The Government has identified 19 key routes in the West Midlands where local councils and transport authority Centro-PTA will be expected to limit congestion over the next five years.
Journey times on main roads including the A38 Bristol Road and Tyburn Road, Hagley Road, Stratford Road, A34 Walsall Road, Dudley Road and A45 from the airport/NEC into Birmingham city centre will be used to measure the region’s success at tackling congestion. A Government target announced today (Tuesday 18 July) provides for a growth in travel by four per cent but an increase in journey times of no more than five per cent. It endorses a target set out in the Local Transport Plan submitted to Government by councils and Centro-PTA earlier this year.
Main radial routes into Coventry and Wolverhampton city centres will also be surveyed (see map)
Figures will take into account the average rush hour speed and occupancy of cars, as well as delays to buses and the number of passengers using public transport. A total of 155 routes across the ten largest urban areas in England have been earmarked.
Announcing the targets this morning, Secretary of State Douglas Alexander recognised the scale of the congestion problem to be tackled. “The accessibility of our cities is key to their economic growth and success,” he said. “It is therefore important that local authorities take responsibility for addressing the problem of road congestion, and the impact on journey times caused by the increasing numbers of journeys being made.”
West Midlands councils have already made tackling congestion a joint priority. Traffic congestion is currently estimated to cost the city region more than £2.5bn every year, and a major congestion study is currently underway to investigate both the problem and potential long term solutions.
“Improving the quality and attractiveness of public transport will be absolutely crucial to finding long-term solutions to congestion in the West Midlands,” says Centro-PTA chairman Cllr Gary Clarke. “The evidence is already pointing to how major investment in bus, rail and tram networks can improve the West Midlands economy and help protect the environment of our city region.”
Centro-PTA, which promotes and develops public transport, has welcomed the fact that the Government is now measuring journey times for people rather than vehicles. It means specific congestion targets can be met both by providing sustainable alternatives to car use and by improving bus journey times on main roads.
“Ultimately, everyone benefits,” adds Cllr Clarke. “The region needs to provide the right package of transport choices, so that car travel and public transport both see improvements as part of an integrated package.”
