Technical guidance on monitoring the LTP2 mandatory indicators ·  · 2015-05-07Technical guidance on monitoring the LTP2 mandatory indicators ... Section 1 - Overview Introduction

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Technical guidance on monitoring the LTP2 mandatory indicators

Contents

Section 1 - Overview.......................................................................................................3

Section 2 - Definitions for Mandatory Local Transport Plan Indicators..................5

LTP1: Accessibility ........................................................................................................7

LTP2: Change in area wide road traffic ......................................................................9

LTP3: Cycling indicator ..............................................................................................10

LTP4: Mode Share of Journeys to School .................................................................12

LTP5: Bus punctuality.................................................................................................14

LTP6: Changes in peak period traffic flows to urban centres .................................16

LTP7: Congestion (Average Vehicle Delay) ..............................................................19

LTP8: Air quality .........................................................................................................21

Section 3 - Supporting the Mandatory Indicators.....................................................25

FIGURE 1: A POSSIBLE STRUCTURE FOR LTP TARGETS............................28

ANNEX 1.......................................................................................................................31

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TECHNICAL GUIDANCE ON MONITORING THE LTP2 MANDATORY

INDICATORS

December 2004

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Section 1 - Overview Introduction

Local Transport Plan (LTP) authorities are required to report on up to seventeen mandatory indicators, three of which are mandatory for only some authorities.

Nine indicators are consistent with Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs), with a further eight (of which five are mandatory for all authorities) being specific to LTPs.

Table 1 provides a summary of the mandatory indicators for the second round of LTPs.

Table 1: List of Mandatory Indicators for the Second Round of LTPs

BVPI96 Principal Road condition.

BVPI97a Non-Principal Classified Road condition.

BVPI97b Unclassified Road condition.

BVPI99 (x) Total killed and seriously injured casualties.

BVPI99 (y) Child killed and seriously injured casualties.

BVPI99 (z) Total slight casualties.

BVPI102 Public transport patronage - based on the BVPI related to total bus patronage, but authorities may adjust the indicator to include other local public transport modes.

BVPI104 Satisfaction with local bus services.

BVPI187 Footway condition.

LTP1 An accessibility target.

LTP2 Change in area wide road traffic mileage.

LTP3 Cycling trips (annualised index).

LTP4 Mode share of journeys to school.

LTP5 A bus punctuality indicator.

LTP61 Changes in peak period traffic flows to urban centres.

LTP71 Congestion (vehicle delay).

LTP81 An air quality target. 1 Mandatory for only some authorities - see detailed indicator descriptions for specific requirements.

Guidance on methodologies

This document provides technical guidance for all seventeen mandatory indicators for the second round of LTPs. Where the indicators are covered in existing guidance (e.g. Best Value indicators) then reference is made to such guidance. For other indicators (i.e. LTP1 to LTP8), specific methodological guidance is provided in this document.

DfT has published further general and specific monitoring guidance. See Section 4 for further details.

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Authorities are reminded of the importance of taking care in implementing their monitoring methodologies in order to reduce measurement errors, providing the means for a robust and meaningful assessment of year-on-year changes.

Baseline and horizon years

A baseline of 2003/04 and a horizon year of 2010/11 should be used where possible, unless stated otherwise in this guidance. However, it will be acceptable to use a baseline of 2004/05 in new Local Transport Plans if there are technical reasons why it is more robust than 2003/04 information.

The Department is making data for indicators LTP2 and LTP7 available to authorities, although authorities may supplement these with their own data as stated in the specific guidance for each of these indicators. Whilst the Department has provided some data which might be useful for indicator LTP1, authorities may need to add to these with their own local data. Authorities should already have been collecting data on indicator LTP3 during the first LTP round.

For the other non-BVPI indicators, it is recognised that authorities may not currently hold information. For these, it will be acceptable for fully worked-up targets with 2005/06 baselines to be submitted in the final March 2006 LTPs. Authorities should indicate provisionally in the July 2005 LTPs at least the standards, or degree of change, they expect to achieve over the plan period.

Further information on baseline years for certain BVPIs is provided elsewhere in this guidance.

Relevant methodological research being conducted by DfT

(i) Local Travel Survey

DfT is currently conducting research to develop a robust and cost-effective household travel survey toolkit for use at local level. Although no mandatory indicators will be dependent on the usage of such a survey, it will be possible to use such surveys to derive complimentary information for some of the indicators including school travel and bus satisfaction. It is hoped that the toolkit can be rolled out for use during Spring 2005 and further guidance on the potential use of the survey will be issued at that stage.

(ii) Cycle Monitoring Using Automatic Cycle Counters

Measuring cycle usage has been identified as a particularly difficult area for monitoring at local and national levels. The Department has been conducting pilot trials to assess the feasibility of developing a representative local/national automatic counter network. The pilot results have proved inconclusive and have identified the need for further work to be carried out before a decision can be made whether to proceed with implementing the counter network. It is unlikely that any network could be in place before financial year 2006/07. Further information on this work will be published in due course.

Documentation

Authorities should keep internal records of all the data and methodologies used in calculating the mandatory indicators. These should be in a form that clearly sets out the particular steps, methods and assumptions made. In particular, changes in methodology and procedures for dealing with revisions should also be documented. The data used for calculating particular indicators should also be held in a form that will allow analysis to be replicated at a subsequent point in time.

Authorities should be prepared to provide copies of such documentation to DfT/Government Offices as part of LTP submissions or on request.

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Section 2 - Definitions for Mandatory Local Transport Plan Indicators Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs)

The following BVPIs must be reported in all second local transport plans:

BVPI96 Principal Road Condition.

BVPI97a Non-Principal Classified Road Condition.

BVPI97b Unclassified Road Condition.

BVPI99 (x) Total killed and seriously injured casualties.

BVPI99 (y) Child killed and seriously injured casualties.

BVPI99 (z) Total slight casualties.

BVPI102 Public transport patronage - based on the BVPI related to total bus patronage, but authorities may adjust the indicator to include other local public transport modes disaggregated.

BVPI104 Satisfaction with local bus services.

BVPI187 Footway condition.

Suitable Methodology

The ODPM guidance about the methodologies for the indicators must be followed. ODPM guidance for the 2004/05 Best Value Performance Indicators is at

http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_localgov/documents/page/odpm_locgov_028068.hcsp

and (where they have not changed from the 2003/04 set) at

http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_localgov/documents/page/odpm_locgov_609123.hcspMore detailed guidance about the survey methods for BVPIs 96, 97 and 187 is at

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_roads/documents/divisionhomepage/032471.hcsp.

Description

The BVPI guidance mentioned above provides details of the standard BVPIs. There are, however, three additional requirements for certain of the BVPIs in the reporting associated with Local Transport Plans.

(1) Casualty numbers (for BVPI99) should be reported for the calendar year immediately prior to submission of the plan or progress report, except in the case of the March 2006 LTPs.

Local authorities may also report the equivalent data to that reported for BVPI 99 for roads excluding motorways and other trunk roads (except for trunk roads subject to de-trunking). If they do so they should indicate the relative importance they attach to targets with and without trunk road casualties, but they must also report casualty numbers including trunk roads.

(2) Local authorities must monitor progress on bus patronage numbers using the BVPI102 returns. However, they can set targets and report progress additionally against a wider measure of public transport patronage should they wish, including light rail, heavy rail, community transport and local ferries. It is for the authority to decide, and provide justification for, which other local public transport modes should be included. For other modes of transport, definitions and coverage should be consistent with that used for BVPI102.

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The Department encourages all authorities with light rail systems to have targets for both bus patronage and light rail patronage. The Department collects statistical returns for light rail patronage which may be used (e-mail [email protected], 020 7944 4139).

(3) Local authorities should report BV104 results related to satisfaction levels amongst all respondents. Local authorities may also report on the percentage of bus users satisfied (if the sample is sufficient). If so, authorities should indicate the relative importance they place on the two components of this indicator. Local authorities need to use one or both datasets consistently for all the years they are reporting on.

Local authorities must report on this indicator triennially for the Audit Commission. It is permissible for authorities to report for intervening years, if these surveys are done in a way consistent with the Commission's guidance.

Baselines and Horizon Years for BVPIs

The baselines for targets should be 2003/04 and the horizon year 2010/11, with the following exceptions:

2004/05 should be used as the baseline for BVPI96 (to enable base data collected by mechanical surveys to be used by all authorities);

2009/10 should be the horizon year for BVPI104 (to coincide with the triennial survey);

calendar years should be used for the road casualty targets (BVPI99) with the horizon year being 2010. Local authorities should use a baseline of 1994-98 for their targets, but also have regard to the 2004 position. Where the annual casualty numbers covered by the indicator are less than 200, local authorities may use rolling averages to chart progress, for example examining the three- year period 2002 to 2004 instead of 2004, and having 2008 to 2010 as the horizon year.

Scope

All Local Transport Plans should report on all the BVPI indicators listed above.

For joint plans (metropolitan and non-metropolitan), BVPIs 96, 97a, 97b and 187 must be reported separately for each highway authority. The other BVPIs should be reported for the whole of the areas of metropolitan joint plans. Local authorities, which are partners in non-metropolitan joint plans, should report the other indicators at plan level but may do so at highway authority level where this is less burdensome.

Further guidance on BVPIs

Stephen Reynolds (e-mail [email protected], 020 7944 4746).

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LTP1: Accessibility Indicator

At least one target relating to accessibility is to be monitored.

This may relate to the DfT core indicators set out in the guidance on Accessibility Planning, or to local indicators established by the authority, or to both. If this target does not relate to the DfT core indicators then an explanation of the rationale behind the alternative indicator(s) and a description of the methodology used for calculation should be provided.

The standard indicators presented in the Accessibility Planning guidance are as follows.

Access to School % of a) pupils of compulsory school age;

b) pupils of compulsory school age in receipt of free school meals;

within 15 and 30 minutes of a primary school and 20 and 40 minutes of a secondary school by public transport.

Access to Further Education

% of 16-19 year olds within 30 and 60 minutes of a further education establishment by public transport.

Access to Work % of a) people of working age;

b) people in receipt of Jobseekers' Allowance;

within 20 and 40 minutes of work by public transport.

Access to Hospitals % of a) households;

b) households without access to a car;

within 30 and 60 minutes of a hospital by public transport.

Access to GPs % of a) households;

b) households without access to a car;

within 15 and 30 minutes of a GP by public transport.

Access to Major Centres

% of a) households;

b) households without access to a car;

within 15 and 30 minutes of a major shopping centre by public transport.

Suitable Methodology

Full guidance on the definition and calculation of the accessibility indicators is provided in the published accessibility guidance1. The standard indicators will be produced centrally by DfT for each local transport authority, local authority, electoral ward and Super Output Area in England (outside London), and should be available in early 2005.

Baseline Year

1 Neutral Months are considered to be April, May, June, September and October (excluding periods affected by Bank Holidays).

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Authorities should use 2004/05 figures as a baseline. The public transport data used for the calculation of the first release of indicators will be as at October 2004.

Notes on Methodology

The Department will calculate the core indicators using a tailor-made package called Accession. This has been made available to local authorities. However, there is no requirement for authorities to use it to calculate their indicators.

Further guidance on this indicator

Stephen Reynolds (e-mail [email protected], 020 7944 4746)

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LTP2: Change in area wide road traffic Indicator

Change in area wide vehicle kilometres on local authority managed roads.

Suitable Methodology

To be measured on an annual basis using either:

1. data from the National Road Traffic Survey; or

2. an agreed sample of automatic and manual traffic counts

Description

The indicator measures total vehicle kilometres on local authority managed roads, including at least data from the DfT's National Road Traffic Survey (NRTS). Authorities may augment the NRTS with their own manual and automatic counts, provided the locations of additional counting site points are set out under the description of the target in the LTP.

All types of motor vehicle traffic should be counted. Trunk road and motorway traffic should not be included. Where de-trunking takes place over the reporting period, then suitable adjustments will need to be made to reported data and also to the targets.

A separate indicator, LTP3, covers cycle monitoring.

Information about the data produced by DfT is published at

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=7365&l=2.

Baseline Year

2004 calendar year. DfT data will be available in July 2005. (Provisional LTPs may use a 2003 base).

Calculation

Vehicle kilometres in the measurement year.

Notes on Methodology

DfT is currently undertaking a National Statistics Quality Review of its road traffic and road length statistics, including user requirements for disaggregated statistics. As an important means of improving data at more disaggregated geographic levels, the review will give consideration to the possible means for different agencies to pool resources and utilise each other's data for traffic estimation. A key element of this will be the need for close liaison with local authorities to maximise the consistency of their data collection methodologies.

This indicator is included as a proxy indicator for improvements in air quality and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Further guidance on this indicator

John Garnsworthy (e-mail [email protected], 020 7944 6396).

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LTP3: Cycling indicator Indicator

Annualised Index of Cycling Trips.

Suitable Methodology

To be measured using a representative network of cycle counts (either automatic or manual).

Description

Authorities will need to measure indicative cycling levels across the Local Transport Plan area. It is not feasible to measure the absolute level or total amount of cycling, however it is possible to record trend levels in cycling activity which can be indexed against a baseline year.

Baseline Year

The baseline period will be 2003/04. Data for the indicator may be re-based for the period up to 2006/07 if DfT is successful in developing a national network of Automatic Cycle Counters from which authority-level data can be derived (see Other Notes below).

Calculation

It is not possible to measure the annual number of trips across the whole of a LTP area. Therefore, an index of recorded trips will be used a proxy for the volume of trips. The index is to be based on 2003/04 = 100.

The indicator is calculated as follows:

Number of cycling trips in recorded measurement year * 100

divided by

Number of cycling trips recorded in 2003/04

Notes on Methodology

For counter networks, representative should be taken to mean representative over both time and location.

Representative over time, i.e. counts at individual sites should be taken continuously or at specified dates during the year (e.g. first Wednesday of each month), to ensure that the full variation in levels at different sites is accounted for. Where continuous counts are not to be undertaken (e.g. for manual counts or where automatic counters are moved periodically to different sites), the same time periods at each site should be sampled every year. Counts based on a limited number of days per year are not likely to be sufficiently robust, due to possible distortion caused by weather conditions and other effects.

Representative over locations, i.e. counts at individual sites should cover a representative selection of on- and off-road sites. Ideally, locations should remain the same each year, although if this is not possible (for example if a site has to be moved because of traffic works) then efforts should be made to find an equivalent location and/or to suitably estimate any effects caused by locational changes.

Traffic Advisory Leaflet 01/992 on Monitoring Local Cycle Use provides further general guidance on monitoring cycle use locally.

2 Neutral Months are considered to be April, May, June, September and October (excluding periods affected by Bank Holidays).

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Local authorities should outline the methodology they are using to monitor cycling levels either in their LTPs or in another document referenced from the LTPs, including as appropriate a location plan of the count sites.

Other Notes

Short-period cordon surveys are unlikely to be a suitable methodology for this indicator.

DfT is conducting research into the feasibility of developing a joint local/national cycle counter network from which local authority level data would be made available. It is unlikely that any network would be in place until 2006/07 at the earliest.

Other indicators relating to cycling activity for specific journey types may be useful in complementing this indicator.

Further guidance on this indicator

Stephen Reynolds (e-mail [email protected], 020 7944 4746).

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LTP4: Mode Share of Journeys to School Indicator

Usual mode of travel to school

Suitable Methodology

To be measured on an annual basis using either:

1. a census or representative survey of local schools.

2. data derived from DfES collection mechanisms via local authority school travel advisers.

Description

For the purposes of this indicator, a trip to school is defined as a trip by children aged 5 to 16 in full-time education, from their home to their school. The indicator should be reported separately for children aged 5 to 10 and for children aged 11 to 16.

The indicator will be in the form of five values giving the proportions of children indicating that their usual main mode of travel to school was:

car (including vans and taxis)

car share3

public transport

walking

cycling.

The main mode of a trip is defined as the mode used for the longest part, by distance, of the trip.

The 'public transport' figures should include trips by local bus, light rail, rail, and ferry. Local bus will, for these purposes, include buses contracted by the LEA, by schools or by parents.

Calculation

For each of the five modes of travel to be reported on:

Number of children travelling by mode * 100

divided by

Total number of children

To be calculated separately for 5-10 year olds and 11-16 year olds.

Baseline Year

2005/06, although some LAs may already have robust data that meet the same criteria for earlier years in which case a 2003/04 baseline may be used.

Notes on Methodology

3 'Car share' is defined as 'travel in a car with another child/other children also going to school who does/do not live in the same house.'

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For methodology (1), a representative sample of schools should be selected. Representative means using a sample of schools stratified according to type and size across the LTP area. The exact nature of the stratification to be used will depend on local circumstances. Types of school will include independent and state funded, primary and secondary.

Within the selected sampled schools, hands-up or other surveys should cover all children attending the school. At least 50% of pupils across the LTP area, in both age categories, should be covered by the sample.

A model questionnaire is attached in Annex 1.

It is important that the surveys are carried out at the same time of year in order to ensure comparability.

For methodology (2), which is DfT's preferred methodology, data should be available from 2006. More information will be distributed through local authority school travel advisers as soon as this is available.

Other Notes

Counts at school gates are not considered to be suitable for this indicator.

Further guidance on this indicator

Stephen Reynolds (e-mail [email protected], telephone 020 7944 4746).

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LTP5: Bus punctuality Indicator

Percentage of buses departing timing points within the window of 1 minute early to 5 minutes late. Punctuality of frequent service bus routes without a timetable to be measured by reference to the excess waiting time experienced by passengers.

Suitable Methodology

To be measured using bus punctuality surveys replicated annually.

Description

Methods for measuring bus punctuality standards have emerged from the work carried out by the Performance Monitoring and Publication Task and Finish Group set up by the Bus Partnership Forum during 2003. The main message from this group was that local authorities and bus operators were strongly encouraged to set up Bus Punctuality Improvement Partnerships. Punctuality requires action by both operators and highways authorities and that this is best achieved by working jointly. Data for assessing punctuality standards should be available from such partnerships.

Bus punctuality will be judged mainly by the percentage of buses departing within a window of 1 minute early up to 5 minutes late. Buses on frequent service routes will be judged on a different measure - excess waiting time. This measure takes account of the headways between buses and is fully explained within the paper prepared by the Group.

Note that reliability will be identified in the punctuality monitoring as 'no-shows'. In areas where there is a particular issue with reliability, DfT would expect LTPs to set additional supplementary targets and indicators to measure this.

Baseline Year

2005/06.

Calculation

Detailed guidance on monitoring bus punctuality can be found within the guidance written on establishing a Bus Punctuality Improvement Partnership prepared by the Bus Partnership Forum. This will be made available via the CLIP Website - http://www.clip.gov.uk/subgroups.asp?lsection=6&ccat=15 - as soon as possible.

Notes on methodology

The essential element in any assessment is that if only a sample of services are to be monitored, then care must be taken to ensure that these services are representative of all services in the area. Care must be taken to ensure that any changes in punctuality observed for the sample are unaffected by special factors. If necessary, monitoring will need to be carried out in an unobtrusive manner. Otherwise there is a danger that efforts to improve punctuality by the operator(s) will be restricted to those routes being monitored.

Monitoring on a limited number of years per year are not likely to be sufficiently robust due to possibly distortion caused by external events.

Other notes

Frequent services are to be monitored with reference to Excess Waiting Times. An explanation of this measure and how to obtain values for it on frequent service routes is included in the Bus Partnership Forum paper mentioned above.

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Further guidance on this indicator

Kerrick Macafee (e-mail: [email protected], 020 7944 4589).

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LTP6: Changes in peak period traffic flows to urban centres Indicator

Change in the number of vehicles travelling towards the centres of urban areas with total populations of more than 100,000.

Suitable Methodology

To be measured annually using a cordon count survey.

Description

This indicator should be collected through traffic counts in a cordon. The count data used should relate to Mondays to Fridays (excluding periods affected by Bank Holidays and exceptional events) during neutral months4. At least two weeks' data are needed for the main routes crossing the cordon and where possible data for successive years should be collected for the same time periods. If it is not possible to collect equivalent data each year then details of differences must be supplied.

The cordon should be wholly outside the town/city centre and outside any significant car parks within easy walking distance (800m) of the edge of the town/city centre. Where the boundary of the town centre is not clearly defined in local development plans, the ODPM's work on the extent of town centres - Producing Boundaries and Statistics for Town Centres (http://www.odpm.gov.uk/statistics/towncentres) - may be useful for providing a guide to the extent of the town centre.

The cordon should include all classified roads and any other roads carrying more than about 2,000 vehicles per day.

For this indicator:

• Peak is defined as the period from 7am to 10am.

• Data should be reported for the direction towards the urban centre only.

• The number of road vehicles (excluding pedal and motorcycles) should be reported.

Where a transport plan includes more than one urban area covered by indicator LTP6, results for each area should be reported. Local authorities may use more than one cordon per urban area and if so should report results cordon by cordon.

Local authorities may supplement this indicator by also considering the evening peak period (4pm to 7pm), peak hours (e.g. 8am to 9am) and specific vehicle types (e.g. cars only). Any such information may be presented in addition to the defined indicator.

Local authorities may also measure mode split at cordons, although this will require more complex surveys particularly for public transport passengers. They may indicate the relative importance they attach to mode split and road traffic targets. Subject to the mode split surveys being sufficiently robust, the Department will assess progress in the context of the relative importance authorities place on mode split and traffic targets.

Local authorities should outline the methodology they are using for this indicator either in their LTPs or in another document referenced from the LTP, including a map of the cordon and cordon points.

Baseline Year

4 Neutral Months are considered to be April, May, June, September and October (excluding periods affected by Bank Holidays).

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2005/06 (financial year) data must be reported on. Authorities already collecting this data may use an earlier baseline - preferably 2003/04 (financial year).

Calculation

To be presented as the number of vehicles crossing the cordon inbound between 7am and 10am on an average weekday.

Notes on Scope

This indicator is mandatory for all metropolitan area plans, and authorities should report on cordons around the main centres within the conurbations. However metropolitan authorities need not report on every cordon every year although each cordon area must be reported on at least biennially. Most metropolitan districts contain one centre suitable for LTP6.

The urban areas outside the metropolitan conurbations for which this indicator is mandatory are as follows:

Blackburn Ipswich Portsmouth

Blackpool Kingston upon Hull Preston

Bournemouth Leicester Reading

Brighton Luton Slough

Bristol Middlesbrough Southampton

Cambridge Northampton Southend-on-Sea

Colchester Norwich Stoke-on-Trent

Crawley Nottingham Swindon

Derby Oxford Watford

Eastbourne Peterborough Woking

Exeter Plymouth York

Gloucester Poole

Authorities responsible for the following urban areas (which have more than 100,000 total population but living in sub-areas each of less than 100,000) should either report on LTP6 or explain in their plans why the indicator is not relevant:

Aldershot Urban Area Hastings/Bexhill St Albans/Hatfield

Basildon/North Benfleet High Wycombe Urban Area Telford Urban Area

Bedford/Kempston Lincoln Urban Area Thanet

Burnley/Nelson Mansfield Urban Area Torbay

Cheltenham/Charlton Kings Medway Towns Urban Area Warrington Urban Area

Chesterfield/Staveley Milton Keynes Urban Area

Grimsby/Cleethorpes Nuneaton Urban Area

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These listing of urban areas are based on resident population in 2001 using urban aggregations derived from 2001 Census data.5

Other urban areas may be reported for on a voluntary basis.

Further guidance on this indicator

Stephen Reynolds (e-mail [email protected], 020 7944 4746).

5 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=12733

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LTP7: Congestion (Average Vehicle Delay) Indicator

Change in average vehicle delay in the morning peak period (seconds lost per vehicle kilometre).

Suitable Methodology

To be measured on an annual basis on key routes using ITIS journey time and National Traffic Census data supplied by DfT or other traffic data collected locally.

Detailed guidance will be made available separately.

Description

Average vehicle delay measures the average time lost by a vehicle travelling one kilometre and is derived from the difference between observed journey times and those that could be achieved in the absence of congestion (in free-flow conditions). The journey times are flow-weighted so as not to give undue importance to less busy roads.

The network to be measured includes all roads with more than 10,000 daily flows or of strategic importance.

Baseline

The baseline year is 2003 and covers the morning peak period (7-10am) during weekdays excluding school holidays. However, authorities may wish to disaggregate the data further on a local basis to provide information appropriate for the peaks in their own area subject to sample sizes.

Calculation

The average delay encountered by one vehicle travelling one kilometre on a link is:

the total delay encountered on the link/route/network (from the difference between actual speeds and a free-flow reference speed)

divided by

the volume of traffic, expressed as vehicle-kilometres travelled.

Notes on methodology

The indicator requires link-level average journey times. The Department has signed a three-year contract with ITIS for the purchase of data derived from in-vehicle GPS tracking devices from which journey time information can be produced (although other data sources may come on stream in the next few years). Under the terms of the agreement, local authorities will have access to processed data (link-level journey time estimates by 15-minute periods).

In practice, the data needs to be aggregated across periods of more than one month to provide a robust sample.

Notes on Scope

In the July 2005 LTP, this indicator will be mandatory for only the metropolitan areas and a few other urban areas with populations over 250,000. These urban areas required to set congestion targets by July 2005 are West Midlands, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Tyneside, Bristol, Leicester, and Nottingham.

In addition, provisional LTPs covering other large urban areas (Brighton, Solent, Stoke, Hull, Preston, Bournemouth/Poole, Blackpool, Reading, Southend and Teesside) should be developed in a way that will enable congestion targets to be set in the final March 2006 LTPs. A mandatory requirement for

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these areas may be introduced - a final decision on this will be made during 2005. Further mandatory congestion indicators for the large urban areas for person-delay and travel time reliability may be introduced for the final March 2006 LTPs.

Other urban areas may be reported for on a voluntary basis.

Further guidance on this indicator

Mouna Kehil (e-mail [email protected], 020 7944 6399).

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LTP8: Air quality Indicator

Pollutant concentrations within Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs).

The selection of pollutant should cover the pollutant or pollutants that triggered the designation (e.g. NO2, PM10).

Suitable Methodology

There is no suitable methodology for the annual assessment of pollutant concentrations. Local authorities are recommended to measure annual progress against intermediate outcomes (please see below).

Useful information on the calculation of pollutant emissions from road traffic and the measurement and assessment of air quality in relation to reviews and assessments is provided at http://www.airquality.co.uk/archive/laqm/laqm.php. Local authorities might also wish to contact the action plan helpdesk for further assistance, as follows:

Telephone: 020 7902 6130

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.stanger.co.uk/actionplan

Description

Local authorities should set out a 2004/05 baseline and 2010/11 target relating to concentrations of local pollutants.

Local authorities should also associate indicator LTP8 with indicators for 'intermediate outcomes'. It is for local authorities to decide which of these intermediate outcomes to monitor. Progress on LTP8 will be considered in the context of the intermediate outcomes that local authorities identify.

Appropriate intermediate outcomes may include:

• total road transport emissions within the AQMA or area of exceedence;

• vehicle mileage in the AQMA or area of exceedence;

• traffic flows in the AQMA or at key points.

Local authorities should produce annual trajectories to measure against the targets set for these intermediate outcomes. Appropriate methodologies for vehicle mileage and traffic flows, including those consistent with indicators LTP2 and LTP6 where relevant, should be adopted.

Estimating total road transport emissions in an area is more complex and is likely to require the use of road traffic data and drive-related emission factors. Forecasting will also involve not only forecasting traffic levels, but also modelling other variables including changes to the composition of the vehicle fleet. Information about the estimation of road transport emissions nationally is in the national atmospheric emissions inventory (http://naei.org.uk) at http://www.aeat.co.uk/netcen/airqual/naei/annreport/annrep99/app1_29.html.

Information about work done in London is available at www.londonair.org.uk, www.london-lez.org and www.london.gov.uk.

Baseline Year

2004/05.

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Scope

LTP8 is mandatory for authorities containing designated AQMAs, except where they are not related to road transport or are solely related to trunk roads.

LTP8 needs to be monitored separately within each district which has designated a relevant AQMA, where the plan area includes more than one district designating an AQMA. LTP8 can be monitored for each AQMA within a designating district.

The tables below lists authorities that DfT judges to already have a designated, or have notified Defra of their intention to designate, relevant AQMAs. They exclude areas related to non-road transport emissions or related solely to motorways or trunk roads. Authorities are invited to notify Stephen Reynolds (see contact details below), by 30 April 2005, of any additional Districts having qualifying AQMAs.

Councils with Designated Air Quality Management Areas (at 30th September 2004)

Metropolitan Districts Unitary Authorities Shire Districts

Greater Manchester

Manchester

Oldham

Salford

Stockport

Merseyside

Liverpool

South Yorkshire

Barnsley

Doncaster

Rotherham

Sheffield

Tyne and Wear

Newcastle upon Tyne

West Midlands

Birmingham

Coventry

Dudley

West Yorkshire

Leeds

Wakefield

Bath and North East Somerset

Bristol, City of

Derby

Herefordshire, County of

Leicester

Medway

Nottingham

Stoke-on-Trent

York

Cumbria

South Lakeland

East Sussex

Hastings

Essex

Colchester

Hampshire

Winchester

Lancashire

Lancaster

Leicestershire

Charnwood

Harborough

Melton

Oadby and Wigston

Lincolnshire

Boston

Lincoln

Norfolk

King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Norwich

Oxfordshire

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Oxford

South Oxfordshire

Shropshire

Shrewsbury and Atcham

Somerset

South Somerset

Taunton Deane

Surrey

Spelthorne

Wiltshire

Salisbury

West Wiltshire

Worcestershire

Wyre Forest

Councils that have Notified Defra of Intention to Designate Air Quality Management Areas Following Detailed Assessments

Metropolitan Districts Unitary Authorities Shire Districts

West Midlands

Wolverhampton

Brighton and Hove

Plymouth

Southampton

Windsor and Maidenhead

Bedfordshire

South Bedfordshire

Cambridgeshire

Cambridge

Cumbria

Carlisle

Devon

Exeter

Mid Devon

Kent

Dover

Tunbridge Wells

Oxfordshire

West Oxfordshire

Staffordshire

East Staffordshire

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Hampshire

New Forest

Warwickshire

Nuneaton and edworth

Warwick

Further guidance on this indicator

Carol Tidmarsh (e-mail [email protected], 020 7082 8375), or Stephen Reynolds (e-mail [email protected], 020 7944 4746).

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Section 3 - Supporting the Mandatory Indicators All local transport authorities are therefore required to report on 14 indicators, with 3 further indicators being mandatory for some. Partly depending on the size of a plan area, it is unlikely that an effective set of targets and indicators will number more than between 20 and 40.

Local authorities should therefore be very selective in choosing any other targets and indicators, against which they would like their progress measured. In particular they should ensure that these optional targets and indicators relate closely and well to the objectives of their plans. The Department is likely to give greater weight in its assessments to well-framed outcome-related targets as opposed to output targets (for example related to number of schemes implemented) with little apparent relationship to the plan's objectives. The Department recognises the important role that output (and input) targets can have in respect of the internal performance management of an authority, but Departmental assessment of progress against targets will be focussed on the impact of the plan on the locality.

The mandatory targets assist the measurement of progress on the transport shared priorities - including on improving accessibility and public transport, whilst reducing problems of congestion, pollution and road safety. They also consider maintenance.

Some of the mandatory targets are related to the quality of life issues covered in the second Local Transport Plan guidance - sustainable communities, economic regeneration, community safety, the quality of public spaces and streetscapes, healthier communities, greenhouse gas emissions and traffic noise. Authorities may include objectives related to these issues and indeed other local priorities in their plans. If they do, they need to set out what are the key associated outcomes targets and indicators.

Authorities should also consider whether the indicators collected to monitor regional strategies should be reported on at local level in their transport plans - and if so where they fit it into their plan's objectives and set of targets.

Local authorities can therefore supplement the mandatory indicators with targets for optional indicators, which they consider reflect key local success criteria. Amongst the other indicators considered by the DfT/LGA working group on developing success criteria6 were some that can supplement the mandatory indicators. Some of the indicators may be too burdensome for some authorities to collect, others may be not sufficiently relevant to local circumstances and some may be too output-related.

Table 2 lists a number of indicators that should be useful for authorities. Of course, other indicators not listed here may be appropriate for individual authorities.

Table 2 - Some Optional Indicators for LTPs

Theme Indicator

Accessibility BV165 (accessibility of pedestrian crossings).

BV178 (footpath availability).

Public Transport Sub-divisions of bus patronage - e.g. commercially registered, subsidised registered.

Bus patronage/ mode split at cordons or on corridors.

Patronage of services not covered by BV102 (e.g. demand responsive).

6 See http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_localtrans/documents/divisionhomepage/030703.hcsp

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Bus performance other than punctuality - reliability (% of services operated), vehicle accessibility, relative time and generalised cost of car and bus on key corridors.

Sub-divisions of satisfaction (e.g. with public transport information, BV103).

Age of fleet.

Service kilometres.

Congestion Person delay and travel time reliability (potential standard indicators under development).

Percentage of network below threshold speeds during peak periods.

Extent of peak spreading.

Perceptions of congestion.

Travel plan coverage (proportion of whole workforce or workforce employed at sites with more than 100 employees).

Travel plan coverage at key localities within plan areas.

Coverage of travel plans - for schoolchildren, FTE staff and students, public sector employees.

Levels of walking.

Attitudes and satisfaction related to walking and cycling.

Roadworks coverage and impacts (e.g. BV100).

Total parking provision (e.g. in certain areas).

Proportion of short and medium stay (up to 6 hours) parking.

Price differential between short and long stay parking.

Application of parking standards (as ODPM indicator for development frameworks).

Road Safety Casualties or casualty rates for user groups - e.g. cyclists, pedestrians, child pedestrians.

Casualties in disadvantaged areas.

Coverage of child cyclist training or road safety education.

Maintenance Condition of bridges and street lighting.

Economic Background

Rental values for shops/offices.

Deprivation/ unemployment rates in deprived areas.

Retail development levels, vacancy levels and sales levels.

DfT will be aiming to produce some further guidance on these and other indicators in early 2005. The guidance is, however, unlikely to be as prescriptive as that set out in this document for the mandatory indicators.

Figure 1 and Table 3 show how the mandatory targets can be related to objectives and classified in a hierarchy within local transport plans. The Department does not expect authorities to include all of

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the themes identified in their plans. There is no obligation to include any of those that feature in Figure 1 or Table 3 in a Local Transport Plan.

Figure 1 and Table 3 are not exhaustive. The themes for local outcome targets might be monitored by other intermediate outcome and contributory output targets. For example a local authority which included economic regeneration as a key outcome might wish to set intermediate outcome and contributory targets such as numbers of jobs created in sites whose development would be facilitated by transport improvements.

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FIGURE 1: A POSSIBLE STRUCTURE FOR LTP TARGETS

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Table 3: Examples of Intermediate Outcome and Contributory Targets

(Not an exhaustive list of optional indicators)

Intermediate Outcomes (see figure 1) Examples of Contributory Outputs1

Air Quality Related Traffic Targets (LTP8)

Total road traffic emissions within AQMA or area of exceedence.

Bus use within AQMA or area of exceedence.

Vehicle mileage in AQMA or area of exceedence.

Traffic flows in AQMA or at key points.

Air Quality Related Traffic Targets (LTP8)

Area wide road traffic mileage (LTP2). Network efficiency (e.g. BV100).

Peak period traffic flows to urban centres (LTP6). Traffic and mode share in parts of LTP areas.

Cycling trips (LTP3). Total parking provision in town centres.

Walking trips (optional indicator). Workplace travel plan coverage.

Mode share of journeys to school (LTP4). Proportion of short stay parking.

Mode share of work trips (optional indicator). Price differential between short and long stay parking.

Mode share of peak urban trips (optional).

Public Transport Patronage, etc

Bus patronage (BV102). Bus patronage on corridors or at cordons.

Other public transport patronage (optional). Accessibility of bus vehicles.

Satisfaction with local bus services (BV104). Bus reliability (cancellation rate).

Bus punctuality (LTP5). Satisfaction with public transport information (BV103).

Walking and Cycling

Some covered under traffic and mode share. Extent of cycling and walking facilities.

Accessibility of pedestrian crossings (BV165 - optional).

Public rights of way (BV178).

Supporting Road Safety Targets

Casualty reduction amongst road user or population groups (optional).

Extent of safe routes to school.

Road Condition

Principal road condition (BV96).

Non-principal classified road condition (BV97a).

Unclassified road condition (BV97b).

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Footway condition (BV187).

Bridge and street lighting condition (optional). 1A few of the targets listed are outcome targets that contribute to intermediate outcomes - e.g. bus use on a corridor contributes to bus patronage. Section 4 - Sources of Further Information

The following is a summary of sources of advice and data which maybe useful.

Accessibility Planning Guidance Information on data and indicators available in the accessibility guidance published at DfT available via http://www.accessibilityplanning.gov.uk.

Central & Local Government Information Partnership Transport Statistics Sub-group

The CLIP Transport Statistics Sub-group brings central government and local authorities together to discuss all transport statistics, such as those for monitoring local transport plans, or sub-national statistics. Topics discussed include gaps in data and methods of filling these, or methods of using local authority data to satisfy local, regional and national needs.

The CLIP-TS website (http://www.clip.gov.uk/subgroups.asp?lsection=6&ccat=15) provides a range of useful resources and also an e-mail discussion group open to local authority representatives.

How to Monitor Indicators in Local Transport Plans and Annual Progress Reports - 2004 Update

Guidance provided for local authorities to assist with the monitoring requirements for the 2004 APRs. Contains information about monitoring in general, data sources, and advice on a range of commonly used indicators. http://www.clip.gov.uk/Content.asp?lsection=6&ccat=57&id=SX92FB-A77F77B1

Advice on Monitoring Traffic Locally

Paper published by former DETR at http://www.clip.gov.uk/Content.asp?lsection=6&ccat=57&id=SX92FB-A77F6F41

For further information on this guidance please telephone 020 7944 4746,

020 7944 3096 or 020 7944 4955. Alternatively you can e-mail: [email protected].

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ANNEX 1 Tutor led survey to collect baseline data

To be completed for the whole class, by a show of hands

SCHOOL NAME

School Type (Primary/secondary etc)

Q1 Date*

Q2 Class Q3 School year

Q4 Number of pupils present absent

Q5 How do pupils usually get to school?

Where a pupil uses more than one mode please record the one which covered the greatest distance

walk cycle

bus car, van or taxi

car share^ rail

other

total

^ Car share is "travel in a car with another child/children also going to school but who does/do not live in the same house"