Here is another news peice from the Bristol Evening Post web news pages on This Is Bristol Shouldn't Bus, Train, Park and Ride and other organisations involved including local Councils work together as a team and include each other rather than work on their own agendas and pull each other apart? Until they get their act together on this and real communication happens between all of them then Public Transport isn't the real alternative to encourage people out of their cars. Check out the various links on the main page to find out more about transport plans and so on.
By all means discuss this on the Portway Park and Ride discussion group if you wish and start a topic. It is relevant: http://groups.myspace.com/portwayparkandride
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SNARL-UPS COSTING US £350M A YEAR
09:36 - 13 October 2007
Traffic congestion is costing the greater Bristol area at least £350 million a year, according to a new transport blueprint.
The figure is set to soar to almost £600 million by 2016, says Bristol City Council and other councils in the former Avon area.
Average car speeds during the Bristol rush hour are around 15 miles an hour - the slowest in Britain outside London.Now the four West of England Partnership authorities - Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire - are submitting plans for tackling the crisis to the Department of Transport.
In a document called "Our Transport Future" they pledge to work together for a slice of £1.4 billion of government cash next spring.
The councils expect their "vision" to cost them £2.5 billion by 2026. They want to see major improvements in public transport and the road network.
Measures include new Bus Rapid Transit routes, featuring segregated bus lanes to provide fast and reliable journey times.
The councils also want improvements to rail services, including extra carriages, the reopening of rail lines and stations and improved facilities at stations.
Mark Bradshaw, Bristol City Council's executive member for transport, said: "We have been talking with our colleagues in the four councils and I think it is clear that we are making progress.
"But there's more work to do and we need to work together to tackle congestion and to continue to look at better alternatives to the motor car."
Elfan ap Rees, North Somerset's executive member for highways and strategic planning, said: "If we don't get satisfactory rail links and public transport generally into Bristol and its northern fringe, we will not support any form of congestion charging or charging for workplace parking.
"Our priorities in North Somerset include a Portishead rail link and a new road link between the A370 and A38 for better access to Bristol International Airport."
Brian Allinson, executive member for planning and transport in South Gloucestershire, said: "What we are trying to do is develop a regional approach. We have real congestion problems, particularly on the ring road and along the northern fringe of Bristol, at rush hour.
"But there is no point in dealing with a pressure point here and another there. We have to work together. This document is an expression of interest in talking further with the Department of Transport.
"The document makes initial proposals for an application to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund.
After consultation and with the approval of all the councils involved, the West of England is aiming to submit its full application in early 2008. They expect to hear whether they will get funding some time next summer.
Before any final decisions are made there will be an extensive consultation programme where the public's ideas and views will be taken into consideration.
Web Link: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231512&home=yes&c..18664740
Showing posts with label Transport And Community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transport And Community. Show all posts
Saturday, 13 October 2007
New web site online to check out planning applications for your area
This is from the Bristol Evening Post web site today and a really good idea because so much happens that we are not informed of or made aware of in our local community.
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WEBSITE REVEALS PLANNING REQUESTS
BY RUPERT JANISCH R.JANISCH
10:40 - 12 October 2007
A website giving people the chance to see what developments are planned for their area has been launched by a Bristol man.
Previously, people had to know the street name where an application had been proposed in order to use websites such as UKPlanning or the city council site.
But Sneyd Park resident David Wedge, 36, has set up his own website, www.planningfinder.co.uk where people can enter their postcode and find out all current applications near their homes.
Mr Wedge, a product development manager, said he had the idea after realising the lack of notice local authorities need to give when planning applications are lodged.
The Evening Post has published several stories in previous years of residents who only discovered an application had been submitted after a chance encounter with a notice on a nearby lamppost.
Mr Wedge, who co-founded the website with friend Tom Busby, said: "The service came about when I began to notice just how many Evening Post articles concerned planning issues."
A waste-recycling centre had opened near a residential area without anyone living nearby being told about it."
The local council apologised for not having sent consultation letters and promised to put things right, but this was not before a great deal of misery had been caused to many local residents.
"This type of mistake happens around the country, and the consequences of such errors can be grave for those people caught up in them."
People using the website can enter their postcode and find all current applications within a 400-metre, half-mile or mile radius.
The website works by searching for applications on local authority websites and then identifying which ones are close to the user.
Mr Wedge said: "The Planning Finder service is designed to improve the scrutiny given to planning applications in general and currently covers more than 100 councils across the country - full national coverage is planned.
"We envisage our website automatically drawing the attention of the right expert in the council to applications as they come in, be it one which should be seen by the pollution control department, nature conservation officers or whoever."
Instead of providing a postcode they would register the kinds of application they wish to see. The website is intended as a tool to benefit all in the community, whether residents, developers or government officials, by helping make planning information far more visible."
The free website also includes newspaper articles on planning issues from around the country and a variety of case studies.
Web Link: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&c..18649972&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144912
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WEBSITE REVEALS PLANNING REQUESTS
BY RUPERT JANISCH R.JANISCH
10:40 - 12 October 2007
A website giving people the chance to see what developments are planned for their area has been launched by a Bristol man.
Previously, people had to know the street name where an application had been proposed in order to use websites such as UKPlanning or the city council site.
But Sneyd Park resident David Wedge, 36, has set up his own website, www.planningfinder.co.uk where people can enter their postcode and find out all current applications near their homes.
Mr Wedge, a product development manager, said he had the idea after realising the lack of notice local authorities need to give when planning applications are lodged.
The Evening Post has published several stories in previous years of residents who only discovered an application had been submitted after a chance encounter with a notice on a nearby lamppost.
Mr Wedge, who co-founded the website with friend Tom Busby, said: "The service came about when I began to notice just how many Evening Post articles concerned planning issues."
A waste-recycling centre had opened near a residential area without anyone living nearby being told about it."
The local council apologised for not having sent consultation letters and promised to put things right, but this was not before a great deal of misery had been caused to many local residents.
"This type of mistake happens around the country, and the consequences of such errors can be grave for those people caught up in them."
People using the website can enter their postcode and find all current applications within a 400-metre, half-mile or mile radius.
The website works by searching for applications on local authority websites and then identifying which ones are close to the user.
Mr Wedge said: "The Planning Finder service is designed to improve the scrutiny given to planning applications in general and currently covers more than 100 councils across the country - full national coverage is planned.
"We envisage our website automatically drawing the attention of the right expert in the council to applications as they come in, be it one which should be seen by the pollution control department, nature conservation officers or whoever."
Instead of providing a postcode they would register the kinds of application they wish to see. The website is intended as a tool to benefit all in the community, whether residents, developers or government officials, by helping make planning information far more visible."
The free website also includes newspaper articles on planning issues from around the country and a variety of case studies.
Web Link: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=145365&command=displayContent&sourceNode=145191&c..18649972&folderPk=83726&pNodeId=144912
Traffic flows and congestion. Congratulations in order?
Another news item from the Bristol Evening Post news web pages that covers the former Avon County Council area and there are a number of feedback comments on this issue. Click on link: This Is Bristol
PRAISE FOR TRAFFIC FLOW SCHEMES
10:40 - 11 October 2007
Councils in the former Avon area have been praised by the Government for developing plans to beat jams and keep traffic flowing.
Transport Minister Rosie Winterton gave Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset a 'good' rating for its Local Transport Plan, which aims to cut down congestion around the city.
The report said that the councils generally had "good transport strategies for walking, cycling and freight".
B &NES was singled out for praise for its innovation in handling roadworks on the A37 road south of Bristol. The road is a busy commuter route for people who live in Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Wells, but who work in Bristol.
But the area's ability to react to incidents such as major accidents was criticised, with the report saying the area was "weak on emergency planning".
No one from Bristol City Council was available for comment last night.
Other councils in the former Avon area - South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and B &NES - all welcomed the report's findings.
Brian Allinson, executive transport member for South Gloucestershire Council, said: "We are pleased with the rating from the Department for Transport.
"This reflects our commitment to work with our neighbouring authorities to continually improve transport within the region.
"Charles Gerrish, B &NES cabinet member for transport, said: "In particular I am pleased to see an acknowledgement of the tremendous efforts we put in to making sure the works on the A37 were carried out with the minimum of disruption.
"Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, North Somerset Council's executive member for transport, said: "There is more we would like to do but the poor funding by central government means that we are unable to compete with higher funded authorities such as Bristol for the staff and resources."
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To read the feedback comments click on:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231512&home=yes&c..18641924
PRAISE FOR TRAFFIC FLOW SCHEMES
10:40 - 11 October 2007
Councils in the former Avon area have been praised by the Government for developing plans to beat jams and keep traffic flowing.
Transport Minister Rosie Winterton gave Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset a 'good' rating for its Local Transport Plan, which aims to cut down congestion around the city.
The report said that the councils generally had "good transport strategies for walking, cycling and freight".
B &NES was singled out for praise for its innovation in handling roadworks on the A37 road south of Bristol. The road is a busy commuter route for people who live in Midsomer Norton, Radstock and Wells, but who work in Bristol.
But the area's ability to react to incidents such as major accidents was criticised, with the report saying the area was "weak on emergency planning".
No one from Bristol City Council was available for comment last night.
Other councils in the former Avon area - South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and B &NES - all welcomed the report's findings.
Brian Allinson, executive transport member for South Gloucestershire Council, said: "We are pleased with the rating from the Department for Transport.
"This reflects our commitment to work with our neighbouring authorities to continually improve transport within the region.
"Charles Gerrish, B &NES cabinet member for transport, said: "In particular I am pleased to see an acknowledgement of the tremendous efforts we put in to making sure the works on the A37 were carried out with the minimum of disruption.
"Councillor Elfan Ap Rees, North Somerset Council's executive member for transport, said: "There is more we would like to do but the poor funding by central government means that we are unable to compete with higher funded authorities such as Bristol for the staff and resources."
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To read the feedback comments click on:
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=144913&command=displayContent&sourceNode=231512&home=yes&c..18641924
Commuters prefer cars. Latest poll reveals how we travel to work.
Commuters prefer cars. Latest poll reveals how we travel to work.
Just in case you missed the Bristol Evening Post news article on Wednesday 10th October 2007 here is the item that is on the Bristol Evening Post news web page and click on the link: This Is Bristol
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POLL REVEALS COMMUTERS PREFER CARS
10:40 - 10 October 2007
Almost half of the commuters in Bristol currently use their car to get to work.
A poll of 50 city companies' employees showed that 47 per cent of those questioned still drive into town to get to work.
Nearly 9,000 commuters took part in the Big Commuter Count, which was conducted for the first time earlier this month by Bristol City Council.
There are no results from last year to compare to this year's data, although the council does plan to run the scheme every year from now on.The results show that:
Fewer people (9.8 per cent) use the bus to get to work than cycle (10.6 per cent)
Pedestrians make up just over 20 per cent of those polled
Forty per cent of people drive their own car to work, with another 6.4 per cent travelling as passengers
Only 40 out of the 8,796 people surveyed travel as passengers under the council's 2carshare.com scheme, which aims to promote car sharing as a more environmentally-friendly form of transport.
The city council, along with the three other authorities in the former Avon area, is in the early stages of implementing a £121 million joint local transport plan to improve congestion.
The council claimed the survey shows many employees in Bristol are prepared to leave the car at home when they can and use more sustainable ways of travel.But one transport expert said the figures in the commuter survey show that, despite the improvements which have already been put in place, people were still firmly stuck to using their cars.
By contrast, a spokesman for a bus users organisation said some form of road pricing was the only feasible way to cut congestion and reverse the "disappointing" results of the survey.Tim Green is director of the national Road Users Alliance.
He cited London as an example of a city with a fully integrated public transport system but said it was a "hopeless and slightly pointless task" trying to get people in Bristol to change their mode of travel.He said: "We believe that people should choose which form of transport system suits them best and that's likely to be the car."
The reasons for this shouldn't surprise anybody - it's cheaper, quicker, more reliable and there's more independence than any other way."
Getting the bus is very time consuming and people will make their judgements about comparing it with the car before choosing which one to take."
Mr Green called for better park and ride systems into the city, to be combined with a more extensive bus service which could then take commuters to their place of work.
He said: "There needs to be a service which can deliver people's needs and expectations instead of trying to try and change people's choices because the authorities don't approve."Phil Tonks, spokesman for Bus Users UK, said: "
When it comes to urban transport in cities there has to be a major drive to really give public transport very much increased priority."
These figures are disappointing and there has to be a focus on redressing the balance because it's causing a lot of congestion and environmental problems."
If you have a plan which brings in charging for cars and better priorities for buses then it will give people a better choice in the long run. It's a difficult choice for the politicians to take but they need to look at the future of places like Bristol, which is growing year on year."
Many of the companies which took part in the poll have travel plans in place, which promote more sustainable travel.
Mark Bradshaw, executive member for access and environment, said: "The information from this simple and easy-to-do survey will provide the council with essential travel data and employers with data to support their own travel plans."
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Just in case you missed the Bristol Evening Post news article on Wednesday 10th October 2007 here is the item that is on the Bristol Evening Post news web page and click on the link: This Is Bristol
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POLL REVEALS COMMUTERS PREFER CARS
10:40 - 10 October 2007
Almost half of the commuters in Bristol currently use their car to get to work.
A poll of 50 city companies' employees showed that 47 per cent of those questioned still drive into town to get to work.
Nearly 9,000 commuters took part in the Big Commuter Count, which was conducted for the first time earlier this month by Bristol City Council.
There are no results from last year to compare to this year's data, although the council does plan to run the scheme every year from now on.The results show that:
Fewer people (9.8 per cent) use the bus to get to work than cycle (10.6 per cent)
Pedestrians make up just over 20 per cent of those polled
Forty per cent of people drive their own car to work, with another 6.4 per cent travelling as passengers
Only 40 out of the 8,796 people surveyed travel as passengers under the council's 2carshare.com scheme, which aims to promote car sharing as a more environmentally-friendly form of transport.
The city council, along with the three other authorities in the former Avon area, is in the early stages of implementing a £121 million joint local transport plan to improve congestion.
The council claimed the survey shows many employees in Bristol are prepared to leave the car at home when they can and use more sustainable ways of travel.But one transport expert said the figures in the commuter survey show that, despite the improvements which have already been put in place, people were still firmly stuck to using their cars.
By contrast, a spokesman for a bus users organisation said some form of road pricing was the only feasible way to cut congestion and reverse the "disappointing" results of the survey.Tim Green is director of the national Road Users Alliance.
He cited London as an example of a city with a fully integrated public transport system but said it was a "hopeless and slightly pointless task" trying to get people in Bristol to change their mode of travel.He said: "We believe that people should choose which form of transport system suits them best and that's likely to be the car."
The reasons for this shouldn't surprise anybody - it's cheaper, quicker, more reliable and there's more independence than any other way."
Getting the bus is very time consuming and people will make their judgements about comparing it with the car before choosing which one to take."
Mr Green called for better park and ride systems into the city, to be combined with a more extensive bus service which could then take commuters to their place of work.
He said: "There needs to be a service which can deliver people's needs and expectations instead of trying to try and change people's choices because the authorities don't approve."Phil Tonks, spokesman for Bus Users UK, said: "
When it comes to urban transport in cities there has to be a major drive to really give public transport very much increased priority."
These figures are disappointing and there has to be a focus on redressing the balance because it's causing a lot of congestion and environmental problems."
If you have a plan which brings in charging for cars and better priorities for buses then it will give people a better choice in the long run. It's a difficult choice for the politicians to take but they need to look at the future of places like Bristol, which is growing year on year."
Many of the companies which took part in the poll have travel plans in place, which promote more sustainable travel.
Mark Bradshaw, executive member for access and environment, said: "The information from this simple and easy-to-do survey will provide the council with essential travel data and employers with data to support their own travel plans."
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In the Bristol Evening Post newspaper there was also a small colour coded bar chart on "How Bristolians travel to work" and information is as follows:
- 40.9% drive to work in their car
- 20.4% walk to work
- 10.6% cycle to work
- 9.8% catch a bus to work (Does not include Park and Ride)
- 5.9% are car passengers (not through 2carshare.com)
- 5.1% travel by train
- 1.8% use the Park and Ride services
- 1.6% work from home
- 1.6% travel to work on motorbikes
- 1.3% use other ways of getting to work (?)
- 0.5% travel to work by moped/scooter
- 0.5% are car passengers sharing through the 2carshare.com
- 0.1% use taxi/minicab
- 0.1% use the ferry.
Community, transport and sport. Check out the links and read for yourself.
Thought it might be an idea to check out the three main political party's web sites and see what news articles were posted recently on Communities, Transport, and Leisure for example. I found three items and their news pages are updated on a regular basis. However the Lib Dems news page didn't appear to have those topics covered so if you know of a news article I can use and place a link to please let me know. I want to try and keep a balance on this.
Remember these are samples of news articles printed on their web sites. It would be interesting to know what the views are from our local Councillors on these issues, how they plan to get involved with the communities because so far there has been limited involvement from them with local forums and community meetings.
The Labour News Pages
This is just two of many news items I found on communities, transport and sports so check out their news pages and make up your own mind.
Labour's policies on strengthening communities
Sustainable communities are about the things that matter to people: decent homes at prices that they can afford, good public transport, schools, hospitals, and shops; local residents able to have a say on the way their neighbourhood is run; and a clean, safe environment.
What can we do to sustain and strengthen Britain's communities?
The Labour Party believes that decisions should be taken by, or as close as possible to, the people affected by them. This means that we need to give local people more opportunities to change the things that matter to them, while developing the role and functions of local government to be more responsive to local needs. We want to engender a greater sense of ownership and investment in our communities, and to strengthen the role of local government as the champion of local communities.
Labour also believes that everyone should have the opportunity to live in a decent, affordable home. There are now over a million more homeowners than there were in 1997. The quality of our social housing stock has risen rapidly, through the Decent Homes Standard which by 2010 will have improved 3.6 million homes, benefiting eight million social tenants, with investment of over £40 billion. We now need to look to increase provision of decent and affordable housing to meet future needs.
How do we best meet Britain's transport needs?
A sustainable and integrated transport system is essential for our quality of life, continued economic success, and for building sustainable communities. People need to be able to move within and between communities, with choices and in a way that respects our environment.
The challenges we face in pursuing these goals are compounded by decades of underinvestment in our transport infrastructure. Successive governments have failed to devote sufficient resources to our transport network. We are half way through our Ten Year Plan for transport, published in July 2000, which is beginning to set things right. Now, to improve our transport network we need to plan ahead for the challenges we know we will face in the future.
Points to consider:
- What more can be done to empower neighbourhoods and communities?
- How do we build a culture of community leadership?
- What contributions can the third sector make to creating sustainable communities?
- What measures can we take to strengthen the leadership of our towns, cities and regions?
- How do we meet Britain's housing needs and aspirations?
- How can we ensure greater provision of affordable housing in the future?
- What can we do to minimise the environmental impact of new housing growth?
- How can we provide more social housing, including council housing, alongside improving existing stock?
- How can we ensure that the whole of Britain benefits from the London 2012 Olympics?
- What can we do to reduce road congestion in the long term?
- What must we do to create and maintain a sustainable transport system?
Web Link: http://www.labour.org.uk/stronger_communities
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PM welcomes £11 million boost for youth sports scheme
Gordon Brown has welcomed an £11 million boost to the national Kickz project which has been hailed as a success in cutting anti-social behaviour.
Kickz will receive the additional boost over three years, with the funding from the Football Foundation, the Metropolitan Police Service and the Labour Government helping the project expand its sporting and educational sessions.
It will now be extended to 100 projects and will involve 12,000 teenagers in the most deprived areas of the country, increasing the existing provision by four times.
The scheme is a partnership of 19 Premier League and Football League clubs that offer young people the chance to take part in sports sessions three nights a week, 48 weeks of the year.
These activities include football leagues, tournaments and coaching sessions as well as educational sessions about issues like healthy lifestyles and the dangers of drugs use and carrying weapons.
The Prime Minister said: "Football clubs are perfectly placed to offer something back to some of the most marginalised members of society."Through Kickz they can help young people get involved in their community and learn self-respect, personal achievement and a sense of responsibility.
"Kickz shows the extraordinary power of football and sport in general to reach young people and provide a route into volunteering, training, education and employment."
The funding we have pledged today will ensure that this partnership between the Government, football organisations and the police continues to grow and deliver positive results for young people and their wider communities in the years ahead."
In the first four pilot areas of the scheme, police reported that anti-social behaviour and low-level crime fell by an average of 27 per cent on the days that Kickz sessions were held.
The Football Foundation is investing £4.7 million in the scheme, the Metropolitan Police Service £3 million and £1 million is coming from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Matched funding from local bodies will bring the total funding amount to £11 million over three years.
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The Conservative News Pages
This is just one of many news items I found on transport and there is a lot about the train service so check out their news pages and make up your own mind.
Government way off target on transport
Conservatives have questioned whether the Department of Transport is fit for purpose after a group of MPs condemned the Government for failing to meets its targets for traffic congestion, air quality, and vehicle emissions.
Commenting on the findings of the Transport Committee's report into the Department for Transport's Annual Report 2006, Shadow Transport Minister Owen Paterson said: "There should be real questions asked about whether this department is capable of doing its job."
In their report, the cross-party body found that of seven targets, the department had met just two, covering road safety and rail punctuality. Targets for congestion, air quality, public transport and carbon dioxide emissions, have all been missed, leading the committee chairman, Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody to declare: This is a terrible picture of failure."
Seizing on the findings, Mr Paterson said: "This damning report is more evidence of a Department for Transport which only has one idea - road pricing. And it can't even explain that."
And referring to the systemic failures highlighted by the report on road pricing, congestion, buses, concessionary fares, railways and emissions, the shadow minister declared: "There should be real questions asked about whether this Department is capable of doing its job."
Mr Paterson added: "The Department should be in the vanguard of thinking about curbing the growth of exhaust emissions, but instead, as with most other things, it seems to be wedded to old fashioned top-down Whitehall targets, and it can't even meet them."
Web Link: http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=135055
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The Liberal Democrats News Pages
There are many news items I found on their web site but I couldn't find anything recent on transport or community spirit. However if someone knows different please let me know and I'll add it to the blog. In the meantime check out their news pages and make up your own mind.
Web Link: http://www.libdems.org.uk/
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