Questions sent to Cllr Cook and Cllr Murphy about Portway Park And Ride proposed expansion.

The following questions have been gathered together concerning the Portway Park and Ride. These questions are from several people in the area and as I have a computer and e-mail access I have e-mailed Cllr Murphy and Cllr Cook the questions on Thursday 4th October and requested answers by Monday 15th Octber (closing date for public consultation is Friday 19th October) as they represent the Avonmouth Ward. (The e-mails have been delivered by hand as well) I have sent correspondence previously to the Cllrs about the Park and Ride and to date no reply to those first letters. There are some residents who feel that the Councillors will not respond or represent the local community on this. I will wait and see because some matters do need to be clarified and some issues too as they are not clear in the leaflet.

• How many Portway Park And Ride Proposed Expansion leaflets were distributed?
• Avonmouth Ward has over 12,000 residents in the area so were these leaflets distributed to the whole ward or just a selected area? If the latter where? (Leaflet states "views of local people in the Avonmouth, Shirehampton and Portway areas are now being sought")
• Who else has been consulted about the expansion project?If the current site isn't being used to capacity why expand further?
• What evidence and research does the Council have that shows demand for this?
• Who did the research, how was it done and how long ago, who did they ask, how many people, where did these people come from, local people, catchment area people, how many had cars - that would use THE Portway Park and Ride (not a Park and Ride or other public transport)
• What other factors have been taken into account with the research that is relevant to the local area/community and continually changing social/consumer trends to show demand for increase?
• "Additional signage to give better advance notice of this Park and Ride facility for people travelling from further away" Encouraging increased traffic to the area (as well as the current industrial) passing through for Avonmouth residents. The argument being that those car users would have remained on the motorway to get into the City. - What is the catchment area for the Portway Park and Ride?
• The latest figures show 235,000 journeys were made for the year for the Portway Park and Ride, how does that compare with Brislington and Long Ashton services?
• What are the statistics/demographics for Portway Park and Ride and use? (ie: Car users, walk on site (locals), other stops along the way (locals) -from opening to date)
• And how is the usage broken down? (ie: Regular users for work and School -5/6 times a week, shoppers, casual users, disability/wheelchair users -from opening to date))
• Figures used are for journeys not people so one journey is equal to a return trip ticket or is a journey classed as 'into the city as one trip and out again as a second journey'?
• How many people use this service?
• What is the expected growth for this service and what has it been in the past?
• How does the Portway Park and Ride plan to increase use of its service during the day after the students and workers rush? (buses are seen running empty or too few people during the day)
• How much does it really cost to run the Portway Park And Ride in comparison with Brislington and Long Ashton?
• Disabled people with shopping buggies are not able to use the Park and Ride (or any bus service for that matter) because there is no provision for them. As there is 'access to all' what plans and provisions will be made in the future to enable disabled people with Shopping buggies to use the Park and Ride Service? (People who need use of buggies door to door)
• How many extra disabled parking spaces would be made available in the centre of Bristol once Cabot Circus is open and what provision has been made to prevent abuse of use by non disabled people?
• What happened to the proposed train platform and it's integration into the P&R service? Will this happen in the future?
• Why haven't new and current attractions such as @ Bristol and all the big festivals and events such as the Festival of The Sea Real Food and Organic Festival, and so on encouraged use of the Portway Park and Ride?
• 'The future projects' and 'other City centre projects' are hidden phrases in the leaflet. Apparently it refers to Castle Park and Bristol Arena projects. Are there any other projects/attractions that should be noted for the future?
• Are these projects definitely going ahead or will they remain as proposals or become expired projects in the future?
• If Castle Park and Bristol Arena go ahead what impact and usage would these attractions have on the Portway Park and Ride really?
• I did question this on Monday and I was told by a Council Officer at Shirehampton Library that "We may be looking at extending the opening hours of the Park and Ride". What extension would this be? Not midnight and gone surely if the Bristol Arena audience is included? And Christmas shopping hours extensions all year round instead?
• Would the Portway Park and Ride (as well as Brislington and Long Ashton) become a late night service in the future and how late would this be?
• People have great choice with shopping, entertainment, and social activities so how accurate and reliable is the research for Cabot Circus/additional attractions for the Avonmouth ward? How sure after the initial excitement, curiosity, and so on dies down - say six months down the line - that the Portway Park and Ride will meet expectations? After all original expectations are yet to be met from the initial project and it opened in April 2002?
• "The existing access points and bus circulation area will remain as at present" - This is open to speculation so what changes would/could happen and how would it affect the road layout in the area if changes are made in the future?
• "...... a new amenity building with facilities for passengers and staff will be provided soon after the expansion is completed". - Where would this be placed on the site, one or two storey building, what facilities will be provided and office space? (Can't see it marked on the leaflet plans)
• "The bus service frequency and route will be unchanged for the time being although local enhancements are under investigation" - Again what would be the proposed changes, how soon would they be implemented and what are the local enhancements under investigation? What enhancements would be made?
• Car parking on the allotment site I assume will be the flatter ground in that area, so how much increase in levelling off the land be? I assume the raised part of the allotment will have more trees and landscaping - what would this be and involve? (after all we don't want storage units and work area problems that we initially had the last time. Will work vehicles be parked on the park and ride this time?)
• Lighting for the additional parking spaces, will this be screened off by landscaping too as lighting will be at a lower level.?
• The central reservation on the Portway by the Park and Ride, when will proper landscaping to carried out on this area?
• The Park and Ride is being used. However the site has fallen below expectations and growth slow. Shouldn't it be left as it is for the moment and it's weakness worked on and resolved first before embarking on such an ambitious project and it is ambitious. Shouldn't the Council learn from it's past mistakes on this project, work towards getting it to capacity sometime in the future to help make it stronger to follow through at a later date such ambitious expansions rather than have it fall on its face? Why can't this be done?
• The 57 bus was withdrawn without warning for example and Park & Ride users should not be left high and dry without a service because 'the Council got it wrong' and it struggles to stay open or even close. What back up plans do Bristol City Council have should this project fall below expectations again (and remember this is a larger site than currently is)?.
• Who runs the Park and Ride, how is it run and what role does Bristol City Council have in it's running/service?
• Who invests in the Portway Park and Ride site and how, what contribution is made? (passengers use the service and do not invest in the service)
• Is further expansion beyond 820 car parking spaces expected to be proposed/happen in the future and how/where would this be done?
• In October 2000 a report for the then named Avonmouth Park and Ride stated "a 550-space car park with both disabled and parent and child parking spaces for the site". In light of this (and the additional land wasn't obtained for various reasons) the parking spaces stand currently at 320. - If the 550 space Park and Ride had been built and not used to capacity today would this proposed expansion of 500 additional car spaces to the site still be pursued especially as Bristol City Council admit in the current leaflet 'the present site is not currently used to capacity' and media have also reported its shortfalls?
• "Estimated Capital £1.5 million has been allocated in the 2000/1 Local Transport Plan settlement towards the construction of the Avonmouth Park & Ride and a further £1 million will be required from the 2001/02 settlement." (from October 2000). What Government Grant subsidies have been given to the Portway Park and Ride so far and what other subsidies and financial assistance has been received from date opening to current and where from?
• What has been the total expenditure and income from the Portway Park and Ride since initial proposal, building and use to current date?
• In the Capital Programme for 2007 - 2010, how much has been allocated for the Portway Park and Ride and for what period of time?
• How is the proposed expansion being financed and what is the long term financial support and view for this?
• What is the financial forecast for the Portway Park and Ride should the expansion go ahead?
• When would it be self supporting and not reliant on grant and subsidies?
• What is the current financial state of the Park and Ride?
• What will happen when the Government grants and subsidies run out to finance and run the Portway Park and Ride service?
• Will the Portway Park and Ride (or in fact all Park and Rides) be supported by revenues raised through road user charging schemes/congestion charge, residential car parking permits and increased car parking fees in the future?
• When will the Avonmouth Ward see investment back into the local communities and provide social facilities for all to use? (After all we have lost the Swimming Baths, Robin Cousins Sport Centre, Youth Clubs and other facilities)