• Swindon & Wiltshire Economy
• Tuesday July 16 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Three Bristol transport schemes backed with nearly £10 million funding

Funding of nearly £10 million for three strategic corridor transport schemes has been approved by Bristol City Council’s new Transport and Connectivity Committee.

The infrastructure projects will change the way people travel through some of Bristol’s main routes, including the city centre.

They include:

• £4 million to develop and submit plans to the West of England Combined Authority for a city centre project
• £1.6 million to create detailed designs for the A4 Portway route for new bus lanes and walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure
• £4 million to develop and prepare businesses cases to the West of England Combined Authority for the A37/A4018 project

The city centre project comes ahead of the future regeneration and development of the city centre, which would see more people living in and travelling through the area.

Proposals include changing the route some buses travel through the city centre, preparing the way for a segregated rapid transit route from the south west to the north east of the city; pedestrianising key streets in Broadmead; and improving infrastructure to make walking, wheeling and cycling safer and easier.

The A37/A4018 project includes improvements to make travelling by bus on the number 2 route quicker and more reliable, along with a whole host of changes to make walking, wheeling and cycling safer and easier.

Councillor Ed Plowden, chair of the Transport and Connectivity Committee, said: “I am really excited about these far-reaching plans and look forward to having a city that ultimately works better for everyone.

“Improving these three major transport routes for public transport and active travel means we will have realistic options for people who want to travel sustainably as we look to remove as much carbon from our transport network as we can.”

A consultation exercise on the city centre plans will be carried out over the summer.

Funding for the strategic corridors programmes is being provided by the UK Government through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

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