§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish details of the operational arrangements, including siting and duration of automatic traffic counts, being carried out by his Department's NE Road Construction; and whether present counts are being made in comparable circumstances to the previous survey carried out by the West Riding County Council in 1972.
§ Mr. MarksAutomatic counters were installed, in March 1976, at Luddenden Foot, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden. The counters at Luddenden Foot and Hebden Bridge were removed at the end of April, but the counter at Todmorden is still operating. The survey carried18W out by West Riding Council in 1972 was of a different type—an origin and desination survey.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what the essential differences are between current traffic forecasting procedures being used in respect of the A646, between Halifax and Todmorden, to the predicted traffic forecasting procedures, used for the Elland bypass, which have now been superseded; and what caused such procedures to be revised.
§ Mr. MarksBecause the parameters which affect traffic forecasts alter, the Department's traffic forecasting procedures are kept constantly under review and modified when necessary. The procedures used for the Elland bypass were current at that time. The Department's present procedures, which were introduced last year and are being used for the A646 schemes, are based on the latest advice from the Transport and Road Research Laboratory. These allow for the effect of incomes and motoring costs on car ownership and traffic levels.