Progress against RTS and BMTP targets

  
Regional Transport Strategy for Northern Ireland 2002 – 2012 (RTS)

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Metro  l  Ulsterbus  l  NI Railways  l  Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan 2015 (BMTP)  l  Bus Speeds in Belfast

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Metro

Target for 2012	Achieved at March 2007
Average fleet age of no more than 8 years. In addition no bus older than 18 years.	Average bus age is 5.9 years. The oldest bus is 15.3 years.
100% of buses “accessible” according to Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) definition: ramps / low floor / dedicated wheelchair space	93.4% of fleet accessible.
Quality Bus Corridors (QBC’s) operating on 12 main radial routes in Belfast, including a 25% increase in service frequency. A second phase would achieve a total 50% increase in service frequency.	Limited bus priority treatment on 4 main radial routes plus City Express but a QBC implementation programme to be completed by 2010 has been agreed with Roads Service. 20% additional seating capacity has been provided by double decks replacing single decks.
Patronage increase of 33% over 2001 for morning peak.	23% delivered to end 2006/07 (forecast)
Four secure Park & Ride Sites with approximately 500 spaces each and high frequency express public transport connections.	Sprucefield Park & Ride commenced  August 2006 Cairnshill 2008 (tbc)

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Metro  l  Ulsterbus  l  NI Railways  l  Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan 2015 (BMTP)  l  Bus Speeds in Belfast

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Ulsterbus

Target for 2012	Achieved at March 2007
Average vehicle age of no more than 8 years, in addition no bus older than 18 years or Goldline coach older than 12 years.	Average bus age is 10.0 years. The oldest bus is 20.8 years and the oldest Goldline coach is 7.6 years.
100% of buses including Goldline coaches accessible.	37.7% of Ulsterbus fleet accessible. 25 Goldline Double Deck coaches delivered during 2006 resulting in 15.9% of Goldline fleet being accessible.
New route networks in all towns, operating at frequent intervals, 15 hours per day Monday to Saturday and 12 hours on Sundays.	Ulsterbus Strategic Review will deliver new town services / networks in 15 towns in next 3 years. Coleraine, Londonderry, Dungannon, Enniskillen and Omagh Areas implemented during 2006.  Newry and Craigavon to be implemented during February 2007.
Hourly Goldline services on key transport corridors which do not have rail services.	Delivered.

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Metro  l  Ulsterbus  l  NI Railways  l  Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan 2015 (BMTP)  l  Bus Speeds in Belfast

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NI Railways

Target for 2012	Achieved at March 2007
Retain services north of Whitehead and north and north-west of Ballymena, subject to successful results from the introduction of new trains, with improved infrastructure on the rest of the network.	Services retained to 2009 under “Option 2” of the Railway Review Group (2004/05)
All current trains, with the exception of Enterprise services, replaced by new trains, specifically Class 450 replaced by new trains with provision for increased capacity.	All class 80 replaced with 23 C3K trains.  New Train 2010 project  proposes to replace 9 class 450 trains and increase capacity.
Patronage increase of 60% over 2001.	34% delivered by 2007.
A halt in/near Templepatrick with park and ride.	Not yet in place.

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Metro  l  Ulsterbus  l  NI Railways  l  Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan 2015 (BMTP)  l  Bus Speeds in Belfast

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Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan 2015 (BMTP)

Target for 2015	Achieved at March 2007
Bus service improvements to focus on the rollout of QBC’s on radial corridors, identifying 14 such corridors with associated high levels of bus priority and improvements of between 25% and 50% frequency on these routes.	Bus service improvements to focus on the rollout of QBC’s on radial corridors, identifying 14 such corridors with associated high levels of bus priority and improvements of between 25% and 50% frequency on these routes.
The Plan also proposes a number of Strategic Park & Ride facilities at locations further away from the urban centre on the rail network at Carrickfergus, Trooperslane, Greenisland, Lisburn, West Lisburn, Bangor and Holywood and on the bus networks at Sandyknowes on the Antrim corridor, Sprucefield on the Lisburn corridor and Carryduff on the Downpatrick corridor.	Sprucefield Park & Ride commenced August 2006 Cairnshill 2008 (tbc) Ballymartin (Templepatrick / M2) proposed.  Park & Ride facilities at rail halts enhanced (Portadown, Lurgan, Moira, Lisburn, Ballymena, Carrickfergus, Central Station).
The introduction of further bus priority measures on sections of the strategic Motorway network e.g. M1 Corridor between Stockmans’s Lane and Lisburn and the M2 at Sandyknowes on the inbound direction between Fortwilliam and Duncrue Street.	Bus lane operational on hard shoulder of M1. M2 (Sandyknowes) to follow during 2007.
Local Park & Ride developments at Fortwilliam on the M2 Corridor and Kennedy Way on the Lisburn Corridor, Cairnshill on the Downpatrick Corridor, Millmount on the Newtownards Corridor and at Tillysburn on the Bangor Corridor, providing up to 3,000 spaces with associated bus based public transport services.	Sprucefield Park & Ride commenced August 2006 Cairnshill 2008 (tbc)
Orbital bus routes are proposed on inner ring road and outer ring road.	Several semi orbital routes in place servicing new retail developments.
The improvements of local bus services in the main urban centres outside the built up areas of Belfast, Bangor, Carrickfergus and Lisburn	Bangor, Lisburn and Carrickfergus Town Services will be upgraded as part of Ulsterbus Strategic Review, completion 2008.

 Specific Public Transport Targets include:

Target for 2015	Achieved at March 2007
15% increase in bus speeds to 16.7kph	Current peak hour speed estimated at 13.8 kph. An additional target of 20 kph agreed with Roads Service.
Passenger number increases at the morning peak of 28% for bus (Metro) and 67% for rail compared to 2001. Again as passenger numbers dropped from 2001-2004, a greater increase is required.	Bus: 23% delivered to end 2006/07. Rail: 34% delivered by end 2006/07 (forecast)

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Metro  l  Ulsterbus  l  NI Railways  l  Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan 2015 (BMTP)  l  Bus Speeds in Belfast

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Bus Speeds in Belfast

Year	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
Average bus speed (kph)	15.82	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	13.8
% change from 2001	0	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	-12.8

NOTES:

1. BMTP target (2015): Morning peak bus speeds in the BMA’s road network on main radial routes to increase by 15% compared to 2001.
2. Average bus speed in 2001 based on average bus speeds on 5 Belfast radial routes recorded in May 2001.
3. 2006 average bus speeds based on Wayfarer figures subsequent years will be based on ACIS bus journey time data supplied by Translink for the same 5 radial routes. (Lisburn, Antrim, Castlereagh, Newtownards and Falls Road).
4. Average speeds will be negatively impacted by ongoing construction work on the M1/Westlink from 2006-2009.
   

 

 

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