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Transport
Transport
Delivery of PUSH’s growth strategy depends crucially upon the achievement of objectives around transport and accessibility.
Traffic in South Hampshire continues to grow year on year. Traffic flows on most of the M27 motorway exceed its built capacity. Although this motorway is part of the Trans-European Network, it is used to a large degree by local journeys within the sub-region. Car ownership continues to grow, with 80% of households having one or more cars; and the car is used for 61% of all journeys to work. Although bus use has declined, rail use in South Hampshire has continued to grow over recent years. There has been little or no expansion in capacity to cater for this growth on the road and rail networks.
The growth now envisaged by the South Hampshire Strategy would impose additional pressure on the transport networks. Congestion and delays already affect individuals and businesses. On some sections of the road network, very serious delays would occur by 2026 without significant action.
Transport for South Hampshire
The delivery of PUSH’s strategic transport objectives is the responsibility of Transport for South Hampshire (TFSH). TFSH is the transport ‘arm’ of PUSH, made up by the three strategic transport authorities in South Hampshire – Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council. Together with the transport operating companies (bus, rail, ferry services), Network Rail, Highways Agency and other key stakeholders, TFSH forms the Solent Transport Partnership.
The PUSH approach: reduce, manage and invest
The Solent Transport Strategy, prepared by Transport for South Hampshire in its former guise as Solent Transport, is the local transport plan for South Hampshire. It is incorporated as an Annex into the local transport plans of each of the transport authorities.
This strategy incorporates the three principles that underpin PUSH’s strategic approach:
- Reduce the need to travel, by changes to travel behaviour and lifestyle;
- Manage the existing transport networks to make optimal use of current systems and public transport;
- Invest in new services and infrastructure where reduction and management measures are insufficient to address existing deficits and pressures arising from growth.
A combination of Reduce, Manage and Invest measures will be required to provide a balanced approach to support sustainable growth in South Hampshire. PUSH and Solent Transport submitted evidence to SEERA in relation to the implementation costs of the draft South East Plan. This was also incorporated into the Solent Transport Strategy (Local Transport Plan 2006-2011). The package, summarised below, was estimated in 2006 to cost over £1.6 billion over the twenty year period to 2026.
Reduce
- Smarter choices, such as travel planning and measures to discourage less sustainable journeys.
Manage
- Strategic traffic management such as managed motorways and strategic transport interchanges
Invest
- Local roads and bypasses to improve access to employment areas tackle local pinch points and measures to assist bus travel
- Motorway improvements, including selective widening and junction improvements
- Park & Ride, five schemes on the periphery of the two cities
- A Premium Network of high quality bus services with associated priority measures to provide an attractive alternative to the private car, ahead of the housing development
- Rail improvements and upgrades to benefit both freight and passenger services
- New Ferry services
- Access to the proposed new Strategic Development Areas north of Fareham and near Hedge End, including public transport links as well as localised road improvements.
Links:
Evidence to SEERA:
http://www.solent-transport.org.uk/061130%20SEPlan%20EiP%20statement.doc.
Transport Studies
PUSH and TFSH are reviewing the package of proposals for “Reduce – Manage – Invest” as part of three inter-related Transport Access Studies, supported by DCLG, DFT, SEERA and TFSH. These are examining:
- Access to the sub-region (Winchester to Southampton corridor)
- Access to Southampton (a) Eastern Access and (b) Western Access
- Access to Portsmouth and South East Hampshire
The outcomes of the studies will confirm where and when new infrastructure investment and other measures will be required, and will contribute to submissions to the Regional Assembly and Government about future funding requirements.
PUSH is also carrying out a number of other studies examining access and feasibility issues connected with particular sites – see details by following the links below.
Links:
TFSH Business Plan
TFSH is preparing a Business Plan setting out how the Solent Transport Strategy contributes to the PUSH growth strategy and how it will be delivered. The Plan will cover the remainder of 2007/8 and future years in such a way as to complement the PUSH Business Plan.
The TFSH Business Plan will also set out other initiatives to improve public transport in South Hampshire, including development of the Solent Travelcard.
Links:
Solent Transport Website: http://www.solent-transport.org.uk/
Contacts:
Peter Murnaghan (peter.murnaghan@hants.gov.uk)