To receive an update on the proposals for the A426 Bus Corridor Project.
Minutes:
The City Mayor gave an update on the A462 Bus Corridor Scheme. He stated that:-
· The scheme was jointly funded by the City and County Councils and local bus companies.
· He was firmly of the view that the City Council’s contribution to the scheme represented excellent value for money to bus users, cyclists, motorists and pedestrians.
· The Council’s contribution to the scheme was funded from the capital budget. It was capital investment and did not affect the Council’s revenue budget that was under pressure which was used to fund expenditure on such items as staff and services.
· The scheme was one of many investments the Council made and, in comparison, the costs were approximately a tenth of the investment in new primary school places across the City. Investment in road improvements was one of the City’s priorities.
· As City Mayor he had to make a judgement on the overall benefit to the City of any scheme.
The public had divided views on the scheme and made the following comments and observations:-
· 38% of people did not have access to a car and such schemes were needed.
· Concerns were expressed about an increase in the number of buses using the route.
· The scheme did not make much improvement to Oxford Street and The Newarke part of the bus route, particularly that part of the route involving Harman Road, Walnut Street, Infirmary Square and The Magazine, which could still be a bottle-neck.
· There was disappointment that the public responses to the public consultation submitted to the City Council were largely against the proposals and these views seemed to have been ignored. A number of local residents were against the scheme.
· The designation of 24 hour/7 day per week bus lanes was questioned and why other options such as traffic lights were not used instead.
· Some felt that the sheer volume of cars was a problem for local residents and there was support for bus lanes to reduce this and to promote increased cycle use.
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In response to comments made by the public, the City Mayor stated that:-
· Public consultation was one part of many considerations to be taken into account before making a decision. Consultation was not a referendum and was not binding as such, but it did provide an important opportunity to form a view of public opinions and what issues were of concern to the public. Often schemes were amended to address issues and views that had been expressed in responses to the consultation process.
· The public consultation showed both support for, and opposition to, the scheme. There were other considerations to be taken into account such as the overall impact of the scheme, the benefits to improved infrastructure and public transport improvements, reduction in accidents etc and advice from officers. The overwhelming conclusion was that the scheme was to the benefit of all road users in the City.
· The scheme improved safety for cyclists, improved pedestrian crossings, improved capacity at junctions and additional bus services.
· The scheme included provision for the re-configuration of traffic lights to improve traffic flows for all road users.
· The scheme would support a modal shift in the use of public transport. The introduction of Bus Lanes was not a complete panacea, but other factors such as affordable fares and buses running at times when people wanted them were all equally part of the solution.
· The outcomes of the consultation were published and should be available on line. The scheme was County Council led and information was also available on their website.
The City Mayor was thanked for his attendance and update.