Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 19)
Demand for Travel and Travel Choices
16.47. The management of the demand for road space and car parking, together with influencing travel choices, is a significant component to achieving sustainable communities.
Policy DLP72 Demand for Travel and Travel Choices Comment
- The Council is committed to considering all aspects of traffic management in the centres and wider area. The priorities for traffic management in the wider West Midlands region are:
- identifying appropriate strategic and intercept Park and Ride sites on current public transport routes to ease traffic flows into centres and surrounding areas.
- working together with the rest of the region to manage region-wide traffic flows through the West Midlands Metropolitan Area Urban Traffic Control (UTC) scheme and further joint working.
- promoting and implementing Smarter Choices measures that will help to reduce the need to travel and facilitate a shift towards using sustainable modes of transport (walking, cycling, public transport, car sharing).
- supporting the council's emerging Climate Change Action Plan.
- the use of innovation to promote behaviour change in the deployment of policy related interventions.
Justification
16.48. Spatial planning objectives aim to create places that are as accessible as possible by sustainable transport modes such as walking, cycling and public transport, in order to encourage their uptake and support sustainable growth.
16.49. An important aspect of demand management is making sustainable modes of transport attractive options and encouraging behaviour change away from solely private vehicle usage. The prioritisation of road space towards sustainable methods of travel by using schemes such as appropriate traffic calming measures and full or time limited pedestrianisation can support this shift.
16.50. Other important elements in planning for this modal shift include the promotion and marketing of sustainable transport through travel plans (refer to Policy DLP69), planning conditions / obligations and other associated sustainable mobility initiatives such as the promotion of opportunities for active travel, micro-mobility, public transport and car sharing.
16.51. These policies seek to encourage the use of sustainable transport in order to reduce traffic congestion and pollution, improve road safety, promote social inclusion and accessibility.
Evidence
- West Midlands Congestion Management Plan (TfWM 2018)
- West Midlands Park & Ride Strategy (TfWM 2020)
Delivery
- The policy will be delivered under the Traffic Management Act 2004, which places network management duties on local highway authorities. The main duty is to secure the expeditious movement of people and goods, inclusive of cyclists and pedestrians, on the road network and on adjacent road networks for which another authority is the traffic authority.
