Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 1

Annual Progress Report 2019/20

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan

ltp@hertfordshire.gov.uk

ITEM 6 - APPENDIX A

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 2

Contents

Introduction 3

Progress with active travel

Cycling for all

Promoting walking

Active travel projects

Hertfordshire Health Walks

Progress on rights of ways

4

6

8

10

10

Focusing on road safety 12

Rail improvements 13

Advances in the bus service 15

Travel plans and behaviour change 17

Emissions reduction and air quality 19

Future travel 20

Keeping the network running

Highways projects and schemes

21

23

Current stage of major projects 28

Current status of transport schemes 30

Finance 35

Key performance indicators 37

Status of supporting documents 40

Abbreviations guide and glossary 42

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 3

Introduction The Annual Progress Report (APR) reviews the progress being made in delivering the Local Transport Plan for Hertfordshire 2018 – 2031 (LTP4) through the actions of Hertfordshire County Council (HCC). LTP4 was published in May 2018 and is available in full, summary or easy-to-read versions. The LTP4 sets out how transport can deliver a positive future for Hertfordshire and its residents, encouraging economic growth, reducing environmental damage, improving public health and meeting the needs of a growing population. We are committed to creating a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous place to live and work in. The APR monitors the progress made in delivering LTP4 strategies, it provides an update on the delivery of the schemes and objectives, and monitors information for the key performance indicators. The APR 2019/20 highlights what has been achieved towards these aims from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 and works as oversight on the delivery of LTP4. The last APR 2019/20 is available online. Modal shift is an LTP4 priority; a shift towards more journeys being made on foot, by cycle or by the use of public transport. To make this a reality, it is key to make places for people to walk and cycle in order to reduce car dependency, improve air quality, revitalise town centres, boost businesses and connect communities in Hertfordshire. It is important to prioritise health and the quality of people’s experience in all county council projects. By improving and expanding public transport, we can increase the appeal of sustainable travel over private car use. Investment will focus on prioritising walking, cycling and public transport use and reducing congestion on the network. This will enable Hertfordshire residents to live active, healthy lives and help create a county that works well for everyone who lives in it and for visitors.

The current COVID-19 situation This APR monitors the time period from 1 April 2019 through to 31 March 2020, and

most of the information within it falls outside of the effects of the COVID-19 situation

and its many ramifications. The first full day of the lockdown was 24 March 2020.

Contact details

For further information and questions on LTP4 and the APR, please contact us by

email at: ltp@hertfordshire.gov.uk

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Progress with active travel The promotion of active and sustainable travel that gives everyone the opportunity to travel by modes other than car is fundamental to LTP4. Whilst recognising that motorised road transport is important, LTP4 highlights the need to rebalance the way we travel and use the transport network. This can be achieved by encouraging more walking and cycling, and by use of passenger transport such as buses and trains - embedding sustainable transport choices in people’s lives. Switching to more walking and cycling for all or part of a journey, instead of using a car, is an integral objective for LTP4. Increasing levels of physical activity is central to improving Hertfordshire residents’ health and wellbeing. It reduces costs to the public purse and brings less congestion to Hertfordshire roads.

Cycling for all The aim of the county council cycling programmes is to increase the level of cycling

within the county giving opportunities for all residents to cycle safely and improve

their skills. Detailed below are some examples of the work being achieved over the

period of this APR.

The county council linked up with the Inclusion 2020 Team and their guides to

deliver cycle training to 13 visually impaired young people. Using a range of bikes

from trikes to road bikes, the team were able to get all riders to cycle independently

during the session. This was an achievement and a first for the team to work in this

field of impairment.

The county council formed a partnership with the Herts Disability Sports Foundation.

In the summer 2019, leaders from the foundation stage were trained how to teach

level 1 of the Bikeability cycle training programme. The Bikeability scheme allows

participants to gain practical skills, confidence and an understanding of how to cycle

safely on the road.

Over the school holidays, county council instructors and

the newly qualified leaders delivered Bikeability training

to nearly 100 children with special educational needs.

Training took place across six different districts in

Hertfordshire. With a 94 per cent satisfaction figure, the

training was well received by riders, parents and carers.

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A total of 7,249 individuals successfully completed the

Bikeability cycle training programme with the county

council this year. Numbers have increased 34 per cent

over the last three years, with 195 more people trained

over the last year compared to the year before. More

Hertfordshire schools have become engaged with cycling

and promoting this to their communities.

A revised ‘Hertfordshire Cycling Map for Travel and Leisure’ was launched in November 2019. This map has been comprehensively updated showing what is available in Hertfordshire, with clearly marked cycle hubs, cycle pit stops and a range of different routes for all skill levels. There are many benefits to cycling, from wellbeing to a low-cost form of transport but many people are put off cycling regularly, as they believe the roads are too dangerous, and that cycling on them would be a risky

activity to undertake. There has been a substantial programme of improvement to roads and junctions throughout Hertfordshire to encourage more cycling, details of some of these highway initiatives are listed on pages 23 to 27. Use of up-to-date data, including Strava, has helped to show preferred cycling routes for both commuter and leisure journeys to be used to support initiatives. The @hertscycling twitter account has increased the number of people following the information updates and advice, encouraging cycling training and participation and pushing key safety messages. Information at Hertfordshire Cycling gives clear advice on routes and cycling clubs and activities, and also easy access to reporting a fault on a road and pavement.

The county council is in the process of developing a cycle hire framework for the county. The first bike share scheme in Hertfordshire has been set up with Watford Borough Council and Beryl Bikes. The scheme comprises of up to 200 pedal bikes, 25 e-bikes and 70 preferred parking locations at Beryl Bays across Watford. This will support the reduction of road traffic and air pollution as well as improving health and fitness across the borough.

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Promoting walking Walking is important for the wellbeing of residents, and increasing the number of

journeys done on foot is focal to LTP4; walking is a free, healthy form of transport.

The promotion of walking by the county council is being done with ongoing success

and increased participation.

Focus on Travel Plans

The annual Hertfordshire Sustainable Modes of Transport Strategy (SMoTS) details

how the county council can increase the opportunities for children and young people

to travel to schools and colleges by sustainable modes safely and to improve their

wellbeing.

There has been an increase in the number of primary school children walking,

cycling, scooting or using other sustainable travel such as by the bus. The increase

of nearly six percent from 2018 to 2019 figures is based on a survey of 20,519

children. The annual ‘hands up’ survey of students at Hertfordshire schools collects

data on how children travel to school.

The county council has engaged with Hertfordshire

Schools to produce school travel plans, encouraging

active and safer travel to school through the national

Modeshift STARS scheme. This scheme recognises

schools and other educational establishments that have

shown excellence in supporting active and sustainable

travel.

Modeshift accreditations at the end of the school year

July 2019 were up 38 percent from 2018. Schools achieved 67 accreditations - 40

bronze, 19 silver and eight gold awards. This is the highest recorded total that

Hertfordshire has ever achieved.

Hertfordshire schools are becoming more focused on supporting sustainable travel

and improving the wellbeing of their communities. In recognition, Shepherd Primary

School, Rickmansworth, pupils have embraced walking and cycling to school and

were crowned the Modeshift STARS School of the Year in Hertfordshire and the

South East region in November 2019. This follows on from earlier success in 2019

when Mandeville School, Sawbridgeworth won the national primary school category

and Richard Hale School, Hertford were the runner-up in the secondary school

category.

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Supporting walking The popular annual Walk to School Week had a record

number of 233 schools signed up to take part and receive

free resources. The Walk to School Week ran from 20 to

24 May 2019 and was linked with Clean Air Day on 20

June 2019, encouraging active travel all through the

month. It was an enjoyable activity for many

communities.

The team of 142 school crossing patrols has worked

throughout the year in all weathers, keeping students and

their families safer and encouraging active travel and

helping to reduce congestion and pollution around schools.

During June, in support of Clean Air Day the patrols

promoted the importance of this by wearing special caps.

The School Crossing Patrol team received valuable training on mental health during

mental health week not only for their own wellbeing but also for the way in which

they can support the communities in which they work, and often live, as active and

prominent figures. The Herts Mind Network gave a series of workshops to the patrols

in which lively discussion was actively encouraged. Mental health problems affect

around one in four people in any given year, hence it is an important issue to

address.

The Tring Yarn Bombers made this magnificent post box

topper tribute in appreciation of the school crossing patrols

of Dacorum. The dinosaur in the topper is Buster the

walking ‘stepasaurus’ mascot for the active and safer travel

team, highlighting to all residents the importance of active

travel and the important role that school crossing patrols

play within this.

The county council has worked in partnership with the charity Living Streets to run

active travel campaigns in selected Hertfordshire schools and to promote active

travel messages including the Working Walks Challenge in January 2020 for county

council staff.

Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans

The county council advocates the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans

(LCWIP) development process across the county as a step towards delivering LTP4.

An LCWIP has been prepared in Stevenage, and other plans across Hertfordshire

are in the early planning stages.

The LCWIP for Stevenage was published in late 2019. This identifies the key cycling

and walking routes in the borough and prioritises a range of interventions and

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improvements for each route. This was multi-stakeholder project with input from the

county council, the Department for Transport, Stevenage Borough Council and a

range of sustainable transport charities to ensure getting the best results for the

whole community.

Developing local active transport networks makes walking and cycling the natural

choices for shorter journeys. It provides a ready-made evidence base to help support

future bids for funding and will help to support the improvement of the Stevenage’s

active travel infrastructure.

A new LCWIP has been commissioned by Three Rivers District Council and Watford

Borough Council and the county council will work jointly with them to develop this.

Active travel projects Throughout the year a range of countywide initiatives, from the renovation of

subways with the use of community artwork to a variety of walking challenges, has

encouraged and supported active travel, and have won national recognition.

Examples of countywide projects include the Active Travel Challenge 1, 2, 3 detailed

below and the Stevenage Walking Festival overleaf.

Case study - Active Travel Challenge 1,2,3 Runner-up in the excellence in walking award - National Modeshift Awards, November 2019 This challenge was developed as an engagement activity for schools, pupils and parents to encourage walking and active travel to school. The challenge gave participating schools flexibility with three different models to suit the needs of individual school. Each lasts a week, involving the whole school with a finale at the end of the week. There are themed days to encourage participation and raise awareness. Partnership with schools, local businesses and local councillors, who provided some of the funding, helped to make the project a success. There was an increase in walking at all the participating schools. The schemes were the Sawbo (Sawbridgeworth) Passport Travel Challenge, Healthy Hearts in Hemel Hempstead and Buster’s Travel Challenge in Stevenage and Hitchin.

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Case study - Project Stevenage Winner of the best partnership award - National Modeshift Awards, November 2019 This was a whole town pilot project promoting active travel and road safety - an effective approach in getting messages out to more residents. Within Stevenage there are various opportunities to use, promote and enhance existing infrastructure to encourage active travel. It has areas of huge growth and regeneration, combined with high levels of inactivity in much of the population as well as a lower life expectancy and higher levels of obesity in children and adults. Several smaller subprojects included an Active Travel Challenge with schools, a ‘be bright be seen’ campaign with schools, work with commuter cyclists, a free family walking trail event, workshops for older people and ongoing work with schools on their travel plans. The holistic approach of the project achieved more buy-in from Stevenage residents.

Case study - Stevenage Family Trail Runner-up in the best project under £1,000 award - National Modeshift Awards, November 2019 The free trail was run for the first time on 5 May 2019. It was developed to encourage greater participation from families in walking and was ideally situated in a large accessible park. It was well attended despite challenging weather conditions, with over 700 people enjoying the trail. Participants were given a map and an answer sheet to find wildlife clues and then complete a sentence about active travel to enter a competition. Around the trail were activities, information and points of interest, including the new Stevenage Cycle Hub and activity areas. These areas gave the partners including the police and fire and rescue opportunities to engage with families. The trail was linked to a bigger project in Stevenage (mentioned above) to increase walking as the preferred mode of transport for the town. The council worked with schools and Stevenage Borough Council to promote the event across the town. The event was also used to promote the upcoming Walk to School Week and key road safety messages.

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Hertfordshire Health Walks

Hertfordshire Health Walks are a popular, well received county council programme,

available countywide for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. The free led

walks give residents the opportunity to explore and enjoy their local area and to feel

supported whilst doing so.

The range and number of walks has continued to increase and evolve, reaching

more residents within Hertfordshire.

The number of participants increased

between 2019 and 2020 and receives

excellent feedback as a much-valued

service.

In 2019/20 Hertfordshire Health Walks

had:

❖ 68,053 total attendance

❖ 1,173 new walkers

❖ 4,233 led walks

Progress on rights of way

The Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) contains tailored area action plans to

ensure that footpaths, cycle tracks, bridleways and byway routes are adequately

signposted, maintained and free from obstruction, encouraging active travel.

The focus on active travel is underlined by the appointment of an Active Travel

Projects Officer on a one-year fixed term basis, currently until the end of August

2020. This role focuses on identifying projects able to improve elements of the

Rights of Way network to facilitate active travel. Initial delivery is underway at several

sites with further projects in development.

Currents projects include the ongoing upgrade of the Cole Green Way; a further

£300k of funding has been secured to continue work in partnership with Sustrans,

the walking and cycling charity. Similar improvements are being delivered in the

coming year on the Nickey Line, with funding of £174k secured, and the Alban Way.

Other examples of work that has encouraged active travel

include the upgrade of Tring Town Footpath 71 from a

footpath to a bridleway sought by the county council as

part of the negotiations for this upgrade. The creation of

this bridleway makes an off-road active travel route from

the Icknield Way to the byway network south of Tring for

walkers, horse riders and cyclists.

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An upgrade of the Ayot Greenway A plan for improving the Ayot Greenway and Jersey Lane, running from St Albans to Sandridge, has been written, and the public consultation for this finished on 25 March 2020. The new plan aims to upgrade the Ayot Greenway into an attractive, functional route, recognising its importance to the community and the potential for more active travel along it. A priority is to improve its surface and drainage, while ensuring that any changes are sensitive to its rural character. Proposals include making access points easier to use and welcoming with clear signage. New interpretation signs and entrance signs would celebrate the railway heritage of the route.

The work improving the route by Buntingford Bypass – Aspenden

shows the ongoing commitment that the county council has to

making active travel more possible and safer. An application was

received to add a route to the Definitive Map and Statement of

public rights of way, which would have recorded an historic

bridleway running straight across the A10 Buntingford Bypass,

between Aspenden and Buntingford. Changes on this regularly

used route meant that the bridleway would cross the busy bypass

road at grade, on a long bend and then run through the Watermill

Industrial Estate. After negotiations with the local landowner and agreement from the

applicants, a diversion of the route was agreed which now runs inside the field next

to the A10 and joins Aspenden Road near the A10 underpass, allowing walkers,

riders and cyclists to get under the bypass safely.

Sustainable travel towns The sustainable travel town (STT) project aims at achieving significant rises in the

use of sustainable travel through schemes and behavioural change initiatives. This

project has progressed, and bids to become STTs have been received for eight

Hertfordshire towns.

For more information on the sustainable travel town programme, please go to the

major projects section on page 28.

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Focusing on road safety An important tenet of LTP4 is improving safety

on Hertfordshire roads. This is being done

through targeted work with partners, and in

particular through the Hertfordshire Road Safety

Partnership. Proactive measures are taken by

Hertfordshire Highways and there are joint

initiatives promoting key national and local road safety messages including giving

cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders the space they require on the road. The Road

Safety Strategy is currently being revised and will be published later this year, key

within this is ‘vision zero’.

Road safety and active travel initiatives include the

flagship programme Learn 2 Live which delivers

essential advice to 16 and 17-year old studying at

Hertfordshire schools and colleges. This well-received

programme has grown year on year, with over 7,500

young people participating in events in autumn 2019 and

more schools attending for the first time.

This programme is always looking to evolve and improve

with a new online system for schools to book on the Learn 2 Live 2020 programme

now live. By converting from a manual system to a digital system, it has been easier

for schools to make a booking via a direct link and receive confirmation with a unique

reference number to trace the booking easily. This system provides consistency by

mirroring the online systems in place for cycle and driver training.

Other focused road safety projects included highlighting the

importance of checking and maintaining tyres. The project ran

through October 2019, Tyre Safety month, but focused on that

tyre safety matters all year round. The @roadsafetyherts twitter

account has a growing number of followers and gives up to date

guidance and information on campaigns and road safety

campaigns.

The Road Safety Fund is managed by the Road Safety

Partnership with support from the Hertfordshire Crime and Police

Commissioner’s Office. Funding has been available for a wide

range of educational and prevention road safety projects including

Speed Indicator Devices (SIDs), cycling training schemes,

support for older drivers and the improvement of roads outside

schools over the 2019/20 time period.

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Rail improvements Rail plays an important role within the transport structure in Hertfordshire and is a

more sustainable form of transport. The county council works in partnership with the

ten district councils to seek improvements from the rail industry, undertake activities

to support rail growth and find ways in which it can link with other sustainable

transport.

To reflect changes in the rail industry and travel patterns in Hertfordshire, a revised

Rail Strategy has been drafted and been put out for public consultation. The final

document will be published and available to be viewed later in 2020.

Several rail projects are planned that will transform rail travel in the region over the

next decade. Major projects, such as Crossrail, HS2 and potentially Crossrail 2, will

provide significant changes to the capacity available and journey opportunities on

key services to and from Hertfordshire.

The county council continues to strengthen links with the rail industry and holds

regular meetings with the three main train operating companies, GTR, Greater

Anglia and London Northwestern Railway, running through Hertfordshire, and is

working to improve links with Network Rail. There is ongoing work with train

operating companies on the development of Station Travel Plans to promote and

enable more sustainable modes of travel to stations. The Intalink Enhanced

Partnership (see more information on this on page 15) will help to promote rail

services and links with bus operations, with a commitment within the Intalink Bus

Strategy to increase the range of multi-operator and smart tickets and to review the

PlusBus service.

The county council responded to rail consultations, including the East Midlands

Trains timetable consultation, to promote developments for the benefits of

Hertfordshire residents and businesses.

An ongoing programme of small-scale schemes to improve sustainable access to

stations will see new cycle facilities installed at Cheshunt, Rye House, Elstree and

Borehamwood and Harpenden during 2020. This will incentivise more active travel to

and from stations. There is also work being done on two larger schemes at

Letchworth and Harpenden stations to improve access for cyclists and pedestrians,

and a bus interchange.

With fifty new cycle parking spaces at

Rickmansworth station (shown in the picture), this

is the latest transport hub to provide rail users

with high quality two-tier cycle parking and better

security.

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The redevelopment of St Albans Station includes a new passenger waiting room and

the relocation of bike racks. This has increased capacity, given more protection from

the elements and CCTV has been upgraded to improve security.

The Abbey Line achieved accreditation from the

Department for Transport in the Autumn of 2019 and

was successful in bidding for Customer and

Community Investment Fund (CCIF) funding to provide

new, improved waiting shelters for stations on the line.

This ongoing improvement of facilities for passengers

is an incentive to travel by rail, making journeys more

comfortable and pleasurable. The Abbey Line

Community Rail Partnership unveiled an attractive

mural on platform 10 at Watford Junction.

A bid was submitted to the Department for Transport’s “Restoring Your Railway” fund

to move forward with the work to provide a passing loop on the Abbey Line.

A new Community Rail Partnership, the New River Line, has been established on the

branch line between Hertford East and Broxbourne; this will allow more engagement

with communities, giving opportunities for residents to get the most from their

railways and acts as an encourage for more rail travel. It promotes social inclusion

and sustainable travel, working alongside train operators bringing improvements and

stations back to life.

The completion of the Stevenage turnback

platform has been slightly delayed by the

COVID-19 crisis but will be delivered by the

end of July 2020.

Fare improvements include a more convenient

‘Contactless Pay as You Go’ extension to

include Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Welwyn

Garden City, Radlett, St Albans and Harpenden

stations.

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Advances in the bus service The Intalink Enhanced Partnership In line with the objectives of LTP4 in prioritising passenger transport, the county

council promote and support bus services as a sustainable way to travel. More

efficient and attractive bus services lead to reduced car usage and encourage more

people to take the bus.

The Intalink Enhanced Partnership was developed during 2019/20 and launched on 1 April 2020. It will deliver improvements to services in Hertfordshire and is made up of the county council and over 20 bus

operators. This partnership will lead to necessary changes and the streamlining of communications, more closely integrating the bus network and making smarter use of data and information. Building on the collaboration work of the original ‘unique’ Intalink Partnership of over 20 years standing. The Intalink Bus Strategy, published in February 2020, outlines the proposals to improve bus travel and plans to grow the local bus network in support of LTP4 objectives. Improvements in the bus service include:

❖ Shift towards development and implementation of bus priority measures Bus priority feasibility studies are being commissioned to identify bus priority and

other measures to facilitate bus operation in towns. Towns are selected by bus

operators as experiencing the most issues with congestion. Watford, St Albans and

Stevenage have had these studies, and further work is being done to expand their

scope to include inter-urban corridors coming in and out of these towns. A bus

priority feasibility study for Hemel Hempstead is currently being undertaken.

The county council has adopted a policy to enforce bus lanes using ANPR

(automatic number plate recognition) cameras, prioritising and supporting public

transport services. These changes are key to making bus travel an attractive, reliable

travel choice.

❖ Further infrastructure upgrades to bus stops and real time information

The Enhanced Partnership has made the commitment of one corridor upgrade per

two years and 15 display screens per year.

❖ Closer working relationship with bus operators

❖ Marketing campaigns, a branding exercise and a new website and app Intalink Bus Strategy sets out the intention for a five-year marketing plan and a

consistent branding approach using the Intalink brand.

❖ Mobile and multi-operator ticketing There are some multi-operator tickets in place such as the BUSnet tickets in Welwyn

Hatfield, St Albans, Watford and Hemel Hempstead. More services are being

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 16

enabled to accept contactless payment and using an accessible design for those

with mobility problems.

Punctuality figures for bus services within Hertfordshire were impressive with 94.3 per cent of buses running on time for the year 2019/20, based on data from 5,333 checks. This high level of punctuality reflects the hard work behind the scenes keeping services running and makes using the bus a much more attractive travel option. There has been a sustained improvement in punctuality year-on-year over the past four years. The Savercard for students which gives 50 percent off single and return bus journeys has been extended to 19-year-olds from September 2019. The scheme is now for 11 to 19-year-olds, supporting students who are staying on for further education, increasing accessibility to a wider group. There has been an increase of 4,000 students purchasing the Savercard, which can also be used at weekends and evenings. Bids are being prepared to the Government’s Rural Mobility Fund for a Watford DRT expansion into rural hinterland, St Albans and Hatfield links to core inter-urban network, and North Herts rural links, to be submitted in Summer 2020.

Better bus services for residents

New bus services have been launched to support

development within Hertfordshire and giving

accessibility to residents, new bus services include

the 311 for Bishops Stortford North in January 2020,

and the S6 for Oaklands Grange, St Albans in October 2019. The county council

secured S106 funding from developer Taylor Wimpey to procure the S6 service.

Other countywide improvements include a new bus and coach interchange near

Maylands business park in Hemel Hempstead, a bus priority lane on the ‘magic

roundabout’ in Hemel Hempstead, a bus lane on Cavendish way in Hatfield,

improved bus services between London Colney and St Albans, improvements to

Hertford bus station, and an upgrade of bus stops across Broxbourne borough.

Progress has been made on the development of a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT),

outlined in LTP4, which will provide the backbone of a sustainable and reliable public

transport system across Hertfordshire. More information is available on page 28.

Transport safety and security The effects of COVID-19 was just beginning to be felt in March 2020. The county council are investigating the best and safest approaches to deal with the current crisis, keeping services moving in the safest way for all.

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Travel plans and behaviour change Travel plans are essential for sustainable development and are an important tool in

the county council’s strategy to achieve LTP4 goals and objectives. New Travel Plan

Guidance was adopted in March 2020, and is available online. See examples of

some travel plans detailed below.

The county council is developing travel plans for its sites in Apsley, Stevenage and

Hertford which should be adopted later in 2020. The beginning of the effects of

COVID-19 were being felt before the end of March 2020, the time frame for this

annual progress report, and remote working is becoming more of a necessity. The

trend towards home working, decreasing the need to travel, was already apparent

and the effects of pandemic have enforced and increased this trend markedly.

As part of the wider Maylands Travel Plan project, Go Travel Solutions have also

launched a low-carbon travel scheme called SmartGo Maylands; a staff benefits

package aiming to incentivise the use of alternative sustainable transport solutions to

get to and from work by methods including by bus, bike, train and electric vehicle.

Discounts are offered with a range of partners including Halfords and Arriva to

encourage opting for low carbon travel solutions.

Travel plan - Tesco Shire Park As part of the move of Tesco’s headquarters site from Cheshunt to Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, and a subsequent increase in car parking space, a travel plan was agreed upon which aimed to reduce the occupancy of the car park. Tesco committed to providing free staff shuttle buses between their headquarters and Welwyn Garden City rail/bus station to encourage sustainable transport. A baseline was set in 2013, and the five years’ monitoring period ended in 2019, with a car park occupancy audit showing that the usage was on average 46 spaces ahead of the target. This was helped by a well-publicised and strongly enforced car share scheme backed up by use of voucher incentives for compliance, measured by individual vehicle entry into the barriered and patrolled car park. A reduction in car parking space usage by 166 spaces over five years was achieved.

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Travel plan - Croxley Green Business Park A developments’ baseline survey on how staff travel was first undertaken in 2017, and surveys have been carried out annually since then to give key data on what is happening with staff travel. Since the baseline survey, several sustainable measures have been implemented including the free hire of bicycle and scooter for staff of the business park, free travel, additional journeys on the W30 bus route funded by the business park, and active travel events. Three hundred and fifteen staff participated in the business park’s 2019 staff travel survey, a high response rate of 64 per cent, and there has been a reduction of single occupancy car use. Comparing the 2019 survey with the baseline 2017 survey, there has been a drop of four per cent in just two years.

Travel plan - Bishop’s Stortford North development area St Michael’s Hurst is an early segment of the development area and is an important test of the county council’s travel plan process. The overall consent is for 329 homes, many of which have now been completed. The developer is making S106 contributions to support the provision of viable and reliable bus services between the development and key destinations including the town centre, rail station and Stansted Airport. The travel plan commits them to incentivise new residents to use the bus free for three months and the county council has worked with the travel plan coordinator and bus companies to provide multi-operator bus passes. The March 2019 monitoring report showed they had exceeded targets based on automatic traffic count surveys. The resident survey also suggested that half of work-related journeys are being made by sustainable means. The year two monitoring survey was completed just before the COVID-19 lockdown, and the results of this will become available by the end of June 2020.

Parking review The Local Plan for Stevenage Borough was adopted on 22 May 2019 and commits

the Stevenage Borough Council to regularly review its parking requirements; a draft

replacement for parking provision has been out for consultation with a view to adopt

this in summer 2020. This includes a proposed approach to parking provision within

new developments providing clear guidance and more certainty to developers. This

would ensure that new developments would provide an appropriate level of parking

for motor vehicles, electric vehicles and bicycles helping to encourage a modal shift

in transportation habits in line with LTP4. Other district and borough councils are also

looking at their policies in this area.

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Emissions reduction and air quality In April 2019, the county council adopted and published an Air Quality Strategy and

Implementation plan, which seeks to reduce the impact of poor air quality.

Work towards improving air quality includes the production of the third annual PM2.5

monitoring report for Hertfordshire; collaborative work by the Herts and Beds Air

Quality Forum for Hertfordshire Public Health, which is available on the Forum’s

website.

The county council has supported the communications for the countywide Air Alert Scheme, which is now up and running. This was funded by district and borough councils and coordinated through the Herts and Beds Air Quality Forum. As part of this, an article was funded on the scheme in the Environment Times and it was promoted to health partner organisations via the Public Health Board Workshop.

The Public Health Board ran a workshop for health and social care in conjunction with District and Borough colleagues late in 2019 on air quality raising awareness of the issue in the wider health sector.

The use of more ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) is being encouraged with work

being done looking at charging network for electric vehicles (EVs) within

Hertfordshire.

The Enhanced Intalink Partnership includes non-statutory aspirational targets for

vehicle emissions. Within the partnership, there are specific commitments to deliver

aspirational targets (including +20 per cent in Air Quality Management Area

(AQMAs)): external funding bids, reducing the age of vehicles on county council

contract services, working with districts to ensure commitments in their Air Quality

Action Plans (AQAPs), and enforceable minimum standards where bus priority

measures would be delivered. More vehicles are being fitted with lower emission

Euro V engines. Work was done on a bid to the Government’s All-Electric Bus Town

for St Albans, which was submitted by the June 2020 deadline. This is reflective of

the growing understanding and support from bus operators on the importance of

passenger transport in combatting environmental change.

On 20 June 2019, Clean Air Day was celebrated by the county

council, with several district and borough councils also

messaging on the importance of clean air for all. Linked to this

was an anti-idling campaign, and the annual Walk to School

Week encouraging walking through to Clean Air Day with the

School Crossing Patrol wearing special ‘clean air’ hats to

highlight this.

The county council submitted a successful bid for funding for the Hertford subway

project. This programme of renovating subways involves local communities and

promotes active travel and how this is linked with improving air quality.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 20

Future travel The mobility strategy The county council is developing a future mobility strategy to understand how we can

take advantage of emerging technologies and innovations to deliver the vision

presented in LTP4. LTP4 objectives are part of the framework of the future mobility

strategy, to ensure new technologies and innovations are applied to solve the

challenges agreed upon by the county council and key stakeholders.

The strategy presents a series of policy positions for key technology themes which

the county council will focus on. Work has been completed to align each of these

themes with LTP4 policy and objectives. The strategy is still being developed and

should be completed later in 2020.

The themes include:

❖ Testing, piloting and implementing future transport solutions ❖ Electric vehicle charging infrastructure ❖ Intelligent transport systems and data analysis ❖ Shared and micro mobility

The county council are looking at how best to support the provision of a countywide

electric vehicle charging network to ensure residents and local communities have

reliable and accessible access to charge points. This will outline if residents will be

eligible to apply for an on-street charge point if they do not have access to off-street

parking, which represents roughly 35 per cent of residents across Hertfordshire.

Following positive feedback from residents about on street

electric vehicle charging points, seven new electric vehicle

charging points providing charging opportunities for up to 14

vehicles were installed across Watford. The new charging

points were placed in convenient locations around the area.

The county council is leading a project in partnership with Ocado, the University of

Hertfordshire and the Herts LEP in creating Hertfordshire’s first Living Lab. This is a

place where public and private bodies can collaboratively test and pilot innovative

transport solutions, which will include cutting edge technology from autonomous

vehicles to drones, in a safe but real-world environment. The project will develop

several ways for local communities to get involved with the experiments and provide

them with a platform to actively shape the solutions of the future. Technology piloted

across the Living Lab will be aligned to LTP4 objectives to ensure that it delivers

value for the society, environment and economy across Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 21

Keeping the network running Across Hertfordshire’s 3,000 miles of road, work has included repairs and maintenance to roads, pavements, bridges and traffic signals, as well as a comprehensive programme of improvement to the network. The Integrated Works Programme (IWP) covers the annual highway maintenance and improvement schemes which are undertaken each year. Improvement schemes factor in the need to reduce accidents, tackle congestion and focus on making it easier for people to walk, cycle and use public transport, in line with policies within LTP4. Improvement in communications on roadworks, reporting faults, transport issues and

guidance are ongoing. There is clear and current information on the Hertfordshire

website and Highways twitter feed giving residents well informed, live updates on

travel routes and other important information.

The county council work hard to keep the network running

efficiently and safely. The 58 strong gritter fleet can be required

to work around the clock to keep the network moving. Last

winter on each run, gritters covered around 1,550 miles,

spreading 300 tonnes of salt on the county’s roads, this was an

important safety measure. A popular competition was held to

name six gritters; the chosen names after the poll were De-Ice

Ice Baby, The Itsy Gritsy Spider, Gritty Gritty Bang Bang, Thor,

Gritter Thunberg and Ready Salted. This was a great, fun way

of engaging with residents whilst highlighting the importance of

the work gritters do in keeping roads safer in cold icy weather.

Forward thinking The county council is working innovatively towards managing the network better and reducing traffic congestion. The county council were joint winners of the Best Use of New Technology in the Highways Industry at the prestigious Highways UK awards. In partnership with Ringway, Essex County Council and Elgin, a software application was developed and trialled, which allows real-time road closure information from across both counties to be sent directly from works on the ground to driver’s sat nav devices to ensure they are automatically routed around roadworks. This system helps traffic flow and journey time reliability and helps to remove the conflict point between driver and worker at roadworks.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 22

Proactive action

A progressive and agile county council staff have dealt with challenging weather conditions including in swift succession storms Ciara on 9 February, and Dennis on 16 February 2020. Thousands of enquiries and fault reports were made during the year, these were dealt with in an efficient and timely manner in sometimes extreme circumstances. An example is the response to storm Dennis when there were 687 callouts with a two-hour or 24-hour response time. These were from obstructions to roads or footpaths from fallen trees or branches. In contrast over a more normal weekend, around 100 reports are on average received. Additional frontline resources were called in to ensure that all the main routes were passable ahead of the Monday morning rush hour. Teams worked through the day and night to clear fallen trees. An additional 39 calls were passed over to the Highways team by Fire Control. The service attended 31 incidents where they believed there was a risk to life.

A transport system for all A new Transport Disabilities Consultation Group was set up in late 2019 showing the

clear commitment to inclusivity. This group will feed into transport policy

development and infrastructure plans to ensure that the experience and perspectives

of people with disabilities are listened to, and that policies and highways schemes

work effectively for all residents.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 23

Highways projects and schemes These are some excellent examples of delivered projects, which advance the

objectives and policies of LTP4 to enable greater levels of walking and cycling as

well as supporting passenger transport and safer travel in 2019/20.

North Herts Baldock

A new pedestrian crossing has been provided on

Station Road, Baldock to improve accessibility to

the railway station, encouraging walking and

supporting rail travel. The project also included a

zebra crossing to the northwest of Icknield Way

Junction.

The scheme is intended to provide road safety improvements at the

A505 Royston Bypass roundabout through kerb realignments at its northbound exit

and road markings improvements to all the roads leading to the roundabout including

the roundabout itself.

Royston

Two pedestrian crossings on raised speed tables have been

introduced at suitable locations with speed cushions on the

approaches to the crossings at York Way, Royston. Pavements

have been widened and resurfaced, as shown in the photograph.

This will make pedestrian movements much safer in a busy area of

Royston.

The scheme on Melbourn Street, Royston has improved awareness of the existing

zebra crossing by providing belisha beacons with LED (light emitting diode) halos,

which are more energy efficient. This work was carried out in July 2019.

Hitchin

The Periwinkle Lane/Strathmore Avenue, Hitchin drainage additional works scheme

introduced safety measures, this included central hatch marking on Park Way from

the Three Moorhens roundabout to the existing central hatch on the approach to

Charlton Road junction. New warning signs were positioned at the extents of the

scheme. The works were carried out in October 2019.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 24

Stevenage

A rising bollard for the bus gate at Hertford Road was installed

in May 2019. The improvements in the bus gate have resulted

in the successful enforcement of the bus gate restriction and

reduced the traffic volume on the western section of Hertford

Road by 20 to 30 percent. Bus gates and bus lanes are an

important aid in improving bus reliability and easing congestion

and support sustainable travel.

The new Argyle Way zebra crossing

scheme has increased accessibility to

the ‘Gunnells Wood’ employment area

and access to Stevenage railway station.

Following on from the pedestrian

improvement scheme, a cycling

improvement scheme is to provide a

cycle route from Argyle Way to

Stevenage railway station.

Dacorum Hemel Hempstead

Improvements in the Redbourn pedestrian

and cycle way are indicated by the pictures.

The before picture shows how it use to look

before the work was completed, and the next

picture showing how it looks once the work

has been done.

Three Rivers Rickmansworth Pedestrian and cycling improvements have been implemented through the Ebury

roundabout in Rickmansworth. These improvements enhance connectivity to

Rickmansworth town centre. The primary aim of the scheme is to provide

accessibility for both cyclists and pedestrians, in line with LTP4 policy one, improving

safety for vulnerable road users and promoting sustainable travel.

Since completion, there is a general trend of reduced traffic volumes and speeds

following scheme implementation.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 25

Leavesden

Off grid solar streetlights have been positioned to improve

walking and cycling at the Langley Lane entrance to

Leavesden Country Park, completing the low traffic route

between Rickmansworth and Leavesden.

The innovative lighting columns help to reduce CO2 emissions,

great for protecting the environment. They will save two tonnes

of CO2 emissions per light over 25 years compared to

conventional streetlights.

Maple Cross

Proposals have been made to simplify the layout of the A412

Denham Way and Chalfont Road junction to improve road

safety, and pedestrian and cycle connectivity in the area.

Proposals are at the detailed design stage, and the public

consultation has been carried out.

St Albans A scheme for pedestrian improvements at London Road /

Alma Road has been completed to ensure better

pedestrian accessibility, close to the popular Odyssey

Cinema, and the construction of new residential

developments in the area. Work included widening the

pavement and improvements to the close by pedestrian

crossing. There will be further work taking place including

a cycle stand. This work improves a busy area for

pedestrians and cyclists.

Watford The Clarendon Road public realm scheme involves a significant transformation of the area around Clarendon Road, creating an attractive gateway to the town centre, and to Watford Junction Station, the busiest station in Hertfordshire, greatly improving access for pedestrians and cyclists. The work to achieve this was split into three different phases. Phase one of the scheme was completed in spring 2019, and involved key preparation work for the next stage, this included filling in an underused

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 26

subway. Starting at the beginning of 2020, phase two of the transformation has involved ongoing work on the resurfacing of footways and the carriageway, improving the junction of Clarendon Road and Beechen Grove in Watford. Traffic lights, lamp columns and street furniture have been upgraded, enhancing the overall look and feel of the area. New wayfinding signage and lighting is being put in place and additional crossings on the road and widened pavements. This greatly enhances connectivity with a more attractive street and road layout which prioritises active travel. Ongoing improvements are now being made in phase three of the scheme.

Hertsmere Bushey

Following a feasibility report for the Bushey Grove / Bushey Hall Road / Greatham

Road scheme traffic calming and pedestrian accessibility enhancement options have

been put in place – a flat top raised table with improved pedestrian crossing points

and an extended 20mph zone. This scheme aims to reduce vehicle speeds and

collisions whilst improving the environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

Welwyn Hatfield Welwyn Garden City The access and safety of pedestrians crossing Black Fan Road to get to the shopping area including Morrisons supermarket has been greatly improved. Improvements include a central island and new clear road markings. In partnership the county council and Welwyn

Hatfield Borough Council have developed a

scheme to enhance the area around the town

centre. The aim of this is to improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists,

enhancing the experience of everyone using the centre. After feedback from

consultation, the scheme is being updated to reflect community aspirations.

The Bridge Road East junction with Swallowfields has been upgraded to reduce the

chance of collisions. Enhancements include the widening of a pavement on one

corner, better visibility with the removal of a tree and the cutting back of vegetation,

an upgraded give-way sign and an increase in the size of existing mini-roundabout

markings.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 27

Broxbourne Hoddesdon Work on the New River Bridge improvement scheme began in 2020. This work improves access for walkers and cyclists, and safety for all users. There has been great progress in many aspects of the project so far, including critical work on the diversion of high voltage power cables. Engagement with the community has been excellent with planned site visits and planned safety talks to a local primary school, and well attended ‘Meet the Contractor’ events, which allowed feedback that could be acted upon. The key objectives of the scheme are to improve transport access to Hoddesdon

Business Park, increasing safety for all road users by improving pedestrian and

cyclist access and widening the road to allow HGVs to pass each other safely.

East Herts

Watton-on-Stone to Tonwell As part of the A602 improvement scheme, the roundabout has been enlarged to

provide additional capacity for traffic. This will reduce queue lengths at the

roundabout at peak times, and the change in the alignment of one of the roads going

into the roundabout has improved visibility on the road and reduced delays from

vehicles turning right. Ecological surveys have taken place to check that the

roadworks will not impact upon any protected species.

Little Hadham

Great progress has been made on the A120 bypass and

flood alleviation scheme, which commenced in July 2019.

An environmental corridor of wildflowers created a new

home for 500 roman snails and the Albury road bridge has

been installed. The project team have worked closely with

the local community to keep disruption to a minimum where

possible. For more on this scheme go to the scheme table

on page 32.

Engagement with stakeholders and the community through

a collaboration effort to ensure timely and transparent

communications on progress with the scheme has been well organised and well

received. Comprehensive communications plans include a monthly newsletter, a

dedicated YouTube channel, community drop-in sessions and engagement activities

with local schools and colleges and letters to residents.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 28

Current stage of major projects This is a short update of the current situation up until 31 March 2020 of major

projects being undertaken within Hertfordshire.

Cycle Infrastructure Improvement Towns

Schemes within the 21 towns identified as having the greatest potential to increase

cycling will be identified through the Growth and Transport Plan process. Additional

packages of measures may be considered once the Sustainable Travel Town

programme has been determined.

Sustainable Travel Towns

During 2019/20 bids for six towns were received by the county council. These bids

were submitted from a variety of organisations, including district councils, town

councils and neighbourhood planning groups. Assessment of these bids and the

determination of the initial programme will be completed in the latter half of 2020.

Passenger Transport Hub / Coachway - M1 J8 and A1(M) J8

The concept of delivering a multimodal transport interchange within the proposed

development site East of Hemel Hempstead, is being taken forward by the developer

as part of ongoing site master planning and pre-planning application work. It is

closely related to the M1 Junction 8 enhancement project, which is progressing

through a detailed design process. The concept of this East Hemel Hempstead multi-

modal transport ‘hub’ is also part of the emerging Hemel Garden Communities

Transport Strategy, which promotes it as part of a wider network of multi-modal

transport hubs across the town and new development areas.

There are currently no active investigations for the A1(M) J8 proposal.

A414 Bus Rapid Transit

The A414 Corridor Strategy was adopted in November 2019, and confirmed the

proposals for what is now called a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) scheme.

The concept is currently being further developed, with the aim of delivering a

Strategic Outline Business Case later in 2020. Consultants WSP have been

appointed to undertake proactive engagement with key stakeholders to help to refine

objectives and vision for the scheme.

Decisions on routeing and mode of transport have not yet been taken and are

subject to further consultation.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 29

Hertford Bypass

Hertford Bypass was included as part of the A414 Corridor Strategy, which went to

public consultation Winter 2018/19. Consultation responses indicated a lack of

support for the bypass and the A414 strategy was modified to include an East West

Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT) as the key measure for the A414 corridor. Route

optioneering work is currently underway for the MRT and this will include further

consideration as to whether a bypass is required to enable the MRT to travel through

the Hertford area.

New M1 Junction 8a

The Hemel Garden Communities Transport Strategy is exploring the transport

infrastructure requirements for the Hemel Garden Communities Programme, in a

context of achieving high sustainable mode share for new developments and a

modal shift across the town. The work is ongoing throughout 2020. This transport

strategy and other technical work such as strategic transport modelling is required to

assess whether a new junction would be required in the long-term. No option

development work has been undertaken for a new M1 Junction 8a to date.

New Rail Stations

There are three new station proposals within the Local Transport Plan – Park Plaza

(Waltham Cross), Turnford and Stevenage South (on the Hertford Loop). All three

stations are proposed by the local council but are also supported by the county

council. During 2019/20 Broxbourne Borough Council has undertaken further

feasibility work on Turnford station to see if it could be viable on the current two-track

railway. The previous assumption was that it could only be constructed as part of the

Crossrail 2 scheme.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 30

Current status of transport schemes

Transport improvements to support new development

(specific junctions known to be affected)

Categories Lead Authority/ Promoter

Current status

Radlett Aerodrome Site (Strategic Rail Freight Interchange)

Developer Planning consent granted. Minor works were carried out in 2019 by

SEGRO Ltd.

Gilston

North of Harlow Developer

£172million of Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) funding was secured in early 2020 by the County Council for the delivery of sustainable travel infrastructure for the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) project, an area being developed as part of the Government’s Garden Towns programme. Proposals include a new walking, cycling, and public transport link, an additional road crossing over the river Stort, and junction improvements along the A1019 providing benefits to sustainable modes.

Baldock Developer

HCC continues dialogue with Homes England, following an unsuccessful bid for Housing Infrastructure Funding.

HCC are aiming to appoint a master developer in early 2021.

Bishop’s Stortford North

Bishop’s Stortford North

The new development (Stortford Fields) is going to be delivered across two phases (first the Western Neighbourhood and then the Eastern Neighbourhood). The first phase of the development (the Western neighborhood), is on-track to be complete by the end of 2022; 393 homes at the development are now occupied. Work on the first primary school at Bishop’s Stortford North (BSN), Avanti Meadows Primary School, has commenced, the school is due to open its doors in September 2020 – due to COVID-19 this date has been revised to September 2021. The whole Stortford Fields development is expected to be completed by 2026.

Brookfield Development Area / A10 Turnford interchange

Developer

Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) Bids were submitted in March 2019 for around £38million.

Broxbourne Borough Council and HCC have selected Sovereign Centros as a development partner for the £400million mixed use scheme at Brookfield Riverside, Cheshunt, this development is part of the larger Brookfield Development, and would be an extension to the existing Brookfield Centre and Retail park for extended leisure, retail and commercial spaces.

East Hemel Hempstead

Developer

The Hemel Garden Community (HGC) funding bid was successful, and Hemel Hempstead was awarded a grant and ‘Garden Town’ status by government. Delivery in 19/20 included:

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 31

Categories Lead Authority/ Promoter

Current status

• HGC Delivery Board, Stakeholder Steering Group and Programme Team formed;

• Hemel Hempstead and HGC Vision workshop held Oct 2019 with key partners, stakeholders and councillors;

• Dec 2019, HGC Phase 1 Masterplan (East Hemel) reviewed by St Albans Design Review Panel.

Junction upgrades (single and multiple junctions)

Categories

Lead Authority/ Promoter

Current status

A414/A1081 HCC

Following the adoption of the A414 Strategy (October 2019) a scheme is being investigated at the A414/A1081 London Colney Roundabout to improve journey time reliability and reduce severance of local communities caused by the A414. This scheme will consider planned development in the area and seek to facilitate a shift to more sustainable forms of travel. Detailed traffic modelling of the junction and surrounding roads has been undertaken to investigate several options with a view to public consultation in 2020/21.

A414 Colney Heath/ Smallford Lane Longabout

HCC The signalisation scheme for this junction is in the County Council’s 2020/21 Integrated Transport Programme for delivery in August 2020.

A1(M) J4, A414/A1001, A414/Great North Road

HCC / Highways England

The A414 Strategy was adopted in October 2019 and contains a Package 20 (A1(M) Junction 4 (north of Hatfield), which includes A1(M) junction 4 upgrades and other junction improvements for the A414 and A1001 which are in close vicinity. However, it is unlikely that anything will be delivered in the short term.

M25 J25 Highways England

Highways England held a series of public information exhibitions, during the Summer 2019. The scheme has been taken through the necessary planning and statutory procedures and, the current programme of works is summarised below:

Stats diversions: October 2020

Start of main works: January 2021

Likely completion date of works on site: September 2022

Harlow A414 multiple junctions

Essex CC

Essex County Council is currently implementing a A414 Edinburgh Way/Cambridge Road junction improvement scheme. This scheme is part of a £15 million investment in the Harlow road network, to manage congestion and support future local economic growth. The main construction phase began in early 2018. To support the main works temporary road closures have been put in place in 2019/20 to allow the

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 32

Categories

Lead Authority/ Promoter

Current status

contractors to carry out more daytime work safely, with 24-hour diversions. The main works are due to be completed in 2020.

M11 J7 Highways England/ Essex CC

Following representation from Essex County Council ‘Road investment strategy’ funding originally earmarked for J7 has been transferred to Essex County Council for the delivery of an alternative junction - M11 junction 7a.

M11 J8 Essex CC

Essex County Council issued an invitation to tender to contractors in late 2019, but the scheme was not awarded due to unforeseen financial and governance issues. Further work is now required on what key infrastructure improvement will be delivered by Essex County Council.

Buntingford South A10 roundabout

HCC

The design development is underway, and consultation will be undertaken in 2020/21. The scheme has been brought forward in collaboration with the Hertfordshire LEP as an infrastructure project to facilitate growth. Construction remains subject to funding being identified in future financial years.

Highway improvements

Categories

Lead Authority/ Promoter

Current status

A602

improvements HCC

HCC is progressing the A602 Improvements between Stevenage and Ware in partnership with the Hertfordshire LEP as a key infrastructure project to facilitate growth. A contract was awarded in March 2020 for Section B, which includes enhancements to the A119 roundabout at Watton at Stone, and a realigned section of Ware Road between Heath Mount School to the Stony Hills junction. Construction for this final phase is due to commence on site in June 2020 and is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.

A planning application is also being progressed for a complimentary off-road cycleway between Sacombe Pound and Stoneyhills to reduce the severance the A602 has on local communities and highway users. If approved, it is hoped that this cycleway can be delivered as part of the works.

A120 bypass HCC

HCC is progressing the A120 bypass and flood alleviation scheme in partnership with the Environment Agency and Hertfordshire LEP as a key infrastructure project to facilitate growth. Once complete the project will decrease journey times and improve journey time reliability on this important east-west link in Hertfordshire. This will reduce congestion in the village centre and improve the quality of life for the residents of Little Hadham. Additionally, the flood alleviation scheme will help minimise flood risk within the village.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 33

Categories

Lead Authority/ Promoter

Current status

Following award of contract to GRAHAM Construction, works commenced on site in July 2019 and are progressing well. The original programme was to complete the scheme by winter 2020/21, however this is currently under review due to potential delays associated with COVID-19.

M1-A6 road link Central Bedfordshire Council

The Central Beds Development Management Committee agreed to recommend the planning application for the proposed M1 to A6 Link Road to the Secretary of State in September 2019, and the scheme was given the final go ahead in January 2020. Construction is expected to take two years.

A1(M) J6-8 smart

motorway Highways

England

Works have now started after the project was put on hold for a Government review. Works began 16 March 2020 with vegetation clearance. From March 2020 Highways England will be working on initial works including detailed design development, strengthening the hard shoulder, structural survey work, detailed topography, drainage and road surface surveys. The completion date is now expected to be March 2023, subject to the delivery plan approval and publication.

M11 J7A Highways England/ Essex CC

Essex County Council has worked with Highways England to investigate options to improve access to Harlow’s road network to help facilitate growth. A strategic options appraisal study concluded that a new junction on the M11, known as Junction 7A, was the best solution. The current works include:

• Advanced drainage, clearance and utility works are finished on Gilden Way to help facilitate the main works.

• On 17 December 2019 Essex County Council’s Cabinet agreed the appointment of John Graham Construction Ltd to undertake the main works.

• Construction is expected to commence on Gilden Way/Sheering Road in late spring 2020, with works on the motorway junction and link road likely to start in summer/ autumn 2020.

• The new junction is planned to open in 2022.

New River Bridge

Hoddesdon HCC

This key infrastructure project is jointly funded by HCC, Hertfordshire LEP and Broxbourne Borough Council and will improve accessibility to the Hoddesdon Business Park for all transport users by replacing an existing narrow bridge in need of replacement.

Works commenced on site in January 2020. The original programme was to complete in Spring 2021, but this is currently under review due to potential delays associated with COVID-19.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 34

Rail improvements

Categories

Lead Authority/ Promoter

Current status

Watford Junction Watford BC / Network Rail

The occupier of the office building above the station is developing schemes to improve the entrance and station forecourt areas. Network Rail is pursuing plans to build a new footbridge to link the platforms to provide relief to the existing subway.

Stevenage Stevenage First / Network Rail

There are currently no active plans to develop the station, other than the new fifth platform.

Stevenage Town Centre Re-development

Stevenage First

A planning application was submitted for Mace’s SG1 programme in December 2019 and is being progressed as a hybrid application. The application is due to be submitted to Stevenage Borough Council planning committee (August 2020).

The Park Place apartments and retail space was completed in 2019. The Town Square project started autumn 2019, involving new paving, lighting, drainage and public realm improvements, and the development of the north block, this project is expected to last 44 weeks and be completed just before Christmas 2020. The Queensway North project started early 2019 and is a £50m mixed use development on the old Marks & Spencer site. Mace and Ashe Construction are also working together on the Town Square North Block, introducing new restaurant space in the former McDonalds site and focusing on diversifying uses rather than solely retail.

Luton Airport

Parkway

Luton Borough Council

Construction of the transit link to the airport has started, and the scheme is due for completion in autumn 2021. Major milestones include in autumn 2019 the bridge installation, and autumn 2020 the train installation.

London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL) is now submitting an application for a Transport and Works Act Order to DfT for consideration. The Order is seeking powers to enable LLAL to safely run the service after construction is complete i.e. dealing with bad behaviour, issuing tickets and levy penalty fares. The deadline for objections is 14 August 2020.

Metropolitan Line Extension Station

Transport for London

This scheme has been withdrawn by Transport for London.

Crossrail 2 Stations

Transport for London / Network Rail

This scheme is currently paused.

West Anglia Main

Line 4 Tracking Network Rail

There are currently no proposals to four track this line, but there is a study into possible shorter-term measures that could increase capacity and/or reliability in advance of four tracking.

Watford North Curve

HCC / Network Rail

This proposal is not being pursued following the demise of the Metropolitan Line Extension which it would have linked to.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 35

Finance

Capital spend

Scheme Description 2019/20 Spend

(000’s in £)

Sustainable Transport Schemes 3,909

Highways Schemes 2,517

TOTAL CAPITAL PROJECTS 6,426

Footway and cycleway maintenance 9,280

Highway Maintenance of Roads/Drainage/Bridges/Signals/Lighting/locality budgets

63,897

TOTAL CAPITAL MAINTENANCE 73,177

A120 Bypass (Little Hadham) 19,057

A602 Stevenage to Ware 1,973

A120 Standon Highway Improvements 774

A414 London Colney Scheme Development 362

Essex Road New River Bridge Scheme 2,274

TOTAL MAJOR PROJECTS 24,440

TOTAL 104,043

Revenue spend

Project spend 2019/20 Revenue

(000’s in £)

Highways projects 35,700

Passenger transport projects 17,500

TOTAL REVENUE SPEND 53,200

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 36

Sources of capital funding 2019/20

Total for capital funding = £104m

‘Other contributions’ included are:

❖ £1.905m from the Environment Agency for the A120 Bypass - Little

Hadham major project

❖ £1.70m of Section 106 contributions

❖ £1.049m of other local authority contributions

HCC capital £54.5m

Grant funding£32.2m

LEP funding£12m

Other contributions

£5.3m

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 37

Key performance indicators The LTP4 uses monitoring data in the form of performance indicators to assess

whether schemes/projects are leading to greater numbers of people using

sustainable transport i.e. walking, cycling, use of passenger transport and car

sharing. LTP4 updates the monitoring framework to ensure it uses the most robust

data that is available.

The RAG (traffic light) system assesses the change in the indicator, where green

indicates an improvement, amber no change and red an issue and that it needs to be

looked at further.

Performance indicators

Data 2018/19 (baseline)

Data 2019/20 Target

Percentage of sustainable mode share for Herts residents

40% (CTS 2018)

40% (amber) (CTS 2018)

For the % of sustainable modes to increase year on year

Accessibility of new developments (residential)

93.59% (2017/18)

85.6% (red) (2018/19)

90% (steady state)

Percentage of passengers travelling to airports by non-car modes (Luton)

Luton: 33%

(2018)

Luton: 33% (amber)

(2019)

Luton: More passengers to use sustainable transport to reduce CO2 emissions.

Percentage of passengers travelling to airports by non-car modes (Stansted)

Stansted: 50.6% (2018)

Stansted: 51.7% (green)

(2019)

Stansted: The aim is to increase the percentage journeys made by public transport.

Percentage of employees travelling to airport by non-car modes (Luton)

Luton: 32%

(2018)

Luton: 31.1% (red)

(2019)

Luton: an increase in employees travelling to work by non-car modes

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 38

* This indicator is to be reviewed in-line with the review of the Speed Management Strategy, to review

the sites used in collecting data.

**It must be noted that the totals for 2019 were the lowest on record. We have not yet been able to

compare with regional or national numbers for the year to date. The Road Safety Strategy works

towards vision zero, recognising that every serious incident represents a severe loss for a family

and a community emotionally and economically.

***ACI is a measure of the overall condition of the network as a whole and has been developed by

HCC. This is a condition index number which is derived by taking into consideration main defect

types like cracking, LPV (a measure of the ride quality), rutting, and the use of algorithms results in

a condition index number for each section of the road. A weighted average is then calculated for

each category of road. The lower the number the better condition the roads are in.

Percentage of employees travelling to airport by non-car modes (Stansted)

Stansted: 37.6%

(collected every two years)

Stansted: 37.6% (amber)

(2019)

This figure has seen a steady increase each

year since 2003

Stansted: The aim is to increase the percentage journeys made by public transport which reduces congestion on the local highway network and environmental impacts on the surrounding areas

Journey time reliability in Hertfordshire

258 272 (red) A decreasing number

Speed limit compliance – percentage on compliance of speed limits

81%* This figure is not

yet available

83% (2020/21) 84% (2025/26) 85% (2030/31)

KSIs – total number of people killed or seriously injured on Hertfordshire’s roads**

444 (2018)

420 (green) (2019)

Decrease in casualties

Number of ULEV vehicles registered in Hertfordshire

4,631 (2018)

6,356 (green) (2019)

An increase in numbers

Overall road condition index for Hertfordshire’s roads***

A Roads: 4.49 ACI (2018/19)

B, C & U

Roads: 8.97 ACI (2018/19)

A Roads: 4.0 (green)

(2019/20)

B, C & U Roads: 7.9

(green) (2019/20)

Steady State targets A Roads: 5.6

B, C & U Roads: 10.4

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 39

Performance indicators for LTP4 supporting

documents

Right of Way Improvement Plan Network Ease of Use

The network ease of use performance indicator figure is calculated from a twice-a year

survey undertaken in May and November by a team of trained and supported

volunteers.

The quarterly and annual targets are 75 per cent.

Overall annual outcome for 2019/20 is 77 per cent (green) The three-year average (to reduce fluctuations) is 75 per cent The three-year average is now at target reflecting the overall upward long-term trend in network maintenance standards.

Intalink Bus Strategy Delivery of the strategy will be monitored by the key performance indicators (KPI) listed in the table below to ensure that objectives and the strategy remain on track. In the year 2020/21, there will be figures to be placed against the baseline.

Performance Key performance indicators Baseline

Local Transport Plan 4 Bus policy

Percentage of sustainable mode share for Hertfordshire residents (%)

40

Intalink Bus Strategy Total number of bus passenger journeys (million)

32.2

Prioritising bus services in traffic

Proportion of bus services departing on time (%)

93.5

Improving the image of buses Passenger satisfaction with bus services (%)

Awaiting data

Upgrading bus infrastructure Proportion of accessible bus stops (%)

21

Closer integration of the bus network

Multi-operator ticket sales per million km

Awaiting data

Smarter use of data and information

Proportion of services with real time information (%)

Awaiting data

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 40

Status of supporting documents

The LTP4 is accompanied by a suite of supporting documents. These build on the

strategic level information of the main LTP document and provide further detail on

specific aspects of transport in geographic areas of Hertfordshire.

The list of key supporting documents and the latest version is available to read.

Updated versions of several strategies and plans will be available online later in

2020.

A further four LTP4 supporting documents were published in 2019/20 (Accessibility

Strategy, Air Quality Strategy, Intalink Bus Strategy and Rural Transport Strategy),

together with the annual update of the Sustainable Modes of Travel to School

Strategy. Consultation on the Rail Strategy was undertaken in early 2020.

The current status of the supporting documents is set out in the table below:

Supporting documents Current status

Accessibility Strategy Published

Air Quality Strategy and Implementation Plan

Published

Intalink Bus Strategy Published

Rights of Way Improvement Plan Published

Rural Transport Strategy Published

Sustainable Modes of Travel to School Strategy

Published

Rail Strategy Consultation completed and due to be published in Autumn 2020

Active Travel Strategy Due for consultation in 2020

Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan

Due for consultation in 2020

Network Management Strategy Due for consultation in 2020

Road Safety Strategy Due for consultation in 2020

Speed Management Strategy Due for consultation in 2020

Roads in Hertfordshire Currently under development and will be made available by December 2020

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 41

Current status of Growth and Transport Plans Growth and Transport Plans (GTPs) are transport strategies to help direct and plan

transport improvements and investment within particular areas in Hertfordshire, in

line with forecast developments up until 2031.

The plans are focused on delivering LTP4 objectives.

Growth and Transport Plans

Current status

South West Herts This has been adopted and published in June 2019

North Central

This was put out for public consultation until 30 March 2020 and should be completed in July 2020

South Central

This is put out for public consultation until 30 March 2020 and should be completed in July 2020

South East

A draft of this is being considered and should be ready for consultation later in 2020 and should be completed in December 2020

Eastern

A draft of this is being considered and should be ready for consultation later in 2020 and then published

A414 Corridor Strategy Adopted November 2019

The A414 Corridor Strategy was adopted in November 2019 and has been added to

the suite of LTP supporting documents.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 42

Abbreviations guide APR Annual Progress Report

AQAP Air Quality Action Plan

AQMA Air Quality Management Area

DfT Department for Transport

GTPs Growth and Transport Plans

HCC Hertfordshire County Council

LCWIP Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans

LTP4 Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan 4

MRT Mass Rapid Transit

STT Sustainable Travel Town

ULEVs Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles

Glossary Active travel Journeys undertaken by in a physically way such as walking or cycling.

e-bike

An electric bicycle also known as an e-bike is a bicycle with an integrated electric

motor used to move the bike forward.

Local Transport Plan

The Transport Art 2000 introduced a statutory requirement for local transport

authorities to produce a Local Transport Plan (LTP) every five years and to keep it

under review. The plan sets out the statutory framework under review and policies

on how transport can help deliver a positive future vision by considering safe and

efficient travel while supporting economic growth, meeting housing needs, improving

public health and reducing environmental damage. The plan also considers how

future planning decisions and emerging technology might affect the way transport

needs to be provided in the longer term.

Hertfordshire’s Local Transport Plan – Annual Progress Report 2019/20 43

Modeshift STARS

Modeshift STARS (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition for Schools) is

a national awards scheme that has been established to recognise schools that have

demonstrated excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of

sustainable travel.

S106 funding

Under S106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, contributions can be

sought from developers towards the costs of providing community and social

infrastructure, the need for which has arisen as a result of a new development taking

place. This funding is commonly known as Section 106.

Sustainable travel

Sustainable transport refers to transport that is socially, environmentally and

economically sustainable and supports the source of an indefinite supply of energy

such as walking and cycling.

Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) Vehicles emitting less than 75g of CO2/km from the tailpipe for every kilometre

travelled. It is term often used to refer to battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric and

fuel cell electric vehicles.