Sustainable Transport Provision in Haringey
To provide a background briefing on sustainable transport issues in Haringey (Joan Hancox, Sustainable Transport Manager)
Minutes:
Joan Hancox, Head of Sustainable Transport at Haringey Council gave a verbal presentation to the panel which outlined some of the key challenges that face the LBH faces in respect of sustainable transport provision.
The most significant challenge facing Haringey was the need for structural reorganisation in response to changes in the Local Implementation Plan funding process. The streamlining of the existing 23 funding streams would encourage more integrated and holistic patterns of work across the different transport modes and Haringey’s transport structures should be seen to respond to this.
A further local challenge is that Haringey, along with other boroughs, will soon be required to develop a new Local Implementation Plan. The LIP is, in effect, a new local transport strategy. This is a major undertaking which will require significant input from many departments within the Council and will undergo widespread local consultation. The LIP development process is expected to start in the Spring of 2010.
There is mounting evidence to suggest that behaviour change models (as exemplified through smarter travel initiatives) are more productive in achieving modal change than more traditional methods (i.e. bus and cycle lane provision). As smarter travel initiatives account for a relatively small part of the transport budget at present, moves to develop this further may also require significant organisational restructuring and financial realignment. It is hope that the scrutiny review will contribute to this developmental process.
The Panel was concerned that a shift towards smarter travel initiatives need to be preceded by increased capacity and infrastructure development to support people willing to change mode of travel. It was noted however, modal shift can be achieved through simply challenging people’s perceptions of sustainable methods or by providing more travel information, before any need for major infrastructure investment.