Agenda item

Joint Local Transport Plan (WoE) and the Bristol Transport Strategy

The Cabinet Member began by stating that the draft plans were the beginning of the process and that she welcomed a discussion on the policy.  Unfortunately the Joint Local Transport Strategy (JLTP) wasn’t quite ready to be shared with Members at this time.

The Head of Strategic City Transport took the Members through the published report slides:

The consultation process will begin late September / early October.

Members stated that the consultation process should be carefully tailored to ensure targeting of a good cross-section of communities.  It was suggested that engagement would be enhanced by planned face-to-face consultations at venues such as shopping centres and community events.  

Members request a copy of the planned schedule of events to complement the on-line survey?

ACTION:  Officers to confirm schedule and provide details to members

Cllr Jackson requested officers take the consultation to a festival in Fillwood on the 23^rd September.  ACTION: Officers to confirm arrangement with Cllr Jackson

Members were interested to know how some choices on the priorities would be made. Cllr Threlfall said that a formula existed that provided a weighting to the hierarchy of transport priorities and that Members would be able to review this.  ACTION: Officers to confirm when Members can expect to receive this?

Members highlighted the need for reliable and varied bus services.  They would like to receive more information on what exactly is going to happen with the bus services in the short term and what is in the pipeline for longer-term? Members would also like to understand who’s responsible for doing what between WECA and BCC.  ACTION: Officers to provide the above information.

The ‘funding gap’ was discussed and officers said they welcome Members views this aspect of the draft plan.  Members said they would like more explicit details on the funding required for delivery of the separate elements of the plans.  It was reported that most of the financial information would be in the JLTP but it would also be referenced in the Bristol Transport Strategy. Members suggested that direct links to the JLTP should be added to the Bristol Transport Plan to make clearer.  ACTION: Officers to confirm if this suggestion will be taken up.

Some members questioned if the strategy was visionary enough and designed with an awareness of the speed of change that technological advances are making.  Some areas related to this were: 

-        The advent of autonomous vehicles. 

-        Planning for change i.e. shopping habits, more flexible working practices and last mile logistics, planning applications, etc.  

Members would like to know if these future changes can be modelled. ACTION: Officers to confirm

Members questioned the feasibility of the mass transport initiatives and asked for a business case to be presented i.e. some worked figures for some or all of the proposed routes? Officers responded that they would be preparing the business cases after feasibility studies were complete (and if they were favourable) so yes they would provide for Members. ACTION: Business cases to be provide to members if/when they are complete.

The Chair stated that in her opinion the document had a good written expression.  But it was felt that it could be structured better, especially at the beginning, with a Member suggesting additions such as a “how to navigate this document” page and easy to use diagrams.  Although it was acknowledged that it will be improved when it has been worked on by the Design Team.