Some 39 English projects have won funding as part of the first allocation from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
Most schemes involve a variety of measures such as smart ticketing and promoting infrastructure for electric vehicles and bus and rail improvements. Some like a building a new station at Stratford upon Avon will involve new building work.
Transport minister Norman Baker said: “All the winning schemes have one thing in common – they will help build strong local economies while addressing the urgent challenge of climate change.
“We have empowered local authorities to create packages of sustainable initiatives that are tailored for their local areas, and this is only the beginning – even more funding will be announced next summer following a second round of bids.”
Big funding winners
Lowestoft A new swing bridge for pedestrians and cyclists will enable residents and visitors to travel more easily within the town.
Stratford upon Avon A new rail station and supporting train services; park and ride bus service enhancement.
South Yorkshire A ‘wheels to work’ scheme to help those in the most isolated areas get to work by bike, scooter or electric scooter, as well as new cycle infrastructure.
Oxford Expand park and ride scheme, while introducing a single integrated smart card for car parking, buses and cycle hire.
Hampshire A package of measures including car sharing, electric vehicle charging posts and improvement to bus services.
Plymouth Introduce smart ticketing to support economic growth.
An independent panel with expertise in delivering sustainable transport were appointed to advise Ministers on the bids including representatives from the British Chamber of Commerce, the Campaign for Better Transport and the local authority body ADEPT.
The expert panel said: “We were delighted to see that many local authorities had submitted high quality bids which will deliver economic growth in a low carbon way.
“We welcome the Department’s decision to involve people from outside Government, with a wide range of expertise, in the assessment of the bids. We look forward to seeing the words in the bids transformed into actions on the ground.”
Richard Hebditch, Campaigns Director at Campaign for Better Transport, said: “We’re really pleased that these areas will receive funding from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
“We’ve long called for funding for these kinds of programmes, which we know from the pilot Sustainable Transport Towns can cut congestion and cut carbon. We’re looking forward to seeing the practical results which I’m sure will make a big difference to these areas.”
