Question 11
Better Bus service provision of suitable recharging points for electric cars across the whole borough Northern Park and Ride Cycle ways
Enhance cycling paths
Better connectivity, more frequent services, if using public transport then a much more pleasant place to arrive in the town centre (the the actual bus station, it's fine, but the surrounding area).
Cheaper and more regular bus service, better cycle facilities, less cars.
you need more charging points, not everyone has a driveway, so for instance I have to street park in a rural village- no electric charging points for cars are available.
A Boris bike scheme.
Price and ease of use. An app that you download and showed buses etc
Pedestrianise the whole of the town centre. Park and ride. Free electric scooters. Nationalise the railways and subsidise fares.
Free and fast charging
Um...wow. Well - actually HAVING IT might be a start! Buses are unreliable & so somewhat unsafe (depending on where you have to wait for them). Why on earth the new bus station was built a 10 minute walk from the train station is a mystery to me, particularly when you have to walk through dark, very quiet streets to get to get from one to the other. Very few buses actually stop at either train station, and in winter - who wants to walk in miserable weather?! Traffic in some parts of Bedford is a nightmare (e.g outside County Hall, near the
Remove the 2 hours free car parking. Give local residents a discount on public transport. Make all buses electric - I am fed up with seeing massive diesel buses with one passenger or often none at all pass by my house. Create more pedestrian and cycle ways, shaded by trees. Provide more secure cycle locking spaces. Work with the police to reduce bike theft (we have lost 4 from our household in the past 3 years). Allow careful cycling in Bedford pedestrianised zones, perhaps create special routes for cyclists in these zones? Create consistent cycle routes that don't get broken up by having to go on the road or pavements. Create a cycle-friendly environment by educating dog walkers who allow their dogs to stray all across cycle routes! Educate pedestrians who tut at cyclists when we are doing everyone a favour and they should be tutting at car drivers instead! Unfortunately, I feel the only real way to get people out of their cars will be by making driving into town the least convenient method. Improving public transport links to MK, Cambridge and Oxford should help with connectivity to other areas of the country.
Bus times at bus stops. Maps showing where bus stops are. Provision of magnifying glasses (perhaps plastic) to facilitate the reading of maps. Bus timetable information and electric signs with up to date travel information. Travel helplines on the telephone and online. Information on alternative routes. Pricing information. Zoned pricing to simplify costs and all day passes.
Better park and ride
I think pricing and comfort are two main factors. With social distancing now in place that will also need to be considered when building new buses/trains/whatever the future brings!
More electric charging points both urban and rural, including for those who have to park on the road. Better rural bus service to allow people to actually use the bus to get to work, and to include local business parks in rural areas
Free bus passes for students at the weekend and those who are 60 plus. Cycle trackways around the Town. Pedestrianised parts of the Town.
Investing in good cycle lanes, good cycle parks, and actually helping to prevent or even punish cycle theft in Bedford. Busses are slow, often quite dirty and have a reputation about being late or not showing up. With no electronic way of mapping how far your bus is away etc like they do in Milton Keynes, it's so off putting if you need to get somewhere. If you could develop an app that shows where busses are, what routes they take and stops - it would encourage so many more people to use it than having to faff around with an old style print out version and help people trust the busses will show up. Are we doing car share schemes locally to help encourage it around Bedford?
Segregated cycle tracks, and improved cycle facilities in general. This has to go hand-in-hand with discouraging the use of private motor vehicles in our urban environment. Bedford already has a decent one-way system, this could be improved with contraflow cycle lanes. Covered cycle lock-ups will encourage continued cycling in rainy weather. The walk from the rail station into town is not particularly appealing, to say the least. Perhaps improving this with a designated foot/cycle traffic route, with plenty of greenery, could be considered. My fiancée has told me how unsafe she feels making this walk in the dark, improved street lighting would help this as a starter.
Electric/hydrogen vehicles and developments in autonomous vehicle technology will make the private car a more sustainable mode of transport during the plan period. This will require a significant improvements in EV charging and power supply infrastructure.
SMALLER TO FIT BUSES; CLEANESS AND PASSAGER COMFORT AT THE MAIS BUS STATION; TRAIN SHUTTLE TO MAIN VILLAGES AND THE CRUCIAL REASON FOR THEM TO COME TO BEDFORD: TO SHOP IN AN PRETTY, EBULLIANT AND STYLISH TOWN ( WE DON’T WANT ANOTHER LUTON LOOKING TOWN!)
A harder stance on bike thefts and better accessible CCTV and security at bike storage places. People won't cycle if their bikes are stolen. More reliability of bus services - you never know if an X5 is going to run or not, invariably not to timetable.
Recognise that transport is competitive - why would I give up my car? - INTEGRATION - permanent, safe cycle routes - redefine buses and trains - what do they need to offer to compete with cars? - personal space, onboard wifi, manners, courtesy, cleanliness, in carriage bike racks, easy access for luggage, pushchairs and children.... - pilot bundles of improvements, COMMUNICATE properly and reach out - come and try , come and see the new route 47.......but it must be much better. - the people of Bedford are not all the same - understand their profiles, look at how well their needs are being addressed - what will it take to bring them back.....
Provision of more buses in rural locations and better frequency with extended hours of availability. More buses that go to neighbouring villages and town.
Making public transport as clean, efficient and accessible as possible. It should be cheaper and not significantly less convenient to use public transport than a car for journeys where it is necessary. If the infrastructure for cycling is put in place, people sitting in cars watching bikes fly past will eventually realize they'd be better-off on a bike. Urban bike hire schemes (like in London) would support greater use of cycling as transport. Free weekend public transport, rather than car parks, might encourage better use of public transport at these times.
Safer cycling routes alongside major roads, but separated from the roads by grass verges or hedges. The larger/busier the road the more the distance required. Charging points for electric cars in areas of housing where parking is on-road. Season tickets for part-time workers. This will become relevant to all, not just part-timers if more employers allow people to work from home.
Frequent bus and train services that are well coordinated, with sufficient number of stops/stations so that people can walk/cycle to them. Cycle routes that avoid roads. Trams/shuttle buses/park & ride.
1. Improved and wider pavements. 2. Extend pedestrianised areas 3. Improved provision for cycling in town and country 4. More frequent and free public bus services 5. Ban cars from Bedford town centre 6. Free Park and Ride 7. More provision for electric car charging
Thorough review of most used routes and frequency of public transport. More charging points for electric cars. Incentives for car sharing.
Bus companies need to stop competing over routes, and between them provide services for all the villages that meet the demands of the public rather than meeting the needs of their share holders.
Improved bus services.