§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport by how much road traffic is forecast to increase by the year 2000 in (a) England, (b) urban areas, (c) Staffordshire and (d) Stoke on Trent.
§ Mr. RidleyThe Department produces high and low national traffic growth forecasts representing a range of economic assumptions. Local forecasts down to district level are derived from the national figures: road traffic is668W forecast to increase by between 15 per cent. and 35 per cent. in England up to 2000. The figures for Staffordshire county are 18 per cent. and 39 per cent. and these also apply to the Stoke-on-Trent city council area. No separate aggregate forecasts covering urban areas as a whole are available.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the traffic in the latest traffic survey of the A50 passing through the Meir at Stoke on Trent, was (a) cars, (b) vans and (c) lorries; and what has been the increase in the number of vehicles in each of the categories passing through the Meir along the A50 at peak weekday hours over the last (a) five years and (b) 10 years.
§ Mr. RidleyThe latest traffic survey was carried out in September 1985 by Staffordshire county council during peak hours. The previous comparable survey was carried out in June 1979 by Stoke county council. The results are set out in the table:
Total Cars Light Vehicles (up to 30 cwt) Heavy Vehicles (over 30 cwt) 1979 1139 1115 224 1985 1853 1473 185 195 Per cent change +38 +49 -13
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions his Department has been given, or made estimates of, future traffic flows on the A50 through the Meir, Stoke on Trent; who made the estimates; and if he will list all the estimates for traffic flows at the peak weekday times for the years between 1990 and 2000, giving the date when each estimate was made.
§ Mr. RidleyEstimates of future traffic flows on A50 were originally prepared for the public consultation exercise in 1976 on the alternative routes for a southern bypass of Stoke. These have since been updated to reflect both changing traffic patterns and revisions to the national traffic growth forecasts.
Traffic figures in the form requested by the right hon. Member are not available, but the following information may be helpful.
Year of estimate 1979 1983 1985 Estimated flows in 1990 27,100–30,900 27,100–30,900 23,400–26,000 1995 28,500–33,700 28,500–34,000 24,500–28,600 2000 29,500–35,800 29,500–36,900 25,300–30,800 These figures show the average flows for a 16-hour period in the month of August, using low and high growth assumptions. Peak hour flows can be broadly taken as 10 per cent. of the above figures.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current average weekday traffic flow at the peak time on the A50 where it passes through the Meir in Stoke on Trent; and if he will give the figures for each of the past 10 years.
§ Mr. RidleyI shall answer this question shortly.