Agenda item

To update on the City Access programme including a detailed intelligent signals review delivery plan and to give approval to consult on demand management principles and measures.

PAPER AMENDED – Update on City Access Programme, including report on future transport requirements.

Decision on demand management principles deferred to October 2018 due to pause requested in Mayoral Transport Statement.

The Executive Board:

1)    NOTED the work to date on the potential options for achieving modal shift through demand management.

2)    AGREED to continue to review the demand management options available to meet the objectives of the GCP’s transport strategy.

3)    AGREED to work with the Combined Authority, as the designated strategic transport authority for the Greater Cambridge area to further review proposals for managing demand.

The GCP Transport Director presented the report which provided an update on work to explore a number of options for reducing traffic and improving air quality in and around Cambridge. He pointed out that the delivery of the options explored in the report was predicated on there being a good public transport network, that offered a viable alternative for people. The projected growth in traffic and need for demand management was highlighted. Potential equity issues were recognised and needed to be understood further.

The Executive Board discussed the report:

·         Professor Allmendinger welcomed the report which provided an important holistic approach linking supply and demand issues. The evidence base was critical in order to inform future decisions.

·         Councillor Van de Weyer was supportive of a comprehensive strategy which managed demand. It was important to ensure that projects carried out in future did not lead to the redundancy of projects delivered sooner. A wider variety of models for charging needed to be looked at.

·         It was queried whether there had been any progress in relation to the pause requested by the Mayor.

·         Councillor Bates referring to the discussion that had taken place at the June Joint Assembly meeting regarding the traffic from schools, suggested that greater emphasis be placed on school traffic and suggested that school heads and governors needed to be worked with on this.

·         Councillor Bates commented that it was essential to sequence issues and from the County Council’s perspective it was felt that other things needed to be done first to improve congestion and air quality, before intelligent charging was introduced.

·         The Chairperson referred to the Mayor’s transport statement which stated that charging should not be imposed before a transformational public transport scheme, such as the CAM Metro, was in place. He would seek clarity on this from the Mayor.

·         The Chairperson commented that each of the charging options should be looked at as well as addressing potential equality issues. Many people had been forced to leave Cambridge as they could not afford to live in the city and these people should not be penalised for then having to travel into the city to work. This needed to be considered. Reliable public transport services were required, with the costs of these capped.

·         The Chairperson pointed out that there had been declining investment in public transport and cuts to bus routes. The range of routes and hours of operation of public transport services should be extended.

·         There was a need to reduce the number of cars at peak times; employers should be involved in discussions on this.

·         Councillor Bates referred to a report which would be presented to the County Council’s Economy and Environment Committee on 12 July. The County Council would continue to support some bus services that had been withdrawn by the bus operators, but this would only be until the end of the current financial year when responsibility for this would pass to the Combined Authority. The County Council was currently investing in excess of £2 million per year in supporting public transport.

·         The GCP needed to work with bus operators on their future plans.

·         The Mayor’s bus review was due to report in the autumn of 2018.

The Executive Board:

1)    NOTED the work to date on the potential options for achieving modal shift through demand management.

2)    AGREED unanimously to continue to review the demand management options available to meet the objectives of the GCP’s transport strategy.

3)    AGREED unanimously to work with the Combined Authority, as the designated strategic transport authority for the Greater Cambridge area to further review proposals for managing demand.