APPENDIX 28
Memorandum submitted by the Institution
of Highways & Transportation
1. The Institution of Highways & Transportation
(IHT) is grateful for the opportunity to submit a memorandum to
the Transport Committee.
2. The Institution has expressed its support
for the Olympic Games and the legacy that it will leave. This
memoranda expresses the Institution's concerns about the development
of the Olympic Transport arrangements but is of the view that
these can be overcome through appropriate application of professional
skills and if addressed with some urgency.
3. The detailed Olympic Transport Plan provides
a good framework to secure safe, efficient and sustainable transport
for the Games. The details of this plan need to be agreed as soon
as possible to allow time for the construction period. IHT recognises
that the plan will be subject to change in the light of changing
circumstances but urges that underlying principles, including
sustainability, should not be compromised for the sake of expediency.
The Institution is of the opinion that the Olympic Transport Plan
should be put into effect immediately based on what is known that
can be delivered with the currently available technology. Reliance
on future unproven technical development that is not ready to
be implemented today would be inappropriate and risky within such
a time-constrained programme.
4. It is very important to consider not
only the Olympics event but the legacy that it will leave. The
industry believes that the heritage of the Games is considerable
and that the investment necessary to deliver the Games can, if
effectively managed, provide long-term benefits for communities
in and around the Olympic sites. The Olympic Transport developments
will provide many opportunities for regeneration and wider improvements
in infrastructure, for example by placing power lines underground.
The Institution is however concerned that there may not be sufficient
public transport capacity for the inheritance of thousands of
new homes in the Olympic Park in addition to the 10,000 new homes
in the Greenwich Peninsula.
5. The Olympic Transport Plan must recognise
the potential for change in transport demand patterns on a on
a UK-wide basis between 2012 and the end date for the legacy—2024.
Transport modifications may be needed during this period—and
beyond. Consideration should be given as to how best to secure
the continuity of expertise and knowledge of transport acquired
during the Olympic planning phase for the legacy period. What
mechanisms will be put into place to see that paramount improvements
in infrastructure capacity will be delivered? Most of the extra
short-term capacity will disappear, for example the Olympic Javelin
system.
The Transport Monitoring and Review Framework
(Condition 6.2—as set out in the Main Olympic and Legacy
Planning Report) establishes an ongoing monitoring and review
process to ensure that proper account can be taken of any significant
ongoing changes in the moving baseline conditions against which
the Olympic and Legacy proposals have been assessed.
The Transport and Monitoring Review Framework
should include such refinements and adaptations to the existing
transport modelling based on actual or anticipated progress of
development within and around the Olympic and Legacy application
sites. It is imperative that the monitoring and review will be
undertaken as the Olympic and Legacy development progresses. However
this should not be constrained to the broader Lower Lea Valley
(LLV) Masterplan Area.
The Transport Monitoring and Review Framework
will need to encompass the cumulative progress of the Olympic
and Legacy development, the Stratford City Development and any
other significant on-going changes to the moving baseline conditions
in so far as they are relevant to the Legacy Transport Strategy
for the site which could be outside the LLV Masterplan area.
For example, the Transport Monitoring and Review
Framework should also include analysis of the Greenwich Peninsula
development, where development has commenced for 10,000 new homes,
300,000m2 of commercial space, together with the reopening of
the Millennium Dome (a seating capacity of 25,000) catering for
up to 250 events a year.
Although these developments are located outside
the LLV Masterplan Area, they will have significant impacts on
the A12, A13, Blackwall Tunnel and the Jubilee Line which provide
some of the main transport arterial routes for the Olympic and
Legacy developments.
The Institution therefore seeks further assurance
about long-term transport planning.
6. Whilst the Olympics may be perceived
as primarily a London issue, it is clearly a national concern
with many events taking place outside the capital. Furthermore,
people attending events in London may well travel from regional
centres rather than stay in or around London. Regions will have
an important role in terms of pre-Games training venues and facilities
and these will have transport demand implications. The Olympics
has great potential to generate wider tourism throughout the United
Kingdom, Ireland and Western Europe. Therefore it is important
that the wider travel implications, particularly to and from the
regions are not overlooked.
7. There is already a skills shortage of
transport planners and related professions in the United Kingdom.
The Institution is aware that highway engineers, transport planners
and other skilled staff will be involved in preparing for the
Olympic Games and it is understood that resources for the Olympics
will be prioritised to meet a set deadline. The forthcoming three
years are the design and building stage, and all infrastructure
must be ready in 2011 so that checks can be undertaken. This is
likely to divert resources away from other essential projects
in the regions and probably throughout the United Kingdom. There
is a responsibility on the Government and the profession to ensure
that the focus on London 2012 does not compromise development
of infrastructure and particularly transport infrastructure in
the rest of the UK. In a similar way, the Government should ensure
funding is not diverted from other key projects and that planning
for transport is on a fully integrated basis across all regions.
There is a concern that people and resources may be lost from
other projects and regions to work on the Olympic issues, primarily
based in the South East. This has the potential to widen the skills
shortage. Instead, the target should be to use the Olympics as
a catalyst to promote the training of new professionals, absorbing
lessons learned from making the 2012 Olympics truly sustainable
in transport terms. The IHT would welcome the opportunity to work
with Government and other Institutions within the profession to
take steps to achieve this additional advantage from the Games.
8. Road safety will be an important issue
during the Games. Much of the increased activity will be pedestrian,
who are one of the most vulnerable travel modes in London. All
infrastructure works will need to be carefully considered in the
light of potential dangers, particularly to pedestrians, cyclists
and motorcyclists. Campaigns are needed to educate visitors and
Londoners to ensure that they behave safely on the streets.
9. There are many operational issues surrounding
the provision of logistical support for the Olympics such as running
an intense short-term service in diverting buses from some routes
into other routes etc. Moving food in, waste out and staff, athletes
and visitors around whilst the World is watching will require
meticulous planning and management. There are a number of strategic
documents that attempt to deal with these issues, but one of the
key issues that requires the greatest attention is the management
of construction, traffic and materials delivery for both the Olympic
and legacy construction periods. The Construction and Waste Transport
Strategy recommends that construction staff should be encouraged
to make maximum use of non-car modes of travel in accordance with
the principles of sustainability, including supporting parking
restrictions in and around the constructions sites and the provision
of shuttle buses between the local stations and the main Application
Sites.
In accordance with the relevant parameters and
principles set out in sections 14.3 and Appendix H part 20 of
the Development Specification and Framework document, there should
be robust enforcement to make the optimum use of the local waterways,
wharfs and rail freight facilities in the area including the Bow
Midland railhead to transport construction and waste material
for both the Olympic and legacy construction phases up until the
year 2020. All heavy goods vehicle movements associated with the
construction and development of the Olympics and legacy should
be routed to avoid congested areas and peak travelling times.
Individual construction traffic management plans
should also be prepared and enforced in order to minimise the
environmental impacts arising from transport movements associated
with construction and waste materials.
10. London and East London in particular
is already extremely busy and much of the existing infrastructure
is having difficulty coping with current demands. There is a concern
that the existing network may not have the capacity to support
extra users of it during the Games. The network in places needs
significant improvement to deal with day-to-day delivery. Imposing
a major project on the area may burden the network further. What
will be necessary is for the Olympic Authority to work closely
with local authorities who have a good local knowledge of their
own geographical area to ensure that communities are truly engaged.
11. There is a concern that the budget for
this project may be fixed too rigidly. The Institution understands
that there is currently uncertainty about the income stream and
would like to raise the question of how it will be funded if money
from the GLA is not sufficient. The Government needs to guarantee
that the industry will get the funding it requires so that the
work can be implemented at the earliest time.
12. It is important for there to be continuity
and a willingness to deliver from the official Olympic Delivery
Authority and local authorities. Joined-up thinking is important
in ensuring that local authorities and local communities are not
sidelined.
13. There clearly needs to be a review of
all aspects of transport security. Time must be allocated to deal
with safety and security so that there is confidence that London
will be an attractive and safe venue. The limitations imposed
by security controls needs to be designed into the transport systems
at an early stage.
14. The planning permission granted imposes
a wide range of obligations which the ODA will need to ensure
are adequately delivered in order to avoid any difficulties with
detailed planning approvals. The Institution hopes that the funding
and design processes have taken sufficient recognition of these
requirements. This will include the costs and implications that
are passed on to the longer term developers and occupiers.
[In this memorandum "Games" refers
to the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in London in
2012.]
12 September 2005
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