Congestion: Bus lanes under review as council responds to transport survey
BUSY: Traffic on Newland Avenue in Hull. Picture by Tom Arran Commercial Photography
By Simon Bristow
Bus lane restrictions could be eased in Hull as part of a raft of measures aimed at easing congestion in response to one of the biggest public surveys conducted in the city.
More than 22,000 people responded to the Hull City Council transport survey throughout August and September, which invited people to have their say on the state, and future, of Hull’s roads and transport network.
The research asked people their opinion of transport issues over the last two years, and in findings released today, 86 per cent of respondents said congestion had got worse, and 80 per cent said journey times had got worse.
Asked what the main causes of the problems were, the majority - 80 per cent - blamed road works or road improvement works. A total of 62 per cent said the cause was “too many cycle lanes on the roads”.
A total of 66 per cent of respondents said the condition of road surfaces, footpaths and pavements had got worse over the last two years.
Over the last two years, the operation of bus lanes in Hull have changed from peak hours in one direction to all day in both directions. Asked for their view on this, 65 per cent of respondents said the bus lanes should return to peak times in one direction, 19 per cent said they should stay as they are, and 15 per cent had no opinion.
‘WE HAVE LISTENED: City council leader Mike Ross
A total of 43 per cent of respondents said the reliability of bus services had got worse (three per cent said they had improved), and 41 per cent said the frequency of bus services had got worse (three per cent said they had got better).
Among public transport users, 79 per cent said they had experienced delayed bus services, and 74 per cent said they had experienced cancelled bus services.
On cycling in the last two years, during which more on and off-road cycle lanes have been created, nine per cent said they had cycled more as a result of the new cycle lanes, a figure that rose to 66 per cent among cyclists. A total of four per cent said they had cycled less, while six per cent of cyclists said they had cycled less.
A total of 29 per cent said the safety of cyclists had improved (25 per cent said it had got worse), while 30 per cent said the safety of pedestrians had got worse, with 11 per cent saying pedestrian safety had improved.
QUESTIONS: The survey was one of the biggest of its kind carried out in Hull
A total of 72 per cent of cyclists said they had encountered litter or broken glass on cycle lanes or paths, 61 per cent of cyclists said they had felt unsafe or vulnerable due to fast or heavy traffic, and 49 per cent of cyclists said they had experienced difficulty crossing a busy road.
Responding to the findings, Hull City Council Leader, Councillor Mike Ross, said: “We have listened to what the people of Hull have had to say, and there are some very clear messages. What people will want to know now is what we are going to do about it.
“So today, we want to let everyone know exactly what the council is doing to address some of the major concerns people have raised.
“Some of these things the council is already working on, some we will accelerate and some we will begin to explore in response to the public feedback.
“The view among people who responded to the survey seems to be that bus lanes should return to peak times in one direction. As a result, I have already instructed officers to prepare a report detailing options and implications for consideration by Cabinet at the earliest opportunity.
“We are also committed to making cycling safer by improving our off-road cycle network. Much of what the council did in the past was about quantity of on-road cycle lanes. Going forward our focus will be on quality rather than quantity, and about safe, properly segregated off-road cycle lanes as well as action to tackle congestion on our roads.
“The first thing we will do on this front is get out there and clean up the cycle tracks. Issues like cleanliness, and glass on the existing cycle tracks are clearly significant issues for a lot of cyclists and people who want to cycle more”
As well as reviewing the operating times of bus lanes, the council plans to:
Create a new traffic model for the city, using software that can simulate the impact major plans, such as new housing developments, would have on the traffic network.
Accelerate existing plans to set up a traffic and travel team to monitor the transport networks from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week. Using ‘mobility intelligence systems’, the team will be able to quickly react to incidents on the highway and get information to transport users via media channels, sat nav updates and other real-time information systems, such as bus and other traffic apps.
Explore schemes that encourage/incentivise car-sharing.
Work to improve reliability and frequency of bus services; improve communications and awareness of bus travel; and simplify bus route maps to assist all users with cross-city travel.
Continue to lobby central government for Bus Rapid Transit funding.
Work with Transpennine Express to make Hull Paragon Interchange ‘a more pleasant experience for public transport users, including enhanced information and security’.
On public engagement on transport issues over the last two years, 62 per cent rated said the council had been “very poor” at seeking their views on the creation of, or improvement to, off-road cycle lanes; 60 per cent said it had been “very poor” in seeking views on changes to bus lane operating times, and 58 per cent said it had been “very poor” on consulting over the creation of, or improvement to, on-road cycle lanes.
The current Liberal Democrat administration took office in May after 11 years of Labour rule at the Guildhall.
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Coun Ross said: “Many people feel they weren’t properly consulted in the past. This survey, along with our transport summits and other engagement events, demonstrates our commitment to making sure people feel they are being listened to. This is how we intend to carry on.
“However, the council can’t fix the transport problems alone, nor can we do it overnight.
“We will be working closely with our transport partners, as well as major employers and stakeholders across the city, to make the city’s transport network work for everyone, as well as achieving our environmental aims.
“Over the next few years, and after the completion of National Highways’ huge A63 Castle Street project, we believe we can have a vastly improved transport network.”
Of those who completed the questionnaire, most were aged between 55 and 64 (24.5 per cent), followed by those aged 65 to 74 (24.1 per cent), ages 45 to 54 (15.8 per cent), and those aged 75 or over (15 per cent).
A total of 53.3 per cent were male, 46.4 per cent were female, and 0.4 per cent were non-binary or other.
A total of 79 per cent were private car or van drivers, 56 per cent were pedestrians, 34 per cent used public transport, and 24 per cent were cyclists or used electric scooters.
The results presented in the report relate to the 18,985 respondents with a Hull postcode. Responses from East Riding residents will be published later.
The full survey results can be found here under ‘previous consultations and survey results’.