Agenda item

To consider a report of the Director of Place Management.

The report presents the ‘City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) – A6 Corridor Improving Journeys’ project for comment. 

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to note and comment upon the report.

Officer contact: Sue Stevenson on 0161 474 4351 or email sue.stevenson@stockport.gov.uk

The Director of Place Management submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) presenting the ‘City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) – A6 Corridor Improving Journeys’ project for comment.

Anthony Murden (Projects and Projects Manager, TfGM); Dominic Smith (Network Manager for Active Travel, TfGM) and Simon Thomas (Stockport bus driver) attended the meeting to support the discussion and respond to councillors questions on this item.

The Cabinet Member for Parks, Highways & Transport Services (Councillor Grace Baynham) attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·       Representatives from TfGM informed the Scrutiny Committee that the Rapid Transit scheme was designed to address reliability challenges, particularly in journeys to and from regional and town centres. Primarily the scheme was intended to deliver benefits for bus travel with an extension to the bus lane of over a kilometre. The scheme also supported active travel, including cycling, however funding was not available to deliver all aspects immediately and that was part of the longer-term vision.

·       Current funding levels could not accommodate segregated cycle lanes along the A6, however the design of the scheme provided scope to add cycle lanes in the future.

·       A bus driver representative expressed support for the scheme. A continuous bus lane from the McVities factory on the A6 to Stockport College was advantageous for drivers, including allowing drivers to have their breaks on time.

·       It would be advantageous to extend the bus lane past the Hatworks museum in order to assist the flow of traffic.

·       Bus drivers did not have an issue with cyclists using bus lanes, particularly with the roll out of electric bus vehicles. The exception along the A6 was the hill from Merseyway to Stockport College where it would be preferable for cyclists to be fed away from the main road.

·       Pedestrian crossings along the A6 ought to be more wheelchair accessible. A number of wheelchair users were frequent travellers on the 192 bus route, but the time allowed at some crossings were too short for wheelchair users; buses often shielded vulnerable road users from other vehicles.

·       It was noted that there was no easy crossing point for pedestrians across the A6 next to Interchange Park; the council was looking to introduce a crossing at that location which would link the park with Mersey Square.

·       At some bus stops, passengers walked into the road in order to board; it was suggested that each bus stop should be long enough to accommodate two buses to avoid that situation.

·       As part of the Bee Network, TfGM met regularly with bus drivers and union representatives in order to seek their views. A crossing had been added at Longsight following consultation with drivers.

·       Where bus lanes were coloured differently to the road, car users were less likely to drive on it.

·       It was important to maintain a high standard of road surface on bus lanes for the benefit of buses and cyclists.

·       As part of the conditions of funding for the route, TfGM was required to report on the usage of parallel routes for cyclists adjacent to the A6. Current usage would be assessed to establish a baseline and later assessments would assess whether there had been an increase in usage. Evaluations would take place after three years and again after five years.

·       Members noted that the report did not include information on how the scheme would align with the council’s net zero target. It was reported that the next stage of the scheme would include a detailed outline about how carbon emissions would be addressed.

·       TfGM confirmed that discussions with urban traffic control could address issues such as the timing of amber lights which would assist large vehicles such as buses coming to a halt.

·       Concern was expressed about some sections of the parallel cycling routes. For example the Edgeley route required cyclists to use a dangerous industrial unit which would not encourage residents to cycle.

·       In response it was stated that, currently, it was not possible to accommodate separate bus and cycle lanes along most of the A6. The current scheme focused on connecting protected junctions, which protect cyclists, with existing and new bus lanes. It was stated that the bus lanes allowed for 20 buses per hour which was preferable for cyclists to sharing the road with 900 vehicles per hour.

·       It was acknowledged that there were challenges in the creation of parallel cycle routes and that in order to encourage active travel and improve walking and cycling it was necessary to create attractive parallel routes. TfGM stated that it would work with Stockport Council in order to address the concerns raised.

·       Further consultation would take place on a number of aspects of the scheme including signage, in particular how signage would encourage cyclists to use parallel routes and speed bumps.

·       It was confirmed that the A6 route was a part of the Bee Network Route.

·       Stockport was at the forefront of innovative traffic calming measures to aid routes for cyclists.

·       It remained possible to tweak the design of the A6 bus lane scheme at the second design state to accommodate schemes such as School Streets by, for example, widening pavements.

·       There had been some press coverage related to floating bus stops, in particular related to safety concerns for visually impaired pedestrians. The data revealed that floating bus stops created a conflict between pedestrians and cyclists but this was preferable to putting vulnerable road users in conflict with large vehicles. The Vision Zero project aimed for no deaths and serious injuries on Greater Manchester Roads which included pedestrians injured by cyclists.

·       TfGM was working with a number of interest groups, including blind and partially sighted residents, to obtain user experiences. Those fed into improvements in technology such as a camera trained on a cycle lane which will inform a visually impaired person whether it is safe to cross.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the following recommendations be made for the A6 Corridor Improving Journeys scheme:

(a)  That further consultations take place with bus drivers and associated Trades Unions prior to the design detail stage of the A6 Corridor Improving Journeys scheme.

(b)  That further investigation is undertaken to consider opportunities to create protected junctions either as part of this scheme or as part of related emerging schemes.

(c)  That a clear statement for the future ambition for entirety of the A6 be produced and that this Scrutiny Committee be given the opportunity to contribute to that vision.

(d)  That the scheme takes stronger steps to align with the council's aim to become carbon neutral by 2038, following the declaration of a climate emergency in 2019, by prioritising and encouraging more of a modal shift to active travel methods within the business case and detailed design work.