To provide an update on the progress toward delivering a Rapid Transit System serving the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community and wider Colchester area.

The Joint Committee had before it a report (A.3) which updated it on the progress toward delivering a Rapid Transit System (RTS) serving the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community and wider Colchester area. Though the Joint Committee’s Terms of Reference precluded decision making on the RTS (which was being brought forward by Essex County Council working closely with its partners) it was recognised as an important component of the overall transport infrastructure requirements related to the Garden Community.

 

The report was introduced by Ashley Heller, Head of Transport for Future Communities, Essex County Council, who was assisted by Ian Turner, Principal Transportation & Infrastructure Planner (ECC) and Martin Whittles, an Associate at Ringway Jacobs.

 

The Joint Committee was aware that the successful Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) bid in 2019 had secured funding for infrastructure works related to the provision of a new RTS for Colchester. A RTS would be in place to connect the Garden Community with the University of Essex, Colchester Town Centre, Colchester Railway Stations, Colchester Hospital, Community Stadium, Northern Gateway Sport Park and the existing Park and Ride site in north Colchester.  This would provide a high frequency, efficient public transport system with priority over general traffic within the Garden Community. The final route within the Garden Community would be confirmed and agreed with the Councils through the strategic masterplan process.

 

Members were informed that a key feature of the RTS was the incorporation of Park and Choose facilities (P&C), provision of which had been included in the Draft Plan. The concept for P&C was to be developed as part of, and support for, the RTS being delivered. P&C extended the concept of park and ride (P&R) to include choice and work as a central hub for other modes. Principally this would be cycle or electric cycle hire but in time could be extended to electric scooters, e-cargo, etc. It could also provide space for users to store their own bicycles. Providing choice could appeal particularly to nearby potential users travelling to the University of Essex, but also to those travelling to destinations in Colchester further away from RTS halts and interchanges. 

 

The ultimate aim was to introduce a system akin to a trackless tram. This combined the advantages of light rail with the practicality and flexibility of bus rapid transit. The system could also be built up incrementally, growing alongside future housing and economic growth. It adapted readily to early adoption of autonomous vehicle technology, and, in time, the main trackless trams would co-ordinate with automated pods to take passengers to final destinations.

 

It was understood that the public transport provision would need to be of a high quality from the outset. Achieving high shares for trips being undertaken by sustainable modes would be crucial in ensuring that growth in the housing supply occurred sustainably. The RTS should offer easy interchange with existing modes of public transport across the town, along with being well-designed to facilitate walking and cycling.

 

It was noted that electric vehicles were already significantly gaining ground, and electric buses were in service or planned to be so across the UK. The aspiration was that the RTS would be operable with electric vehicles, thereby delivering even greater reductions in emissions of both greenhouse gases and chemicals harmful to health.

 

For the purpose of delivery, the RTS proposals had been split into four sections as follows:-

 

Section A

 

This section covered from the existing A12 Park & Ride Site to the Albert Roundabout and included the existing planning permission for a ‘segregated busway’ adjacent to the Northern Approach Road. The timetable for this included:-

 

·      Planning Consent – Discharge of Conditions to Colchester Council, achieved January 2022;

·      Tender Publication – Summer 2022;

·      Construction on site start – Spring 2023; and

·      Construction Completion – Spring 2024.

 

Section B

 

This section covered from the Albert Roundabout to the Greenstead Roundabout through the town centre. Within the centre of Colchester, limitations of space would see a focus of hurry-call (GPS based) priorities on traffic signals, utilisation of existing bus lanes, and measures to reduce traffic within the heart of the town centre. The timetable for this included:-

 

·      Design – Ongoing;

·      Tender Publication – Summer 2022;

·      Construction Start – Spring 2023; and

·      Construction Complete – Summer 2024.

 

Section C

 

This section covered from the Greenstead Roundabout to the future Garden Community connection (location along A133 to be determined). This would see the construction of a new segregated busway between the Knowledge Gateway and the Greenstead roundabout to provide dedicated capacity for the RTS/buses. Additional improvements would be made to the existing cycle network to support improved active travel provisions from the Garden Community, but also from existing suburb areas and the University as well. The timetable for this included:-

 

·      Design – Ongoing;

·      Tender Publication – Spring 2023;

·      Construction Start – Autumn 2023; and

·      Construction Completion – Winter 2024.

 

Section D

 

This section covered the routing within the Garden Community itself and would evolve as the Masterplan developed.

 

Operational Model Development

 

It was reported that detailed work had commenced on establishing the service type to run on the RTS. The fundamental basis of the RTS would be a passenger focused concept of High Quality Public Transport which in effect would provide the basis for future decisions on the operation of the service – recognising that if the RTS was to attract large numbers of passengers and to achieve ‘modal shift’ from cars to public transport, it would need to provide an ‘offer’ which was convenient, reliable, fast, affordable and which was focused on providing the best possible passenger experience. Key activities would be:-

 

-     defining the target service standard (vehicles, frequencies, fares, branding, routes et cetera);

-     setting out a business case for achieving the target service standard in phases linked to the anticipated growth of demand for the RTS;

-     establishing the role and phasing of Park & Choose linked to the Garden Community; and

-     setting out the implementation plan for the RTS service including both the target operating standard and the initial operating standard reflecting a phased roll out of the service.

 

Key dates included:-

 

Outline Business Case – estimated completion by early 2023 for approval; and

 

Procurement of the RTS service – start by end of 2023 with a view to commence the initial phase of the RTS operations during 2025/26.

 

Mobility Hubs and Halts

 

The Joint Committee was made aware that the RTS would need a number of ‘access points’ for passengers which would in effect be a hierarchy of stops (or “halts”) which in certain locations would be more substantial ‘mobility hubs’ which could offer a range of transport and other services intended to support overall patronage of the RTS. The County Council was developing a consistent and programmatic approach to optimise benefits and support ongoing management and maintenance and had secured Government funding to:-

 

·      review approaches and evidence elsewhere and decide on objectives;

·      develop typologies of Mobility Hubs appropriate to Essex and identify essential and desirable features;

·      identify locations with potential for Mobility Hubs to be successful;

·      develop high level concepts for Mobility Hubs based on a scalable and modular kit of parts which could be incrementally extended;

·      identify implementation, operation, and management options along with cost implications and revenue generation opportunities;

·      develop options for a programme of Mobility Hubs;

·      define the location, number, and design of halts for the RTS, again reflecting the objectives of the service to promote a high-quality public transport alternative to the car.

 

It was noted that this work had a significant overlap with the ‘operational study’ in terms of understanding where and how mobility hubs could contribute to achieving a successfully commercially viable RTS. All of those considerations, related work streams and overall progress would inform additional evidence base work related to transport as part of the overall evidence base to be prepared to accompany the final Plan.

 

Pursuant to the provisions of the Public Speaking Scheme for the Joint Committee, Bill Marshall, Sir Bob Russell and Councillor Gary Scott addressed the Joint Committee on the subject matter of this item.

 

Ashley Heller, Head of Transport for Future Communities, and Ian Turner, Principal Transportation & Infrastructure Planner then responded to points made by the speakers.

 

Councillor Andrea Luxford-Vaughan requested that her comments on this report be included within the Minutes of the meeting. Those comments were summarised as follows:-

 

(i)      Felt that this report was underwhelming and added no further details to those already previously revealed for example there was no confirmation as to the frequency of services or whether the route would be via Clingoe Hill or Boundary Road. The latter had complications and would probably result in a slower journey time;

(ii)     Doubted that the proposed prioritisation measures at Clingoe Hill could be made to work; and

(iii)   Felt that for an individual using a car with free workplace funding would be cheaper than using the RTS unless the RTs was massively subsidised and supported by measures such as congestion charges, the removal of on-street parking and the removal of free workplace parking.

 

Following a discussion and debate on matters pertaining to this report and questions by Members which were answered, as appropriate, by the Principal Transportation & Infrastructure Planner (Ian Turner):-

 

It was moved by Councillor Lesley Wagland, seconded by Councillor Carlo Guglielmiand:-

 

RESOLVED that the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community (TCBGC) Joint Committee notes the update on the delivery of the Rapid Transit System infrastructure and operational model.