We understand the complexities of transport, and the need for innovative solutions that cater the needs of the city and the people. We will work with schools and other local organisations to ensure traffic is managed well. There will be a focus on improving public transport and also reducing prices to ensure that everyone is able to get around. We will oppose any airport expansion plans and look for innovative solutions to expansion pressures.
Policy
Aside from the sustainability issues with the levels of car travel in the city, the Green Party understands that there are issues with parking at pickup and drop-off times at a significant proportion of schools in the city. These issues include the potential impact on pupil safety, as well as the impact on the local community during such peak times. In order to resolve this, the Green Party supports working with schools to develop Green Travel Plans that encourage the use of more sustainable modes of transport in getting to and from school, as well as the implementation of traffic calming measures and parking restrictions in the vicinity of schools, to ensure that the environment around schools is a safe and harmonious one.
Our vision is for local transport links that meet the needs of the public whilst minimising danger and the environmental impacts. We will place pedestrians and disabled people at the top of the agenda by making public transport cheap and more accessible.
We will ensure that all provisions for pedestrians and bicycles are safe and user-friendly, and that it is possible to make journeys across the city safely by bicycle. At present, many people are discouraged from cycling by high levels of fast-moving traffic. Others avoid traffic by cycling on pavements, which is illegal and leads to conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. Through a mixture of dedicated cycle routes and improvements to road safety, we will aim to encourage more people to cycle, whilst at the same time reducing conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians.
As an example of our commitment to cyclists and pedestrians, maintenance of pavements, footpaths and cycle routes will receive the same level of priority as road maintenance. Particular care will be taken to ensure that footpaths and pedestrian crossings are safe for use by the disabled. We will work to ensure the entirety of Southampton has equal access to good public transport. We will work with bus operators to create an integrated public transport system which meets the full range of needs.
We will:
Limit motor vehicle speed limits to 20mph on the most densely populated residential roads and shopping streets.
Install pedestrian crossings at all major road junctions where none currently exist.
Implement marked cycle lanes or separate cycle paths, on faster roads as appropriate. The main artery roads leading out of the city centre (including Thomas Lewis Way and Northam Road) will have parallel cycle paths to provide safe cycle routes to the city centre from all areas of the city.
Improve existing cycle routes, such as the route from the city centre to the University of Southampton to make them more user-friendly, with smoother surfaces and night lighting.
Require all workplace premises employing more than 100 people to provide for the safe storage of bicycles used by employees and visitors. The number of cycle parking facilities will be increased.
Provide all children in local authority schools with the opportunity to learn to cycle at school. The council will also provide out of school cycle training for adults and children at low prices.
Investigate the feasibility of introducing a bicycle hire scheme in Southampton, similar to that which operates in London.
Have regular meetings with cycling organisations such as Southampton Cycling Campaign in order to ensure that we respond to their needs.
Ensure that comprehensive route and timetabling information about bus services is available in locations across the city.
Work to tackle vandalism and antisocial behaviour at bus stops and on buses, and provide appropriate support to bus operators to ensure that such problems do not lead to the termination of services.
Work with bus operators to ensure that buses run late enough into the night to ensure that it is possible to travel home from entertainment venues, providing appropriate subsidies to achieve this where necessary.
Actively discourage extra charging on late night services.
Work towards the establishment of a Southampton oyster-card system in the long term, similar to that used in London, which will enable travel on the bus services of all operators in Southampton, with facilities for adding credit provided at railway stations and key bus interchange points.
Push for improvements to rural bus services around Southampton through our continued involvement in the Transport for South Hampshire partnership.
Commission a feasibility study into the possibility of a Park & Ride scheme for Southampton as a means of reducing traffic levels and improving air quality in the city.
Work to reduce the air pollution caused by buses by encouraging the bus operators to replace buses, as they reach the end of their working lives, with vehicles that utilise greener technologies, such as hybrid buses or vehicles using cleaner fuels such as LPG or biogas.
Vigorously oppose increases in rail prices which are above the rate of inflation.
Call for the Network Railcard to provide the full discount on all off-peak services, abolishing the £13 'minimum fare' which presently exists on weekdays.
Actively oppose any reduction in service on rail routes into Southampton.
