ITEM CA7
CABINET – 20 MAY 2008
TRAVEL AND INFORMATION MANAGMENT (TIM)
Report by Head of Transport
Introduction
1. The newly formed Congestion Management group in the Network Management team will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of travel and information management. The Travel and Information Management policy has been developed to ensure that they have the tools and equipment to do this effectively. The policy also covers wider strategic aims to ensure that the network is managed in line with wider transport strategies.
2. This Cabinet report introduces Travel and Information Management, and Oxfordshire County Council’s (OCC) proposed Traffic Management system, which is key to managing the network and providing up to date travel information to the public.
3. A summary of the proposed Travel and Information Management policy document (download as .pdf file) is provided, along with the results from the consultation.
4. Linkages between Traffic and Information Management and other work helping to deliver the Local Transport Plan have been made in this report to highlight the important relationship between them all. These include: Access to Oxford; the Central Oxfordshire Transport Strategy; and the Network Management Plan.
Travel and Information Management Policy Document Summary
5. The policy document sets out a vision for Transport and Information Management, focusing on how the County Council can make the best use of technology to help manage its roads and provide meaningful up to date information to the public. It sets out the policy aims; and identifies the principles and good working practices required to achieve them.
6. Congestion has been identified as a significant problem by the County Council, and in the last Mori survey undertaken, congestion was identified as the issue of most concern to the residents of the County. Traffic growth is continually increasing, and with the additional impact of key developments and the South East Plan housing allocations, the County Council needs to adapt in order to manage this growth. There is little scope to introduce a significant amount of new infrastructure and, as such, the County Council needs to increase the capacity of the existing network and intelligently influence and manage the way that people travel about that network.
7. The aims set out in the policy document are:
· to enable more efficient use of available road space; · to manage congestion along key bus, cycle and traffic routes; · to gain a better understanding of the operation and limitations of the network, and the impacts that planned and unplanned events have on that network; · to inform decision-making in respect of capital and maintenance expenditure; · to assist regeneration and permit future development, supporting Oxford’s NGP status, the Central Oxfordshire Diamond for Growth and Oxford’s role as a regional hub; · to complement the Access to Oxford project in delivering a comprehensive package of effective traffic management; and · to provide better network information to Bus Operators for efficient operation.
8. The policy document highlights the need for a traffic management system and the benefits that it will offer the County Council; residents; and businesses of Oxfordshire; particularly if part of a Traffic and Information Management centre. It also covers the general principles of what is required on the network to ensure successful Traffic and Information Management.
9. Any additional equipment placed on the highway will take into account existing infrastructure and the environment that it is being placed in, to ensure that it aligns with the County Council’s street scene and de-cluttering objectives.
Traffic Management System
10. Essentially, a traffic management system is a large computer that is able to collate real-time information from many different stand-alone systems into one place, enabling County Council network management staff to see, at a glance, what is happening around the County’s network.
11. The information gathered will be used intelligently to alert an operator to a situation and prompt action from them, or automatically carry out actions to manage and reduce the impact of incidences, by performing tasks such as displaying messages on variable message signs and providing details of travel conditions on the website.
12. The travelling public will benefit from variable message signs on the network providing: car park information; roadwork information; and details of incidences. The website, which is likely to be similar to that of http://www.leedstravel.info, will provide extra information, such as: journey times around Oxfordshire; average speeds on the roads; and visual images of the County’s roads.
13. To realise the full benefits of such a system, the County Council will also be working towards establishing a formal Travel and Information Management centre. This will not only provide benefits to operation staff, but will also show that the Council is dedicated to, and taking seriously, the need to manage the network and tackle congestion, due to the increasing pressure on its roads.
14. A traffic management system relies on receiving accurate, and having reasonable coverage of, real-time data. To achieve this, the County Council will need to continue to expand, and invest in systems, such as: Journey time reliability cameras; traffic cameras; ACIS bus tracking system; and traffic monitoring loops.
15. It should be noted that this equipment is for monitoring the highway and is not capable of performing any enforcement function. The information collected from such systems is general data and is needed to enable the County Council to provide accurate travel information and make fully informed decisions when managing the network.
16. The aims of the Traffic management system are:
· to provide OCC with a detailed knowledge of the impact of incidents, congestion, and facilitate emergency diversion strategies; · to enable OCC to respond appropriately and rapidly to incidents (including highway obstructions); · to maximise the availability of information about the transport network and current conditions, encouraging informed decision-making; and · to promote the reliable and efficient operation of public transport services.
Linkages with other County Council work
Network Management Plan
17. In 2004, the Government introduced the Traffic Management Act. The five key elements of the Act are: management of motorway incidents; traffic management; control of street works; civil enforcement of driving and parking offences; and specific measures for London. 18. The Act introduced a major new duty, the Network Management Duty (NMD), on Local Traffic Authorities (LTAs). It applies to all Local Traffic Authorities and encourages them to reduce and manage congestion; manage works on the highway; and have contingency plans. The Department for Transport recognises that many of the tasks may already be taking place, and that the approach for each authority will be different, and that any action needs to be consistent with their wider polices and objectives. 19. The techniques that the Network Management Duty suggests, which have been shown to be effective in improving the management of road networks, are:
(a) identifying and Managing different road types; (b) monitoring the road network; (c) identifying locations where regular congestion occurs; (d) co-ordination and direction of works; (e) dealing with planned events; (f) management of incidences; (g) making the best use of technology; (h) managing parking and other traffic regulation; (i) enforcing traffic regulation; (j) accommodating essential service traffic; (k) regular reviews of the network; (l) consultation and engagement with stakeholders; and (m) provision of travel information to road users and the community.
20. Local authorities were advised to embed desired outcomes, and appropriate policies and plans under the NMD, within Local Transport Plans (LTPs). However, delays to secondary legislation relating to intervention criteria, and a significantly revised Code of Practice for the Coordination of street-works, meant that many Authorities were unable to fully reflect their intentions of meeting the duty within LTP submissions. 21. It has therefore been necessary to develop a Network Management Plan to demonstrate to the government and stakeholders alike, that the County Council is fulfilling its duty and taking a proactive approach in ensuring that vehicles and pedestrians are able to move about the network. Along with ensuring that any impact, from planned or unplanned disruption, is reduced to the minimum impact practically possible. 22. The Network Management Plan is a document that will set out how the County Council is managing the way that traffic is able to move around the highway network on a day-to-day basis and how it intends to accommodate predicted traffic growth. The plan will also demonstrate to the government and stakeholders how the authority is meeting the criteria set out within the Network Management Duty. 23. The Network Management Plan will: · set out its context within the Traffic Management Act; · demonstrate what the authority has been doing as good network management practice, and how it intends to maintain this good work; · identify new areas of work required in order to adhere to all of the points covered with the Network Management Duty; and · set out performance indicators in order to measure how successful various projects are, and the overall success of the authority in securing the ‘expeditious movement of traffic’.
24. Travel and Information Management techniques can assist the Traffic Manager in fulfilling the Network Management Duty by collecting data on: current traffic conditions; identifying the location and nature of incidents on the network; providing route and car park guidance information for road users; and highlighting the proximity of planned highway works or scheduled events. This, in turn, enables the definition and implementation of appropriate management strategies. It is possible to apply or adapt pre-defined strategies that draw on historical information, which is held in the common database, on traffic volumes, speeds and the effect of incidents on specific roads and junctions.
Access to Oxford
25. The County Council submitted a bid entitled “A34 / Access to Oxford” to the Regional Assembly for consideration for funding in the 2011-16 programme. The funding allocation is £62 million between 2013 and 2015. Further funding sources increase the overall cost of the package to £88 million.
26. Access to Oxford is an integrated package of measures to tackle congestion on the A34; the Oxford Ring road; and improving the rail corridor between Bicester and Oxford. The package is required to help enable housing growth as outlined in the South East Plan and will form the core of Oxfordshire’s transport investment for the next 10 years, complemented by the LTP2 (and future LTP3) programmes.
27. The County Council's proposed traffic management system will be compatible with the Highways Agency's traffic management systems on the A34, proposed to be introduced as part of the Access to Oxford project. This will enable an integrated approach to be taken to manage the road network through Central Oxfordshire. It will allow the County Council to help manage the effects that congestion on the A34 has on the County's local road network. Variable message signs on the A34 will also be able to provide information about congestion on the local network, car park availability in the City, and at Park & Ride sites, enabling drivers on the A34 to make informed decisions about how best to access the City.
28. The traffic management system will also allow current travel patterns and network deficiencies to be assessed more comprehensively. This will help provide additional information, which can be used when designing schemes to be implemented as part of the Access to Oxford project. It can also be used to help assess the benefits that those network improvements bring to travel conditions, and ensure that any new network arrangement functions as efficiently as possible.
Central Oxfordshire Transport Strategy
29. The second Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 (LTP2) highlights the need for the County Council to develop a transport strategy for the Central Oxfordshire sub-region. The strategy will provide a vision for strategic transport provision in Central Oxfordshire to 2026.
30. The Central Oxfordshire sub-region is one of nine sub-regions identified in the South East Plan. Sub-regions are highly significant in land use and transport terms, and subsequently are the areas where the most investment is needed in terms of congestion reduction and control. Oxford is identified by the Regional Transport Strategy as a regional hub, with many roads seen as principal spokes linking Oxford to surrounding areas.
31. The need to improve transport provision in Central Oxfordshire is of crucial importance to the sub-region itself, and to surrounding areas. An effective transport network is essential for maintaining and developing a world class economy, reducing carbon emissions, delivering key services, and adhering to acceptable environmental and safety standards. The transport strategy for Central Oxfordshire needs to take account of future development as well as the present situation. Central Oxfordshire, because of its sub-regional status, will be a focus for new development. One of the main challenges facing the area is how the transport network will meet the needs of this growth. 32. The Central Oxfordshire Transport Strategy will play a significant role in the delivery of key OCC objectives.
33. This work is currently being developed, but at present it proposed that the Strategy will:
(a) enable OCC to respond to housing and employment growth in such a way as to deliver and maintain a high quality transport system; (b) act as a central reference point that provides the necessary guidance to enable Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) across the county to accommodate transport issues in a coordinated and consistent manner; (c) link transport strategies in the LDFs to the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS); and (d) support the climate change agenda, specifically relating to a reduction in carbon emissions.
34. With the additional impact of key developments and the South East Plan housing allocations, the County Council needs to adapt in order to effectively manage this growth. One initiative will be to use advances in technology to increase the capacity of the existing network, and intelligently influence the way that people travel about that network, which is the purpose of focussed Travel and Information Management.
The Local Transport Plan
35. In the Central Oxfordshire sub-region chapter of the Local Transport Plan, it identifies the need for traffic management and for wider and more comprehensive use of intelligent traffic management and information measures.
36. The LTP also has transport objectives, which the County Council is working towards achieving through various strategies and schemes. Having a clear policy on Travel and Information Management will assist the County Council in achieving the LTP objectives:
· Tackling Congestion by improving network management and improving congested public transport routes. · Delivering Accessibility (social inclusion) by managing the network in an efficient way may enable expansion of commercial bus services. · Improving road safety by advising travellers of incidents on route, enhancing hazard awareness and reducing frustration. · Enhancing air quality indirectly by making more sustainable modes such as bus services, cycling and walking more attractive as alternatives to the car, through the display of comparative journey times, by delivering public transport service status information in “real-time” and by identifying and informing people of specific air quality issues. · Improving the street environment indirectly by increasing the availability of information about and improving the reliability of, public transport services, reducing the volume of private vehicle movements on key arterial routes. Travel and Information Management Policy Document Consultation Summary
37. Oxfordshire District officers; City Council officers; County Councillor; and the Highways Agency were consulted on the Travel and Information Management policy document (previously called Traffic Management and Control). The policy document was sent to all the Districts and the City Council for comment and was put in the Member’s Resource Centre at County Hall for Councillors to view.
38. The Consultation was carried out between 14 January and 22 February 2008. Responses have been received from all Districts and the City Council, but no responses where received from Councillors.
39. All were generally supportive of the document, with just minor recommendations for amendments. All the comments received have been summarised, with officer comments, in Annex 1 (download as .doc file).
Financial and Staff Implications
40. In order for the County Council to follow its Traffic and Information Management policy, additional staff will be required to operate the Traffic and Information Management centre. An additional member of staff has been agreed by the senior management team, this post is currently going through the job evaluation process. As the infrastructure expands, and the Council fully realises its aspiration, two additional posts will also be required and have been identified in future plans by the County Council. These mentioned posts will be funded from existing Transport salary budgets as part of TMT's redistribution of vacancies to reflect priorities.
41. There are many projects which Travel and Information Management relies upon. Key contributory projects are the expansion of the real-time bus information system; the Journey time monitoring system; intelligent traffic signal systems; and Traffic monitoring cameras. The policy document is there to ensure investments plans are focused in the right areas, not necessarily to instigate large new investments.
RECOMMENDATION
42. The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to adopt the Travel and Information Management Policy Document
STEVE HOWELL Head of Transport Environment & Economy
Background papers: Nil
Contact Officer: Paul Fermer, Senior Transport Planner Tel: (01865) 815764
April 2008
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