A £48 million project to cut congestion along ten of the region’s busiest routes and support economic is making real progress as it passes its halfway point.
Transport authority Centro held a conference to mark the milestone in its government funded Smart Network, Smarter Choices scheme and look at plans to build on the work. Centro and partners identified 10 key routes to introduce a package of measures to reduce congestion, cut carbon and connect residents to jobs.
The project, which was funded following a successful bid to government’s Local Sustainable Travel Fund (LSTF), has seen upgrades to cycling facilities, bespoke travel plans drawn up for households, business and schools and free travel for jobseekers.
Thousands of residents have also taken advantage of free cycle training while more than 20 junctions have been improved to ease traffic flow along some of the region’s busiest routes.
The conference was attended by Transport Minister Baroness Kramer, Centro chiefs and representatives from each of the region’s seven district council partners. Displays were held to show the progress of the project so far in each area and look ahead at work being finalised in the final 12 months.
Speaking at the event at Maple House in Birmingham on March 13th, Baroness Kramer said: “Smart Network, Smarter Choices is one of the largest LSTF grants we delivered. We wanted to back ambitious local projects which have the potential to make a big difference to people’s lives. Every pound invested in this project is generating up to another £10 for the local economy, and going forwards we want sustainable transport to be central to how local areas are planning their growth.”
Since the project launched more than 4,500 jobseekers have been helped back into work by Centro’s award winning WorkWise scheme, which provides free travel passes for people travelling to interviews or starting new jobs.
Free cycle training and maintenance classes have been provided for more than 2,500 people and 12,000 households have been given free personalised travel advice. More than 50 schools have been given specialised advice to help teachers and pupils travel to school and 157 businesses have signed up to the project which will benefit over 80,000 of the region’s workforce.
Centro is currently working with the local councils to look at future funding options as part of further cash being made available under the LSTF to build on the work of Smart Network, Smarter Choices.
Centro chairman Cllr John McNicholas said: “Already this scheme has had an impact on the thousands of people who have taken up free cycle training, had bespoke travel plans drawn up or work and study along some of our busiest routes. We know congestion is a major issue facing our region and draining more than £2 billion from our economy each year, so projects like this can really help support growth. We have already made some significant strides but heading into the next 12 months we are already looking ahead to see how we can keep cutting carbon and better connecting our residents to jobs.”
Over the next year new cycle routes will be finalised in Solihull, the Black Country and Coventry linking to key employment and education centres. Improvements to existing cycle routes in south Birmingham will be made to provide better connections to Selly Oak railway station, the University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and beyond to the city’s border at Rubery.
Further junction improvements will also be made over the next 12 months along the ten key transport routes to further help reduce congestion.