Clear Zones policy

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Road traffic reduction

The reduction of road traffic is a central theme of Clear Zones, providing spaces where it is clean and safe for people to go about social, work and shopping activities. The need for the Secretary of State to review road traffic levels, their impact and the need for national targets is set out the Road Traffic Reduction (national Targets) Act 1998. The first report for the Government was in 1999 setting out current and forecast traffic levels. In a complementary assessment the Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT) proposed the following targets:

  • the reduction of traffic levels to those of 1996, by 2010
  • achieving zero growth in traffic by 2010

In achieving such targets innovative think is needed to reduce the dependence on the car and to break the link between economic growth and traffic growth. The development of Clear Zones of the kind of approaches that can make these targets achievable.

Further information on road traffic reduction can be found at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/congestionresearch/roadtrafficreductionact1997d4027

Integrated transport

In 1998, the DETR’s White Paper on the future of Transport ‘A New Deal for Transport: better for everyone’ endorsed the concept of Clear Zones, and suggested that Clear Zones can improve the quality of life in town centres through:-

  • reducing the impact of traffic while maintaining accessibility, viability and vitality;
  • reducing emissions caused by private and public transport, and goods distribution;
  • looking at demand management and the provision of efficient interfaces and information between different types of transport.

In January 2000 the Integrated Transport Task Force was established with the remit of defining the necessary national investment to ensure that the objectives of the white paper are achieved. This task force has produced the Governments 10 year plan for transport investment. Among other things investment is targeted at public transport improvements and new transport innovations, all central to Clear Zones thinking.

Details of the white paper, the 10-year plan and related documents can be obtained from http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/previous/transporttenyearplan2000

Air quality management

Through new technologies, such as ‘clean vehicles’ and traffic reduction, Clear Zones seeks to make significant improvements in local air quality. As such Clear Zones can be one of the tools local authorities can use, as part of a designated Air Quality Management Area, to help achieve the air quality objectives as defined in the Air Quality (England) Regulations 2000.

Details of the National Air Quality Strategy and the Air Quality Regulations can be found in www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/index.htm

Urban renaissance and regeneration

In 1998 the Urban Task Force, chaired by Lord Rogers, was set up to examine the decline of UK urban areas and proposed actions to make our cities more attractive and stimulate an ‘urban renaissance’. Central to the thinking of the task force has be role of transport in cities and developing appropriate transport systems to serve the needs of cities of the future. This approach endorses the Clear Zones concept which seeks to:

  • reduce unnecessary traffic in urban centres;
  • stimulate the use of more appropriate and innovative modes;
  • provide a better quality urban environment;
  • to encourage a vibrant and successful city centre.

Following on from the report of the Urban Task force the government is committed to producing an Urban White Paper, in 2000, setting out how it will take forward the recommendations of the task force. Further details of the task force can be found at www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1161718