New Funding To Boost Sustainable Transport Schemes In Nottingham
Sustainable transport schemes in the Nottingham urban area got a boost today, with the announcement of new funding through the Department for Transport’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) for 2015/16.
Nottingham will receive £1.18m through the Fund to help provide a number of initiatives to support businesses and local people to take up walking, cycling and public transport use for their journeys.
This builds on an already successful programme of LSTF funded activity across the Greater Nottingham conurbation. Since 2011, millions of pounds has been invested to help support business growth and make it easier for local people to access employment, training and education through making sustainable travel journeys. This has included:
.Developing the integrated Citycard smartcard, including a retail network that is being rolled out by the end of 2014 to make it faster, easier and more cost effective to buy, collect and top up tickets for journeys in and around the city
.Introducing the Citycard Cycle hire scheme and cycle parking facilities
.Creating five community smarter travel hubs across the city, Broxtowe and Gedling, providing information, activities and services aimed at helping local people with their travel needs
.Funding the introduction of 20mph zones in residential areas
.Providing events, masterclasses and travel roadshows for businesses through the Big Wheel Business Club
.Contributing towards the electrification of the Linkbus network
.Work with school children and students to promote the take up of cycling, including the largest cycle loan scheme of its kind at Nottingham’s two universities and the University Hospitals Trust.
The initiatives funded thorough the 2015/6 scheme had to demonstrate how they would boost economic growth, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality and encourage higher levels of cycling and walking to improve public health. In Nottingham the projects will focus on supporting access to employment, training and skills with a particular emphasis on young people. This will include:
.Continuing to fund smarter travel coordinators to provide specialist advice, personalised journey planning and cycle training for local job seekers
.A smarter travel support package for low income groups, including job seekers
.A community-wide active travel programme, including Bike IT in secondary schools, the Ucycle partnership in FE and Higher Education institutions and an annual calendar of events such as Cycle Live.
The funding will also provide support to businesses and commuter to travel sustainably through:
.Bespoke advice and one-to-one support to businesses
.Business Club travel planning and promoting smarter choices
.Supporting sustainable commuting to work and education
.Promotion of new cycle corridors, which are to be developed through the Cycle City Ambition Package funding secured earlier this week via the Local Growth Fund.
Councillor Jane Urquhart, portfolio holder for transport and planning at Nottingham City Council, said:
“We are delighted to receive this LSTF funding. We already have an excellent reputation for providing sustainable travel solutions in Nottingham and this new funding will help us to provide further improvements and promote cycle, pedestrian and bus facilities across the city, making it easier for local people to travel to access employment and training.”
The LSTF funding comes on the back of £22.4m for transport schemes in Nottingham announced earlier this week through the Local Growth Fund. The Local Growth Fund money will provide:
.£10.3m to deliver transport improvements that will allow expansion of the southern side of city centre, including the transformation of Broadmarsh and improved connection to the station.
.A £6.1m Cycle City Ambition Package to improve links for cyclists and pedestrians through improved cross city cycle corridors, cycle and walking routes and expansion of the Citycard Cycle hire scheme.
.A £6m Enterprise Zone sustainable transport package that will include improvements to bus, cycle and pedestrian access to the Enterprise Zone.
