LTP 2006 Appendices

Primary Route Network

Responsibility

The Primary Route Network (PRN) forms the main network of highways in the country for longer distance journeys, linking primary destinations. The highest level is the motorway and trunk road network administered by the Highways Agency (HA) and funded by the Government. The next level down is the ‘green-backed’ sign network maintained by highway authorities but approved by the Government. Together these form the Primary Route Network. This is further supported by District and Local Distributor Roads within the hierarchy maintained by the local authorities.

The West Midlands lies at the centre of the national motorway network, with the M6 providing a crucial link between the North West of England and Scotland and the South East; the M5 linking to the South West; the M40 providing an increasingly important alternative route to the South and South East; and the M42, M69 and A38 linking the West Midlands to the East Midlands and the North East.

Together the M5, M6 and M42 form a motorway box around part of the West Midlands conurbation which itself forms an important strategic crossroads for the country.

The 43 kilometre / 27 miles long M6 Toll motorway, a privately-financed and operated three lane motorway, opened to traffic in December 2003. It provides an alternative route for traffic currently using the busiest stretch (J4 to J11) of the M6 motorway through the West Midlands metropolitan area. A further aim of this road is to provide a distributor to the north and east of the West Midlands region, improving communications to Cannock, Lichfield and Tamworth.

Within the area administered by the seven Metropolitan District Councils the Highways Agency is responsible for the M5, M6 and M42 motorways and a small number of trunk roads. However, because of the importance of the motorway and trunk road network in carrying traffic into and out of the area, the wider network is of great interest to the seven councils.

Role of the Network

The PRN has an important role to play in achieving the West Midlands Local Transport Plan objectives.

The intention behind the road hierarchy will be to integrate with land use planning and to direct traffic to suitable routes, ensuring that the highway design and layout reflects their relevant function. Investment in the network is being targeted at adapting the highway to be better able to perform their function while reflecting the needs of the different users. Residents and environmental groups are demanding higher quality lighting, measures to reduce inappropriate driver behaviour and an enhanced environment for walking and cycling. Businesses require reliable journey times and facilities for deliveries, servicing and customers. Operators are asking for measures to give priority to essential users such as emergency vehicles, buses, taxis and goods distribution.

Present Situation

The PRN (which is approved by the DfT) was published as part of the Regional Transport Strategy in July 2004. The motorway and trunk road network was reviewed in 1998 with the Government publishing a network to be retained allowing remaining roads (around 30%) to be transferred to local highway authorities. It was further subdivided in 2005 into routes of strategic national importance and other national routes. The latter network are included in the Regional Prioritisation process. shows the current network.

Clearly the PRN in the West Midlands is not only important for long distance journeys between regions, but is also key for regional and local journeys and is seen as essential for the economic well-being of the West Midlands conurbation. Birmingham International Airport (BIA), the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and several business parks on the M42 and M6 all have regional and local catchments generating road journeys.

Highway Network
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Impact Of M6 Toll On The M6 And Other Key Roads

The opening of the M6 Toll motorway has led to traffic volume changes on key routes in the area, as well as changes in journey times, congestion and accidents:

Traffic Volume - Traffic growth on the M6 Toll has been substantially higher than the national average for motorways. On opening, the first full month, January 2004, showed a daily number of workday users’ trips of 33,000. In the first three months, this increased by 28%. The bypassed sections of the M6, which include the busiest sections of the whole road, showed reduced traffic volumes in 2004 and one year on, these reductions have been maintained. However, the M6 north and south of the tie-ins of the M6 Toll showed traffic growth above the national average. The A50 and A5 roads, which are used as alternative strategic routes to the M6, have shown reduced traffic volumes. Traffic re-routing onto the M6 Toll predominantly comprises light vehicles. The proportion of HGVs at the tie-in sections of the M6 Toll is shown to be 7%, whereas on bypassed sections of the M6 it is around 30%
Journey Times and Speeds - Journey times using the M6 Toll between J4 and J12 of the M6 are up to 37 minutes faster than that on the M6 before opening. For users of the bypassed section of the M6, peak period journey times and speeds improved after the opening of the M6 Toll and, one year later, these improvements have largely been sustained
Route Choice - Data from satellite-tracked vehicles shows that roughly 30-40% of vehicles making through-trips between J3 and J12 of the M6 use the M6 Toll. However, these are predominantly fleet vehicles and may not make choices representative of all motorway users
Safety - In the first year after the opening of M6 Toll, the number of Personal Injury Accidents on the bypassed section of the M6 reduced significantly; the number of accidents where someone was killed or seriously injured was reduced by over a half, compared to the late 1990s. The M6 Toll had a good safety record in its first year, the accident rate was less than half the national average for a motorway

Current Policies

Current National Policies

‘A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England’ (1998) reported on the Government’s strategic review of the roads programme against criteria of accessibility, safety, economy, environment and integration. It was one of a number of publications spelling out more fully the policies in the White Paper ‘A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone’.

In July 2004 the Government published a White Paper ‘The Future of Transport’. This spells out its vision and aims for the period up to 2014/15 and looks at factors which will shape travel and transport networks over the next 30 years. Investing in increased capacity for road, rail and other public transport, together with making better use of existing capacity, are key issues discussed.

The White Paper says we need to continue to improve safety; identify, fund and deliver additional road capacity where justified; deliver better performance through improved management; and ensure that new ways of paying for road use are developed.

The White Paper looks at the progress made over the past six years in developing a programme of major projects. It says that, since we do not want to lose the benefits of this extra capacity, the Government has started to consider how best to implement demand management policies. A report on the feasibility of road pricing in the UK was published in tandem with the White Paper.

The White Paper refers to the series of important changes that the HA has undertaken in speeding up the delivery of major road schemes. It says that the HA will be sharing its experience of delivering major road schemes with local highway authorities to improve the delivery of local road schemes.

Core routes of importance to the West Midlands conurbation

Some of the key core routes within or immediately adjacent to the West Midlands conurbation are identified in the ‘Role’ section above. The M5, M6, M6 Toll and motorway box section of the M42 also form part of the Trans-European Road Network (TERN) of national and international importance.

Better maintenance and making better use of trunk roads

Several initiatives are currently underway to improve maintenance and enable better use of trunk roads. A pilot Active Traffic Management scheme is currently in progress on the M42 between Junctions 3A and 7 with variable speed limits and in 2006/07 hard shoulder running at peak times. Once the monitoring of the pilot scheme has been fully evaluated and an assessment of the success of the project has been made, a decision on whether to roll out ATM to other parts of the M5/M6/M42 motorway box will follow. Improving the reliability of journeys and reducing delays during incidents is a new key HA priority, linked to the change to a network operator role. HA Traffic Officers started patrolling the motorways around the West Midlands for the first time in April 2004 and are now dealing with incidents under the control of a Regional Control Centre at Quinton. The rolling programme of HATO deployment and RCC delivery in relation to the motorway network in England will be completed by the end of 2006.

Dedicated budgets for noise and safety improvements

Route Management Strategies have been developed for the core trunk road network to set out priorities for maintaining, operating and improving each route over a 10-year period, including assessments of noise and safety issues. These are now being combined within a HA Regional Investment Strategy for the West Midlands to inform partners / stakeholders in the regional transport prioritisation process.

A carefully targeted programme of larger scale improvements

The Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI) announced in ‘A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England’ had grown from 37 schemes in 1998 to 75 schemes by the end of 2004; of these 75, 24 are now categorised as National schemes, 40 as Regional schemes, and 11 as Regional schemes to be progressed subject to regional priorities. A further 11 National and 2 Regional schemes are currently planned to enter the TPI during the course of 2005/06. Of the schemes in programme, 5 are located within the West Midlands Region, 1 within metropolitan district boundaries (A45/A46 Tollbar End, Coventry - Regional scheme).

Current Regional Policies

Following the publication of ‘What Role for Trunk Roads in England?’ in 1997, sub-regional meetings were held between the relevant local authorities and the Highways Agency to consider problems on the trunk road network and priorities for action. The main areas for action identified as a result of this regional consultation were:

Need to keep traffic flowing on the Region’s motorway network to support economic prosperity, and early completion of the M6 Toll road
Need to explore public transport improvements as alternatives to, or alongside, road building, and to consider complementary traffic restraint and demand measures
Removal of through traffic from communities to improve the safety and environment for residents
Dealing with congestion and safety issues at key junctions
Need to consider development pressures, including infrastructure requirements for Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre, and developments on the A38 in Staffordshire
Need for a coordinated and multi-modal approach to management of local and national traffic and demand through and around Birmingham and the Black Country
Further expansion of the Midlands Driver Information System

Since 1998, significant progress has been made in many of these areas and the HA has been working with other organisations to develop regional and local strategies for action. These have included the Multi-Modal Studies and the preparation of revised and updated Regional Planning Guidance for the West Midlands (now the Regional Spatial Strategy). The key strategy elements and programmes are outlined below.

Targets

The ‘Ten-year Plan’ Targets from Strategic Roads provides a programme of measures for completion by the HA. They relate to maintenance, congestion, safer travel, better information, quieter roads, partnership working, and smarter roads (use of electronics).

During the summer of 2005, the Secretary of State set the HA a challenging new target to improve reliability on the motorway and trunk road network. The reliability target, to keep vehicle delay on the slowest 10% of journeys below a level to be set in November 2005. is focused on the worst journeys and has to be achieved by the end of 2007/08. The new target will be more relevant to HA’s customers and frontline teams. The network has been divided into about 100 recognisable routes; the target reduction will be for the slowest 10% of journeys on each of these routes, for each day of the week and for each time of day.

A set of urban routes have been identified on local authority primary routes for congestion monitoring with a target of restricting growth in traffic flows to 7% by 2011 from 2004 and ensuring no increase in average morning peak period delay.

Consultation

The PRN has been through a period of consultation as part of the Development Plan review process and the publication of the Regional Transport Strategy in July 2004 (as part of Regional Planning Guidance for the West Midlands).

The detrunking programme and the PRN review have been the subject of detailed discussions in the Regional Transport Group’s Highways Network Panel.

Strategy

The Authorities / HA continue to work with a number of different organisations, including the DfT, regional bodies, Police, developers and interest groups, to develop and implement coordinated and integrated strategies to maintain, protect and enhance the core road network and its role in the wider transport and spatial planning strategies. A number of different initiatives are currently being progressed to improve the flow of traffic and tackle accidents and maintenance problems:

Develop integrated land use and planning strategies
Make the best use of existing infrastructure
Implement a programme of Improvements
Improve the quality of traffic and travel information and advice
Improve network management and road maintenance (Traffic Management Duty)

The use of Urban Traffic Management and Control, travel information and traffic regulation orders will contribute to the management of these highways. More specifically, there are proposals for Red Routes, Active Traffic Management and ‘Mattisse’ in other Appendices. The National Traffic Control Centre and the Regional Control Centre, both located at Quinton, are now operational. Measures to give priority to certain vehicle classes do not necessarily mean journeys are slower for other vehicles. Birmingham are to trial ‘high occupancy vehicle’ lanes.

Improvements will be promoted by the local highway authorities on the roads that they manage, and by the HA on motorways and trunk roads. A programme of ‘quick wins’ is underway.

Key Studies

The initiatives listed below describe Government led studies into needs and potential solution.

Three Multi-Modal Studies, now completed and published, have explored options for improving travel in the West Midlands over the next 30 years.

West Midlands Area Multi-Modal Study (WMAMMS)

WMAMMS involved an in-depth appraisal of transport needs across all modes in the West Midlands conurbation area and considered transport needs up to the year 2031. The study recommended several highways schemes and measures affecting the highway network for implementation over the short, medium and long term to 2031 as part of a package of multi-modal interventions. The road schemes include:

Short Term Measures (2002-2011)
M42 widening between Junctions 3 and 7 (four lanes J3-J3A, five lanes J3A-J7: M40 to M6)
M42 junction improvements (Junctions 6 and 7)
Active Traffic Management (ATM) on M5, M6 and M42 motorways
M54 to M6/M6 Toll link
Black Country highway improvements
Medium Term Measures (2012-2021)
Western Bypasses of Stourbridge and Wolverhampton, between the M5 and M54, with new links and improved roads within the Black Country

M42 widening

In his formal response to WMAMMS, announced on 9 July 2003, the Secretary of State supported M42 J3 to J7 capacity improvements in principle, but said that he was not yet convinced that a full widening scheme as recommended by the MMS was necessary. The Secretary of State indicated that the need for full widening should be given further consideration in the light of the results of the M42 J3A to J7 ATM pilot project, to be evaluated in 2008, which will trial hard shoulder running under controlled conditions at peak periods (amongst other operational regimes).

The Secretary of State’s response also noted that another factor influencing a widening decision would be the need to provide adequate strategic access to cater for any future expansion of BIA, and that this issue needed further consideration by the HA.

Other relevant considerations include the impact of the new M6 Toll motorway on traffic flows and patterns on the M42 and adjacent local road network; the possible development of a Motorway Service Area site at Catherine-de-Barnes on the west side of the M42 between J5 and J6, with direct access to the motorway; and possible future expansion aspirations of the National Exhibition Centre (M42 J6-J7).

M5/M6/M42 ATM roll out

In his response to WMAMMS, the Secretary of State instructed the HA to consider the feasibility of implementing ATM techniques around the Birmingham motorway box. Feasibility work is currently in progress, building on an initial Birmingham Box ATM base concept validation report prepared for the HA by Atkins, drawing on experience gained from managing the implementation of the M42 J3A-J7 ATM Pilot Project, and in the light of issues and problems that have been highlighted by the study work undertaken in connection with the Route Management Strategy (RMS) for the Box sections of the M5, M6 and M42 motorways (RMS completed and published on the HA website in August 2005).

The Box ATM feasibility work, scheduled for completion in 2006, is being monitored by a Project Board. A final decision on whether to roll out ATM to the remainder of the Birmingham motorway box will not be made until the monitoring of the M42 ATM pilot has been fully evaluated, and an assessment of the success of that project made (2008).

M54 to M6/M6 Toll link and Western Bypasses of Stourbridge and Wolverhampton

In his response to WMAMMS, the Secretary of State supported the M6 to M54 link road in principle and instructed the HA to carry out further detailed work with a view to bringing forward a proposed scheme for entry into the Targeted Programme of Improvements in due course. However, the Secretary of State rejected the study recommendation for bypasses of Stourbridge and Wolverhampton, which would have attracted additional traffic into the link road corridor. This decision is expected to have an impact on the likely standard of a link road.

It is now recognised that the scope of the scheme may be influenced or constrained by design decisions of the adjoining M6 scheme (see below). Also, the delivery programme is dependent on future decisions made by the Secretary of State in relation to the widening / expressway alternatives currently being considered for M6 J11A-J19. Further detailed traffic modelling is needed to determine the most appropriate alignment and standard for the link road.

West Midlands to North West Conurbations Multi-Modal Study (MidMan MMS)

The West Midlands to North West Conurbations MMS strategy recommended widening the M6 to dual 4 lanes from Junction 11A to Junction 20, with associated junction improvements. The study also found a case for considering the introduction of innovative traffic management techniques and / or demand management that comprised: ATM in the short-term; and possible tolling as a traffic restraint measure (possibly combined with road pricing on the adjacent network) and Automated Highways in the longer-term.

In his formal response to the MidMan MMS (announcement, 10 December 2002), the Secretary of State instructed the HA to continue preparatory work on the widening of the M6 between Junctions 11A and 19 with a view to bringing forward a scheme for inclusion in the TPI in due course. However, during 2004 the DFT decided to undertake a consultation on the concept of a parallel tolled Birmingham to Manchester M6 Expressway. This consultation exercise took place during the period 6 July to 21 October 2004; approximately 9,500 responses were received by the DfT, but no clear consensus was established.

On 19 July 2005, the Minister for Transport re-stated the Government’s belief that additional road capacity is needed along the J11A-J19 section of the M6 and announced the commissioning of further work to consider the feasibility and impact of M6 Expressway. The HA has been instructed to undertake detailed development work on both the Expressway concept and conventional widening so that a decision can be taken on the preferred way forward next year, and enable the additional capacity to be provided without delay, consistent with addressing environmental concerns.

West Midlands to East Midlands Multi-Modal Study (W2EMMMS)

The Final Report of the West Midlands to East Midlands Multi-Modal Study was issued in August 2003. Four alternative strategy options were consulted upon during the study: the reduction of travel demand; the expansion of highway capacity; the management of the existing highway network; and the encouraging of a shift to public transport.

Consultants appointed by HA to validate highway schemes emerging from the study (including widening of the M42 between Junctions 9 and 11, and widening of the A38 between Streethay and Branston, south of Burton-upon-Trent) completed their work during the summer of 2003 and issued a finalised report in September 2003. The West Midlands Regional Assembly submitted advice on the study to the Secretary of State in November 2003. A Multi-Modal Study submission, finalised by Government Office for the East Midlands during Autumn 2004, is now with the DfT prior to submission to the Secretary of State.

The Secretary of State has yet to formally respond to the study, so no decisions have yet been made on which schemes in the recommended strategy package are to be taken forward. W2EMMMS issues are to be considered as part of the early review of certain aspects of RPG 11 (Regional Spatial Strategy).

Route Management Strategies

The HA programme of nine RMSs covering most of the motorway and trunk road network in the West Midlands Region was completed in August 2005 with the publication of the M5/M6/M42 Birmingham Motorway Box RMS on the HA websiteⁱ. A tenth, West Midlands to East Midlands RMS (covering the M69 and sections of the M42, A42 and A38 between the West Midlands metropolitan area and the M1) will not now be undertaken following a review of HA’s national RMS programme.

The RMS technique has been developed by HA to provide a framework for managing individual trunk routes over a 10-year horizon as part of wider transport networks. RMSs will interlock with local transport strategies (set out in Local Transport Plans) within the context established by the Regional Spatial Strategy. Part of the process has involved consulting major stakeholders and the public to establish the problems and issues the strategies will aim to address.

A Land Use & Development Control Statement (LUDCS) forming part of each RMS sets out the existing planning context and land use development pressures, and provides the Development Control strategy for the route(s) in question. The LUDCS is consistent with, and complementary to, national policies and guidance and will allow an open / transparent approach to individual planning applications.

Subject to the availability of funding and value for money appraisal, a Route Management Plan will be developed for each RMS. The RMP will include committed and potential actions / interventions that can realistically be delivered by the HA within a 10-year horizon, taking into account budgetary and other resource considerations.

Detrunking

The 1998 White Paper, ‘A New Deal for Transport’, identified a core network of nationally important trunk roads, control of which would be retained by the HA. The management of trunk roads which serve mainly local and regional traffic, the non-core network, is being transferred to local highway authorities by a process known as detrunking. Generally speaking, this will allow greater flexibility and freedom for local authorities to implement measures, such as bus priority, which complement their local transport strategies. The HA has been negotiating with local authorities to determine a programme for detrunking non-core routes in the West Midlands Region, and this process is ongoing in relation to routes which remain to be detrunked. Good progress has been made with the detrunking programme, and the following routes within the West Midlands LTP area have now been detrunked:

A452 (High Street Brownhills / Chester Road / Old Chester Road) located in Walsall. Detrunked in July 2002
A45 from the junction with A46 / A444 (Stivichall) to the A45 / A452 Stonebridge Roundabout, Solihull, located partly within Coventry and Solihull. Detrunked in July 2003
A38 from the junction with the A4097 at Minworth (Birmingham) to the junction with the A5 at Weeford, located partly within Birmingham. Current target date of detrunking: 1 April 2007
A5 from the junction with the A38 to M6 Junction 12, located partly within Walsall. Current target date of detrunking: 1 April 2007
A4123 from the Wolverhampton boundary to the Birmingham boundary, located in Dudley and Sandwell. Current target date of detrunking: 1 June 2006
A449 from M5 Junction 6 to the Wolverhampton boundary, located partly within Dudley. Current target date of detrunking: 1 April 2006
A456 from M5 Junction 3 to Kidderminster / A449, located partly within Dudley. Current target date of detrunking: 1 April 2006

The latter proposals scheme will be influenced by the outcome of the Black Country Study.

Priority Action Sites

On 16 October 2002, the Government announced a list of 92 Junction Priority Action Sites (JPAS), 16 of which are located within the West Midlands Region, including 5 in the metropolitan area as follows:

M6 J5 (work complete - open to traffic 1 July 2004)
M6 J6 Northbound Merge
M5 J1 Northbound
M5 J1 Southbound
M5 J2 Birchley Island Signalisation (work complete - open to traffic August 2003)

This rolling programme of small-scale improvements (<£5m) is aimed at reducing congestion and improving safety at junctions across the HA's motorway and trunk road network. All schemes are rigorously assessed in terms of their value for money before any improvement work is undertaken.

National Traffic Control Centre

A new National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC), located adjacent to Junction 3 of the M5 (Quinton Meadows Business Park), first became operational in 2003/04. The NTCC now enables 24/7 monitoring of traffic conditions across the HA's national network, including the Birmingham motorway box. It collects and analyses data from CCTV cameras, automatic number plate recognition cameras and sensors in the road surface, gathering information on traffic conditions and flows. Up-to-the-minute traffic and travel information is disseminated via variable message signs on the network, the media, the HA information line and the HA website. Data is supplemented and exchanged with information from HATO, Regional Control Centres, maintenance contractors, Police, local highway authorities, business, leisure and entertainment venues and weather centres, thereby ensuring that high quality information is available.

Mattisse

‘Mattisse’ is a developing system that provides real-time, multi-modal travel information for the Midlands. Electronically produced travel information is gathered from a variety of sources into a coherent package for dissemination, allowing more informed decisions about travel to be made. More details are given in ‘Travel Information Strategy’.

Local Studies

Since the completion of the Multi Modal Studies and the Secretary of State’s response, more local land use / transportation studies have been undertaken that have addressed highway needs in relation to the restructuring of the economy and housing growth. Particular studies are:

Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Transport and Regeneration Study - This was considering changes needed to 2021 and reported in 2005. The recommendations by the consultants are under consideration by the Partners. Highway schemes suggested include:
- Upgrading key motorway junction
- A46 junction
- Extension of A444 southwards on Coventry
- New distributor roads around Coventry and bypasses to villages in Solihull
Black Country Study - This comprehensive study at considering significant land use change / development options with improved access within the 4 districts of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton as a key update to the Regional Spatial Strategy. It is looking forward to 2033. Options are being considered in the autumn of 2005 with policy outputs and detailed proposals in 2006.
Birmingham City Land Use and Transportation Study - Significant employment and housing growth is planned within Birmingham. Most of the new jobs will be created in the city centre which will add demand into all modes, particularly public transport. A study is underway to look at capacity which will include Birmingham’s Ring Road.

It is recognised that a disproportionate of lower income groups and inner city residents live along primary routes and A roads. Therefore mitigation measures including reducing severance in many community shopping areas is important. Even some other policies initiatives such as park and ride, bus lanes and clear ways can have a detrimental effect on inner city communities and it is important to be aware of these before setting priorities. Although there has been consultation at a high level as part of the development of the Regional Transport Strategy, local consultation on individual proposals will examine issues of differential impact with those most adversely affected.

Traffic speeds in the morning peak continue to decline and journey reliability has decreased. Figure 2 ‘West Midlands Traffic Speeds by Link - 2002 AM Peak’ and Figure 3 ‘West Midlands Traffic Speeds by Link - 2004 AM Peak’ illustrate this decline.