Agenda item

City Access update including mode shift and demand management options

Decision:

The Executive Board AGREED unanimously:

 

(1)  To support the development of options for managing traffic demand in Cambridge and to agree that proposals which best meet the objectives set out in paragraph 8.7 are prepared for the Executive Board in July 2018 with the aim to continue the demand management aspects of the “Big Conversation” with stakeholders and the public in Autumn 2018.

 

(2)  That the GCP engages, with partners, including the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to ensure alignment with the strategic transport plan, and to provide the opportunity for others to shape/comment on the possible approaches for managing demand and reducing congestion.

 

(3)  To support the principles of an electric bus pilot and to delegate approval of the pilot to the Director of Transport, in consultation with the Executive Board Chairperson.

Minutes:

The Chairperson invited Councillor Oscar Gillespie to ask his question. In addition to the response to his question given by the Transport Director, a summary of which is included in the appendix to the minutes, the Chairperson suggested Councillor Gillespie may want to consider submitting a bid to the GCP’s smart workstream. The Joint Director for Planning and Economic Development (Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council) informed Councillor Gillespie and the Board, that the car club concept was central to conversations between the planning authority and developers regarding sustainable transport options.

 

The Transport Director presented the report which updated the Board on the progress of the City Access programme and options for achieving modal shift through demand management. The Executive Board was informed that an audit of traffic signals had been completed and officers were considering the findings of this. The following was being looked at regarding traffic signals:

1.    Whether the time all existing traffic lights were on red, amber or green could be adjusted to improve traffic flow.

2.    Whether strings of traffic lights along the same road could be linked in order to improve traffic flow.

3.    Whether radar sensors could be linked to traffic signals so that lights would turn green when a bus approached.

 

A work programme would be presented at the next Executive Board meeting.

 

Executive Board members discussed the report and made the following points:

·         Members expressed their support for this work.

·         The need for demand management systems to be very intelligent and fair for everyone both in the City and those entering the City from outside, was urged.

·         A major improvement in the quality of public transport was needed as some of the potential demand management measures would not work without it.

·         The need to persist with measures to cut the number of vehicles coming into the city and to get more people onto cleaner transport options, was highlighted.

·         The importance of reconfiguring the city centre was highlighted as too many vehicles were still coming into the city centre.

·         As well as positive demand management measures, negative measures were also needed in order to raise the funding needed to cover the cost of improving public transport.

·         It was suggested that travel planning needed to be put back in the mix of options.

·         Issues with city centre car parks needed to be addressed.

·         As people were commuting to Cambridge from as far afield as Kings Lynn, March, Chatteris and Haverhill for example, the consultation with stakeholders needed to be broadened.

·         Traffic modelling from further outside the city needed to be considered.

·         Prioritisation of measures needed to be considered with stakeholders, as not everything could be done at once.

·         Regarding recommendation 2, it was specified that the GCP needed to engage with Cambridgeshire County Council, the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, business and the university.

 

The Executive Board AGREED unanimously:

 

(1)  To support the development of options for managing traffic demand in Cambridge and to agree that proposals which best meet the objectives set out in paragraph 8.7 are prepared for the Executive Board in July 2018 with the aim to continue the demand management aspects of the “Big Conversation” with stakeholders and the public in Autumn 2018.

 

(2)  That the GCP engages, with partners, including the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to ensure alignment with the strategic transport plan, and to provide the opportunity for others to shape/comment on the possible approaches for managing demand and reducing congestion.

 

(3)  To support the principles of an electric bus pilot and to delegate approval of the pilot to the Director of Transport, in consultation with the Executive Board Chairperson.

Supporting documents: