Integrated Passenger Transport Policy - Worcestershire County ...

1.2.3 Congestion, delays and unreliability on the transport network have direct costs to people andbusinesses. They increase business costs (adversely impacting productivity, productivity, availablelabour markets and innovation) and impose increased social costs. They also impact on theWorcestershire environment through issues such as air quality, carbon emissions, severance and noiseparticularly in urban areas. The passenger transport network has an important role in helping to dealwith these problems through providing a realistic alternative for journeys to/from/within congestedurban areas.1.2.4 There is a need to adopt policies that increase travel choice, encourage use of sustainable modes(including passenger transport), manage demand and make full use of existing assets. This will requirea multi-modal approach, including a package of measures that encourages use of the mostappropriate modes of transport for the various journeys which contribute toward congestion.Providing infrastructure and services which increase the use of rail, coach, bus, taxi and CommunityTransport will usually form a part of the package of measures.1.2.5 There is public desire (identified through a number of surveys) to improve the quality of passengertransport in Worcestershire, such that it offers a realistic alternative to the car. Examples of recentconsultation include:National Highways Best Value Benchmarking Club Survey 2008. (Approximately 800 responsesranking/rating various transport factors)Worcestershire Citizens Panel (Citizens panel survey with a section on sustainable transport,The Worcester Sustainable Travel Demonstration Town project baseline research (Results from4,250 detailed travel diaries undertaken to establish travel behaviour, Spring 2004 and 2008):o 91% of residents considered sustainable travel modes as the priority in transport policy /planning,o 87% of residents would support measures favouring public transporto 84% agreed that more improvements in favour of public transport are necessary,LTP2 ConsultationWorcester Park & Ride User Surveys (Surveys in February 2008 and July 2008, 610 responses:Worcester Transport Strategy(Questionnaire and web survey, December 2009 – March 2010) :o 87% of respondents supported proposals to improve rail station infrastructureo 82% of respondents supported encouraging greater use and improving perception ofsustainable modeso 77% of respondents supported corridor based improvements to bus infrastructure andserviceso 75% of respondents supported the use of intelligent transport systems, including real timeinformation for rail and bus userso 61% of respondents supported the provision of additional Park & Ride sites