The Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) was launched in September 2010.The Fund allows local transport authorities outside London to “build on their plans for sustainable travel measures that support economic growth and reduce carbon“.
The West of England councils were awarded nearly £30 million by the Department for Transport from the fund on two separate but integrated projects where employers, schools, colleges and universities encouraged people to try different ways of travelling.
Through the LSTF programme we are bringing in more than £20million of match funding, with £12million external to the four councils.
The WEST projects (West of England Sustainable Travel) are a set of 10 projects designed to stimulate growth and tackle carbon under three themes:
Stimulating growth in priority areas: tacking congestion to get business and our economy moving.
Connected and thriving centres: completing end to end journeys with rural and urban travel options to help people travel sustainably.
Transitions to a low carbon lifestyle: Training skills and securing long term benefits; encouraging people to change travel behaviour is more likely to be effective if it is done at times of other change in peoples lives; such as moving to secondary school, starting a job or going to college, arriving at university, or moving house.
In December 2013 the Government announced that a further £78.5 million of revenue funding was to be available across the country for more LSTF projects in 2015/16. Councils have to go through a competitive bidding process to be granted any funds.The bids need to link to the Government commitment to bring about a step change in cycling, and as with the WEST project, core objectives are carbon reduction and supporting economic growth. The guidance states that a strong emphasis needs to be placed on measures that assist with the delivery of the Government’s Door to Door strategy.
A joint West of England wide bid was submitted on 31 March 2014 for £4million of funding for 2015/16 as part of a wider £9.5million project. A decision on the bid is expected in July.
Local residents across the region will be able to travel for free as new community-designed WESTlocal bus services hit the roads from Sunday 1 and Monday 2 September onwards. The launch is being marked with two week’s free travel on the eight new bus routes.
Works to install a new raised zebra crossing, widen footways and resurface the highway in Lansdown Road, Bath have been completed.
Plans to deliver changes to the Centre Promenade area of the City Centre have been unveiled as part of a project aimed at creating more space for pedestrians, markets and events.
Service 84/85 will no longer operate from 1 September. Alternative travel options are listed wthin this post.
Some bus timetables are being updated from 1 September and passengers are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the revised schedule so they can continue to enjoy cheap or free bus travel from next month.
