A new River Ribble crossing, new and modernised railway stations and a partnership with commercial bus operators feature in the Preston City Transport Plan, published this week.
The '20-year vision', developed for Lancashire County Council by consultants Mott MacDonald, aims to switch the city's transport offer from being car-dominated to multi-modal.
A crossing over the River Ribble
The bridge, proposals for which have been previously suggested, would relieve traffic pressures on the city centre. It is uncosted; but Mott MacDonald principal transport planner Tom Roberts hopes that it will not be summarily dismissed as being too ambitious.
To reduce problems caused by delays on the nearby M6, where the current A6 diversion 'doesn’t really work', the plan suggests converting a stretch into a smart motorway equipped with former hard shoulder lanes and modern traffic control technology.
In public transport, the plan calls for the use of 2017 legislation to set service frequency standards, introduce centralised ticketing and invest in designation of priority routes.
Excluded from the programme is a proposed tramway, running along a disused rail route into the city centre. Local company Trampower is currently in dispute with Preston City Council on planning issues over a site for a trial project.
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council, whose consent as highways authority will be needed to run services on public roads, told Transport Network: 'We have been in discussions with Trampower for several years and are continuing to work with them to to consider all the evidence regarding their proposals'.
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
