Written evidence from the West Midlands
Regional Sustainability Forum (TE 109)
BACKGROUND
Involved in the Transport Debate in the West Midlands
over 20 years.
Chairman of the Alliance Against the Birmingham Northern
Relief Road during the M6 Toll Debate.
On Steering Group for West Midlands and Midlands
to North West Multi-Modal Studies.
On Steering Group for Black County Study and Western
Access to the Black Country Study.
Engaged in development of RSS Policies and Member
of Regional Planning Executive.
Vice-chair of the Regional Transport Partnership,
involved in Regional Funding Allocation process.
KEY POINTS
We need to address economic failure in the region,
particularly in urban areas such as Stoke on Trent and the Black
Country, which lag behind the rest of the region. In seeking to
improve economic performance we need to ensure the environment
is protected and everyone benefits. Transport funding should underpin
urban regeneration and resources should not be diverted away from
this.
We need to invest in smaller scale schemes, such
as walking and cycling, which are effective at unlocking economic
potential but which also support the environmental regeneration
of areas.
The types of transport interventions we pursue have
impacts on the attractiveness of areas and transport lifestyles
of residents and this is not given enough weight. Transport investment
is not an end in itself.
We are concerned that too much weight is given to
promoting and funding road schemes and long distance rail and
that the role of buses is significantly undervalued, even though
they are the workhorse of public transport. Changes to public
funding that would reduce support for rural and less used bus
services would undermine the network and its attractiveness to
users.
Congestion, particularly in Peak Hours, is endemic
in our urban areas and may never be reduced without significant
increases in the cost of driving. Too much attention is paid to
removing it rather than managing it. The emphasis should be on
increasing journey time predictability and modal shift to more
space efficient modes of transport.
Obtaining revenue funding as well as capital remains
an issue. Local authorities should be encouraged to generate revenue
through parking charges and levies, as well as taking up existing
powers to decriminalise enforcement of parking and other minor
contraventions.
SPECIFIC SCHEMES
M6 Toll
The evidence that objectors to the scheme gave to
the Public Inquiry in the mid-1990s has been vindicated. Perceived
benefits are often not real and it is largely a white elephant.
The toll road is particularly poorly used by heavy goods vehicles.
A reduction in toll rates is unlikely because there is insufficient
traffic to make that economically attractive.
Reducing the toll rates or buying back the road would
not deal with congestion on the M6 because 1. most M6 traffic
is local/regional, 2. the M6 would refill with new traffic if
some existing traffic were to be attracted away from it.
We would like to see greater use of the toll roads
by Heavy Goods Vehicles. We were the only people who argued that
lorry tolls should be pegged to car tolls at the Public Inquiry.
Access to the Black Country
This should continue to be via the M5 and M6. There
is no alternative which would not be more expensive, environmentally
damaging and damage attractive areas of the Black Country. Improvements
to M5 Junctions 1 and 2 would help improve access, but in the
long term investment in public transport is needed.
Managed Motorways
A stop gap measure that should not be seen as a long
term solution as traffic is allowed to increase causing jams elsewhere.
While there can be some immediate congestion and carbon benefits
these are likely to be undermined over time. Allowing increased
traffic on motorways in congested areas is also likely to exacerbate
congestion in those areas if nothing else is done.
Other Road Schemes
A number of towns are pursuing road schemes, some
of which have been around for a long time. Notable are the Hereford
Outer Relief Road/Shrewsbury North West Relief Road. They are
often linked with new green field housing and employment sites.
There are cheaper alternatives which we believe should be pursued
rather than spending time and energy on outdated proposals.
Rail
Increasing rail provision is important across the
region. There has been a failure to fully capitalise on some opportunities.
Development of rail in the Black Country, for example, where a
new hub could be developed at Walsall using existing underused
assets, could change perception as well as bring transport benefits.
However it can be a chicken and egg situation - ie rail access
leads to retail/housing prioritisation which leads to social regeneration
while lack of access leads to decline. Double tracking to Hereford
from Great Malvern is another important example.
High Speed Rail
Note that CENTRO say that many economic benefits
rely on additional public transport investment. Essential that
any services goes to the centre of Birmingham and is integrated
into a step change in the West Midlands' public transport network
without which many of the economic benefits will not materialise.
Parkway Station likely to generate significant new regional road
trips. Accept the need for more capacity to London but is this
the right line, will it take money from other transport investment
and does the carbon equation add up?
Midland Metro (Tram)
Support investment in Metro but needs to be balanced
against cost. There is also a need to integrate Metro with heavy
rail investment on corridors such as Wednesbury to Merry Hill.
Bus
Concerned that changes to bus grants and free bus
passes could affect viability of services. Once lost they do not
return. Buses play a key role in urban regeneration and in supporting
rural communities.
Aviation
The economic impact of aviation tends to be exaggerated.
It represents, after all, a two way street, for example in creating
a tourism deficit. We accept the Birmingham International should
be the main airport in the region. However, we do not support
unrestrained expansion, especially a second runway. It is not
a solution to simply transfer London flights to Birmingham via
High Speed Rail.
November 2010
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