Better Bus Area Fund (BBAF) Statement

As part of a request from Liberal Democrat County Councillor Sarah Whitebread a statement will be released to the West Central Area Committee shortly detailing the plans for spending the 1.7m allocated to the Cambridge City for bus improvements in Cambridge City.

The original statement is available here (via Google Docs).

The text is below;

"Written Statement for the West Central Area Committee meeting on 26.04.12 regarding the Better Bus Area Fund (BBAF)


Cambridgeshire County Council has been asked to prepare a statement for the West Central Area Committee for 26th April regarding the Better Bus Area Fund (or BBAF), providing some background information on the bid and our plans to consult on aspects of the programme once this is finalised.


The County Council has secured £1.7m funding from Government to invest in improving the reliability of bus services, particularly through Cambridge city centre. The overarching aim of the bid is to improve accessibility, bus journey times and reliability on key bus routes.


One of the proposals included in the bid is the possible removal of motorised traffic, except buses and emergency service vehicles, from St Andrews Street between Emmanuel Street and Hobson Street, during the day time. This would be accompanied by the proposed removal of the taxi rank on St Andrews Street, at least during the day time. If this proposal is taken forward, the current taxi rank in Drummer Street would become the primary taxi facility for the historic city centre.


Buses using the route currently experience delays associated with over ranking by taxis, deliveries to premises and unauthorised vehicles using the street. There are also conflicts between buses, cycles and pedestrians which need to be addressed. Our intention is to enhance the environment and safety in this area and improve accessibility, especially for bus services. In doing this we will consider all access requirements by all users including those with mobility impairments.


To help us in achieving this, we will be consulting widely with all sectors of the city centre community before designing any detailed proposals. We are keen to hear from all those who live in and use the area and we will shortly be publicising details of when and how the consultation will be undertaken and details will be made available on our website at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk.


We look forward to engaging further with the West Central Committee as part of this process.


Yours sincerely




Dearbhla Lawson
Head of Transport Infrastructure Policy & Funding
Cambridgeshire County Council


Background Information
Background:

• The bid was prepared in partnership with South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambridge City Council, Stagecoach East and Whippet Coaches Ltd and is for a total of £1.724m of Department for Transport (DfT) funding. The total programme cost is £5.192m.
• The overarching aim of the bid is to improve accessibility, bus journey times and reliability on key bus routes in Cambridge.
• The programme will be implemented during 2012/13 and 2013/14.
• The full bid document is available here.

The BBAF programme area:

• The bid focuses on the core area of Cambridge City Centre and on four of the inner radial routes that are heavily used by buses (Hills Road, Milton Road, Histon Road and Mill Road). It also focuses on outer radial routes from the Trumpington Park & Ride Site and the villages of Sawston, Cambourne and Linton.

Benefits of the programme:

• The programme will improve journey times and reliability, and result in increased bus patronage (an estimated 508,000 more passenger journeys over the two years of the bid). It will improve access to employment, reduce carbon emissions (by reducing bus mileage in the bid area) and improve air quality in the core area (due to older vehicles being replaced with cleaner, newer vehicles).
• The programme will also result in wider economic benefits by reducing congestion and helping to enable planned growth to occur and that people can access employment and other key destinations.

Consultation:

• Cambridgeshire County Council is planning to consult on a number of the measures which are included in the BBAF programme. As we were only advised of the success of the bid in late March, detailed work on a programme including project plans/ options has yet to take place.
• County Council officers are currently working up a draft programme which will clarify how the various BBAF programme elements are proposed to be taken forward in the next two years. This will include consideration of how and when detailed scheme designs and proposals will be consulted upon. Our aim is to have a programme completed by June for publication and to share it with Members of the West Central Area Committee."

Visually Impaired Student Becomes Latest Victim Of Tory Bus Cuts

Warren Wilson joins Lib Dem Councillors,
Susan van de Ven and Tim Stone
at the bus stop where the Citi 7 will no
longer stop

Cambridge student, Warren Wilson, whose sight is failing due to a rare genetic condition, has become the latest victim of Tory county council spending cuts.

The Citi 7 bus that takes him to Anglia Ruskin University will no longer call at Duxford leaving 21-year-old Warren stranded at home in Kingsway.

A decision by the Conservative-run Cambridgeshire County Council to withdraw the Citi 7 subsidy has led to bus company, Stagecoach terminating the service at Sawston Health Centre.

And Warren, who is in the second year of a history degree, has been left trying to find alternative transport to continue his course.

“This makes me really angry and very frustrated,” said Warren. “I am about to enter the third year of my degree; it a big dissertation year and I’ve been left with no transport. I won’t be able to go to any activities.

“I’m trying to put a contingency plan in place but I shouldn’t have to be worrying about this. The council needs to realise that they are messing with people’s lives and money must come second to that.”

Warren suffers from Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy which has led to his eyesight failing.  His whole field of vision is affected leaving it blurred although he can make out high contrast objects, large objects or those which are close and his condition has stabilised at that level.

His eyesight began failing while he was studying A Levels at Cambridge’s Long Road Sixth Form College and he now uses a long white mobility cane.

Despite his condition, Warren retains his independence and with the help of support workers has learnt his return route to university.

Withdrawing the Citi 7 service means Warren will have to learn a new journey which would involve crossing the M11 slip road with the A505 and walking to the station or relying on a bus from his girlfriend’s home in Stapleford.

“The last thing I want is to be a burden on them or anyone else,” said Warren. “I will have to learn a whole new route and new pathways which is totally unnecessary.”

Duxford’s neighbouring village, Whittlesford is also losing its bus service under the latest round of cuts.

The two villages used to share a bus until the route was split in recent years. Warren believes reinstating a shared bus could save money and increase passengers.

“The road layout between the villages makes it perfect for a shared bus,” he said. “This seems a sensible option to me rather than leaving these villages totally cut off.”

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have taken up Warren’s fight in a bid to get funding to save the bus.

And Warren has given his support to a petition launched by Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport: Susan van de Ven which can be found at:  http://epetition.cambridgeshire.public-i.tv/epetition_core/view/Buses

He will also be supporting a meeting on bus cuts and transport at the United Reform Church in Whittlesford at 7pm on Thursday (April 26) which is chaired by Lib Dem Councillor, Tim Stone who represents Duxford on the county council.

Cllr van de Ven said: “It is easy for the Tories to make spending cuts on a balance sheet without thinking about how those cuts are impacting on ordinary people in our villages.

“Warren has battled against all the odds to retain his independence and now that is in danger of being taken away because the Tories need to balance their books.

“I am absolutely appalled by these cuts which are leaving rural communities isolated and causing real hardship to people like Warren.”

Community Transport Volunteer Drivers Needed

Cambridgeshire County Council's Social and Education Transport Team is looking for more willing drivers to help make a real difference to the lives of many people in the county - and they could receive up to £4,500 a year tax free.

The County Council provides a transport service to eligible people who need to attend one of the care centres, day service facilities or education establishments. Community Drivers play a vital role transporting a host of people who would otherwise miss out

Drivers are needed in all areas of Cambridgeshire. Volunteers receive 45p a mile for journeys they undertake as part of the scheme and can earn up to £4,500 annually before the payment becomes liable to tax. Being unemployed and signing on is not a barrier.

County Councillor and local resident Andy Pellew said: "Unfortunately given the public transport cuts in the last Conservative budget a lot of people will be unable to attend these excellent facilities. Hopefully the expansion of this initiative will plug some of the gaps left byy, amongst other things, the withdrawal of bus subsidies."

The County Council is looking to boost the team across the whole of Cambridgeshire, so interest from all areas of the county would be welcomed. Community drivers receive a payment of 45p a mile.

Community drivers must be over 21 with two years driving experience; have their own roadworthy car that has fully comprehensive insurance; and will undergo an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check paid for by the County Council.

For more information contact 0345 045 5208 or go to Cambridgeshire.gov.uk/communitydrivers

Young People Would Get Free Transport Under £80,000 Scheme

Young people looking for education, training or employment would be entitled to free transport under an £80,000 scheme proposed by Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats.

The scheme would be run by Cambridgeshire County Council Locality Teams and would cover all forms of public transport.

Cllr van de Ven

Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport, Susan van de Ven said, “Young people face unprecedented pressures, and the prohibitive cost of transport can be a blockade to opportunity.

“It is unfortunate that the county council not only fails to provide supported transport for young people in this situation, but is actually planning to cut 100 per cent of subsidised bus services.

“Our modest proposal would ensure that every young person seeking education, training and employment would be given a helping hand with making that first step.

"We believe that the principle of wider access to public transport for young people should be developed much further.”

The proposal has been inspired by the train operating company First Capital Connect, which is currently working with the Department for Work and Pensions on a scheme to allow people on Job Seeker’s Allowance free travel to job interviews and forthe first month of employment, when arranged through Job Centre Plus.

Councillor van de Ven added: “In rural areas, some parish councils and community transport providers are already supporting very localised transport schemes for young people. The county council should be playing a leading role in facilitating access and mobility for young people who need it most.”

Lib Dems Launch Petition To Reverse Tory Bus Cuts

Stagecoach Bus on Guided Busway

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have launched a petition to reverse the Tories’ 100 per cent cuts to rural bus services.

The petition, called "Stopping the cuts to bus services in Cambridgeshire" reads:

"We the people of Cambridgeshire are opposed to the Conservative County Council's decision to scrap 100% of funding for subsidised buses, which led to an application for Judicial Review.

"Socially necessary bus services are vital to the whole of Cambridgeshire, especially for young people who need to access to centres of employment, those with mobility issues who wish to access the wider community and its resources, and for tackling the root problem of "rural isolation".

"We also believe that the "Cambridgeshire Future Transport" project, to which half of bus funding has been transferred, is fundamentally flawed and not capable of delivering an adequate replacement for the existing public transport network, never mind the improved system that has been promised.

"We call on the Conservative administration to reinstate 100% of the cuts to bus funding and to conduct a systematic view of Cambridgeshire residents' transport needs before making any changes to it."

The petition can be found here: http://epetition.cambridgeshire.public-i.tv/epetition_core/view/Buses

Tories Heed Lib Dem Advice On Buses, Libraries And Roads And Back MP's Station Plan

Cllr Kilian Bourke (LD, Romsey)

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats have welcomed the fact that county Tories have listened to their advice and scaled back cuts to buses and libraries and invested more in care for older people in their budget.

The Tories have also taken their lead from the Lib Dem Highways Review in proposing a massive up-front investment in roads, pavements and cycleways to halt the ongoing decline.

And they have supported a Lib Dem plan for a new railway station in Chesterton which is a personal triumph for Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert.

But the Lib Dems have expressed fears as to whether the Conservatives, who have a poor record at managing big projects, will be able make a success of this budget with its extra capital spending.

“This budget is half good and half bad. It shows the influence of an effective opposition as many ideas previously promoted by the Liberal Democrats have now been accepted by the Conservatives.

“The Conservatives have accepted that their cuts to many core services went way beyond what was necessary and scaled-back some of the worst. As a result the huge cuts to rural buses and plans to close libraries have been reduced; but substantial cuts will still go ahead and people who use these services will be far from reassured.

“The extra investment in Adult Care is a long overdue recognition from the Tories that this service has been chronically underfunded and mismanaged.

"The County Council's support for a new railway station in Chesterton is a great personal triumph for Cambridge’s MP, and the massive overhaul of our roads comes straight out of a Lib Dem Highways Review, and should stop the steady decline in their condition that the Tories have allowed."

“In terms of the overall financial picture we are deeply sceptical about the ability of the Conservatives to manage projects on this scale,” said Lib Dem Leader, Kilian Bourke. “With £90 million at stake in the Guided Bus court case, their track record on contract management is not reassuring.

But they added that their alternative budget will expose Tory inefficiency and waste, safeguard vital services and better provide for the long-term future of the people across the whole county.

Lib Dems Victory As Tories U-Turn On Bus Cuts – But Fears For Future

Cllr Van de Ven

Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats are celebrating victory after the Tories staged a dramatic U-turn over their decision to axe 100 per cent of bus subsidies across the county.

Lib Dems, who had fought a sustained campaign against the cuts for a year, have welcomed the move to invest £1.5 million – just over half the bus subsidies cash – into newly organized public transport.

The money will be handed over the next three years to provide new forms of transport through a one-year old project called Cambridgeshire Future Transport

But Lib Dems have expressed their concerns about Cambridgeshire Future Transport which has a poor track record so far.

Cambridgeshire Future Transport project has already suffered its first failure after an expenditure of £120,000 toward a pilot service in Duxford, launched before Christmas, was boycotted by residents in protest at the prospect of losing their subsidised buses.
                                               
Lib Dems have called for a commitment to continue the financial support to existing bus services, if it is needed, to ensure that vulnerable and isolated residents are not left stranded.

Lib Dem County Council Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport, Susan van de Ven said:  "This partial U-turn is a big victory for the Lib Dems and good news for local bus users.  The Tories have finally relented and accepted the principle that you cannot provide socially necessary rural transport for nothing.

“Abating 50 per cent of the cuts is a big improvement on the 100 per cent cut that was planned, which was the worst in the country.

"This will allow some of the bus services the Tories still intend to cut to be replaced with some form of alternative; it is just a shame they didn't listen to the public's concern and reinstate more of the funding.

 “We are extremely concerned that Cambridgeshire Future Transport is not the best way to deliver these services; in one year it has delivered almost nothing.

“Money spent on the failed pilot in Duxford could have paid for three new mini buses for Cambridge Dial-a-Ride or other established community transport providers.  Cambridgeshire cannot afford to play games with lifeline transport and scarce public money.”

A recent consultation by Cambridgeshire County Council on bus subsidies showed that 37 per cent of residents have no other means of transport and only three per cent of residents supported bus service cuts.

Petition to save the City Centre Circular Bus

The Tories running the County Council have decided to ignore residents’ wishes and push ahead with a plan which will see dozens of subsidised bus services lost in the next four years.

A likely early casualty is the free Cambridge city centre “Circular” bus, which the rural Conservatives regard as a luxury. This service was introduced alongside the pedestrianisation scheme, so that people who cannot walk long distances would still have access to it. Losing it would be disastrous for the pedestrian area.

Cambridge LibDems have launched a petition to try and save this service from the axe. You can sign the petition online.

"Charge and Spend" Transport Policy

As regular followers of the Cambridgeshire County Council Liberal Democrat group will know at the end of November we lost Councillor Nichola Harrison who resigned from the group and became an independent. Speculation has been rife about exactly why she left but out of respect for her wishes I, and every other member of the Liberal Democrat group, have been quiet on the issue except for very un-specifc "pursuing her own ideas"-type messages.

On Monday Nichola will be announcing a new transport policy for Cambridgeshire - "Charge and Spend".

Now I've had a preview of the general idea but haven't had a chance yet to read the specific proposal - I'll go into more detail on my own views on the proposal (as I'm sure will my City Council colleagues) as soon as I've had some time to digest it. For now though Nichola has launched a new website;

http://www.ourtransportfuture.org/

The website welcomes comments and I'd encourage everyone who is passionate about Transport (both public and private) to go to the website and leave their views.

It's worth reiterating that this policy is *not* a Liberal Democrat policy and her desire to pursue it *is* the reason Nichola left the Liberal Demcorat group on the County Council (announcing an idependent transport policy not being compatible with her role as a Liberal Democrat Transport Shadow Cabinet Member).

County Council Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) Bid Fails

The Fund would have provided £500 million to improve transport systems across the County (to put that in persepective that's about 100 years worth of transport grant from Central Government). Using this money many things would have been possible not least of which would have been the speedy re-opening of Chesterton Railway Station.

Central government seems to have finally rejected the Conservative-run County Council's poorly thought through bid for funding at the end of February. The Conservatives' prolonged dithering, as well as their refusal to negotiate with District Councils, has caused their proposals to fail. As a direct result travellers across Cambridgeshire will be condemned to years of increasing congestion.

Given the current state of the Guided Bus project you really do have to wonder if the Conservative Leadership in Shirehall can delivery on any major transport initiative.