Cast and public backchat:
15:58:27 From Stuart Phelps : Stuart - Bristol - its stopped raining here
15:58:28 From David Bricknell : Hello
15:58:28 From Richard Kemble : Good afternoon all!
15:58:32 From Graham Ellis : Graham Ellis -
MRUG» ,
GW▸ Coffee Shop,
http://www.passenger.chat15:58:34 From Mike Lambden : Hello from Mike Lambden at the Bus Archive
15:58:42 From Catherine Mack : Cate Mack in
15:58:53 From Philip Sankey : Philip Sankey WATAG from Lyme Regis
15:59:44 From Mick Stone : Hello from Mick Stone, Purbeck
CRP▸ 16:01:03 From John Hamley : Hello - John Hamley. Melksham.
16:01:34 From Paul Johnson : Hi everyone from TransWilts
16:01:47 From Andrew.Ardley : Andrew Ardley, Regional Development Manager, South Western Railway
16:01:48 From David Redgewell : David Redgewell Bristol mayor transport board. Bristol disability forum trustee south Gloucestershire council disability forum trustee
16:01:49 From Jasper Selwyn : Jasper Selwyn Devizes
16:02:00 From Mike Reddaway : Hello - Mike Reddaway,
Avocet▸ Line Rail User Group (Exmouth to Exeter)
16:02:11 From Ian Harrison : Afternoon all
16:02:12 From Tim Weekes : Hi from Tim Weekes -
FoSBR» and Coffee Shop
16:02:35 From Stuart Mee : hello. Stuart Mee committee member Plymouth Cycling Campaign
16:03:09 From Claire Walters : Hi all, Claire Walters here from Bus Users.
16:03:10 From Andrea.Davis : Andrea Davis, Cabinet member Devon CC for Rail and Chairman Peninsula Rail Task Force.
16:03:27 From Richard Burningham : Afternoon all. Richard Burningham, Devon & Cornwall Rail Partnership
16:03:34 From Robert Williams : Chief Executive Officer at Reading Buses here
16:06:14 From Catherine Mack : No need for conflict, but certainly a need for "codes of practice" for cyclists (eg bells compulsory with clear modes of use before you zoom past a pedestrian) and clear separation between walking and cycling lanes: not a kerb but a change of surface or somesuch.
16:08:05 From Claire Walters : Eire transport budget just published. 53% public transit, 20% cycling and walking and only 23% auto infrastructure roads. We need a political shift along these lines
16:11:17 From David Bricknell : Any buses operating in any town or city centre should be zero emission / non combustion vehicles.
16:11:19 From Bryony Chetwode : Do we need clarity around the long term intended consequence of LA "active travel COVID action"
16:11:43 From David Redgewell : disabled passengers loose their access to public transport In town centre s and taxis
16:12:33 From Catherine Mack : Analysis of the bus user mix shows that it is largely older people, those without alternatives (either cycling of car) and those with young children. None of these needs are met if buses are eliminated from town centres. Their numbers often outselgh those wqho walk of cycle.
16:13:57 From David Redgewell : this is not the case in Bristol and Bath where bus access remains and taxis and disabled parking ,Gloucester And Stroud have bus access also.
16:14:05 From David Bricknell : Increasing bus usage will impact more of active travel than it will reduce car usage unless cars are restricted on main routes and in town centres.
16:14:29 From AlexCarter : Hello everyone. As you've just heard, Alex Carter, Managing Director at First South West, providing bus services in part of Somerset ("Buses of Somerset") and Cornwall (Kernow)
16:14:33 From Bryony Chetwode : In making time efficient choices, people are more likely to arrive by car from longer distances. This could then affect longer distance route sustainability as the shift is to park and ride by sub-urban passengers.
16:14:35 From Kit Harbottle : And - re Catherine's comment - we need to get to the point where bus use is an attractive alternative to the car - not marginalise as "no choice" user base.
16:14:39 From David Redgewell : Devon has some bus gates
16:15:23 From David Redgewell : Glastonbury Town centre and Frome are losing bus access
16:15:50 From Bryony Chetwode : So how do we manage the land use in the centre of town where people queue for buses and shops - who gets involved in the conversation
16:16:20 From Claire Walters : Need to ensure public transport is part of Active Travel plans
16:16:42 From Philip Sankey : I agree Catherine. Whilst we do not want the tail to wag the dog, 'equal' opportunity is critical.
16:17:09 From Mike Reddaway : All transport modes need to work together - even cars have their place. Trains and buses need to be able to take bikes perhaps restricted to folding only. And it may need to be accepted that 2m social distancing isn't possible in a lot of situations.
16:17:48 From Bryony Chetwode : Are you worried by the looseness around the reference to reviewing impact? For example current behaviour against desired
16:18:07 From Claire Walters : Bus Users, CoMo, Community Rail Partnership Network,
CBT‡,
CTA▸ , Sustrans, Living Streets and a range of other non-profits have set up a Sustainable
16:18:46 From Claire Walters : Sustainable Transport Alliance to offer support to Local Authorities to help resolve some of the problems being raised.
16:19:27 From Bryony Chetwode : I highly recommend reading the paper CLaire Walters refer's to.
16:19:29 From Kit Harbottle : I think all new cycles now have to be sold with a bell.
16:20:38 From Nick Thwaites : There is a lot of difference between having a bell and using it....
16:22:46 From Claire Walters : We need carrots and sticks for motorists. It needs to be made harder for private cars to access any town or city centre and bus options need to be made easier and simpler all round maybe with the Cardiff option of lots of park and ride with free travel into the centre in rush hours
16:23:11 From Mike Reddaway : Bells now pathetically go 'ting'. Mine's a loud 'BRINNNNG!'
16:27:14 From Richard Kemble : Surely an earlier Sunday morning journey Minehead to Taunton could be deemed as socially necessary by Somerset CC and funded by them?
16:27:14 From David Bricknell : Need to keep cars out of the centre so that more people can walk and cycle. Cars will remain essential to travelling towards towns. There aren’t enough buses to reduce car use significantly.
16:28:17 From Kit Harbottle : Main factor in cyclist / pedestrian conflict is that both are literally sidelined in the allocation of road space.
16:28:27 From Bryony Chetwode : David Bricknell do we need to talk with Bus companies about solving this
16:29:15 From Colin Divall : Couldn't agree more with Kit.
16:29:48 From Claire Walters : LAs and all kinds of transport operators need to talk to each other, as well as getting the public involved. Consultation is central as are Equalities Assessments (proper ones, not tick box exercises)
16:30:02 From David Bricknell : Bryony. Towns need to be better designed so that active travel fulfils the majority of residents needs. Otherwise buses will clog up centres in place of the cars that currently clog up centres.
16:30:16 From David Redgewell : railway station access to patchway and Bristol parkway station have widened pavements to the station s but it's still difficult for wheelchair users
16:31:02 From Catherine Mack : The longer term urgency is to sort out the transport effect on climate change, emissions and pollution. The bus - a modern less polluting bus - is essential for this: it caters for more people and sits in the middle of the transport hierarchy after walking and cycling and before car use.
16:31:43 From David Redgewell : With Frome Town centre.closure The bus station is brought into use in cork street .
16:32:22 From David Bricknell : Catherine. Zero emission buses are essential. Euro6 buses are not sufficiently low emission to remove the problem of Ultra-fine particulates or NOx.
16:32:39 From Cllr Dredge : Many of us would love to cycle but are just too old
16:33:01 From Claire Walters : The pop-up cycleways/added pavement width for social distancing has caused huge problems for people with visual impairment and for people with dementia, autism and learning difficulties who rely on learning routes.
16:34:46 From David Redgewell : but luke at First Great western railway. Frome bus company are moving to pass Frome Railway station, with no bus stops so will not Great western railway ,Somerset county council and Frome Bus company .needs discussion.
16:35:25 From David Redgewell : not stopping at Frome railway station.
16:35:31 From Mike Lambden : As Cllr Dredge says not everyone can cycle due to age etc but typography are part of it as well. Comparisons with Netherlands are all well and go but they generally don't have steep hills.
16:36:21 From Paul Johnson : I am hearing that there is a danger that quick “pop up” solutions without consultation could be “cock up” solutions but consuming a once off opportunity for Government funding.
16:36:58 From David Bricknell : Topography is less of an issue for encouraging cycling than arranging the town to encourage safe cycling away from cars and buses.
16:37:10 From Colin Divall : The arguments about age and topography have less relevance when electric bikes are factored in.
16:37:14 From Stuart Mee : Age and hills aren't really an issue in this age of e-bikes (I'm 76)
16:37:22 From David Redgewell : how much discussion are taking place on these access schemes between local authorities. and Bus and train operators. plus Network rail.
16:37:37 From David Redgewell : equalities act 2010
16:38:00 From David Redgewell : ver public health act 1984 covid 19
16:40:19 From Ian Harrison : The principle of giving more space to pedestrians and cyclists must be right. The issue is that public transport comes next in the hierarchy, so if we are to give a message to Government it should be that they need to develop their approach to be more comprehensive - need to look beyond the current crisis.
16:40:25 From Catherine Mack : We have speed limits for cars, and requirements to drive on the left, and obey the highway code: what's wrong with that? Why the resistance to a code for the cyclist and the walker?
16:41:22 From Bryony Chetwode : Polite responsible and considersate
16:41:26 From Claire Walters : Ian Harrison: That's what the Sustainable Transport Group is trying to achieve, by pulling lots of modes together
16:41:34 From Kit Harbottle : There are elements of Highway Code for all road users. Naturally they are more demanding for those in charge of a tonne of metal.
16:42:09 From Bryony Chetwode : Are high streets about more than just shopping?
16:43:40 From Mike Lambden : Interesting article from a couple of days ago -
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/fear-transit-bad-cities/612979/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share16:44:11 From Kit Harbottle : Re high streets - yes - certainly in market towns like Tavistock. They are places of encounter, of feeling a connection to place.
16:44:35 From Woodroffe : as a young person I use the high street from everything from socialising to shopping
16:46:33 From David Redgewell : taunton bus station may be need when the leasure facilities in taunton opens on the 4th July
16:47:52 From Mike Lambden : The boss of the NHS in our area says that in 10 days the level of change achieved would have taken 10 years normally. Some of the changes to how patients may be seen for appointments in future may well affect bus use.
16:48:33 From Luke Farley : There's a huge opportunity in volumes changing on train services. Where we've had to provide for 'peak' periods - huge resource into/out of London - could it be that the tempering of this demand frees up resource and capacity for elsewhere, where it's been traditionally under served? (E.g. Cardiff-Portsmouth)
16:48:41 From Claire Walters : Sorry to bang on about inclusion but there are huge numbers of people for whom a lot of the tech options are simply not a possibility. While lots of people will carry on working from home, may others won't have that option. Many rural areas have no internet access nor any useful public transport so we do need solutions for all, not just the "noisy" classes!
16:49:39 From Kit Harbottle : The recent Transport for New Homes report on Garden Villages includes a pithy analysis of why our national and local planning systems fail to join up transport & housing planning.
16:49:43 From David Bricknell : Todays combustion buses are not lower in emissions than todays combustion cars! Unless we change to zero emission transport we will not reduce our carbon or toxic emissions.
16:49:51 From Graham Ellis :
http://www.passenger.chat/twsw2020061916:49:54 From David Redgewell : the equalities act is being carried out in these town centre schemes
16:49:59 From Dean Bowles : the economy is the problem
16:49:59 From Catherine Mack : Absolutely Claire: transport must no longer be viewed in a silo on its own: other things are needed.
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