Surface transport

Target 2005/06: Reduce single occupancy car use by Heathrow employees by 1% on 2005/05 by 31 March 2006.   Increase the number of air passengers using public transport from 36% in 2005/06 to 37% by 31 March 2006.

Performance against target
1.The Heathrow-wide staff survey is undertaken every five years, and was not undertaken during the last financial year. However Heathrow increased the number of registered car sharers from 4745 to 5784 with 61.91% regularly sharing.

2. The latest data in December 2005 demonstrated that the number of passengers travelling to Heathrow by public transport increased from 35% (2004/05) to 37%.

Our objectives

• Develop public transport for terminal 5
• Develop a rail link strategy
• Manage demand
• Travel planning

Our strategy 2005/06
We have made significant progress in our strategy this year. With around 70,000 staff working at Heathrow it is essential we continue to encourage them to find alternatives to driving to work and this has been a main focus this year.

Local stakeholders, including transport users, providers and local authorities, play a key role in developing, promoting and operating public transport services around each airport.  At Heathrow we work with these stakeholders through the Heathrow Airport Transport Forum to agree strategies and targets. 

We are currently in the process of revising the ‘within existing limits strategy up to 2015, which will include a full review of our surface access targets. The document will be published at the end of this year, following full consultation with the members of the Transport Forum.

Our performance

Heathrow Connect
The Paddington-Heathrow stopping service, Heathrow Connect, commenced operation in June 2005. The service is a joint venture between BAA Heathrow and First and provides two trains per hour to and from the airport. Around 8,000 passengers use the service between Heathrow and Hayes every month.

Terminal 5 Public Transport Interchange
The design for the public transport interchange at Terminal 5 was completed this year. Construction of the facility is on-going and will be completed next year. Initial discussions have taken place with operators through the Interchange group of the Heathrow Transport Forum to understand their current views on likely service patterns and these discussions will continue as work progresses.

Onward Travel
This year, we have developed a new visual identity to raise awareness amongst passengers of travel options to and from the airport.  The generic brand makes use of the well-recognised  black on yellow airport symbols.  Trials will begin in Terminal 4 with large posters along the Arrival’s route promoting, buses, coaches, trains, the underground and taxis.

Improving bus services
In the last year, agreement has been reached on the development of two quality partnerships for routes serving Heathrow (routes 441 and 77). This will see improvements to infrastructure, vehicle standards, reliability and service information.

Airport Travel Plan
There are now 19 airport companies signed up to the airport travel plan.  This means around 60 per cent of airport employees now work for an organisation actively supporting a reduction in employee car use. 

Construction Workers’ Public Transport Strategy
The percentage of T5 construction workers using cars has also continued to fall, this year from 38 per cent to 29.5 per cent.  This is within the boundary set as part of the T5 approval condition.

Airport Travelcard
Airport Travelcard offers discounted travel for all employees on certain bus, coach and train routes to the airport.  The introduction of Heathrow Connect and improvements to bus services have seen an average increase of sales from 290 to 350 per month

Car Parking
Heathrow’s car parking strategy for the period up to 2016, in agreement with London Borough of Hillingdon, remains unchanged in the last year.

Bus and Coach Strategy
Heathrow’s Bus and Coach Strategy has now been signed off by our key stakeholders. The strategy aims to identify main strategic corridors for BAA’s future investment. The document will form a key part of BAA Heathrow’s Transport strategy and is scheduled to be published later in 2006.

West London Freight Quality Partnership
The partnership continues to work with BAA, Transport for London, the West London Boroughs and other members to deliver initiatives to improve freight operation and management, to raise the profile of the importance of efficient transportation of goods and to address problems that the freight industry faces.

Work is to commence to develop and communications plan which will set out the overall framework for managing and coordinating the wide variety of communication that will directly or indirectly take place as part of the FQP activities. A targetting exercise to recruit new members to the partnership has also recently been undertaken."

Going forward
New target for 2006/07: Increase percentage of passengers using public transport from 37% to 38%