City of Stoke-on-Trent Local Transport Plan 3 Focus Groups

AECOM <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent Local Transport Plan 3 42Capabilities on project:Transportation4 Summary4.1 OverviewSix focus groups were conducted with a variety <strong>of</strong> <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent residents during early December 2010. Fifty eight peopletook part in the groups which discussed current transportconditions in the city and gathered views on the goals andpolicies set out in the LTP3 document. Respondents alsoprioritised seven service areas by allocating their preferredimaginary spend to them.The following sections provide a summary <strong>of</strong> the currenttransport issues, respondents views on the LTP3 goals, policyand implementation prioritisation.4.2 Current Transport IssuesDuring the warm up exercise when respondents were asked toindicate the level <strong>of</strong> ease with which they could travel toeveryday places such as their GP, supermarket and leisurefacilities the majority <strong>of</strong> respondents did not raise any majorproblems when travelling around <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent.Respondents tended to drive and walk to the suggestedlocations although some used buses and taxis. Cars wereseen as the preferred mode by most respondents as they wereviewed as the most convenient means <strong>of</strong> travel.One destination was mentioned repeatedly as being difficult toget to; the hospital. This location was seen to require severalbus changes to get to and if travelling by car, parking there wasan issue due to lack <strong>of</strong> spaces as well as being expensive.The following areas were felt to be congested:- <strong>City</strong> centre during morning peak- <strong>City</strong> centre during evening peak- Hanley Shopping Centre- Area around The <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent 6 th Form College- TescoIn addition, the road network was felt to lack flexibility as ifthere was an incident on one route, all routes tended to grind toa halt. The poor condition <strong>of</strong> the road and footpaths was alsocited by many respondents.Non-regular bus users perceived bus services to be:- Unreliable- Lacking direct routes so multiple services have to be used toreach destination covering only a short distance- Lacking connectivity leading to long waiting times- Expensive, especially for children- Lacking late night service provisionRegular bus users were more satisfied with bus services thanthose respondents who had less experience <strong>of</strong> buses althoughthey did view them as busy and wished for better integration <strong>of</strong>services to reduce waiting time and the distances they had towalk between services. People tended to use the bus becausethey had no alternative.Some viewed cycle lanes as disjointed being put in for the sake<strong>of</strong> a cycle lane rather than providing a joined up network. Lack<strong>of</strong> enforcement <strong>of</strong> parking in cycle lanes was felt to lead todangers for cyclists and other road users.Several respondents mentioned that they felt <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent islimited in the improvements that it can make due to the existingVictorian infrastructure.4.3 LTP3 GoalsParticipants were given a definition <strong>of</strong> a local transport planand then asked what issues they would like the council toconsider in the LTP. Respondents tended to focus on specificlocal issues such as resolving congestion, improving the localroad network and road maintenance. They mentionedimproving cycle paths, providing shuttle buses and a park andride citing examples in other areas. Bus service considerationswere felt to be improving driver attitudes, cheaper faresespecially for children, reduced journey times and direct routes.Some mentioned that new developments needed moreconsideration.Participants were given some information about the three goalsthat the <strong>Stoke</strong>-on-Trent LTP3 aims to achieve and were askedhow well these goals addressed the issues that they had justspoken about. Some groups felt that the LTP3 goalsaddressed the issues <strong>of</strong> the area whilst others felt that theywere too vague and found it hard to see how transport wouldcontribute towards the goals.The health goal was well received but many felt it would bedifficult to achieve as current initiatives to encouragesustainable travel were perceived as ineffective and thealternatives to the car are not attractive. Some groups wereconcerned for their safety when not using a car. It wasdeemed important to protect the local economy.