Being close to a bus stop, train station or Midland Metro services is one of the top priorities for people deciding how they feel about their neighbourhood, according to a new survey.
The figures are particularly significant in Birmingham, where fewer than half of commuters now travel by car – as the MORI poll showed access to public transport was ranked twice as important as having low levels of traffic congestion.
When asked what makes somewhere a good place to live, people also put the quality of public transport above road and pavement repairs, leisure facilities and low levels of pollution.
The survey has been seized upon by public transport bosses as support for giving buses priority and backing more investment in rail and tram lines.
“This shows the importance of a comprehensive public transport system in assessing quality of life. People clearly value having a bus route, train station or tram line on their doorstep,” says Cllr Gary Clarke, chairman of the policy-setting West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority.
The latest study, called Liveability 2005, was designed to find out what really matters to ordinary people about the areas where they live. “A complex interaction of factors is reflected in people's own assessments of what will improve their quality of life. 'Liveability' – or what is happening in the streets where they live – is fundamental,” says Helen Rice of the MORI Social Research Institute.
Low levels of crime, health services, decent housing and education provision were generally the top criteria in making somewhere a good place to live – although being close to a reliable, frequent bus route can affect people’s access to many of those services, transport chiefs point out. Public transport provision was placed above shopping facilities in the poll, for example.
The poll can be found at www.mori.com
Last year a survey of top European companies also showed improving public transport was the key to a city’s business success. When asked what could improve their location the most, ease of mobility within the city was ranked far higher than local taxes, pollution, supply of qualified workers, shopping, leisure or parking.
