Agenda item - Transport Strategy - Covid19 emergency response to Transport and Reallocating Road Space

Report of the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture.

RESOLVED: That the Committee –

(i)             Noted the temporary measures that have been implemented

as part of the transport strategy response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the closure of Madeira Drive and the road space reallocation to create temporary cycle lanes along the Old Shoreham Road be noted;

(ii)            Approved the Urgent Response Action Plan and policy framework set out in Appendix A to assess and agree Covid-19 related measures in the timeframes set out;

(iii)          Agreed that the Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture be granted delegated authority for the delivery of the temporary measures contained in the Urgent Response Action Plan to the during the pandemic recovery phase;

(iv)          Agreed that officers should commission an interim Covid-19 Response Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan, using the consultant team that are currently developing the LCWIP for Brighton & Hove.That the committee requests that officers use the development of the interim Covid-19 response Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan to consider a longer term strategic approach that seeks to deliver the priorities in the Council’s Corporate Plan and in particular, the transition of the city to Carbon Neutral in 2030. That the committee calls for this more detailed interim Plan to support these aims to report to the ETS committee in June.

(v)           Agreed that the Action Plan should be reviewed for progress at the October meeting of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee;

(vi)          Requested that officers look specifically again at the feasibility of the following options as part of the urgent response and the interim Plan:

·       interventions along the A259, considering all of the measures contained within the government guidance such as modal filters, or pedestrian and cycle zones;

·       further footway widening to create ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’ on a trial basis and, in the longer term, permanent reallocation of road space to pedestrians;

·       That the Old Town area and North Laine area of the city centre be considered for low traffic neighbourhoods in consultation with local businesses, residents and business partners;

·       utilising a wider range of traffic calming and reduction measures, including physical segregation tools such as wands or planters, indications and signage to identify pedestrian and cycling zones (including further options for two-way cycle routes) and other measures to reduce car access that can be brought into high footfall areas, to immediately minimise the amount of non-essential private vehicle access (prioritising resident, trader and blue-badge holder access)

3.1      The Committee considered the report of Executive Director Economy Environment & Culture which sought to identify transport network measures that the City could take in the short term to respond to the Covid-19 emergency, and proposed that an interim Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan was prepared to outline the city’s response in the medium term.

3.2      The Chair said that a joint amendment from the Green and Labour Groups had been submitted and asked Councillor Mac Cafferty to propose the amendment.

3.3      Councillor Mac Cafferty welcomed the report but felt that the proposals did not go far enough and did not capture the spirit of the Green Group amendment to the Local Transport Plan report which was agreed at the Policy & Resources Committee meeting on 30 April 2020. That amendment had looked at the impact of the pandemic and future needs of the city including widening pavements, improving the cycle network and allowing residents to take safe daily exercise. He said that a key element which was missing from this report was the seafront and therefore the amendment included the A259, and changes to that road would signal a city which was recovering differently. The amendment included measures which were set out in the Government guidance on what steps could be taken with traffic.  Councillor Mac Cafferty proposed the following amendments to the recommendations (changes in bold italics):

To amend recommendations 2.4 and to add recommendations 2.7

2.4        That officers should commission an interim Covid-19 Response Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan, using the consultant team that are currently developing the LCWIP for Brighton & Hove. That the committee requests that officers use the development of the interim Covid-19 response Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan to consider a longer term strategic approach that seeks to deliver the priorities in the Council’s Corporate Plan and in particular, the transition of the city to Carbon Neutral in 2030. That the committee calls for this more detailed interim Plan to support these aims to report to the ETS committee in June.

2.7      That the committee requests that officers look specifically again at the feasibility of the following options as part of the urgent response and the interim Plan:

·       interventions along the A259, considering all of the measures contained within the government guidance such as modal filters, or pedestrian and cycle zones;

·       further footway widening to create ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’ on a trial basis and, in the longer term, permanent reallocation of road space to pedestrians;

·       That the Old Town area and North Laine area of the city centre be considered for low traffic neighbourhoods in consultation with local businesses, residents and business partners;

·       utilising a wider range of traffic calming and reduction measures, including physical segregation tools such as wands or planters, indications and signage to identify pedestrian and cycling zones (including further options for two-way cycle routes) and other measures to reduce car access that can be brought into high footfall areas, to immediately minimise the amount of non-essential private vehicle access (prioritising resident, trader and blue-badge holder access)

3.4      Councillor Platts thanked everybody who had got in touch to outline their thoughts and ideas for the transport strategy response to COVID-19, including Elly and Pedal People, Mark Strong, Colin Todd and Brighton & Hove Friends of the Earth, Andrew Boag and Brighton Buswatch, Angela Devas and Brighton & Hove Clarion Cycling Club, Becky Reynolds and Bricycles, and to everybody who got in touch via Cycling UK and individually. Many of the ideas had been incorporated into the report and the joint amendment put forward by the Labour and Green Groups. The comments would be fed back to the Chair of ETS (Councillor Pissaridou) in advance of the more detailed Action Plan coming before that Committee on the 23 of June 2020, and encouraged people to continue sending Councillor Pissaridou their ideas ahead of that meeting. The Chair seconded the proposed amendment.

3.5      Councillor Bell said that the Conservative Group supported the proposed amendments. He referred to the Old Shoreham Road and asked when data would be available to show what difference the proposals would make to the number who were walking or cycling and what consideration was being taken with the likely increase in traffic when the refuse tip was re-opened. He said that Government funding was available and noted that the Council would be applying for that. He asked for reassurance that the Authority would consult with residents on the proposed changes. He suggested that as there was currently less traffic, whether buses could be moved to the normal traffic lanes, which would allow pedestrians and cyclists to use the bus lanes. As it was likely that the schools would re-open in June he suggested that roads close to the schools, particularly those that were narrower, could be pedestrianised. He also suggested that the possibility of a Park and Ride or Coach Park be looked at.  The Executive Director Economy Environment & Culture said that the impact on the Old Shoreham Road would be monitored and the ETS Committee would be kept up to date with the findings. With regard to Government funding, the Council was waiting for more details on whether the money be allocated or whether it would be necessary to bid for it. With regard to consultation, the Council needed to ensure that it followed the correct process but also moved quickly to respond to the public health crisis. If TROs were needed the correct statutory process would be followed. He confirmed that streets near to schools would be monitored and referred to the Draft Action Plan in the report. With regard to re-allocating bus lanes, that was also covered in the report and consideration was being given to that. In the recent budget, funding was allocated for the feasibility of a Park and Ride scheme and although that study had not yet started yet it would be undertaken in the near future.

3.6      The Urgency Sub-Committee voted on the proposed amendment and it was agreed.

3.7      RESOLVED: That the Committee –

(i)             Noted the temporary measures that have been implemented

as part of the transport strategy response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including the closure of Madeira Drive and the road space reallocation to create temporary cycle lanes along the Old Shoreham Road be noted;

(ii)            Approved the Urgent Response Action Plan and policy framework set out in Appendix A to assess and agree Covid-19 related measures in the timeframes set out;

(iii)          Agreed that the Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture be granted delegated authority for the delivery of the temporary measures contained in the Urgent Response Action Plan to the during the pandemic recovery phase;

(iv)          Agreed that officers should commission an interim Covid-19 Response Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan, using the consultant team that are currently developing the LCWIP for Brighton & Hove.That the committee requests that officers use the development of the interim Covid-19 response Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan to consider a longer term strategic approach that seeks to deliver the priorities in the Council’s Corporate Plan and in particular, the transition of the city to Carbon Neutral in 2030. That the committee calls for this more detailed interim Plan to support these aims to report to the ETS committee in June.

(v)           Agreed that the Action Plan should be reviewed for progress at the October meeting of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee;

(vi)          Requested that officers look specifically again at the feasibility of the following options as part of the urgent response and the interim Plan:

·       interventions along the A259, considering all of the measures contained within the government guidance such as modal filters, or pedestrian and cycle zones;

·       further footway widening to create ‘low traffic neighbourhoods’ on a trial basis and, in the longer term, permanent reallocation of road space to pedestrians;

·       That the Old Town area and North Laine area of the city centre be considered for low traffic neighbourhoods in consultation with local businesses, residents and business partners;

·       utilising a wider range of traffic calming and reduction measures, including physical segregation tools such as wands or planters, indications and signage to identify pedestrian and cycling zones (including further options for two-way cycle routes) and other measures to reduce car access that can be brought into high footfall areas, to immediately minimise the amount of non-essential private vehicle access (prioritising resident, trader and blue-badge holder access)