Bedfordshire Local Transport Plan 2006/07 - 2010/11

Introduction

This section outlines the key strategic and local issues for the different modes of transport, networks and services in Bedfordshire.  It sets out how transport works in Bedfordshire, identifies likely trends and potential problems over the next five years, and points to relevant strategies, which are referred to in Chapter 5.  Figure 6 ‘Current transport infrastructure’ shows the current transport infrastructure.

The Government's London to South Midlands Multi Modal Study covered Bedfordshire and neighbouring areas and set out an overarching policy that considered the role of all modes of transport in developing solutions to strategic transport problems. While the multi modal strategy was started before the Sustainable Communities Plan growth areas were developed, it provides a useful analysis of future transport issues.  Several of the projects now being promoted in and around Bedfordshire stem from this study.

Roads

In terms of movements within the County the major corridors are the M1, other trunk roads (A1, A421, A5) and other routes within the primary and strategic road network (A422, A600, A603, A6, A428, A4146, A418, A1081, A505, A507), as shown in Figure 6 ‘Current transport infrastructure’. Trunk roads fall under the remit of the Highways Agency and successful delivery to meet the needs of both local and strategic road users therefore requires a good working relationship between us and  the Highways Agency.

Regular liaison meetings take place where potential conflicts are discussed and information is exchanged. These meetings have evolved over time to meet mutual needs.

One area where the County and HA work particularly well together is in the development of new trunk / strategic roads, and improvement schemes. Since 2001, the following strategic schemes have been proposed:

• Dualling and realignment of the A421 round Great Barford, currently nearing completion;
• A421 Bedford to Junction 13 (M1) improvement (dualling with off route sections), Draft Orders are imminent;
• M1 (J10 – 13), Preferred Route Announcement for widening has been published; and
• Dunstable Northern Bypass, route options have been published for a link between the A5 and M1.

We have worked in close liaison with the Highways Agency on all these schemes and will continue to do so, providing information and guidance on local issues at all stages of the schemes’ development, particularly when considering the impact on the local road network.

One result of the significant trunk road investment programme through Bedfordshire is the expected level of detrunking which will occur within this and the next LTP period, more specifically along the A421 and A5. Detrunking a route has implications for the local network hierarchy and management strategy.  It also involves the removal of trunk road paraphernalia such as 10 metre lighting columns and their replacement with columns more appropriate to the local environment. Trunk road signage needs to be removed from the existing network. Other issues such as speed reduction measures, maintenance of structures and the conditions of the road surface are considered in the Asset Management Plan.

Detrunking can also deliver opportunities to improve and develop cycling and walking networks, as well as delivering the objectives of the Rights of Way Improvement Partnership (ROWIP) (See Chapter 5).

Table 2 ‘Extent of road network in Bedfordshire (as at February 2006)’ indicates the extent of the road network in Bedfordshire, excluding any private roads. Figure 7 ‘Annual average daily traffic flows’ shows the average daily traffic flows on roads in the County. Developing the road network during and beyond LTP2 will increase it in size, both by total length and by capacity (for example by adding more lanes to existing roads). The Major Projects section of Chapter 5 provides more detail on schemes and timescales.

The state of the network

In common with many areas, Bedfordshire has a backlog of maintenance work to bring its roads to an acceptable condition. Our public involvement exercises (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4) identified that this is one of the highest priorities to be delivered through this local transport plan, with recent Customer Satisfaction Surveys indicating that 54% of residents rate road maintenance and repair as either poor or very poor. The state of the road network was also a subject repeatedly raised at all of our public involvement events. The national target is to halt the deterioration in local road condition by 2004 and to eliminate the backlog in maintenance by 2010 (Transport 2010 – The 10 Year Plan).

Our latest estimate is that to eliminate the maintenance backlog on Bedfordshire’s roads (excluding motorways and trunk roads, which are looked after by the Highways Agency) would cost around £114 million. Even with no further deterioration, this backlog would take 14 years to eliminate assuming continuation of previous funding levels. Discussions during our involvement exercises highlighted that, while progress had been made on the principle road network, the condition of our minor roads was still regarded as relatively poor. We have responded to this challenge with additional resources, discussed in Chapter 6.

 We expect traffic levels on Bedfordshire’s roads to continue to increase. Much of the new infrastructure will meet current and short term demands, and will not keep pace with the increasing numbers of road users the Growth Area will bring. Even with the measures put in place to reduce dependency on the private car, the absolute increase in population and vehicle movements will lead to additional pressure on both the strategic and local networks.

As a result, we will have to take a much more proactive approach to how we manage the network, and to an extent, in how we work with external agencies such as the Highways Agency. Our new partnership arrangement with Bedfordshire Highways has already enabled us to develop a Draft Network Management Strategy and a Draft Asset Management Plan, both of which will allow us to establish a priority approach to the network hierarchy. This means we can adopt a more flexible approach to highway management and repair, and be more responsive and proactive.

Traffic Congestion

As one of the Shared Priorities, the actual level of traffic congestion and how this might change in the future are important issues for this LTP. The importance of congestion was further highlighted during our public involvement exercises, where the results of numerous surveys and public workshops consistently identified traffic congestion as one of the major transport issues facing Bedfordshire (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4).

Until recently the only reliable source of quantified information on traffic speeds, journey times and delays comes from surveys at particular locations across Bedfordshire whenever a need for this data arises.  With the advent of vehicles being fitted with Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) systems it is now possible to assemble more comprehensive data on where suitably equipped vehicles are at a particular time, and from this calculate travel times.

Figure 8 ‘Average speed during AM peak’ shows the average speed of cars for the morning peak period (7am to 10am) across the main routes in Bedfordshire.  This is taken from data for 2005.  Since this averaged over a three-hour period across a typical month, it does not show the impact of problems that occur for shorter periods on a regular or occasional basis, but it does give an indication of general road network conditions.

A number of conclusions can be drawn from this information.  The main points are:

• The majority of the inter-urban network suffers from some congestion during the morning peak, running at average speeds of below 80 kph (50 miles per hour (mph));
• Observed data confirms the well-known pockets of congestion around junctions such as M1 Junctions 12 and 13 where average speeds drop below 40 kph (or 25 mph), the A6/A507 junction at Clophill and the A421/Kempston junction where average speeds are notably lower than on the rest of the route;
• Urban areas with 30 mph speed limits also show general peak period congestion, with the central areas running at average speeds of under 20 kph or 13 mph; and
• Outside of the peak periods delays tend to reduce, although there are still appears to be congestion at locations identified above.

Coupled with other information available in specific areas (such as speed surveys), the outcomes of our public involvement exercises (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4), and general experience across Bedfordshire, a general picture emerges of network conditions.  This can be summarised as a network operating close to capacity for the majority of the time, but with concentrated periods of congestion at specific locations.  Congestion levels are sensitive to incidents on the network, and severe enough to lead people to use less congested routes away from the main road network.

The availability of this type of GPS data is new and we are still testing its reliability and usefulness.  As experience develops we expect to be able to use this type of information to, for example:

• Monitor trends in vehicle speeds over the LTP period and beyond to identify general trends;
• Quantify changes in congestion levels at different times of day and year (such as looking at congestion in the 8am to 9am period and during school holidays);
• Better monitor the impact of changes to the road network as new schemes are introduced; and
• Use this information to help better quantify the economic and environmental impacts of transport (e.g. the cost of delays to people and the quantity of pollutants emitted).

A number of other possible uses have been identified, but initially at least these will be constrained by the quantity of actual data.  As this improves we expect to extend the coverage of the network and the detail of analysis.  We will also share our experience with others to help develop best practice and the definition of standard types of analysis.

Although a picture of current congestion is important in determining policy and action, an examination of how this is expected to change in future is essential.  We have used future predictions of travel conditions obtained from the Highways Agency, developed in connection with a series of government-commissioned studies, to assess future congestion on the strategic highway network. The latest assessments are based on future development and transport proposals/schemes/improvements etc. contained in the East of England Plan and Regional Transport Strategy (see Chapter 2).

We have looked at how predicted road conditions will change by 2016, taking account of the additional traffic arising from new development, additional business activity and general increases in car ownership.  We have also included the impact that the investment in significant transport projects will have by 2016 (see the 'Major Projects' section in Chapter 5).  The main conclusions of this analysis are summarised below.

Conditions along the A421 across Bedfordshire between the M1 and A1 will improve significantly as a result of the Great Barford Bypass and A421 Improvement schemes.  Nevertheless, at both the M1 and A1 ends of this route, there will be significant congestion remaining, with the short section of A1 as far as the A428 also remaining congested.  It may be that improvements in the design of the M1 Junction 13 layout could help overcome some of these problems, but analysis strongly supports the need to improve the A421 west of the M1. Highways Agency assessments indicate that the enhanced status of the A421 as a strategic east-west route will attract long-distance traffic to  this corridor, placing increased pressure on this remaining section of single carriageway.  A joint major scheme bid is therefore being made by us and Milton Keynes Council to improve this section of the A421.  We also expect there to be a need for further improvements at the A1 end of this route.  This is identified in our longer-term strategy in Chapter 5.

The traffic predictions suggest that sections of the Bedford Western Bypass will start coming under some stress by 2016.  This indicates that our approach of including a Park and Ride facility in the development strategy for the area, plus acquiring the land needed to allow the bypass to be improved is the right one.

In the south of Bedfordshire traffic predictions are less certain given the decisions still to be made on the actual development changes to take place (such as the expansion at Luton airport, the scale of which has already been determined by the Air Transport  White Paper however, the extent of associated development and surface access infrastructure has not), and the uncertainty in whether and when any associated transport proposals will be provided (such as Luton Northern Bypass).  Whilst the widening of the M1 will help improve conditions on this route, the section through the Luton and Dunstable area is likely to still have some congestion problems.  This raises questions on how best to manage the A5 route in particular.  Whilst this is an issue primarily for the joint LTP with Luton, it will have implications over a wider area.  This is one reason for our emphasis in this LTP of ‘preparing for growth’ by integrating planning and transport more effectively.

It is clear that the levels of growth proposed in the sub regional strategy will place considerable demand on Bedfordshire's Transport networks. Overall, the indications are that despite all the transport investment planned for Bedfordshire and the difference this will make to some of the most congested routes, the overall road network congestion, in terms of total vehicle delay, is likely to rise rather than fall.

Car ownership and the impact of increased used of cars

In common with other counties in the region car ownership and use has increased in Bedfordshire during LTP1. Between 2001 and 2004 the number of cars and vans registered in Bedfordshire rose by nearly 10%, as shown in Figure 9 ‘Car and van registrations’.  This broadly reflects regional and national trends which we expect to continue. In 2004, a total of 215,729 cars and vans were registered in Bedfordshire.

Figure 9 Car and van registrations

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As of 2004 the number of households with 1, 2 or more cars generally mirrored national averages. However as Table 3 ‘Percentages of households without access to a car in Bedfordshire’ shows the proportion of households without access to a car is lower in Bedfordshire (17.7%) than the national average (26.8%). During the 10 years between 1991 and 2001, the number of households in Bedfordshire with 2 or more cars increased by 16,000. Within Bedfordshire the rural population has had greater levels of car ownership than the urban area.

Table 3 Percentages of households without access to a car in Bedfordshire

Area	Percentage of households without access to a car
Bedford Borough	21.9%
Mid Bedfordshire	13.1%
South Bedfordshire	16.8%
Bedfordshire	17.7%
England	26.8%

Related to car ownership is the growth in people holding a driving licence.  Together with changing social trends, ongoing growth in the number of licence holders, has to some extent explained the decline in bus use, especially among women.

The national forecast is for growth in vehicle use of 27% between 1996 and 2011 or annual growth of 1.5% between 2006 and 2011.  The trends in car ownership and use coupled with future growth in Bedfordshire will increase the pressures and problems on the road network.

Our public involvement events (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4) indicated that local communities are concerned that the existing infrastructure will not be able to deal with the additional demands placed upon it by housing and employment growth. Discussions from workshops undertaken as part of the public involvement exercise also indicate that there is a great willingness to develop non-car modes of transport as part of this future growth, so that the traffic impacts of this future growth is minimised.

Therefore, we will be working to limit car use in Bedfordshire through a range of policies. These include promoting public transport, walking and cycling and carrying out travel plans at schools and workplaces (see Chapter 5 for more detail). We have also been working to promote car-sharing and, although only one car club has been established in Bedfordshire so far (at Cranfield University), car clubs in the growth areas will be encouraged where appropriate. The minimum workable size for a car club is about 100,000 people, so probably only places like Bedford, Luton and Dunstable are most likely to be considered (see the 'Smarter Choices' strategy in Chapter 5). In addition, some employers are considering introducing pool cars at other sites.

We have set a target for Bedfordshire to keep traffic growth at the national level of 10% growth on 2004/5 levels during the LTP2 period. This is a particularly challenging target given the amount of planned growth and development in the county.

Road Safety

Bedfordshire has made significant strides in reducing casualties on its roads. In 2005 the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads declined by 25% from 314 to 233.  In 2004 we had 194 KSIs, which represents a 38% reduction on the 1994-1998 average.  While we continue to compare favourably alongside our Regional neighbours, this clearly highlights the unpredictable nature of collisions and a need to remain vigilant.  Although 2005 levels were high, we are still below our trend line and anticipate that reductions can be maintained on a trajectory to meet the national target of a 40% reduction by 2010.

We are also generally on course with respect to other road safety targets, in particular motorcyclists, whose numbers have been increasing, and who benefit from the attractiveness of the County’s rural roads. Motorcycles are known to be a particularly vulnerable group and as such we have developed a Motorcycle Strategy and have established a Motorcycle Forum in conjunction with Luton.

Our public involvement exercises (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4) identified a number of other safety-related concerns. The most significant of these is speeding traffic, with a telephone survey of our Citizen’s Panel in October 2004 showing that tackling speeding traffic is the highest safety priority amongst those surveyed. Comments about traffic speeds were also raised consistently throughout the other involvement events. Other safety concerns that were raised throughout the development of the LTP related to non-car modes of transport, such as motorcycles (as outlined above), cyclists, pedestrians, and school children.

With regard to the broader interpretation of travel safety and its links to accessibility and congestion, this is something we intend to develop during the LTP and beyond as the impacts of population growth and increasing traffic movements become apparent. Our Road Safety Strategy is discussed in Chapter 5 and the full strategy can be found in Appendix J. We intend to develop a more holistic approach to safety while still acknowledging the positive benefits of engineering solutions.

Air Quality

While levels of emissions affecting air quality are decreasing nationally, air quality continues to be of concern at the local level where there are high concentrations of motor vehicle emissions.  This is primarily because poor air quality can damage human health. Most of the current problems are concentrated in urban areas, where a number of Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) have recently been declared.  These are locations where national standards for air quality are not being met.  Areas affected are as follows (Figure 10 ‘Air quality management areas (AQMAs)’ shows some of these):

• In Bedford, the Borough Council has recently announced its intention to declare AQMAs in Prebend Street (see Picture 3 ‘Prebend Street, Bedford’), High Street and Great Barford for NO₂, and has recently announced its joint intention (with Mid Bedfordshire) to declare an Air Quality Management Area in and around Stewartby for SO_2.(the problems associated with this AQMA are not transport-related).
• South Bedfordshire has recently announced its intention to declare an AQMA in Dunstable (included in the Luton Dunstable LTP).
• Luton has recently declared an AQMA around Junction 11 of the M1(included in the Luton Dunstable LTP).

While we expect the AQMA at Great Barford to be removed on completion of the A421 Great Barford Bypass in late 2006, the other AQMAs in Bedford will require Air Quality Action Plans to be in place under the Environment Act (1995) by October 2006.

Picture 3 Prebend Street, Bedford

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As a result of increased traffic, it is likely that further traffic related Air Quality Management Areas will be designated within the plan period, and we will continue to work with the Borough and District Councils (the declaring authorities) to produce Air Quality Strategies which will set out a framework for preventing and dealing with future air quality problems in the form of Air Quality Action Plans.

As well as worsening air quality, it is likely that other environmental problems will become apparent throughout the next five year period. We have already documented the importance of encouraging and developing sustainable and balanced communities which enhance the quality of life for new and existing residents.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment which was undertaken alongside the LTP has highlighted issues which are likely to arise as a result of the development pressures associated with our Growth Area status. This is discussed in Chapters 4 and 5, and will lead to ongoing environmental monitoring and incorporation of environmental management into current practices.

Public transport

Bus and coach

Bus travel is in many areas the key alternative to travel by the private car. The provision of a good bus service can meet multiple objectives, for example, by improving accessibility to key services and facilities, and by relieving local congestion. This in turn can improve air quality and local safety.

Whilst we have limited ability to deliver bus services, we can provide a co-ordinating role by helping to identify appropriate infrastructure, understanding patterns of movement and bringing interested parties together. 

Local bus services

There are two major public transport providers in Bedfordshire: Stagecoach; and Arriva the Shires, with other smaller operators running particular services. In terms of commercial services the main operators provide town-based services into and around the major centres and have concentrated in recent years on increasing passenger numbers and frequency of service.

We supplement the public transport network in several ways:

• by subsidising services on evenings and at weekends on existing routes;
• by subsiding services on special routes, in particular school transport;
• by supporting other community transport schemes; and
• by establishing completely new service networks, such as Bedford DART.

Picture 4 Bedford DART at Aspects Leisure Park, Bedford

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The DART had been extremely successful in improving overall passenger transport accessibility by connecting the most deprived areas of Bedford to existing employment areas and also newer and planned employment areas currently not served well by public transport services.  The Bedford DART was introduced in November 2003 and monthly patronage has grown from 13 to 7,200. The North Beds DART was introduced in 2005 and is also growing in popularity. The maps in the Accessibility Strategy (Appendix E) show how the DART has improved accessibility.

The public and local stakeholders identified local bus services (and public transport in general) as one of the key local issues for Bedfordshire, so much so that in our public workshops in November/December 2005, improving public transport was voted as the number one priority for the LTP (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4). A number of specific concerns were raised consistently throughout the involvement process, with our On Street Surveys in December 2004 outlining the following as the main public transport concerns that can be dealt with through LTP2:

• Poor reliability and service levels;
• Poor condition of waiting facilities;
• Poor interchange facilities with other modes of transport;
• The standard and availability of public transport information; and
• Public Transport does not reflect complex journey patterns.

Bus patronage

Partly as a result of rationalisation of services and also reducing dependence on public transport, the total number of journeys by bus in Bedfordshire has been steadily declining overall, reflecting regional and national trends (see Chapter 7).

Recently however, as a result of major investment by the main operator, there have been significant increases in patronage on specific corridors, in particular on Routes 1,2 and 6 in Bedford. This investment involved replacing buses, adding real-time information and, in some cases, revising timetables. Similar improvements are planned on other corridors in coming years and we have also allocated funds to improve bus stops and information provision (see Bus Strategy in Chapter 5 and Appendix F). We and the operators therefore, are confident that we can reverse the historic decline in patronage, and this is reflected in the targets we have set ourselves (see Chapter 7).

Interurban coach services

Some interurban coach services and express bus routes link centres within the sub-region. One of these services provides an east – west service (the X5 from Oxford to Cambridge) and provides an important connection in the absence of a rail route (see the 'Major Projects' and 'Rail' sections of Chapter 5). Other interurban services operate in a mainly north – south direction.

We expect that these services could play a growing role in enhancing the accessibility of Bedfordshire's towns in the future. Interurban bus services are a key feature of the Regional Transport Strategy, and we expect them to become increasingly viable in Bedfordshire as a result of the location of population growth which will largely be attached to existing settlements and urban areas. However, while we recognise the important service interurban services can provide, our role in their delivery is a supporting one.

Rail routes and services

Since Bedfordshire includes three rail routes of local and national importance it is crucial that the future development of the rail network and services takes full account of the needs of the area.  This will include tackling existing overcrowding, ensuring rail is able to compete with private car journeys on key commuting routes and promoting opportunities for new users.

Table 4 ‘Rail routes and operators in Bedfordshire’ shows the current rail infrastructure and provide an overview of rail routes and stations in the county. Three main rail lines run through Bedfordshire: Midland Mainline; West Coast Mainline (WCM), and; East Coast Mainline (ECM). The Midland Mainline is the most significant for Bedfordshire providing services across the county and between Bedford, Luton Airport and London. The West Coast Mainline provides services to London and the Midlands from Leighton Buzzard and the East Coast Mainline serves Sandy, Biggleswade and Arlesey, providing links to London and the north. A branch line runs from Bedford to Bletchley where it joins the West Coast Mainline. Table 4 ‘Rail routes and operators in Bedfordshire’ below shows the degree of utilisation of these routes.

The numbers of journeys to Bedfordshire by rail have been increasing steadily and have grown by 12% since 2000/01. Journeys within Bedfordshire have been more volatile and actually fell by 1% over the same period. However, between 2002/03 and 2003/04 journeys within the county did seem to recover, increasing by 6% (see Chapter 7).

Significant changes are occurring in local and regional rail. Technical work on the Regional Planning Assessment is complete and some projects are already being promoted. It has also recently been announced that the new Thameslink station, associated with the new Eurostar terminal at London St Pancras, will also be opened and operational by 2008.

First Capital Connect has recently won the Thameslink franchise on the Midland Mainline from Thameslink, and the Great Northern franchise on the East Coast Mainline from West Anglia Great Northern. The company will take over these routes at the start of this LTP (1^st April 2006). We are committed to working with First Capital Connect as new partners and have already met them to discuss our and their priorities for the future. We are also working with partners to establish a Community Rail Partnership on the Marston Vale line.

We believe that as an area develops economically, rail patronage increases. Our railway infrastructure has the potential to help deliver economic growth and prosperity by providing significant movement corridors.  It will also provide an alternative to road based travel for some trips and help to deliver more sustainable communities. In terms of the potential of the railways to support economic growth and sustainability, we have chosen to monitor patronage on the Marston Vale Line (established as a Community Rail Partnership), as a local indicator (see Chapter 7), and also to monitor journeys into Bedfordshire as a general indicator of economic well being.

Taxis and private hire

Taxis and private hire vehicles potentially have a much greater role to play in improving accessibility, and reducing car-dependency in Bedfordshire. Especially in rural areas, where it is often not financially viable to run a full bus service, private hire vehicles, or shared taxis could prove to be a much more efficient means of travel.  We have already established that providing access to health facilities and rail stations are key markets for these vehicles.

We are therefore currently undertaking research among private hire vehicle companies to better understand the scale of their operations and the nature of the benefits they might bring.

We are also working with the District and Borough Councils to investigate more innovative ways of using taxis. The District and Borough Councils are responsible for licensing the operation of taxi and private hire services and are currently working to improve the provision of these services. Developments include introducing stricter controls on the age and quality of vehicles, improving driver training, introducing more CCTV and other security measures and assessing the organisation of ranks and pick-up and drop-off points. Bedford Borough Council also runs a taxi and private hire vehicle forum. We are in touch with the forum and engage with it on relevant issues, such as the possibility of developing the shared-taxi market.

Community Transport

In Bedfordshire there are currently four dial-a-rides and five community bus schemes, some of which have now been established for over ten years. But over the past seven years, the work of the Bedfordshire Rural Transport Partnership has led to additional provision of community transport including, currently in operation, the Bedfordshire Community Transport Brokerage, the Youthbus and Escape2Xscape (evening transport for young people), the Mid Beds Link a Ride Social Services Partnership, the Rural Travel Club and other smaller initiatives. The proposed Community Rail Partnership for the Marston Vale Line (Bedford – Bletchley) adds a further dimension to community involvement in transport in the County. (See Rail Strategy in Chapter 5)

Funding is a concern for community transport in the future. Although many schemes are becoming more financially viable (dial-a-ride in particular), most are still highly dependent on our revenue and professional support. With the reduction of funding for the Rural Transport Partnerships, as a result of the restructuring of the Countryside Agency, it is likely that less funding will be available for these schemes over the LTP2 period. As a result many community transport schemes are looking at expanding the funding received from other sources, including lottery or charitable grants and fundraising.

Intermodal journeys

There is plenty of opportunity for intermodal journeys to take place within Bedfordshire. The market town base and the prevalence of main line railway stations provide opportunities to switch mode between private and public transport and between different types of public transport. Dependency on the private car can be reduced if high quality intermodal choices are encouraged and supported. The quality of such interchanges was a matter consistently raised as a public transport issue in particular, particularly interchanges between bus and rail services. On Street Surveys in December 2004 highlighted that the ability to interchange between modes easily was the third highest public transport issue for respondents (see Appendix B). Intermodal transport in Bedfordshire takes the following forms.

Bus and rail

In Bedford the rail and bus stations are located approximately five minutes' walk from one another. Very few buses call at the railway station through the day. A feasibility study is currently being conducted into a relocation of the railway station using developer funding, together with improvements to access by bus.

Car and rail

The significant usage of rail services in the county by people using a car for the first leg of their journey means that parking resources at stations, both on site and in surrounding streets, are in high demand.

Cycle and bus or rail

The provision of secure cycle parking at rail stations has been further improved during LTP1. During our stakeholder conference held in January 2006 (see Table 6 ‘Issues and priorities from public/stakeholder involvement exercises’), improved cycle parking at railway stations was regarded as a relative success, so much so that demand for cycle parking outstrips supply, particularly at Bedford Railway Station. However provision at bus stations for cycles remains low.

Bus and car

A major means of integrating these modes, as well as reducing congestion in Bedford town centre, are the existing and proposed Bedford Park & Ride sites. The first site was opened at Elstow in Bedford in November 2005. This interchange is being well supported and patronage targets are reported in Chapter 7.

The potential exists for improving the quality of interchange at some stations in Bedfordshire through the re-franchising process currently underway. Redevelopment of Bedford Town Centre will also provide opportunities to improve interchange facilities. As Figure 1 ‘Major transport schemes’ shows a further three park and ride sites are currently proposed in Bedford, at the Biddenham Loop, Clapham and Cardington Cross. The opening of these sites will be accompanied by the implementation of bus priority measures along the respective radial routes into Bedford on which they are located.

Non motorised users

Active travel and rights of way

Walking and cycling are important since increasing their use, both in their own terms and as a substitution for motorised journeys, can significantly contribute to a number of policy objectives, including environmental protection, public health and social inclusion. In terms of capital and revenue funding they can represent very good value for money.

Improving facilities for people walking or cycling will help meet all the LTP shared priorities and has sustainability implications for the location of housing and employment development.

Cycling

We have continued to build a cycle path network throughout the county and aim to complete the strategic part of this network during LTP2 (see Figure 11 ‘Exisiting and proposed cycle network’). The need to improve cycling facilities was noted as a key issue throughout public and stakeholder events. So much so that cycling (along with walking and rights of way) was voted the second highest priority for the LTP in the Public Workshops in November/December 2005 (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4). Two issues in particular were raised during these involvement exercises. The most prevalent issue was that some cycle paths and networks were poorly designed, maintained, and connected, which resulted in safety issues (e.g. having to move out into traffic as a result of a cycle lane ending), and generally made it difficult to get around. The safety of cyclists was also discussed at length during our workshops, with issues being raised about the attitude of road users to cyclists, and the need for designated cycle lanes to segregate cyclists from traffic.

In Bedford in particular, cycling is relatively popular for work-related and other travel. There are indications from overall trends in cycling levels that due to recent promotional activity the steady decline of cycling over the last few years is now over.  For instance, following the promotion of the completion of the Milton Keynes to Sandy route (NCR51), a 31% increase in cycle usage was recorded in Bike week 2005. We therefore intend to increase cycle use through engineering, training and promotional activity.

Cycling in Bedfordshire will be taken forward during LTP2 by our cycling strategy, 'Cycle Stand'. More detail on this is presented in Chapter 5 And the full strategy can be read in Appendix H.

Walking

Walking accounts for a small amount of total distance travelled, but it is important because people are increasingly using cars for short trips that could easily be walked. Between 1994 and 2004 the number of walking trips per person fell by a fifth (National Travel Survey 2004). This implies that there is potential to encourage walking both to get to local facilities and also to access to public transport. Walking plays a prominent role in school journeys, especially for children at lower school.

The neglect of walking in people's travel choices is often because they do not realise how quick and reliable walking can be, as well as the health benefits of such a comparatively gentle form of exercise. It can also be discouraged through poor signage, poor awareness of local services and facilities, and the fear of crime, as highlighted in our public involvement exercises (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4). These issues are addressed in our 'Smarter Choices' strategy as well as our Walking strategy (see Chapter 5).

Equestrians

Bedfordshire has a significant number of horse riders and their needs have informed our Rights of Way Improvement Plan. The use of the road network by horse riders raises issues that we will need to clarify in our Network Management Strategy and Road Safety Strategy. We will continue to take the needs of equestrians into account when considering detrunking issues, and throughout the provision of new and improved infrastructure.

Rights of way and outdoor Access

The Outdoor Access Improvement Plan, which incorporates the Rights of Way Improvement Plan, is shortly to be adopted by the Full County Council, and will cover the next 10 year period. This provides a means to co-ordinate provision for the user groups mentioned above, as well as integrating different parts of the authority's and partners' work, such as road safety, asset management and health.

Development of the plan involves mapping out the extent of the network of rights of way, as well as identifying where connectivity can be improved. A map of the complete network for LTP2 is currently being prepared.

Table 5 Rights of way by length

Route class	Total length
Footpaths	1,563 km
Bridleways	613 km
Byways	53 km
Total local rights of way	2,229 km
Promoted walks and rides	177 km
New ‘Open Access Land’ (Right to roam) including commons (from November 2005)	576 hectares

Disabled travellers

Meeting the transport needs of disabled people has been an increasing feature of action nationally and locally over recent years.  This attention will continue to be important if barriers to travel are to be removed.

We have been working on improving the user-friendliness of road crossings, with a target of 100% being accessible for disabled people by 2007/08, which we are on target to meet.

The degree of public transport accessibility continues to be an issue, though compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act, including provision of low floor buses is assisting with helping people with disabilities to be more mobile. Our public involvement exercises identified disabled access as an issue in the County, particularly on public transport and rights of way, where Citizen's Panel surveys highlighted improving physical accessibility as an issue of note (see Appendix B). Our work on this issue will primarily be through our walking and public transport strategies.  New issues that are likely to require consideration during this LTP include the increasing use of electric wheelchairs and scooters. We will need to monitor whether street layout is suitable for electric scooter and wheelchair users and whether any changes need to be made. Another important issue that we are looking at is improving access to the countryside for people whose mobility is impaired. We are working with interest groups to audit user needs (see Outdoor  Access Improvement Plan in Appendix N).

Freight

In 2004, 8.4 million tonnes of road freight originating outside the county were delivered to locations in Bedfordshire. Over 8.7 million tonnes of freight lifted in Bedfordshire were delivered by road to destinations outside of  county, and 7.1 million tonnes of freight moved by road was both for an origin and destination within Bedfordshire. The freight lifted (in tonnes) to and from Bedfordshire are principally miscellaneous articles, sand, gravel and clay, other crude minerals, machinery and transport equipment, and other manufactured goods.

Road transport is by far the most important mode for freight in Bedfordshire, particularly the M1 and A1 corridors. The A421 and A505 are also very significant as they provide access to the key urban areas of Bedford, Milton Keynes and Luton, and link the two main north-south corridors (See Figure 6 ‘Current transport infrastructure’). The main traffic hotspots in the region are located close to some of the largest clusters of warehouse developments, as well as some key access points of the primary network such as junctions 11, 12 and 13 of the M1, the Black Cat roundabout on the A1, and the A421 Bedford Southern Bypass.

Picture 5 HGVs on the M1 at Junction 13

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There are three lorry parks are located in the county: Blunham, Bedford (west of A1 at Sandy); Near Luton (exit M1 at J11), which is due to close shortly; and Husborne Crawley (west of J13 of M1).

The central freight issue for Bedfordshire is therefore providing appropriate road networks and managing lorry use. We have several major schemes currently underway or planned to increase capacity on the primary route network (see Chapter 5).

In some locations, particularly South Bedfordshire, lorry traffic causes nuisance to local communities as a result of the locations of quarries and their local markets and processing plants (see the 'Local Views on Transport' section in Chapter 4).  The impact of lorries in the wider area is likely to remain an issue given the increased rates of construction demand to meet housing growth.  This context shapes our freight strategy in Chapter 5.

Distribution within the central area of Bedford, especially in the pedestrian zone, is regulated and some facilities (such as goods yards, vehicle parking and loading/unloading bays) are provided to purposely serve delivery vehicles. Each town in the county has distinct rules in relation to distribution issues (loading/unloading restrictions, limited hours of access), and specific areas  where circulation is regulated (pedestrian zones, narrow streets, bridges).

In terms of other modes, there are no major rail freight terminals  within Bedfordshire, but there are several local terminals within the county and its direct surroundings that actively provide links to the rail network for a number of market sectors. Luton Airport handled 22,000 tonnes of freight in 2003, and more than 26,000 tonnes in 2004 almost entirely as European and International traffic. Luton Airport accounts for only 1% of the UK’s total air freight volume.

We expect the movement of freight to become increasingly significant in Bedfordshire, as a result of the increasing levels of population and economic development. More building materials will need to be quarried and transported and processed building materials will be used for new development. The growing population will lead to increased demand for goods and services which will generate more freight movements within Bedfordshire.

This demand for additional road space will have implications for the network hierarchy and will be reflected in the Network Management Strategy (see Chapter 5). Although we have not set a target for freight, we have developed a framework strategy which sets out the main areas for focus (see Chapter 5). 

Aviation

Although located in Luton Borough (and within the scope of the Luton, Dunstable and Houghton Regis joint LTP) Luton airport has effects on Bedfordshire and beyond. Principal issues relate to use of the roads and rail networks that serve it, the local economic impact and the environmental consequences of access and aircraft use.

The air transport White Paper indicates that passenger movements may grow there from 8 million per year to 31 million by 2031. We support the principle of expansion, but in view of this, we are taking a close interest in the preparation of plans for development and access. The capacity of the local road network and parking facilities at the airport itself indicate that there is very little opportunity for additional road based traffic to the airport. Efforts will therefore be concentrated on increasing public transport capacity for employees and passengers.

In addition, we are concerned about the effects of the proposed runway extension  which is expected to physically affect the county.

Although it is further away, we also need to closely monitor any impacts on Bedfordshire from the much higher current and projected passenger turnover growth resulting from a planned additional runway at Stansted.

Waterways

There are no significant water-borne freight movements in Bedfordshire and we see little potential for changing this in the future. However, our rivers and canals provide a number of opportunities for personal travel for both leisure and utility journeys. In particular, we are encouraging the integration of canal paths into the cycle network wherever possible and we have jointly funded such projects.

Picture 6 Grand Union Canal

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Summary

Bedfordshire is a small county, but experiences high levels of activity on its main transport networks. Significant investment is planned for transport in Bedfordshire, but this will be coupled with growing travel needs of more residents and businesses. This will present us with a challenging situation – how to meet the complex transport needs of the new and existing population while protecting the environment which makes Bedfordshire unique. To do so relies on us being able to understand the existing needs and demands of the population, and being able to anticipate and react to future needs.

This chapter has set the local context by setting out Bedfordshire’s geography and demography, drawing on current movement patterns and examining how we will tackle the challenges ahead.

We have also examined how the transport network currently works in Bedfordshire and what we expect will happen during the next five years, and beyond. Where significant impacts are expected, for example, increased congestion, we have set out reasons for establishing targets and indicators to monitor the situation in the future.

We have not addressed every single transport issue in this chapter, only the ones which have particular significance to where we see ourselves in five years time. For example, parking which though locally significant, is not an issue we consider critical enough to warrant a target, although we do discuss parking issues in the Parking Strategy in Chapter 5.

Setting the local context has allowed us to focus on what is important to Bedfordshire, and leads us into the next chapter where other local influences are considered, and the LTP objectives emerge.