CHAPTER 14: Access and Mobility

14.1

Introduction

Transport is not an end in itself but a means to ensure good access for people to facilities and services and for the movement of people and goods to promote the area’s economic, environmental and social well being. The policies in this Chapter underpin many of the guiding principles of the UDP in the following manner:

Economic Development and Regeneration – High quality transport links are essential for new investment to maintain and enhance the viability and vitality of our City and Town Centres.

Sustainable Development – The Council is committed to developing a transport system that supports a sustainable pattern of development so minimising adverse environmental impacts and ensuring the most efficient use of energy.

Social Inclusion and Equality – Access to economic, educational and social opportunities are integral to our quality of life.

Health and Safety – Improvements in our transportation systems are designed to reduce accidents, improve personal security and encourage people to lead more active lifestyles by walking and cycling. There is a direct link between employment and health and providing access to employment, especially for those without access to a car is therefore a priority issue.

Wolverhampton – The Accessible City

The challenge we face is to improve mobility, accessibility and therefore the area’s economic vitality, whilst at the same time managing the demand for transport, and raising the quality of life of our communities. This requires creative and innovative solutions and new ways of addressing our transport needs in particular increasing the travel and transport choice and encouraging a more sustainable approach. We need to provide the information necessary to enable individuals and organisations to gain the confidence to change their travel habits and established practices. We then need to deliver standards of service that meet people’s expectations.

A prosperous economy and high quality of life depends on people having access to the full range of services and opportunities for work, training, shopping and leisure. Most of us travel every day, even if only locally. Access to opportunities for work, training, education or leisure, be they local or further afield are crucial in supporting our regeneration efforts, particularly in those areas of the City that suffer from multiple problems of economic, social exclusion and poor environmental quality. Access and mobility for people and goods are essential ingredients to generate wealth and economic opportunity.

• Promote access and mobility for all;
• Provide increased choice of mode of travel and to inform people of the opportunities;
• Encourage environmental sustainability and efficient use of resources;
• Reduce congestion and its cost to the local economy;
• Provide a high quality built environment;
• Improve safety and personal security by better design;
• Support employment growth;
• Integrate the different modes of transport;
• Provide people with information on travel choices;
• Improve the health of the community.

In partnership with transport providers, developers and others the Transportation Programme will therefore need to:

• Support employment growth by ensuring there is good access and a real choice of mode of transport for people to take up new job opportunities, especially the physically disadvantaged and those from the more deprived neighbourhoods;
• Improve access, mobility, image, attractiveness and security of the City and Town Centres to enhance their vitality and viability;
• Promote the quality, reliability, image and attractiveness of the public transport network to meet people’s expectations;
• Extend and develop a high quality light rail system along key transport corridors;
• Improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists to encourage these as sustainable and healthy modes of travel;
• Reduce the adverse impact of traffic on local communities by reducing the volume of traffic and related air and noise pollution;
• Improve safety and personal security for all, especially the more vulnerable groups in society;
• Provide a strategy for car parking in the City in collaboration with colleagues across the wider West Midlands Region;
• Provide the context for the introduction of Travel Management Tools such as Travel Plans;
• Improve the health of individuals by encouraging more environmentally sustainable transport choices and more active lifestyles.

14.2

Access, Mobility and New Development

All new development should be widely accessible and offer people travel choices. The success of new development depends on how well it is connected to the wider road network, neighbouring streets, public transport routes, cycle routes and footpaths. These links should give people the maximum choice in how to make their journeys and should give a high priority to walking, cycling and public transport.

Maximising travel choice for people means creating routes that are felt to be safe, attractive and direct. Segregated routes for walking and cycling are not always the best way to create a safe and secure environment and where provided need to be sensitively designed. Success of a development is not just measured in terms of functional performance but also how the development contributes to the quality and character of the City (see Chapter 4: Design).

The strategy for car parking is important to the success of a new development. The level of provision should be determined in the light of current Government Guidance and the Council’s Supplementary Planning Guidance / Documents. Buildings, and the spaces around them, should be designed to help control the flow and density of traffic and be designed to complement the new development and improve the local environment.

14.3

Strategic Regeneration Areas and Corridors – Transport Investment

The Strategic Regeneration Areas and Corridors identified in Policies S1 and S2 are all located within the North Black Country and South Staffordshire Regeneration Zone and these will be subject to significant development and change over the Plan period. The Black Country Route and Birmingham New Road transport corridors and the City Centre Ring Road are also of strategic significance for transport.

Park and Ride sites will be identified to serve Wolverhampton City Centre and the wider West Midlands Region and complemented by the public transport priority measures being developed along these transport corridors.

New railway stations and a phased extension to the Midland Metro Light Rail Network are also being investigated to serve some key regeneration corridors and strategic development sites.

Short Term(0-3 years) Transportation Schemes include:

• The designation of the route as a ‘Red Route’ to maximise efficient use of the highway;
• The development of a Bus Showcase along the A449 into the City Centre.

Medium Term Measures (3-5 years):

• New and improved access to the Wobaston Road Regional / Premium (RIS) and Major Investment sites (MIS) including a priority given to access by public transport.

Long Term Measures (5-10 years):

• The Council will also support the development of a new railway station to serve strategic Park and Ride to the north of Wolverhampton at Brinsford in South Staffordshire.

The corridor already has the benefit of the Midland Metro Line 1. Further investment in transport along this corridor will be influenced by the development of Bilston Urban Village and the needs of Bilston Town Centre.

Wednesfield Way completed in 1998 provides a bypass to Wednesfield centre and good access to new employment sites. The Bus Showcase scheme in this corridor provides high quality bus links along this corridor.

Short Term Measures (0-3 years):

• Junction improvements to improve capacity of the highway and provide opportunities to improve the reliability of public transport;
• Improving accessibility to New Cross Hospital in partnership with the Health Trusts.

Medium Term Measures (3-5 years):

• Investigate running the Midland Metro along the A4124 corridor to Walsall and serving the New Cross Hospital (5 Ws Route);
• Development of the City Centre Interchange Scheme (including the enhancement and redevelopment of the Railway Station and further enhancements to the Bus Stations).

Long Term Measures (5-10 years):

• Development of Midland Metro proposals;
• Implementation of the 5 Ws Metro Route.

This corridor already has the benefit of a Bus Showcase route. Future investment along this corridor will be considered in order to further enhance public transport reliability.

Investment in transport along this corridor will be considered in order to enhance public transport reliability.

The City Centre Ring Road serves a vital function as the collector and distributor of traffic from the radial routes that focus on the City Centre. A number of studies undertaken in recent years have highlighted the barrier effect of the City Centre Ring Road to movement of people, particularly pedestrians and cyclists, into the city from outlying neighbourhoods. Development is now being promoted on sites outside the City Centre Ring Road and a preliminary study has been commissioned to determine some short-term measures to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists who wish to cross the City Centre Ring Road. It is essential that this is delivered without impairing traffic capacity.

Further work is being commissioned to evaluate longer-term options for alternatives to collect and distribute Wolverhampton’s through-traffic more efficiently and to consider options to provide safer, more attractive, convenient and direct crossings of the Ring Road for pedestrians. This study will influence the medium and long-term role for the Ring Road.

14.4

Major Transport Schemes

The Council has identified the major transport schemes outlined in Policy AM3 to be a priority for the investment programme in the short, medium and long term. Resources for implementation will be sought from the Transport Settlement through the Local Transport Plan bidding process and from developers and others funding sources as appropriate.

14.5

Strategic Highway Network

The Strategic Highway Network (SHN) incorporates the Department of Transport defined Primary Route Network (PRN) linking primary destinations and distinguished by the green background route information signs and other roads of more than local importance. These latter routes have been determined against the following criteria for inclusion in the SHN:

Large volumes of traffic use the route;

A substantial proportion of the traffic on the route is long distance through-traffic without ready access to the motorway or Primary Route Network (PRN);

The routes carry significant numbers of heavy goods vehicles;

The routes link major industrial or commercial developments and centres of population together or to the PRN; and

Within Wolverhampton the network comprises the main routes radiating from the City Centre Ring Road, together with the A4039 and A463 and the Black Country Route. The Strategic Highway Network is shown on the Proposals Map.

14.6

Protection of Highway Improvement Lines

Priority will be given to protecting highway improvement lines on the Strategic Highway Network as the means of supporting economic regeneration and the Council’s transport strategy. The Proposals Map identifies highway improvements that are required during the UDP period.

The purpose of highway improvement lines is to protect land required for highway schemes from other development. Long-term improvement schemes will continue to be protected from other development, although they may be brought forward in conjunction with development proposals. Current proposed highway improvement lines are listed in Appendix 3 and shown on the Proposals Map. The programme for minor schemes is prepared only one or two years in advance and schemes in the programme are likely to change for a variety of reasons. Consequently, the minor scheme programme cannot be listed for the UDP period. A number of highway improvement lines exist on roads not forming part of the SHN.

Certain junctions and highways are identified on the Proposals Map as requiring improvements during the UDP period. These are considered in two categories, those schemes that will be designed and implemented during the UDP period and those where further investigation is required before the exact improvements can be defined. The Highways Agency will be consulted on all junction and other highway improvements that may have an effect on the motorway and trunk road networks.

The SHN includes those key transport routes that have a regional role and require a high capacity and relatively free flow of traffic. The Council will target investment to increase accessibility along selected elements of the SHN, whilst giving a high priority to road safety and local environmental improvements.

On those roads that are not part of the SHN the presumption is that local considerations should predominate. Issues such as environmental impact, safety, the needs of public transport, pedestrians and cyclists will be key factors in planning future development and determining planning applications.

14.7

Transport Assessments

All major developments that are considered to have the potential to generate significant numbers of trips will be required to produce TAs. These need to indicate how the transport implications of the proposal are to be addressed. Also, smaller developments that, taken together, will have a significant transport impact will each require a TA. The Government has made a commitment to produce guidance on the scope, content and methodology of TAs and developers should refer to this when it becomes available.

TAs are needed to allow the Council to assess the traffic implications of development proposals for all modes of transport. They will determine whether or not these proposals deliver sustainable transport objectives and will provide a basis for negotiation on the details of schemes, such as the level of parking, provision of a choice of transport, and measures to improve site access arrangements and off-site works required. They will also indicate the need for a Travel Plan to be developed and implemented for the development. Where the consideration of TAs indicates that improvement measures are necessary, affecting roads for which the Council is the highway authority, these may be sought by way of Section 106 obligations, or alternatively Section 38 or 278 agreements (Highways Act 1980, as amended) between the developer and local highway authority. In the case of measures affecting motorway or trunk roads, they may be sought by way of Section 278 agreements (Highways Act 1980, as amended) between the developer and the Highways Agency.

Page 217

14.8

Travel Plans

A TP is a management tool that brings together transport and other business issues in a co-ordinated strategy. It should be an integral part of good business practice in the same way as pollution and waste management has become in recent years. In short they are a package of measures aimed at reducing car-use, improving access to the site, and improving efficiency by targeting commuter journeys, customer access, business travel and fleet management. As a business tool they can address parking and accessibility problems, widen the labour pool, overcome the transportation problems that are barriers to obtaining planning consent, reduce company costs by reducing business mileage, and enhance a Companies environmental credentials and image.

The Council proposes to adopt its own Travel Plan and encourage their adoption by other organisations such as businesses, schools, hospitals and other organisations that generate significant numbers of journeys.

14.9

Public Transport

Whilst the Council does not directly provide public transport services it has an important enabling role as the Highway and Planning Authority. The West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority (WMPTA) is the policy making body for local public transport and Centro implements it’s policies. Centro is responsible for procuring local rail services, it funds concessionary fares, provides bus facilities, information, special needs transport and plans for future public transport. Private companies run the range of public transport services.

A high quality and integrated public transport network is essential for economic revitalisation, accessibility and social inclusion and sustainable travel patterns. Bus, rail and metro are brought together within a strategic public transport network that is being promoted across the West Midlands Metropolitan area by Centro and the Metropolitan Authorities.

The Council is working with Centro, transport operators and community groups to ensure that public transport provision meets the needs of local communities and provides the means by which people can access employment, training, health facilities and leisure opportunities.

In this context it is important that new developments are readily accessible by all sectors of the community and that the ability to use facilities is not dependent on the availability of a car. Transport Assessments for all major new developments will determine the overall transport requirements of a proposal and developers will be required to provide appropriate public transport services and facilities to serve the new development (see Policy AM6).

The UDP is seeking to ensure that transport contributes to social inclusion by increasing accessibility for everyone. This includes those who:

• Cannot afford a car or those family members who do not have access to a car;
• Have mobility problems; and
• Choose not to, or prefer not to own a car.

The elderly, those with child-care responsibilities and people with disabilities are three groups within the community who could benefit significantly by this approach.

Bus Provision

The key element of an integrated and improved public transport service is the bus network. Over 90% of public transport journeys are currently made by bus. Even with the expansion of the Metro and rail networks the bus network will continue to carry the majority of public transport users. The Council recognises the importance of the bus network in the City and by working with operators will seek to bring forward improvements that generate efficiency savings for operators and provide the public with an attractive alternative to the private car

What matters most is:

• Clear direct and safe routes to bus stops including well-placed road crossings;
• Locating bus stops close to where activity is taking place and away from locations where people feel vulnerable;
• Providing clear unambiguous information on bus routes, service frequencies, tickets and fares.

The Local Passenger Rail Network

The Council will promote the development and improvement of the local passenger rail network. Existing facilities for passengers will be safeguarded except where it is agreed with the rail industry that the facilities are surplus to current or possible future operational requirements. The Council will investigate with the rail industry and Centro how access to the rail network can be improved from both existing and new developments. This might be achieved through improving access to existing stations by all modes, identifying locations for strategic park and ride sites, and, where necessary and feasible, through the provision of new stations.

The Council recognises the importance of Wolverhampton Railway Station as a major gateway into the City and as such the Council will work with the rail industry and Centro, to:

• Improve capacity for additional services at the station and provide additional capacity on the  West Coast Mainline;
• Enhance the range and quality of passenger facilities;
• Improve integration and interchange with other modes of transport.

Light Rail / Light Rapid Transit

14.10

Provision for Pedestrians

People walking to or within a development site should be able to access all buildings safely and conveniently, without having to cross service areas and car parks. Pedestrian routes through a development site should be clear and obvious and provide good links to the existing pedestrian network and to bus stops and car parks.

• Should priority be given to pedestrians?
• Do pedestrian routes connect the places where people want to go?
• Are routes direct, and are crossings easy to use?
• Are routes attractive, well lit and safe?
• What is the quality and width of the footway and is it free from obstructions?
• How easy is it to find and follow a route?
• Are there surface treatments and signs to guide pedestrians?

The main considerations for a safe and attractive walking environment are:

• People prefer to walk along streets where they are overlooked and can be seen by drivers, residents and other pedestrians;
• If segregated footpaths are provided, they need to be well connected and overlooked by houses and other occupied buildings;
• Measures that slow traffic and give priority to pedestrians help them to feel safer and encourage more pedestrian journeys;
• Well-designed shared surfaces avoid conflicts of movement, yet encourage other activities to take place;
• Footpaths should lead where people want to go rather than follow a preconceived geometry;
• Footpaths in new developments should be positive, direct and barrier-free.

Walking is the link between other modes of transport and a form of transport in its own right representing almost a third of all journeys undertaken. National statistics show that people now walk less as part of their daily routine and that the population is generally leading less active lives. Walking can be an important part of the solution to reduce traffic congestion problems as well as encouraging a more active and healthy lifestyle.

14.11

Provision for Cyclists

Within new developments cyclists should be provided with clear, direct, and convenient routes. Provision for cycling should be considered as an integral part of the overall site layout including the provision of adequate cycle parking.

We cycle less in Britain than in many other European Countries, evidence suggests this is not so much due to topography and climate but because cycling appears to be unsafe and inconvenient. Cycle routes and parking are frequently included as an afterthought and are often inconvenient and therefore underused.

Cycle storage space should be provided within new housing developments. Communal, secure cycle storage can make owning and using a bike easier and more attractive. Important factors that need to be addressed to encourage more people to cycle for some journeys include personal safety, secure storage for bicycles, links with public transport and the location and detailed design of new development.

Cycle Parking Standards and guidance on the provision of ‘trip-end’ facilities such as secure cycle parking, storage lockers and showers will be included in a Supplementary Planning Document.

14.12

Park and Ride

Wolverhampton is a sub-regional centre and many people travel into the City for the purposes of work, shopping, education and leisure. The journeys associated with this contribute to the congestion seen on radial routes serving Wolverhampton City Centre during morning and evening peak periods. The provision of high quality park and ride facilities can intercept some of these journeys, reducing the level of congestion. These sites should be close to the main access routes to the City Centre, well signed and well-served by a dedicated or high frequency public transport service. Bus priority measures will be implemented to further support the development of these sites.

A number of sites will be required to serve a more strategic and sub-regional role. These should be located near the main radial routes into Wolverhampton and allow easy access to the rail network either via a new railway station, Midland Metro Stop or via a high quality bus link to the rail network. These will need to be located on the periphery of Wolverhampton, or beyond the City boundary, and consultation with the Highways Agency regarding their effect on the Trunk Road network will be required. The regional study looking at the need for new strategic park and ride sites has been completed. This defines the characteristics required for such sites to be successful and identifies some sites to serve the conurbation. One of these sites is at Brinsford, to the north-east of Junction 2 of the M54, which lies within South Staffordshire District. The development of a site at Brinsford is supported in principle by the City Council and would serve Wolverhampton City Centre as well as other destinations. Development of such Green Belt sites will only be permitted where more sustainable, alternative, non-Green Belt sites have been exhausted in line with the provision of PPG2 as amended by PPG13 Annex E.

14.13

Parking and Servicing Provision

Car parks should be designed to maximise vehicle and personal security and have regard to lighting, landscaping and layout. The adoption of “Secured by Design” standards is encouraged wherever possible.

The Council’s current demand management, traffic reduction and car parking policies and targets are to be found within the Local Transport Plan and Regional Transport Strategy.

The manner in which car parking is arranged has a fundamental effect on the quality of the development. Vehicles should not be allowed to dominate the space or to inconvenience pedestrians. Parking on the front of a development should be avoided as this detracts from the design of the development, restricts informal surveillance and generally presents an unattractive image.

In residential areas, a very careful balance has to be struck between the expectations of car owners, in particular the desire to park as near to their houses as possible, and the need to maintain the character of the overall setting. Where car parking is provided in courts or squares then adjoining buildings should overlook the site.

In commercial developments the best way to alleviate the effect of large parking areas is to ensure that they are designed as an integral part of the landscape treatment and managed communally. This also ensures that pedestrian movement is not determined and restricted by vehicular movement requirements and conflict between pedestrians and vehicles is minimised.

14.14

Development of Freight Facilities

Improvements to be Strategic Highway Network will aid the movement of commercial vehicles between the City Centre, the main commercial and employment centres of the City, and the Regions trunk road and motorway network. There will be an overriding need to protect the amenity of local residents and reduce the impact of freight and commercial traffic on local communities.

The programme to strengthen bridges and structures to provide for the general introduction of 44 tonne lorries is well advanced but further work is still required, particularly on those structures not in the ownership of the City Council. The Council will work with all interested parties to complete this strengthening and renewal programme.

14.15

Minimising the Effect of Traffic on Communities

The Council will continually monitor the harm created by the intrusion of motorised traffic in existing residential areas. Traffic sensitive areas, where the greatest road safety, social and environmental problems are identified, will be prioritised for future improvement. As funding becomes available local residents and interest groups in priority areas will be consulted so that the most appropriate traffic management improvement schemes may be implemented. In designing improvement schemes the needs of emergency services, public transport and cyclists will be considered to ensure their effective and safe operation. The Council will continue to work with local schools to minimise the impact of the school run on the local area through measures such as ‘School Travel Plans’ and ‘Safer Routes to School’.

A combination of traffic management measures will be used in the design of improvement schemes. These will include:-

• Traffic calming;
• Parking restrictions;
• 20 mph speed restriction zones;
• ‘Streetscape’ design;
• ‘Home Zones’; and/or
• Road Closures.

14.16

Road Safety and Personal Security

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy “Tomorrow’s Roads: Safer for Everyone” emphasises that a major improvement in road safety can only be achieved if all agencies involved in road design, building and motor manufacture, traffic regulation and enforcement work in partnership. Wolverhampton has adopted the Government’s national targets for casualty reduction by the year 2010 of:

• 40% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents;
• 50% reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured; and
• 10% reduction in the slight casualty rate (expressed per 100 million vehicle kilometres).

Techniques that will be employed to meet these targets will include engineering, education, training and enforcement in accordance objectives detailed in the Road Safety Plan and the West Midlands Local Transport Plan. The Wolverhampton Road Safety Plan monitors progress towards the National target. The Wolverhampton Road Safety Plan also sets out the programme of safety schemes to be implemented in the City and outlines the education, training and enforcement policies. Local Safety schemes will complement the work on safer routes to school, the policies for walking and cycling, traffic management and public transport

All schemes will be subject to a road safety audit in accordance with the Road Safety Act 1988 and guidance contained within the Institute of Highways and Transportation (1996). These aim to avoid the introduction of new safety problems and to identify opportunities to address current safety concerns. Developers will also be expected to adhere to the detailed standards of safety contained within the DETR Design Bulletin number 32 - “Residential Roads and Footpaths” (1992) and its companion guide - “Places, Streets and Movement” (1998) for all residential development proposals.

14.17

General Aviation

As a largely urban area with the majority of its open land either designated as Green Belt or in active use such as recreation, Wolverhampton is considered to have no potential for the development of airports or airfields. However, there is growing demand for aviation, and restrictions on the use of airports and airfields may lead to proposals for helipads or heliports within the City. Such facilities could meet business, recreational, training or emergency needs and assist in the regeneration of the City.

Any proposal should demonstrate the existence of such need, including the need for any operational or support services on the site. It should also be acceptable in terms of the proposed surface access. The proposed highway access should be suitable for the purpose and not have a negative effect on highway safety or the free flow of traffic. The likely demand for access by means other than private vehicle should also be considered. Any proposal should also not have a detrimental effect on the environment, including wider considerations such as climate change. There should not be an adverse effect on the amenity of surrounding areas, either through noise from helicopters, surface traffic generated by the proposal, or any other means.