East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy 2005/06

East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy Annual Monitoring Report 2005/06
Data Analysis
7.8 The East Midlands, along with the South West,
had the highest growth in traffic with an increase of
21% on major roads between 1995 and 2005. The
number of vehicle kilometres travelled in the East
Midlands in 2005 was 40,633 million compared to
38,075 million in 2001. The 2005 figure represents a
slight decrease on the 2004 figure of 40,654 million
kilometres. The distribution across different types of
road is shown in Table 7.1
7.9 Although now classified as a significant effects
indicator, there are still difficulties in measuring
congestion, in particular identifying some average
congestion figure for the East Midlands as a whole.
Congestion is by its nature localised either in urban
areas, or more particularly on roads in urban areas, or
on major roads. While it is desirable and feasible to
establish that congestion occurs on particular routes
and at particular times this tends to be a local issue
(covered in local transport plans) and is either due to
volume of traffic, a pinch point, road works or an
accident.
7.10 A measure of congestion that has been used is
average journey time per person mile related to the
change in travel expressed in person miles.
Nottingham City and Leicester City, along with other
large English conurbations, have contributed to the
formulation of this indicator for urban congestion
(LTP7). However the indicator will be surrounded by
a basket of other indicators as background
information, such as area wide network speeds,
occupancy or bus mode share on the targeted
routes, area wide traffic (LTP2) and changes in peak
period traffic flows to the City Centre (LTP6).The DfT
has commissioned ITIS to help survey flows of traffic.
7.11 In the 2004/05 monitoring report a comparison
was made of the traffic speeds at peak and off peak
periods (the expectation being that peak periods
have increased traffic flow and hence greater
possibilities of congestion). There was little
difference in the speed of traffic on East Midland’s
trunk roads between peak and off peak periods.
Policy Commentary
7.12 As part of the work to accommodate the Milton
Keynes & South Midlands (MKSM) growth agenda,
Northamptonshire County Council and the Highways
Agency have been working with North Northants
Development Company, Communities and Local
Government and DfT to come up with innovative
measures to remove local traffic from the A14 around
Kettering.This includes proposals for challenging
levels of modal shift and demand management.
7.13 The local authorities in and around the Three
Cities sub area (Nottingham, Leicester and Derby)
have been allocated £1.8 million for an in-depth
investigation of the possible options for tackling
traffic problems and improving roads and public
transport.The funds will be used to consider the
potential for possible road pricing schemes and
other transport options to reduce congestion.
7.14 The proposals for significant growth within the
Regional Strategy can be expected to lead to
significant additional travel. Finding a way to
minimise the effect of such development on traffic
levels presents a major challenge and one which will
benefit from a greater awareness and understanding
of the interrelation between the location,
composition and layout of development, changes to
the road network and the need for significant
improvements to public transport, walking and
cycling. Developments over the last decade or so
have tended to be very reliant on the private car and
have generated many additional car journeys. New
development proposals will have to adopt a
significantly different approach if the goal of a
reduction in traffic growth is to be achieved.
Policy 45: Behavioural Change
The Regional Planning Body, public and local
bodies and service providers should work
together to encourage a reduction in the need to
travel and to change public attitudes towards car
usage and public transport. Measures should
include:
• workplace and school travel plans
• quality public transport partnerships
• travel awareness programmes
• educational programmes
• pilot programmes promoting innovations in
teleworking and personalised travel plans
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