Public Servant Lifestyle

Park-and-ride schemes are an important element of public transport planning in urban centres.

Park-and-ride bus schemes were set up to reduce the number of cars on the road. And they have been pretty successful in reducing congestion and helping the environment.

Park-and-ride schemes are an important element of public transport planning in urban centres.

Research on the effectiveness of bus-based schemes show they are most effective where:

They are located a reasonable distance from the urban centre they serve, ideally at a crossroads

An urban centre is served by a number of high quality sites

Services are complemented with measures on bus priority and car use

Park-and-ride schemes should be promoted as an integral part of the regional transport strategy. Proposals should be contained in the local transport plan and be based on a thorough assessment of travel impacts.

Such schemes should not be designed to increase the total public parking stock available in a town, and care should be taken - for example through tariff structures - to avoid encouraging extra travel, (especially commuting) by car.

The Problem

Transport, personal mobility and urban congestion are major issues. Increased wealth and the advantages of the car have led to critical conditions, particularly in city centres. Increased numbers of people travelling in and out of towns by road have led to gridlock at peak hours, with the transport systems unable to handle the volumes of mainly car-borne travellers.

The average Briton is also travelling more, on average 6,806 miles each year in the period 1997-99, an increase of 45% since 1975-76 ( according to the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions), with car travel forming the largest part of this increase.

Benefits

Park-and-ride schemes are one of the best tools available to local authorities, supporting their efforts to change travel habits by improving public transport. As well as reducing congestion, they also improve the environment and stimulate the local economy by increasing the appeal of town centres.

More information available in Commuting, Eco Motoring