Tuesday, 28 May 2013

From 4 June residents and visitors in North Hampshire and West Surrey are to be asked for their help in generating up-to-date, accurate information about their travel movements.

Hampshire County Council is collecting this information in order to map current travel patterns for the area, gauge traffic volumes and to develop a clear picture of future transport needs, which in turn will help support bids for funding for transport improvements.

During June, July and September the County Council will be undertaking traffic counts across the area. In June and July the County Council will be surveying users of bus and rail services at stations and busy bus stops about their journeys.

Also during June, July and September, interview surveys, taking no more than two minutes each, will take place at around 40 road side sites in the Basingstoke and Blackwater Valley areas, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Motorists will be asked to give on-the-spot information about the journey they are making at that time, for example, are they travelling to work, where and where from?

At busy sites however, to help keep traffic flowing and keep delays to an absolute minimum, pre-paid postcards will be handed out for people to fill in and return by post.

Hampshire County Council's Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, Councillor Seán Woodward said: "Accurate information is vital as we continue to develop our travel and transport plans for the north of the county and neighbouring areas. It is an important element of the evidence that we need to provide in any bid to secure funding from the Government for future transport capacity improvements. I hope people will understand the importance of these surveys, and where they are given a postcard, take just a few minutes to fill it in and put it in the post. We will be grateful for their co-operation to this end and would like to apologise, in advance, for any inconvenience caused by this vital work.

"The data collected as part of this programme will be used to help inform decisions about which large transport improvements in the north Hampshire area are taken forward to bid for a share of funding from Government. Such bids for funding for large transport schemes require up to date survey information to be provided if they are to stand a reasonable chance of being funded."

• More information about traffic and travel surveys

Wednesday, 08 May 2013

Businesses across south Hampshire are being invited to compete in the 'My Journey' Commuter Challenge by completing their daily commute using alternative ways to travel other than the private car.

The challenge is part of Hampshire County and Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils' 'My Journey' campaign and is being organised by Sustrans, a leading national charity which encourages and enables sustainable travel for residents in the UK.

Participants will be encouraged to try cycling, walking, using public transport or car-sharing to get to and from their place of work, in a bid to reduce congestion in Hampshire and encourage a more active lifestyle. Businesses and their employees will be invited to compete in group and personal challenges throughout May.

By recording online how they travelled to work, those who take part in the challenge have the opportunity to win one of a number of weekly awards such as passes for free bus, rail, hover and ferry travel, theatre tickets, and entry to a wide range of Hampshire attractions.

Eligible journeys for the Commuter Challenge start at one mile in length, the equivalent of just 20 minutes walking or 10 minutes by bicycle.

The 'My Journey' campaign has been developed by Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council and is funded by a successful bid to the Department for Transport for Local Sustainable Transport Fund monies. The objectives of the Government's fund are to reduce congestion at peak times, and to reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. These objectives will be met at a local level, through 'My Journey' initiatives to encourage less use of the private car and a more active lifestyle by encouraging walking, cycling, use of public transport or car sharing to travel around, particularly for local journeys.

• Businesses, groups or individuals can sign up to take part in the Commuter Challenge

Tuesday, 07 May 2013

School children are being invited to nominate their 'diamond' lollipop person as Hampshire's School Crossing Patrol of the Year 2013.

In nominating who they think should win, children are being asked to get creative by sending in a poem, drawing or a story illustrating why their school crossing patrol is a real diamond.

Hampshire County Council has 262 school crossing patrols who help children cross roads every morning and afternoon during term time. This year marks 60 years of the school crossing patrol service nationally, making 2013 its Diamond Anniversay.

From all the nominations received, one finalist will be chosen from each of the 11 boroughs and districts across Hampshire. The finalists will be invited to a special awards ceremony on 10 July, to be held in Winchester, where the overall winner will be announced and presented with their award.

The winner will also be presented with £500 worth of IKEA vouchers donated by the Southampton store. Each of the 11 finalists will be presented with bespoke fleeces and the children who submit the winning entry for each finalist will receive a road safety goody bag.

The school whose lollipop person is crowned School Crossing Patrol of the Year 2013 will win a Street Feet kit courtesy of Fox Oilskins. The kit is designed to help children practice crossing the road safely while being in a safe environment. The school will also win an environmental tour of IKEA for the class of the pupil's winning nomination.

All those who nominate a school crossing person will be presented with a fluorescent zipper courtesy of Heart FM.

The closing date for entries is Friday 24 May

• Vote for Hampshire's top school crossing patrol

Friday, 12 April 2013

A new road safety THINK! Campaign, supported by Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Constabulary, calls on drivers and cyclists to stay safe by looking out for each other. The campaign highlights the common ground between cyclist and driver and gives advice and tips on staying safe, visible and alert on the road.

Over the last five years 760 cyclists have been killed or seriously injured on roads in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The new safety campaign is based on the premise that cyclists and drivers are often one and the same, as 80% of cyclists hold a driving licence and one in five drivers cycle at least once a month. In support of this, buses across the county will display the slogan:

'Let's look out for each other. Drivers and cyclists are more alike than you think.'

Stuart Jarvis, Director of Environment, Transport and Economy at Hampshire County Council said:

"Although there are sometimes differences of opinion between cyclists and drivers this campaign encourages mutual respect to make Hampshire's roads safer for all, by driving or cycling responsibly."

Sergeant Darren Ord, of Hampshire Constabulary's Roads Policing Unit said: "When we talk about cycle safety with road users, we often find there's a 'them and us' attitude between drivers and cyclists, despite that fact that most of them at one time or another do both.

"The campaign is simply about mutual respect, for cyclists to make themselves as visible as possible so they have less chance of being injured and for drivers to simply keep their eyes peeled for cyclists.

"It's not about blaming any particular group for collisions on our roads, it's about everyone taking responsibility to look out for each other."

Gosport Discovery Centre will be hosting a 'Let's look out for each other' information stand throughout May. A staffed drop-in session on Tuesday 21 May 2013 between 10am and 3pm will be able to provide answers to questions the public may have on cycle safety.

THINK! advice for when you're driving

• Look out for cyclists, especially when turning - make eye contact if possible so they know you've seen them
• Use your indicators - signal your intentions so that cyclists can react
• Give cyclists space - at least half a car's width. If there isn't sufficient space to pass, hold back. Remember that cyclists may need to manoeuvre suddenly if the road is poor, it's windy or if a car door is opened
• Always check for cyclists when you open your car door
• Avoid driving over advanced stop lines - these allow cyclists to get to the front and increase their visibility
• Follow the Highway Code including 'stop' and 'give way' signs and traffic lights

THINK! advice for when you're cycling

• Ride positively, decisively and well clear of the kerb - look and signal to show drivers what you plan to do and make eye contact where possible so you know drivers have seen you
• Avoid riding up the inside of large vehicles, like lorries or buses, where you might not be seen
• Always use lights after dark or when visibility is poor
• Wearing light coloured or reflective clothing during the day and reflective clothing and/or accessories in the dark increases your visibility
• Follow the Highway Code including observing 'stop' and 'give way' signs and traffic lights

• Further information

Friday, 22 March 2013

Proposed trials for 20mph speed limits in residential streets in eight districts and boroughs in Hampshire are supported by at least two thirds of people who responded to the public consultation.

Hampshire County Council sought the views of local residents in the ten areas where it is proposing to trial residential 20 mph speed limits. Almost 11,000 questionnaires were sent to residents who live in the roads where the 20mph limit is proposed. More than a quarter of households responded to indicate whether or not they would be in favour of the 20mph limit. People also had the opportunity to complete the questionnaire online.

The percentage of those in favour in each area ranged from 67 per cent (Hart) through to 91 per cent (Fareham).

In West Town, Hayling Island, 54 per cent of residents responded in favour of the trials but owing to the proportion of people objecting in that area, this trial will not be progressed. The trial for Stanmore in Winchester will be deferred to a later date since the response return rate was not sufficient to be able to draw a reliable conclusion, either in favour or against.

In taking forward the remaining trials, the next step will be to advertise the Traffic Regulation Orders. This statutory requirement will take place over the next few months and people will have 21 days, from the day the Order is first advertised in local press and in the streets where a speed limit change is proposed, to register any objections.

Councillor Mel Kendal, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment and Transport at the County Council, said: "We are grateful to all those who took the trouble to respond to us and for taking the time to answer the questionnaire. This has been invaluable in giving us an indication of the level of support for residential 20mph limits and how far that support extends. For example, whether people are happy for a 20mph limit in their street and if they are willing to take part in a Community Speed Watch scheme. In the main, the response has been very encouraging and, with the support of local councillors, we are now working towards implementing the 20 mph trials during the summer, subject to the outcome of the Traffic Order process that will involve formally advertising the changes for the streets that will be affected.

Department for Transport guidance states that generally, 20mph speed limits should be self enforcing. Commenting on the need for volunteers to support a Community Speed Watch scheme, Councillor Kendal commented: "The police are unlikely to treat enforcement as a priority in the residential 20mph areas and so the support of residents, through their participation in Community Speed Watch programmes, will be important should compliance with the limits become an issue. Encouragingly, the consultation revealed that there are residents in each area who would be prepared to take part in a Community Speed Watch scheme - on average 10 per cent of those in favour of the 20mph limit."

The Residential 20 project has been developed to take advantage of the Department of Transport's recent relaxations to the signing requirements associated with 20 mph limits. The pilot schemes are intended to test the effectiveness of this new approach in response to requests from residents and with the backing of local County Councillors. The trials that are proposed to be implemented in the summer will be in:

• Whitchurch, Basingstoke
• Medstead, East Hampshire
• Cherbourg Road (and surrounding roads), Eastleigh
• Wallington, Fareham
• Clarence Road, Connaught Road, Albert Street and Albany Road area, Hart
• Hythe, New Forest
• North Camp Farnborough, Rushmoor
• Floral Way, Andover

The 20mph speed limits will minimise sign clutter by making use of 20mph 'roundels' (road markings) on the road surface and 'Before' and 'After' speed monitoring will be carried out in a sample of roads in each area to assess the impact of the new speed limit. The total cost for implementing the pilot schemes will be in the region of £200,000.

• Results of public consultation about 20mph limit trials in residential streets

Wednesday, 20 March 2013

The Chairman of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Andrew Joy, held a special 60th Anniversary Reception and Presentation to celebrate and recognise the much loved School Crossing Patrol Service that was originally set up in 1953 in the UK.

Over 100 serving school crossing patrols and their guests attended the special presentation in the Great Hall in Winchester last night.

The evening gave the opportunity for the Chairman and members of Hampshire County Council to meet and thank individuals for the invaluable job they do for the county, and for patrols to meet old friends and make new ones.

Long-serving Sylvia Rosewarn, who has been helping young children cross the road outside Orchard Lea Infant School, in Fareham, for the last 36 years, was recognised for her contribution to the service during the event. Sylvia has had many positive experiences of being a lollipop lady. In 2008 she was awarded Honorary Citizen of the Year by Fareham Borough Council, in recognition of her 30 years' service, and she was also a finalist in the National Transport Awards for Employee of the Year 2012.

Remembered for his contribution to road safety was Ray Elsmore. Ray was a School Crossing Patrol officer for 13 years, serving 11 of those years at the Queen's Inclosure School in Waterlooville before his tragic death in December while on duty. He was a well loved and hard working man, who would often say how being a school crossing patrol gave him great pleasure.

Paying tribute to all the staff, Councillor Joy said: "School crossing patrols provide a very important service and play a valuable role in our local communities. They are very popular with all the young children they help cross roads, and their parents and carers. These men and women are on duty whatever the weather to ensure that our young children can cross the road to school safely."

Councillor Joy continued: "I'm delighted to be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the service and to recognise formally the valuable work done by these members of our workforce."

Valerie Tibble, who helps children from Preston Candover Primary cross the busy main road in Basingstoke, said: "I never dreamed the job would be as good as it is. The children are wonderful, they keep my spirits high at times when I really need it and they know we are there to help them."

Christine Williams, who helps children attending Shamblehurst Primary School in Hedge End, said: "I've been helping children cross the road for 17 years. I love it and I love the kids - you see them growing up and get to see their little personalities coming out. I feel very responsible for them."

The search is also on for the best Lollipop Person in the County. In association with Heart FM, the hunt is on to find Hampshire's 'Diamond' School Crossing Patrol and Hampshire County Council wants nominations from children who think their school has the best Lollipop person.

• Vote for Hampshire's top school crossing patrol

Friday, 08 March 2013

Hampshire County Council has agreed a grant of £6,500 for Yelabus, a local community transport provider based in Yateley.

At his Decision Day, the County Council's Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment and Transport, Councillor Mel Kendal, gave the go-ahead for the funding towards the costs of operating Yelabus from 1 April 2013 - when existing County Council funding comes to an end - until 31 March 2014.

Councillor Kendal commented: "The County Council recognises the importance of community transport and Yelabus provides a valuable service by providing mini-buses with drivers, for hire, to many voluntary and activity groups in Yateley and surrounding rural communities. Along with our district council partners, we have supported Yelabus since 2006 and this will continue until the end of the next financial year, when funding will be reviewed again.

"The organisation is making good progress in working towards becoming more self-sufficient in the future and this is to be commended. To this end, our community transport team is working closely with Yelabus to recruit more volunteer drivers, through the Volunteer Driver Recruitment campaign that we are running currently."

• Community Transport Contract and Grant Awards

Friday, 08 March 2013

Hampshire County Council has agreed a subsidy of £73,000 to keep bus service 94 in operation for another 13 months, from 22 April 2013.

The contract will ensure the existing service between Petersfield and Buriton village can continue until the end of the original four year contract period awarded as part of the Alton area tender in January 2010. Bus operator RJB (UK) Ltd was awarded that contract but, unfortunately, ceased trading in January this year. At that time, Hampshire County Council arranged an emergency temporary contract to keep the service running and this expires on 21 April 2013.

Councillor Mel Kendal, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: "We have worked to ensure the communities of Buriton and rural areas between the village and Petersfield are not left wholly dependent on the private car. With this contract, we have sought to maintain a service that will provide the means to access work, education and training, retail and health services using public transport.

"We have to consider bus subsidies against a background of reduced funding from the Government as well as a reduction in the rural bus subsidy grant. In doing so, we aim to protect services in rural areas as far as possible and work with bus operators and local people to financially support services that meet the needs of the widest section of the community, while achieving value for money.

Most bus services in Hampshire are provided commercially and are not under the control of the County Council which means that when and where the services run are matters for the bus operator. The County Council subsidises a small proportion (15%) of bus journeys in Hampshire - this is where bus companies are paid to provide services that are not commercially viable and would not otherwise be run. Around 8,700 journeys are made by Hampshire residents each week day on these subsidised services.

• Transport in Hampshire

Friday, 08 March 2013

Hampshire County Council has agreed £135,000 funding to subsidise two bus services in Farnborough and Fleet: the 41 and 71 helping to ensure that local residents can get to work, education and training, do their shopping and enjoy local leisure facilities and entertainment.

A contract for subsidised journeys on bus service 41 to Ash will be awarded for two years, seven months. This in line with renewal dates for other four year bus subsidy contracts in the area due to be reviewed in October 2015. The contract for the 41 was originally awarded to RJB (UK) in April 2011 but the County Council was required to step in after the operator had to stop trading in January (2013). The new operator for this service is Stagecoach/FleetBuzz. Surrey County Council will contribute £25,000 towards the cost of the 41.

Secondly, a short term contract has been awarded to keep service 71 in operation, following a decision by the current commercial operator, FleetBuzz, to withdraw the service. The new contract will run for six months from 15 April 2013 until options for a replacement service for the 71 can be assessed and local consultation has taken place. This service will serve the areas of Calthorpe Park and Pondtail.

Councillor Mel Kendal, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: "In awarding these new contracts, we aim to ensure that transport services continue to support access for work, education, retail and health services for the widest section of the community, while achieving value for money. We have sought to maintain the existing network of services where possible.

"We have had to consider bus subsidies against a background of reduced funding from the Government as well as a reduction in the rural bus subsidy grant. Our aim is ensure that, as far as possible, communities are not left dependent on the private car and we work closely with bus operators and local people to find a way to achieve this within budget."

The County Council subsidises a small proportion (15%) of bus journeys in Hampshire - this is where bus companies are paid to provide services that are not commercially viable and would not otherwise be run. Around 8,700 journeys are made by Hampshire residents each week day on these subsidised services.

• Transport in Hampshire

Wednesday 6 March 2013

In common with the rest of the country, roads in the New Forest and Test Valley districts are suffering a surge in potholes following one of the wettest years on record, leading to the highest ground water levels since the extensive floods in 2000 and then a prolonged period of freezing temperatures.

Reports of road defects, including potholes, has risen to twice the number it was a year ago due to the saturated ground. In response, Hampshire County Council is taking urgent, emergency action to re-focus its maintenance resources in March and April and step up pothole repairs in the two districts.

Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Hampshire County Council said: "We will be increasing the number of gangs fixing potholes in these two districts where the issue of potholes is significantly worse than the rest of the county. They will be using a combination of specialist patching techniques such as jet patching, as well as traditional hot treatment patching to tackle this pothole problem. Some temporary pothole repairs will still be necessary however, at those sites where the pothole poses a safety risk, until we can arrange permanent repairs."

Explaining the reasons for the increasing number of potholes, Councillor Kendal, said: "With all the rainfall we have had over the past 12 months, as well as the more recent snow fall and extended period of freezing temperatures, our roads have been under constant attack from water. Whether it is water getting into cracks on the roads surface, water from under ground affecting the road surface base, seepage from ditches or water run-off from fields and higher ground, there is no escape for the carriageway."

He continued: "Added to this is the damaging effect caused by repeated freezing and thawing. When water freezes and expands, this causes the road surface to break up and when the ice melts a space is left below the surface leading it to collapse under the weight of traffic. Eventually a pothole forms and it is impossible to predict accurately where and when they will appear."

Alongside the pothole repair work, highways gangs will also be checking and clearing highways drainage and the County Council is asking private landowners and householders to check and clear ditches on their property. Councillor Kendal said: "Every householder and land owner has a responsibility to ensure ditches on their land are clear to ensure water can flow away freely. They also have responsibility for the drainage within their boundary of ownership to the point where it connects with highways drainage and sewer mains."

Councillor Kendal concluded: "Across the county we have 5028 miles of road to look after and as much as we would like to fix everything at once, the reality is that this is just not possible but we do recognise the urgent need to take action where it is most needed."

On other roads the County Council's planned maintenance strategy to make them more resilient to extremes in weather and increased volumes of traffic - Operation Resilience - will continue apace. This strategy has resulted in around 120 miles of Hampshire's road network and 20 miles of footway receiving a new surface treatment or being resurfaced in 2012, in addition to completion of 40 separate schemes to improve highways drainage and footways across the county. The programme, which has a budget of £22 million for 2013-14, represents the County Council's commitment to long-term investment in planned structural maintenance, an approach that aims to ensure Hampshire's roads are strengthened and remain in good condition for longer.

• Operation Resilience - Investing in Hampshire's Roads

Monday, 04 March 2013

Inspired by World Book Day (7 March) Hampshire County Council and bus operator First are encouraging passengers on the Eclipse Bus Rapid Transit service to read while they travel.

In tune with the World Book Day ethos - to get those who are not avid readers to 'try reading' and to inspire regular readers to 'try reading something new' - First is offering Eclipse passengers the chance to win one of five Amazon Kindle Fires or one of 40 Amazon book vouchers simply by travelling on the bus.

To enter the competition, Eclipse customers just need to keep the ticket they receive for travelling on 7 March (World Book Day) and then, the following day, log onto the Eclipse website and type in the code that they will find on their bus ticket. Then five lucky winners and 40 runners up will be chosen at random from all those who travelled - each receiving a prize. All the information, together with the terms and conditions will be posted online on the same web page.

Season ticket holders will also be able to enter the competition by emailing the details of their passes to sarah.wallbridge@firstgroup.com with the subject heading of 'Eclipse world book day'. Their details will then be added into the draw with the lucky winners picked from all the entries received.

Councillor Mel Kendal, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Environment and Transport, commented: "Travelling by bus, especially on a service that is frequent, reliable and by-passes traffic congestion, is a more relaxing way to travel and gives passengers the freedom to make better use of their travel time. I would strongly encourage those who have not tried the Eclipse service yet to do so on World Book Day and experience the benefits for themselves. Even those who would not consider themselves to be a bookworm might enjoy the chance to read a newspaper or magazine while they travel."

Talking about the prize draw, Marc Reddy, Regional Commercial and Business Growth Director for First in the South West and Wales says: "Travelling by bus is a great way to get about: it's great for the environment but more than that the time spent on the bus can be used for other activities too - making reading a book, surfing the internet or making telephone calls. Whether people use their journeys to read the local paper or a classic novel is up to them but the opportunity is there and we wanted to highlight this and help mark World Book Day by running this prize draw. Entering couldn't be easier: all you need to do is travel by bus on 7 March, keep the ticket, entering the details found on it, on the website the next day. From the entries received we'll pick five winners and they'll each get Kindles so that they are able to do even more reading on the bus in future."

Having free Wi-Fi on the buses means that people can use the opportunity to access internet services while they travel, including those for Hampshire libraries. Library members can reserve books online, renew books they are reading currently but need more time to finish and tap into a number of e-resources including e-books, newspapers and magazines and research and advice links.

The Eclipse Bus Rapid Transit service was launched in April 2012, when 14 specially designed Eclipse buses were put into service operating on Services E1 and E2 between Fareham and Gosport. The buses are fast, frequent and reliable and offer customers access to free on board Wi-Fi and individual leather seats. The buses also have wood effect flooring, on-board 'infotainment' screens - which offer real time bus information, local train and ferry departures - and both audible and visual 'next stop' bus announcements.

The Eclipse bus rapid transit service operates seven days a week with buses running every 7 - 8 minutes along combined sections of the route. The Eclipse BRT service also connects with rail and ferry links, as well as other bus services in the area, and also offer regular travel opportunities for those wishing to get to and from the thriving shopping areas in each town.

• Eclipse - win a Kindle on Thursday 7 March 2013