APPENDIX 2

University Of Bath - Transport Strategy

Executive Summary

1. The University of Bath has produced a Transport Strategy that sets out a framework within which all of the University's development proposals up to 2015 will be undertaken. All detailed development proposals that come forward in the period up to 2015 will be assessed against this framework, and will be supported by detailed Transport Assessments, when agreed necessary by the Council.

2. The University has, as part of the strategy, developed and adopted 7 general Transport Policies to clearly define its position on transport issues, as follows:

T1) To promote travel to and from the University by non-car modes for both students, staff and visitors, and to discourage travel by private car wherever there is a viable alternative

T2) To increase the level of on-campus residential accommodation and so reduce the need for students to travel

T3) To develop off-site residential accommodation only in areas with high quality public transport links to the University, or where high quality public transport facilities will be provided as part of the development

T4) To provide on-site services (i.e. shops, banks etc) commensurate with the level of students and staff on the site, to reduce the need to travel

T5) With the exception of parking for the disabled, not to provide student car parking facilities to student accommodation under the control of the University unless specifically required to do so by the planning authority

T6) To prohibit students residing in student accommodation under the control of the University, both on and off campus, from using a car in connection with their occupancy of the residences

T7) To encourage and incentivise car sharing for those for whom travel by non-car modes is not a practical option

3. In the academic year 1999/2000, the University had a register of some 9273 students, of which 5827 were full time attendees, 2030 were part time or occasional attendees and 1416 were unlikely to ever attend the University campus. It employed some 3158 staff, around half of who were full time and half part time. In terms of residential accommodation, it controlled 2218 beds, of which 1714 were on campus and 504 were within the City of Bath.

4. There are currently a total of 1765 formally marked out parking spaces at the University, the use of which is subject to parking charges, either through season tickets or a pay and display system. The formal parking spaces are well used, and in addition parking outside of the formal spaces occurs. Surveys show that up to 458 cars can be parked informally at any one time. There are currently no planning controls that prevent the University from permitting such parking. Hence the current peak level of parking demand that is accommodated is 2231 spaces.

5. The University has already invested considerable resources, and introduced measures aimed at promoting travel to and from the University by non-car modes of travel and discouraging car use. Examples include the negotiation of reduced price bus passes, the negotiation of new bus routes and increased service frequencies, freely available public transport information through guides and the University's web site, an investment of over £30,000 over the last two years on secure cycle parking, a ban on first year students from bringing cars to the University, and students based in new City based accommodation under the control of the University being prohibited from using cars in connectionwith their occupancy of those residences.

6. The Transport Strategy for future development seeks to build on the University's past work, and is based on three main principles, these being:

i) To control car movement to and from the University;

ii) To reduce the need to travel to and from the University;

iii) To accommodate increased travel demand by non-car modes, and by the efficient use of the car for those for whom travel by non-car modes is not a practical option.

7. The control of movements to and from the university by car will be achieved by initially restricting the number of parking spaces at the University to the current maximum level of parking demand, and then by slowly reducing the number of parking spaces by a minimum of 8% by the year 2015. In this period staff and student numbers are predicted to increase, and hence the ratio of car park spaces to staff/students would reduce by around 30%. Parking would be fully formalised, with all parking outside of formal bays being prohibited. The University would also work with the City Council to introduce parking controls on the surrounding roads as made necessary by development and the Transport Strategy, which the University would fund.

8 Reducing the need to travel to and from the University will be achieved by increasing student accommodation within the campus and by providing on-site services to meet the reasonable requirements of students and staff.

9. The first two principles will control car movements to the University and reduce the need for travel to and from the University. However, over the period of the Transport Strategy, staff and student numbers are predicted to increase by around 30%. Hence the University's proposals will increase the demand for travel, however the first two principles will place the onus on the University to meet this demand either by non-car modes, or by the more efficient use of the car where non-car travel is not a practical option. The University will need to do this if it is to grow and remain attractive to both students and staff. The Strategy contains a number of measures and ideas that University will or may employ to achieve this aim, the main ones of which are summarised below.

· The appointment of a travel co-ordinator to act as a single point of contact on all green travel issues and to promote green travel;

· The development of residential accommodation either on campus, or in locations with high quality public transport links to the University or where such links can be provided as part of the proposal. Such accommodation would have no parking and the students that occupy them would be prohibited from using a car in connection with their occupancy of the residences;

· To continue its policy of car park charging and increase costs as a means of discouraging car usage where practical alternatives exist;

· To re-invest net revenue from car park charges to provide and promote transport measures;

· To rigorously enforce parking controls on the campus;

· To promote travel by public transport, by the promotion of public transport information including the provision to new students of information packs;

· Maintain communication and negotiation with local bus operators on issues such as through ticketing, service levels and the provision of additional services;

· Review on-site cycle and pedestrian facilities;

· Co-operate with the local authority on the development of on-site and off-site pedestrian and cycle routes;

· Encourage car sharing where no practical alternative exists;

10. Finally, within one year of the adoption of the Transport Strategy by the Council, the University will develop and formally implement a Green Transport Plan that will set out:

· The University's transport policies

· Its aims to reduces reliance on travel by the private car and promote travel by non-car modes of travel

· Measures already adopted by the University to achieve its aims

· Measures proposed by the University to achieve its aims

· Proposals for monitoring the success of the plan and reviewing its content