Survey to help tackle traffic chaos

A MAJOR high-tech traffic survey is being held in Warrington in a bid to tackle congestion and transport problems.
During the next two months roadside interviews with motorists will be held. Bus and train passengers will be interviewed during their journey or given a questionnaire to complete.
Only simple information will be sought, including start and finish points, details of the journey and reasons for the journey. Interviews will be short so that disruption is kept to a minimum.
Information will be treated in confidence and will be used to develop transport schemes and improvements to benefit residents and employees of Warrington.
Warrington Borough Council is organising the survey with the Highways Agency, North West Regional Development Agency, English Partnerships and Peel Holdings. It will make use of the latest technology – a Multi Modal Transport Model (MMTM).
WSP, an engineering and management consultancy specialising in transport, has been appointed to undertake the project. Before the model can be used, current traffic flows and patterns will be identified.
Other aspects of the survey include traffic count, Automatic Number Plate Recognition surveys to look at the length of motorway journeys and measurement of vehicle journey times. Surveys will also be carried out on car parks in the town.
All the information will then be used in the MMTM, a computerised tool which provides information about current transport flows and movement patterns.
Coun Alan Litton, the borough council’s executive member for environment services, said: “I am extremely pleased that the council and its partners have been able start the development of a Multi Modal Transport Model.
“This is a vital piece of work, which will enable a wide range of transport improvements to be tested and prioritised. It will result in such improvements being prioritised and detailed business cases prepared, which will increase the chances of securing funding to deliver improvements to Warrington’s transport system.”