Executive Summary 

Transport affects our quality of life in many ways and every day most of us will make a journey of one kind or another. Cars, in particular, have radically changed how we live, bringing greater independence and increased opportunities, especially in rural counties like ours. Some people, however, do not have access to a car, and therefore find it difficult to get to the jobs, opportunities and services that they need. 

Having talked with and listened to our customers for many years, we know that they want a sensible and long-term transport strategy. They want to see real transport improvements now, but also want to know that these are part of our plans for the future. They want to know that our vision, our strategies and our plans will secure real benefits for their children and grandchildren, and will improve safety, safeguard health and preserve the environment.

That is what we are seeking to achieve in this, our Second Local Transport Plan (LTP). It describes our longterm 20-year vision for transport, identifying the wider policy framework that sets the boundaries for our work. It also explores the problems and opportunities that face Buckinghamshire, and sets out our transport strategies and plans for action for the next five years (between 2006 and 2011). 

As a corporate strategy document, it considers and has been shaped by local political priorities as well as national and regional influences. Importantly our LTP is also customer focused, and we have made significant efforts to identify and respond to the needs and aspirations of people who live, work and travel in Buckinghamshire. 

Using market research (MORI polls, BVPI and annual transport surveys, and project specific research), regular customer and stakeholder consultation (annual transport symposia, joint Cabinet Member meetings, regular liaison with District Council colleagues, Local Committees, and Local Strategic Partnerships) and feedback from individual customers (‘Highways On Call’ customer contact centre, distribution of ‘Transport Matters’ to all households, and specific LTP consultation events) we have been able to identify a clear set of priorities for local transport improvements: 

• Improving the condition of roads and pavements 
• Improving public transport 
• Tackling congestion 
• Improving road safety 

This has enabled us to develop an LTP that is more targeted, realistic, and crucially, customer-focused, with a coherent vision for the future and an ability to meet daily travel and transport needs in the present. It is structured as follows: 

• Part One: Our vision for transport 
• Part Two: Our transport priorities 
• Part Three: Our plan for the future 

Appendices To make our LTP as accessible as possible and for ease of reference we have used colour coding and symbols throughout to highlight links across the document. These are shown in the following text.

Part One

Part one sets the context and background for our LTP. It identifies the national, regional and local influences, including the growth agenda, the Community Strategy and the Corporate Plan. This has enabled us to set a twenty-year transport vision that aims to: 

Secure the strategic and local transport infrastructure and services to sustainably develop the economy; to facilitate growth; and improve accessibility; whilst balancing free, safe and efficient movement of people and goods with protection of the environment.

Supporting this aim, we have identified four cross-cutting themes for public service, economic, environmental and social development: 

1. Transport, growth and the economy 
2. Transport, customer priorities and meeting personal access needs 
3. Transport and the environment 
4. Transport and the development of safe, strong and healthy communities 

These four themes have a total of 14 associated key policy objectives: 

1. Transport, growth and the economy 
a) Deliver the strategic transport infrastructure to support sustainable growth, balance housing and employment growth, and minimise growth in commuting 
b) Ease or prevent congestion to enable the efficient movement of people and goods and support economic development 
c) Reduce the need to travel and improve access to employment 

2. Transport, customer priorities and meeting personal access needs 
a) Address local priorities for transport improvements, including condition of roads and pavements, public transport, congestion and road safety 
b) Address the travel needs of children and young people, including access to employment, education and leisure 
c) Address the travel needs of older people, with a focus on improving public transport access to healthcare, food shopping and other essential needs 

3. Transport and the environment 
a) Maintain and protect the rural environment whilst improving access and amenity, supporting tourism and the rural economy 
b) Enhance urban areas by addressing the impacts of traffic and transport on the ‘street scene’ and the local environment 
c) Improve local air quality, especially in Air Quality Management Areas 

4. Transport and the development of safe, strong and healthy communities 
a) Reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on the roads of the County 
b) Promote ‘healthy’ travel choices (i.e. walking and cycling) 
c) Seek to improve access to healthcare facilities 
d) Reduce crime and the fear of crime by enhancing community safety in the maintenance and management of the transport network 
e) Work with local communities to develop transport services tailored to the needs of local people, supported by ‘localised’ delivery and decision making 

These cross-cutting themes and policy objectives are clearly linked to our performance indicators and outcome targets.

Part Two

Transport Policies based on our vision for transport, cross-cutting themes, policy objectives, the Department for Transport and Local Government Association’s ‘shared priority for transport’, and the local priority for maintenance, we have identified five priorities and developed five transport strategies. Each one includes a summary table showing the relevant performance indicators, targets, policies and actions.

Section A

This strategy has three objectives:

• Mainstreaming accessibility to ensure all Council services and stakeholders fully consider and address ‘access to goods and services’ in their activities 
• Meeting strategic accessibility needs to improve people’s ability to access major centres (particularly for young and older people) 
• Meeting local accessibility needs by working with local communities to understand access problems and develop local accessibility action plans

Section B

Tackling congestion - This strategy has four objectives:

• Keep traffic moving by maximising the use of infrastructure to increase travel capacity, prioritising work on ‘Priority Congestion Management Corridors’ 
• Achieve modal shift from the private car to more sustainable travel by providing and promoting high quality cycling, walking and public transport routes 
• Manage demand and reduce the need to travel by working closely with District Councils to integrate land use, transport planning and parking policies 
• Increase or build new transport capacity by providing new infrastructure or significant facilities

Section C

Improving our environment - This strategy has three objectives:

• Improving air quality by working closely with other partners, especially the District Councils in designated Air Quality Management Areas 
• Addressing transport impacts in urban areas by ensuring transport schemes fully consider quality of life issues 
• Protecting and Promoting the rural environment by safeguarding the unique landscape, heritage and biodiversity of the county

Section D

Improving Safety -  This strategy has three objectives:

• Mainstreaming road safety throughout all transport schemes and projects 
• Targeting ‘at risk’ groups especially the younger male (17-40) car driver and motorcyclists to develop interventions that improve safety for all road users 
• Targeting sites, routes and areas of concern to improve the safety of the road environment in Buckinghamshire

Section E

Managing and maintaining the transport asset - This strategy has three objectives:

• Maintaining our transport asset to a very high standard, using nationally recognised technical assessment methods 
• Meeting customer priorities using feedback to identify and respond to customer concerns and aspirations 
• Meeting wider transport objectives to maximise the benefits of maintenance schemes for other transport strategy areas

Part 3

Our Plan for the Future - Part Three of our LTP sets out the indicators and targets (28 in total) that will be monitored to measure our performance, supported by the TRANstat performance management system. It also describes the indicative funding programme and major schemes that we will be progressing between 2006 and 2011, including A418 route improvement (Aylesbury to Milton Keynes), Urban Traffic Management & Control systems and a regional coachway facility at Handy Cross in High Wycombe.