a reaxed and professiona appearance to a key faciity in promoting trave and tourism within Merseyside. The Merseytrave Trave Centre provides a comprehensive range of trave information and ticket saes for a oca bus, train and ferry services. Printed timetabes are avaiabe for a of these, pus information on hoidays, excursions and Nationa Express Services. The Merseytrave Trave Centre reports an increase in Merseytrave pre-paid tickets of 15% and Nationa Express bookings up by 70% since the new Centre opened. "Peope are very impressed by the faciity" reports Trave Centre Supervisor Suzy Watts. "There is the space for peope to browse around and see what there is to offer in a modern uncrowded environment. Business is equay buoyant for Mersey Tourism who hande a whoe package of services for both visitors and oca peope. The Tourist Information Centre handes both oca and nationa tourist enquiries, souvenir saes, theatre and specia events bookings and Ferry bookings to the Ise of Man and Ireand. "The new buiding is bright and ight and airy and since we have moved in we have experienced a substantia increase in both enquiries and saes. It has been a great move to provide an integrated one stop pubic transport and tourism centre in "the heart of Merseyside." 163

96 DEMAND MANAGEMENT CASE STUDY: SOCCER BUS In order to hep reduce traffic congestion on match days at Liverpoo and Everton Footba cubs, Merseytrave in partnership with Liverpoo City Counci, the footba cubs and Merseyside Poice aunched a new Soccer Bus service at the start of the 1999/2000 season. The service provides a high frequency dedicated shutte bus ink from Sandhis Station to both footba grounds. Passengers are abe to purchase a singe fuy integrated bus/ rai ticket from any station on the nationa rai network to either Anfied or Goodison. During the 1999/2000 season over 10,000 peope used the service. meet the overa objectives of the LTP. Comprehensive surveys of visitors to Merseyside have been conducted every 5 years since The ast survey reates to 1995 and estimates that some 24.5 miion visits were made to Merseyside that year, 2.7 miion were overnight trips and 21.8 miion were day trips. Overnight trips generated spend of 226 miion and day visits 257 miion. Between 1990 and 1995, tota tourism spending increased by 18% in rea terms. Merseyside is primariy a day visitor destination with 9 out of 10 visitors staying just for the day and these visitors are drawn primariy from the North West. Staying visitors come from the South East, the Midands and the North especiay Yorkshire and the Humber. Overseas visitors come from European Union states (especiay Ireand, the Netherands and Germany), the USA, Canada and Japan. Both the Government's tourism strategy entited "Tomorrow's Tourism: A growth industry for the new Miennium" and the North West Tourist Board document "Sustaining Progress: A sustainabe strategy for the North West " advocate the deveopment of effective visitor management strategies. Therefore buiding on these messages the Merseyside LTP wi seek to deveop effective Visitor Management Strategies for: The main footba, and rugby eague grounds Aintree and Haydock Racecourses Key tourist attractions Specific events such as the Open Gof Championships hed at Roya Birkdae and any nationa / internationa events The tourist resort of Southport. These Strategies wi be progressed in partnership between the event or attraction management, the oca authorities and Merseyside, transport operators and the Poice and be promoted as part of the TraveWise campaign. In ine with the recommendations of the Government's nationa tourism strategy, typica components of Visitor Management Strategies wi incude the foowing: Better pubicity and information on environmentay friendy forms of trave to and from the event or attraction. Better coach parking and coach hosting faciities, especiay in Southport and in Liverpoo City Centre. Encourage tourist and eisure site managers to produce Green Transport Pans to reduce congestion and poution from empoyee and visitor car traffic to tourist sites and encourage a switch away from car use to ess pouting forms of transport. Encourage the upgrading of pubic transport infrastructure to accommodate eisure capacity, for exampe by providing faciities for bicyce carriage, cyce parking and improving the frequency of weekend services. Identify an appropriate package of measures (Park and Ride, integrated ticketing schemes, discounts or other incentives for peope arriving by pubic transport. Encourage the creation of new tourism products that integrate waking with cycing or trave by bus and rai as part of the experience and cater for a passengers, incuding peope with young chidren. POWERED TWO WHEELERS As a vunerabe road user, the needs of powered two wheeer (PTW) users must be recognised and addressed. This is particuary the case as PTWs are one of the fastest growing forms of transport as commuters switch to them as smaer vehices to 'beat' congestion. The Government's Transport White Paper "A New Dea for Transport: Better for Everyone" recognised that mopeds and motorcyces can provide a rea aternative for trips where pubic transport is imited and waking and cycing unreaistic, increasing mobiity and widening empoyment opportunities. Therefore as part of the Merseyside LTP, the partner authorities wi seek to ensure that: the needs and safety of powered two wheeers is fuy taken into account as part of new transport schemes 164