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The Use of Park and Ride as a strategy for tourist arrivals to the destination.
Published on 23 July 2020
United Kingdom
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Oxford pioneered park and ride in the UK, with the introduction of a permanent network from 1973 having trialled temporary schemes. It operates the largest Park and Ride network in the UK. Its five sites have a combined capacity of 4,930 car parking spaces, served by 20 double deck buses (capacity 1,695 seats).
Initially developed as a novel solution to a heavily congested city centre it has become mainstream policy with large scale adoption in the UK and in excess of 92 park and ride sites across England
P&R networks are well suited to tourist destinations and often found in historical towns and cities with traditional narrow streets. Protection of the historic character of the destination and its attractiveness requires reduced traffic volumes to offer low carbon solutions, improved air quality and reduced pollution, noise, and visual intrusion.
P&R forms an important component of the Oxford Transport Strategy (OTS) with significant phased expansion to around 9,400 spaces by 2031. However the OTS concluded that the expansion of the current city-edge P&R sites would not be appropriate, instead identifying the need for P&R policy to evolve to capture users, including increased numbers of tourists further from the city centre at new sites.
P&R contributes to low carbon integrated sustainable transport soutions by
- Introducing hybrid buses
- Developing one P&R site as a electric mobility hub.
Initially developed as a novel solution to a heavily congested city centre it has become mainstream policy with large scale adoption in the UK and in excess of 92 park and ride sites across England
P&R networks are well suited to tourist destinations and often found in historical towns and cities with traditional narrow streets. Protection of the historic character of the destination and its attractiveness requires reduced traffic volumes to offer low carbon solutions, improved air quality and reduced pollution, noise, and visual intrusion.
P&R forms an important component of the Oxford Transport Strategy (OTS) with significant phased expansion to around 9,400 spaces by 2031. However the OTS concluded that the expansion of the current city-edge P&R sites would not be appropriate, instead identifying the need for P&R policy to evolve to capture users, including increased numbers of tourists further from the city centre at new sites.
P&R contributes to low carbon integrated sustainable transport soutions by
- Introducing hybrid buses
- Developing one P&R site as a electric mobility hub.
Resources needed
The operating costs of existing sites: £200-£270 per space per annum.
Bus services are currently operated commercially with no cost to OCC and operators keeping their farebox revenue.
Capital Costs: £11.3m- £14.1m for new P&R sites.
Development costs approximately 10-15% of the capital cost.
Bus services are currently operated commercially with no cost to OCC and operators keeping their farebox revenue.
Capital Costs: £11.3m- £14.1m for new P&R sites.
Development costs approximately 10-15% of the capital cost.
Evidence of success
The evidence of success is the importance placed on expanding P&R in the OTS.
Benefits of P&R include:
- Reduced the number of car trips to the city centre.
- Decreased congestion
- Improved ambience of the historic city centre
- Improved visitor experience
- Improved air quality
- Reduced CO2 emissions
- Reduced noise and visual intrusion.
- Use of low emission buses
Some benefits are subjective and difficult to measure whilst others are not given specific published values.
Benefits of P&R include:
- Reduced the number of car trips to the city centre.
- Decreased congestion
- Improved ambience of the historic city centre
- Improved visitor experience
- Improved air quality
- Reduced CO2 emissions
- Reduced noise and visual intrusion.
- Use of low emission buses
Some benefits are subjective and difficult to measure whilst others are not given specific published values.
Potential for learning or transfer
The Oxford P&R provides valuable learning for Desti-Smart partners. It directly addresses two key Desti-Smart themes: Electric Mobility and Intermodality.
The OTS policy aims to
• Promote modes of travel and behaviours which minimise traffic and congestion;
• Provide an accessible city centre which offers a world class visitor experience;
• Tackle the causes of transport-related noise and poor air quality within the city.
These objectives closely mirror those of Desti-Smart to provide SMART tourist mobility and accessibility in destinations.
P&R contributes to a wider sustainable transport policy through the greening of the P&R bus addressing environmental policy goals with low carbon solutions and improving local air quality. Currently the network uses hybrid buses with scope to use full electric mobility .
The case study also demonstrates the development of P&R sites as Electric hubs with EV charging facilities.
The OTS policy aims to
• Promote modes of travel and behaviours which minimise traffic and congestion;
• Provide an accessible city centre which offers a world class visitor experience;
• Tackle the causes of transport-related noise and poor air quality within the city.
These objectives closely mirror those of Desti-Smart to provide SMART tourist mobility and accessibility in destinations.
P&R contributes to a wider sustainable transport policy through the greening of the P&R bus addressing environmental policy goals with low carbon solutions and improving local air quality. Currently the network uses hybrid buses with scope to use full electric mobility .
The case study also demonstrates the development of P&R sites as Electric hubs with EV charging facilities.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
Organisation
Oxforshire County Council
United Kingdom
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Contact
Senior Lecturer