Agenda and draft minutes

The chair had welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies were received from Councillors Sajid Ali, Stephanie Brookfield, Shaukat Hussain.

It was agreed that the Food Waste Collection report would be presented at the next Executive Board.

RESOLVED - The minutes of the last meeting were agreed as a correct record.

No Decleration of Intrests were submitted

The Committee received a presentation by Carmel Foster-Devine , Head of Highways, regarding the Bus Service Improvement Plan funding following the department securing £3.7 million of funding for capital and revenue improvements to bus service provision across the borough.

Memebers were advised that as part of the Government’s commitment to it’s National Bus Strategy, additional Bus Service Improvement Plan funding has been secured in a further 2 rounds of awards: –

BSIP+ - £470,171 allocation for both 2023/24 and 2024/25

Phase 3 BSIP - £880,000 for 2024/25.

Both of these allocations were revenue funding and therefore were required to be spent on bus service improvements rather than capital projects.

All schemes and initiatives were required to be approved by the Department of Transport (DfT) and are monitored quarterly by them. Proposals have been drafted in partnership with the DfT and conversations were ongoing with bus operators through the Enhanced Partnership regarding the delivery of these service improvements.

Bus Lanes and Co-Ordinated Signals

Members were advised that to improve journey time reliability bus priority was being introduced on traffic signals at the following locations;

·       Accrington Road / Audley Range

·       Bolton Road / Aqueduct Road

·       A666 Larkhill / Barbara Castle Way

·       King Street / Montague Street

·       Lower Audley / Bennington Street

·       Yew Tree Drive / Lammack Road

·       Audley Range / Queens Park

·       Shadsworth / Old Bank Lane

·       Townsmoor Gyratory

In addition to this Local Bus Priority loop detection was being used to detect buses approaching the signals. The bus would be given priority by the controller either by extending the green or shortening the previous stage to give green quicker.

To ensure the correct vehicle was being given priority, a special detection loop was used for the buses that can tell the difference between normal vehicles and buses based on their detection profile.

It was noted that all sites would also be upgraded to operate under MOVA control. Upgrading the signals would provide bus priority by default as the signals would operate more efficiently for all road users, especially under MOVA control.

Connectivity and Timetabling

Members were informed that BSIP funding was allocated in two forms, capital for infrastructure improvements and resource for improvements to bus services. The following improvements have been made to bus services - 

• Reintroduced the Sunday service on the Service 4 Mill Hill route.

• Increased frequency and coverage of the Service 33 Darwen to Royal Blackburn Hospital by extending through to Blackburn, incorporating previously unserved Audley Range and Shadsworth Industrial Estate.

 • To be introduced 16^th December 2024 three Blackburn local services, reinstating areas of Blackburn that previously lost services including;

·       M10 - Warrenside Close, Openshaw and Troy Street area.

·       M9 - Griffin estate

·       M11 – Albion Mill and Brackendale, onto Tockholes and Belmont, taking in the new developments on Bog Height Road. 

• Incorporated in all these areas are a number of sheltered housing properties, with vulnerable residents that would otherwise struggle accessing public transport.

 Cross boundary services had also been introduced in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

3^rd March 2025

RESOLVED - It was agreed the next meeting would be on 3^rd March 2025