Agenda and minutes

Transportation Advisory Group - Wednesday 5 February 2020 2.00 p.m.

Venue: Town Hall, Moorgate Street, ROTHERHAM. S60 2TH

Contact: Debbie Pons, Governance Adviser 

Items
No. Item

22.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Lelliott, Andrews, Cusworth, Hodinott, Mallinder, and Whysall and from Parish Council representatives Parish Councillors F Hodgkiss and R Swann.

23.

Chair for the meeting

Minutes:

In the absence of the Chair it was agreed that Councillor Williams take the Chair for the meeting.

24.

Minutes of the previous meeting held on 20 November 2019 pdf icon PDF 83 KB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the minutes if of the previous meeting if the Transportation Advisory Board held on 20 November 2019.

 

Agreed: - That the minutes of the previous meeting be approved as a true record.

25.

Matters arising from the previous minutes (not covered by the agenda items)

Minutes:

There were no matters arising.

26.

Questions on Transport Issues pdf icon PDF 78 KB

Minutes:

The Transportation Advisory Board noted the details of questions on transport matters and the answers that had been provided.

 

Members noted with disappointment that Stagecoach could not extend the validity of weekly travel passes over the Christmas period to accommodate the days when no bus services were in operation.

 

Members also welcomed the announcement of the ending of the operators franchise of Northern Rail and expressed their hope that this would lead to an improved rail service.

27.

South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive - Update

Minutes:

Nathan Broadhead of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) attended the meeting to provide an update on public transport services and developments in the Borough. The update included information on:

 

·       the implementation of the previously communicated January service changes

 

·       emerging issues/complaints, including, Magna Lane at Dalton – elderly population having further to walk to service 116 and X78 and Belvedere Parade estate at Bramley - the elderly population having further to walk to service 3 and X10

 

·       Service X78 and other services using College Road roundabout were still suffering from the roadwork congestion.  Extra time had been added but services were still struggling to keep to the timetable

 

·       further bus service changes were being planned for April and September, with the SYPTE starting discussions with operators on any proposed changes.

 

·       SYPTE had tenders out for prices for contracts that were due to come to an end in September 2020 and that tenders on a like-for-like basis had been issued.

 

·       newer rolling stock on Northern Rail services being introduced on services calling at Rotherham stations by summer 2020.

 

Nigel Wragg, Commercial Manager at Sheffield Supertram, provided information on:

 

·       timetable changes that included new services running later into the evening.

 

·       increased parking availability at Parkgate that was aimed to encourage more passengers to use the service.

 

Members noted their disappointment that again representatives of many transport providers had not attended the meeting. It was noted that SYPTE could encourage engagement from providers but could not compel providers to attend Transportation Advisory Board meetings.

 

Agreed: - That the updates be noted.

 

 

28.

Bus Operators - Update

 

(1)       First Group

(2)       Stagecoach

(3)       Rotherham Community Transport

Minutes:

First Group

 

Due to a major incident on the M1, and the subsequent impact on bus services, the representative had submitted their apologies for being unable to attend the meeting to provide an update.

 

Stagecoach - Rotherham

 

The representative of Stagecoach Rotherham provided a short update on services noting that there were no significant changes to timetables planned. The late running of services over the Christmas period was also noted and it was advised that traffic congestion around Parkgate had been a major contributing factor to the congestion. It was noted that as there was no priority for buses in this busy location there was little that bus operators could do to remedy the situation.

 

Rotherham Community Transport

 

There was no representative present at the meeting to provide an update.

 

Agreed: - That the updates be noted.

29.

Railway Operators - Update

Minutes:

There were no Railway Operator representatives present at the meeting.

30.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport - Update

Minutes:

There were no updates to report.

31.

RMBC Transportation Unit - Updates

 

·       Transforming Cities Fund update

 

·       Neighbourhood Road Safety Schemes - update and next steps

Minutes:

Andrew Shearer attended the meeting to provide a presentation on the Transforming Cities Fund. It was noted that the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund aimed to support economic growth, reduce congestion and improve air quality by improving infrastructure for public transport and active travel and that a bid to the fund had been submitted by the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority in November 2019.

 

The presentation provided information on:

 

·       the funding that was potentially available.

·       details of the proposed projects in Rotherham.

 

It was noted that successful bids were likely to be announced in March 2020, with any funding awarded being paid over three years with proviso that all projects had to be completed and all funding spent by March 2023.

 

Andrew Lee attended the meeting to provide a presentation on the development of the council’s Neighbourhood Road Safety Schemes.

 

The presentation provided information on:

 

·       scheme application submission

·       “Quick win” schemes

·       schemes identified for implementation

·       proposed schemes requiring further research and investigation

·       next steps

 

Members of the Board discussed the information that had been provided and asked several specific questions on the schemes that had been identified for implementation and on those schemes that required further research and investigation.

 

Agreed:

 

1)    That the updates be noted.

 

2)    That the presentations be circulated to members of the Board.

32.

Active Travel Scheme – Sheffield City Region

Minutes:

Pete Zanzottera, Active Travel Project Director at the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority attended the meeting to provide members with information, and to make a presentation on the Sheffield City Region Active Travel Scheme.

 

Members discussed and asked questions around the issue of parking and car use around schools. Pete Zanzottera noted, that contrary to common perceptions most primary school children in Rotherham did walk to school but advised that extreme action needed to be taken around car use around schools in order to improve safety and to alleviate the problems caused for both school children and local residents caused by children being taken to school by car.

 

Members also discussed further issues including:

 

·       Mobility scooter users being encouraged to use cycle lanes, rather than pavements.

 

·       Bus use education and the importance of children having the confidence to use the bus so as to enable them to make sustainable travel choices in the future.

 

·       The need to improve infrastructure for cycling in order to make it a more appealing travel option for more people.

 

·       The development of low traffic neighbourhoods and the benefits of these to residents.

 

·       How the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority could influence how new housing was delivered in order to ensure low traffic neighbourhoods and sustainable travel options were incorporated and considered at an early stage in their planning and development.

 

Members of the Board thanked Pete Zanzottera, Active Travel Project Director at the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority for attending the meeting and answering their questions.

 

Agreed: - That the update be noted.

33.

Any other business

 

·       Active Travel Scheme – Sheffield City Region

Minutes:

There was no further business for consideration.

34.

Date and time of the next meeting

Minutes:

It was noted that this was the final meeting of the Transportation Board for the municipal year. Councillor Williams thanked members and representatives for their contributions over the past year.