Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of City Development which presents evidence for Session 2 as defined by the Scrutiny Board within the Inquiry terms of reference

Please note: Appendices will be issued prior to the Board meeting

(Report attached)

The Board considered the report of the Director of City Development providing information to the second session of the Board’s inquiry into transport challenges and issues in the City.

Members were also in receipt of  a supplementary document relating to transport data sent out after the despatch of the agenda for the

meeting.

The following officers attended the Inquiry Session:

Gary Bartlett, Chief Officer, Highways & Transportation

Andrew Hall, Acting Head of Transport Policy

Tim Harvey, Transport Initiatives Manager

The report from the Director of City Development detailed to Board Members the drivers for developing a city centre transport strategy over the next 15 – 20 years, the challenges to be tackled, the objectives for the strategy.  Members were also advised of the preliminary conclusions reached in drawing up the strategy. These were:-

·  Separate Loops and local access measures such as traffic “cell systems” will better serve the accessibility and expansion of the city centre.

·  City Square and access to the station can only be improved by reducing the volume of traffic, although provision for buses will continue to be needed.

·  An increase in capacity at Armley Gyratory is needed to facilitate improvements to City Square and a reduction in the remaining through traffic passing through the city centre.

·  The role of Meadow Lane Gyratory in South Bank can be played down only by the provision of new capacity further out of the city centre adjacent to the M621.

·  The role of the M621 is critical to the city centre strategy and M621 Junction 3 should be reduced in significance and consideration given to the role of junction 2A.

·  In due course traffic arrangements will need to reflect any future requirements of a high speed rail terminal.

·  The role of the Inner Ring Road is likely to be a critical factor, particularly post 2030 when a longer term maintenance and operation strategy will be significant.

To further assist Members in their inquiry Mr Hall gave a brief presentation which focused on the timing and programmes for the roll out of the strategy. It was noted that this would be undertaken in three phases between 2012 and 2030.

In response to both the received report and presentation the following areas were discussed:-

·  The implications for city centre traffic movements, for example Boar Lane, as a consequence of current building developments, for example Trinity and the Arena.

·  The progress or otherwise of Network Rail increasing inward capacity at the city station

·  The potential location of a high speed rail station and the location constraints as a result of the required length of platform.

·  The acknowledgment that any high speed rail station had to integrate with other transport networks to be successful

·  The creation of a Joint Programme Board with Metro, the City Council and Network Rail to facilitate joint working

·  The need to ensure that future transport provision responds to new housing developments

·  The need to strike the right balance between congestion management and the creation of a car unfriendly city. The acknowledgement that public choice in transport provision should be a driver

·  Funding streams

·  Park and Ride Strategy. It was noted that this would be discussed in greater detail in the April Board meeting

RESOLVED – To note the contents of the report and the comments made by Members