Local News
Consultation shows support for rapid transit system
A recent public consultation on the county council's plans for a Rapid Transit system across Hertfordshire to Essex shows that 75 per cent of those who responded support or strongly support the scheme.
The proposed new passenger transport network will form a new east-west transport corridor running from Watford and Hemel Hempstead in the west to Harlow in the east.
The County Council have been developing a detailed proposal for the Herts Essex Rapid Transit system (HERT) to run along the A414 corridor, working with district and borough councils and key stakeholders.
After ten weeks of public engagement, including a virtual exhibition space, webpage, animated film and online events to share information about the proposals, 75,000 people visited the website and 1,700 viewed the exhibition.
The full results of the public engagement and consultation showed that a combined 68 per cent of respondents said they would be likely to use the HERT once completed.
Support for HERT was strongest among young people, with 90 per cent of 18–24 year-olds supporting or strongly supporting the vision.
When asked what features respondents would like to see on the HERT, reliable journey times and service frequency were the two largest priorities. Infrequent services, unreliable and slow journey times were the three most common issues with the current local transport system.
Cllr Phil Bibby, Executive Member for Highways and Transport at Hertfordshire County Council, said: "After extensive engagement with the public the appetite for improved west to east public transport links could not be clearer. We will now take these views forward as we seek to engage with funding partners, including the Department for Transport.
"We are committed to the HERT’s ambitious vision to deliver a step-change in the passenger transport network across the whole of Hertfordshire, West Essex and beyond."
The A414 corridor currently experiences significant traffic congestion and poor journey times and reliability.
With over 100,000 new homes and jobs planned for Hertfordshire over the next 15 years, along with 23,000 new homes in Harlow, the county requires a sustainable passenger transport system to support growing demand.
More information on the scheme can be found on the Hertfordshire Growth Board website.
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