Luton’s car dependency scorecard
2010 09 16 - 03:23 | Jeremy
This week the Campaign for Better Transport published its Car Dependency Scorecard for 2010, and there was some bad news for Luton. Out of the 19 UK cities surveyed*, Luton came third from the bottom. Only Milton Keynes and Peterborough are more dependent on their cars.
Car travel has caused traffic problems, especially around the M1. The town is densely built-up with inaccessible areas, causing congestion problems during peak rush hours. Poor public transport and high car use led to Luton’s rank. Buses suffer from punctuality issues, inadequate frequencies and lack of direct services to required destinations. However, a multimillion pound busway development will ensure by 2012 more than 70,000 residents will live within walking distance of a stop.
Perhaps the M1 and the airport do tend to dictate transport options across the town, and it’s also very hilly and cycling is something of a challenge. And of course Luton is home to Vauxhall, meaning cars are a real matter of pride and identity in Luton. The report also points out that ”persistent city council support for the A5-M1 Link and Luton Northern Bypass is counter-productive and puts any reduction in car dependency into considerable jeopardy.”
Looks like we've got our work cut out when it comes to transport. Car dependency is a measure of how sustainable our transport systems are as a town. It's important that there are alternatives to the car, for a variety of reasons. The first is the environment, with less traffic meaning cleaner air and lower carbon emissions, as well as safer streets. But high car dependency is also a vulnerability. Oil prices are unstable, and Luton will be hit harder than most when there is another spike in the oil price. Motoring becomes expensive, some people will no longer be able to drive, and public transport options suddenly take on a new importance.
Fortunately, some things are heading in the right direction, such as the busway and the upgrading works around the station. We can also learn from those cities at the top end of the list. Nottingham comes out best, thanks to its tram and good use of buses. London is second, with lots of public transport options and growing cycle networks. It’s those other viable options that are most obviously absent in Luton, and that are key to dependency:
“Our report suggests that for many people car use is enforced rather than a choice and people are only dependent on cars due to the lack of other options” says CBT’s Stephen Joseph. “Tackling car dependency is not about stopping people owning or using cars – it’s about giving people options, allowing them to decide how they get about and what kind of city they want to live in.”
So here's to Luton's buses, cycle paths, the busway, car sharing and walking, and let's see if we can score a little higher on the 2011 scorecard. Look out too for our transport event on the 9th of November, looking at sustainable transport in Luton, in partnership with Sustrans.
(*It may be bad news that Luton is so dependent on cars, but on the plus side, the Campaign for Better Transport thinks we're a city already!)
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