The Welsh Assembly has chosen Cardiff to become the nation’s first ‘sustainable travel town’. The city will receive £14.5M from the Assembly to invest in a number of schemes to transform the way people travel to, and around Cardiff.
Cardiff Council will match the investment and the ventures will include a free city centre shuttle service, the pedestrianisation of High Street and St Mary Street, park and ride facilities and improved cycling and walking routes.
Announced by transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, the plan combines a number of infrastructure and service improvements to ‘reduce congestion in the city and improve local and regional access’.
Jones said the city was the first to benefit from substantial investment to create a ‘sustainable urban transport system’, and if the innovative model is successful it could be rolled out nationwide.
‘Commuter levels in and around Cardiff have increased significantly over the past few years. This is an exciting opportunity to develop and implement a range of innovative transport solutions which will benefit the 210,000 people who travel around the city on a daily basis.’
Services benefitting from the cash include improved travel information, journey sharing schemes, car clubs and a free bike hire system.
Delme Bowen, executive member for transport at the council, said: ‘Becoming Wales’ first sustainable travel city is testament to the very hard work of everyone involved at Cardiff Council.
‘It displays the huge benefits available to the hundreds of thousands of people who make their way into our city every day and shows our commitment to making the city even more sustainable in the future.’
Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester were selected from more than 50 local authorities in 2005 to become England’s sustainable travel demonstration towns. The three councils shared £10M of funding for the project.
Meanwhile, Jones announced this year’s allocation of transport grants to local authorities’ road schemes totalled more than £63M. Of this, £21M will be pumped into sustainable transport packages and £10M into walking and cycling projects in order to contribute to a ‘healthier Wales’.
Swansea will get nearly £6M to improve public transport including the development of the Quadrant bus station and the ongoing All Wales Travel Card will receive £2M. Every local authority in Wales will also receive some of the £8.134M awarded for Safe Routes in Communities projects.
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