Bus Shelters: Installation at six locations in support of Sustainable Transport Policy

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A decision made 13 June 2017:

Decision Reference: MD-T-2017-0049
Decision Summary Title:	Provision of passenger waiting shelters at bus stops		Date of Decision Summary:	25 May 2017
Decision Summary Author:	Public Transport Planner		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Provision of waiting shelters for passengers at bus stops		Date of Written Report:	25 May 2017
Written Report Author:	Public Transport Planner		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Provision of seven additional bus shelters in support of the States of Jersey Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Transport Policy.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the installation of six shelters at the following locations: Kingsley Avenue, Rozel Apple Cottage, Route du Fort at Cleveland Road, Janvrin Road at Springfield Stadium, Avalon Park W, Longueville Manor W (Rue des Pres), and a seventh shelter at or close to the existing location of the bus stop at Bel Royal Gardens.
Reason(s) for Decision: To provide shelters at suitable bus stop locations in order to deliver improved facilities for public transport customers, in accordance with the States of Jersey Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Transport Policy.
Resource Implications: The shelters can be funded by developer contributions arising from Planning Obligation Agreements and by the 2017 Sustainable Transport Fund allocated for the purpose of providing bus shelters.
Action required: Senior Engineer to arrange for the shelters to be procured and erected.
Signature:		Position: Minister for Infrastructure
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Bus Shelters: Installation at six locations in support of Sustainable Transport Policy

DEPARTMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

PROVISION OF WAITING SHELTERS FOR PASSENGERS AT BUS STOPS

Purpose of the report

To approve the installation of seven new waiting shelters at bus stops, in support of the States of Jersey Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Transport Policy.

Background

A key objective of the States of Jersey’s Sustainable Transport Policy is the reduction of traffic. Growth in public transport usage will significantly contribute to this aim. In addition to improvements to bus schedules and services, there is a need to enhance on-street facilities for customers of the public transport network. Waiting shelters for passengers at bus stops can make life considerably better for bus users and the Department frequently receives requests for such improvements. To date over sixty have been delivered.

Discussion

The Department has identified seven further locations to install bus shelters. Using the bus stop naming convention these sites are:

Kingsley Avenue (stop 3623)
Rozel Apple Cottage (stop 2348)
Cleveland Road (stop 3629)
Springfield Stadium (stop 3737)
Avalon Park W (stop 2834)
Longueville Manor W (stop 3657)
Bel Royal Gardens (stop 2385)

The first bus shelter on the list above will be located on land administered by the Parish of St Clement and the second on a Parish of St Martin by-road.

The remainder will be located on land already in Public ownership. The erection of bus shelters is at present deemed to be permitted development by the Department of the Environment, which enables the Minister for Infrastructure to install the shelters in accordance with the Planning and Building (General Development) (Jersey) Order 2011. The Department has therefore not had to make any planning applications.

However, to ensure that the public are aware of the proposals, for each location a drawing similar to those which would have been required for a planning application was prepared and placed on the States of Jersey website consultation pages, with notices erected at sites 3 to 6 inviting members of the public to comment over a three week period, plus at Bel Royal Gardens to draw attention to the shelter included within the separate pedestrian improvement project. Consultation notices were also sited at two further bus stops (Trinity Gardens southbound and Bonne Nuit Terminus) where it is envisaged that shelters would be constructed later in 2017. Twenty-five responses were received as follows:

- No objection to or supportive of the proposals: 13 responses

- No comment on the proposals but corresponding in connection with other sites where consultation had previously taken place: 2 responses

- No comment on the proposals but requesting shelters at other sites: 4 responses

- Not supportive of the proposals: 6 responses

Sites 1 and 2 were included within previous consultations during 2016. Where requests for bus shelters at other locations were received, these have been noted by the Department for future prioritisation of resources as well as assessment for practicality of installation.

Kingsley Avenue (Greve d’Azette, St Clement)

This busy but exposed site was included in a previous consultation (MD-T-2016-0099 refers) and requires the existing bus stop to be relocated a short distance to the west so that the footway can be extended. Jersey Property Holdings have been liaising with the Parish of St Clement, who own the land involved, to agree a lease arrangement for the area in question.

Rozel Apple Cottage (La Brecque du Sud, St Martin)

This site was included in a previous consultation. The existing bus stop is on a Parish by-road, and is busy year-round but with markedly increased demand during the summer. The Constable and Parish Secretary were made aware of the proposal at an early stage and have been kept informed throughout the process.

Cleveland Road (Route du Fort, St Helier)

Planning Obligation Agreement funding from a residential development within the Parish can be allocated to this site. As with many inbound bus stops in St Helier, current passenger demand is relatively modest from this location, though of a higher level than at the alternative site on Colomberie which was also considered, and likely to grow once the development is fully occupied. One person responded to the consultation regarding this site, citing perceived low usage of the bus stop as a reason for not supporting the proposal.

Springfield Stadium (Janvrin Road, St Helier)

Planning Obligation Agreement funding from a residential development within the Parish can be allocated to this site. The position of the bus stop does not need to be changed at this location. Bus usage is moderate from this location, but busy at certain times, and one person wrote in support of the proposal.

Avalon Park W (Grande Route de la Cote, St Clement)

Planning Obligation Agreement funding from a residential development within the Parish can be allocated to this site. The proposal involves the relocation of the existing bus stop, from an awkward position in amongst a series of property accesses with roadside car parking in between, to a site slightly further west with a wider footway, and a high wall separating the public highway from the adjacent property. Five people commented on the proposal.

Three respondents were supportive, with one of the opinion that the cost would outweigh the return, and one (responding after the deadline for comments) raising concerns about visibility for pedestrians and vehicles exiting the nearest access, suggesting that local passengers seeking a shelter to wait in should walk to the bus stop at La Mare Slipway.

To address these concerns, it is recommended that the existing prohibition of waiting markings be extended, both in the vicinity of the proposed relocated bus stop and at its current position. This is to remove the likelihood of parked vehicles causing visibility to be obstructed from the adjacent property accesses. DfI officers will liaise with the Parish of St Clement in connection with this matter.

Longueville Manor W (adjacent to Rue des Pres Trading Estate, St Saviour)

This bus stop is located in a layby with street lighting and an existing bench for bus passengers to use. One person wrote in support of the shelter proposal.

Bel Royal Gardens

A shelter is included within a pedestrian improvement scheme between Bel Royal Gardens and Bel Royal School, which had already been the subject of a separate consultation exercise. Accordingly, and in contrast to the other sites above, a detailed drawing was not commissioned for a shelter at this location, but a public notice was placed at the bus stop to raise awareness of the scheme amongst local residents and bus users.

Four responses were received of which one was an objection raising various concerns. One of the supportive responses also questioned whether visibility for vehicles exiting Bel Royal Gardens would remain adequate. DfI officers are currently investigating alterations to the scheme in advance of implementation, which provides for adjusting the position of the shelter, in order to mitigate the issues highlighted.

Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to approve the installation of the following bus shelters as proposed: Kingsley Avenue (stop 3623), Rozel Apple Cottage (stop 2348), Cleveland Road (stop 3629), Springfield Stadium (stop 3737), Avalon Park W (stop 2834), and Longueville Manor W (stop 3657).

The Minister is further recommended to approve the installation of a shelter at or close to the existing location of bus stop 2385 at Bel Royal Gardens once the most appropriate position has been determined, and to contact the Constable of St Clement concerning the desired changes to prohibition of waiting markings in the vicinity of the Avalon Park W bus stop.

Reason(s) for Decision

To provide shelters at suitable bus stop locations in order to deliver improved facilities for public transport customers, in accordance with the States of Jersey Strategic Plan and the Sustainable Transport Policy.

Resource Implications

The shelters can be funded by developer contributions arising from Planning Obligation Agreements and by the 2017 Sustainable Transport Fund allocated for the purpose of providing bus shelters.

Action Required

Senior Engineer to arrange for the shelters to be procured and erected.

Written by:	Public Transport Planner
Approved by:	Manager - Transport Policy
Endorsed by	Director of Engineering and Infrastructure
Attachments	Map