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ITEM EX18

BROAD STREET, OXFORD - EXPERIMENTAL PARKING

1. When the central area changes under the Oxford Transport Strategy (OTS) were brought into effect in June 1999 new arrangements were put into place in Broad Street to prevent through traffic, remove on-street parking and change the provisions for loading and unloading. At that stage it was envisaged that a major environmental enhancement scheme for the street would be designed and implemented by the City Council within a fairly short period of time. However, this did not prove to be possible and attention shifted to work on Cornmarket Street. To provide some degree of immediate environmental improvement an interim scheme was proposed in Broad Street.
2. Initial measures for an interim scheme were agreed by the Highways & Road Safety Sub-committee on 24 May 2001 for further development in consultation with local traders. This led ultimately to the implementation of the environmental measures in March 2002.
3. It was originally intended that the interim scheme, including a short-term parking element, should be implemented before Christmas 2001. However, this was not possible due to continuing discussions on the final shape of the interim scheme. In the meantime the Executive agreed that an Experimental Traffic Order for 17 parking spaces should be introduced in the centre of the road of the eastern length of Broad Street on 1 December 2001 to judge the effects of reintroduction of some short term parking in this area.
4. The final design of the interim environmental scheme provided a total of 25 parking spaces in the centre of the road in the eastern length of Broad Street (location plan in Annex 1) (download as .doc file). Initially it was proposed to continue with the Experimental Order referred to in paragraph 3 and then review it at the end of its initial six months in the light of experience of its operation and any representations received over that period. However, due to the final agreed layout of the new parking area, a section of the street was left where it would have been difficult to prevent unauthorised parking. A decision was therefore made to abandon the first experiment and to use another Experimental Traffic Order to provide the full 25 parking spaces. This Order was introduced on 17 March 2002.
5. This report details the results of the public consultation carried out during the whole period from 1 December 2001 to date, on the half-hour free experimental parking in the centre of the road of the eastern length of Broad Street. This includes comments received during the first stage of the experiment (17 spaces) as well as the subsequent one (25 spaces). The Executive is asked to review the results of the surveys and the comments received.

Surveys

6. To investigate the usage of the central parking area and its effect on the traffic flows in Broad Street, a series of parking and traffic surveys were undertaken. The parking surveys were undertaken in February and October 2002 and the traffic surveys in November 2000 and August/September 2002. Results from these surveys can be found in Annex 2.
7. Table 1 in Annex 2 illustrates that parking patterns have settled down over time in line with the permitted arrangements. This could be attributed to effective enforcement.
8. Table 2 in Annex 2 shows some increase in the traffic flow in Broad Street following the introduction of the experimental parking arrangements. This increase is broadly in line with the number of vehicles recorded as parking in the street. The data does not therefore suggest that vehicles are attracted into the street by the new parking provisions and "circle" looking for an available parking space, although this could increase as awareness of availability of spaces increases.

Consultation

9. Regulations provide for public consultation to coincide with the first 6 months of any Experimental Traffic Order 9unless the experiment is terminated sooner). Public consultation for the original experimental order of 17 car-parking spaces commenced on 1 December 2001, and for the revised experimental parking for 25 car parking, on 17 March 2002. As part of both, consultations letters were sent to all interested parties and appropriate street notices erected on site.
10. The maximum length of validity of any Experimental Traffic Order is eighteen months. The earliest time they can be considered for making permanent is after six months. The second Broad Street Experimental Traffic Order was introduced over eight months ago.
11. At the time of writing the report twenty letters of comment were received for both consultations. Out of the twenty replies, five supported the existing half hour free parking, three preferred extension to one hour free parking, two preferred 1-hour pay-and-display parking, one had no preference and nine objections were received. A complete list of the comments received is attached (Annex 3) and a copy of the letters in the Members’ Resource Centre.
12. If any further correspondence is received before the date of the Executive it will be reported at the meeting.

Discussion

13. Some of the comments received suggest that the 30 minute limited waiting period should be increased to one hour. The most recent parking duration survey, (see Annex 2, Table 1) shows that the majority of vehicles parking do so for less than 30 minutes. However, there are a significant number that park up to one hour. It is considered that extending the parking period to one hour would not have the adverse effect of encouraging additional traffic, providing the Pay and Display charge is introduced at the same time.
14. The parking in Broad Street is the only free on-street parking available during the day in central Oxford. Any increase in the duration of free stay would make it more attractive to drivers and result in additional vehicles in Broad Street possibly ‘circling’ for spaces. The introduction of charges would reduce this possibility and bring the parking in line with other on-street provision in the city centre.
15. The original interim scheme proposed 3 disabled parking spaces in this area, which would replace those previously provided, and the survey shows there is still a demand for these. They could not be provided experimentally. I propose that these be formally included within any new Orders that are advertised. This will result in a small reduction in the number of available spaces for non-blue badge holders from 25 to 21. (Note the disabled spaces are wider than standard spaces and so 4 standard spaces need to be removed).
16. I recommend introducing 21 Pay and Display parking spaces, with a maximum stay of one hour, and 3 disabled persons parking bays as shown in Annex 1 (download as .doc file). However, if this scheme cannot be introduced by 17 September 2003 when the Experimental Traffic Order expires, I recommend that the Experimental Traffic Order be confirmed and made permanent. This would retain 25 free spaces limited to 30 minutes waiting.
17. There is still a proposal for a long-term environmental improvement scheme for the whole of Broad Street. It is intended that the issue of providing any parking here in the longer term would be reconsidered within the overall environmental enhancement scheme.

Environmental Implications

18. The proposals contained in this report are not anticipated to cause a greater level of traffic than the increase already seen in the experimental scheme.

Financial and Staff Implications

19. There are no additional staffing implications and the financial implications can be met from existing budgets.

RECOMMENDATIONS

20. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. authorise the promotion of an Order to introduce 21 pay and display parking spaces in Broad Street, with a maximum stay of one hour, and three disabled persons’ parking bays, as shown in Annex 1 (download as .doc file)to the report; and
2. in the meantime, retain the Experimental Order for Broad Street with the option of continuing its effect in the longer term by an appropriate Traffic Regulation Order if the proposals in (a) above cannot be introduced by 17 September 2003.

DAVID YOUNG
Director of Environmental Services

Background papers: Letters of comment - refer to contact officers

Contact Officer: Andrew Vidovic Tel: Oxford 810437

Samantha Tharme Tel Oxford 810443

November 2002

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