Transport in Portsmouth area set for 'ambitious' £101m overhaul
CYCLING, walking and public transport in and around Portsmouth is set for an ‘ambitious’ £101m overhaul that will ‘change travel patterns’ for the future.
Today government announced that councils for Portsmouth, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight had been successful in a joint bid for £56m that will be spent on travel improvements up until 2023.
Match funding will then be provided by each authority, their partners First Bus and Stagecoach and the borough councils to bring the total to £101.7m.
Plans for Portsmouth include improving walking through the city centre, and cycle routes along Fratton Road and Goldsmith Avenue as well as public transport infrastructure.
The cash will also be used to regenerate the Gosport bus station and the transport interchange at Ryde, on the Isle of Wight, among a total of 23 schemes.
Councillor Rob Humby, transport boss at Hampshire County Council, said the cash would shape travel in a post-pandemic landscape. 'With our partners in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight we have put together an ambitious bid which will support our area’s economic recovery from the coronavirus outbreak, linking transport and housing developments, helping to reduce congestion, and improve air quality,' he said.
'The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the changing travel patterns we were already beginning to see. With more people already cycling and walking, this is a critical time for us to make changes for the future as Hampshire enters into a stabilisation phase from the Covid-19 pandemic.'
It comes after the Department for Transport (DfT) awarded Portsmouth City Council and Gosport Borough Council £4m from the fund last year.
Of this, £2.6m was spent on improvements to three junctions in Portsmouth, and real time information installation at bus stops across Portsmouth, Havant and Waterlooville. And £1.4m is being used to support the extension of the existing Eclipse bus route in Gosport.
Portsmouth's transport boss, Cllr Lynne Stagg, said: 'The public transport schemes build on the success of local rapid transit services, such as the Eclipse and the Star, and go a long way towards achieving our ambitious plan for a rapid transit network. We will continue to work with our partners to seek funding opportunities in addition to this welcome investment.'
Cllr Ian Ward, the Isle of Wight head of transport, added: 'The historic tramway on Ryde Pier will be transformed into a pleasant route for walkers and cyclists while improvements to Ryde transport interchange will help boost the local economy and promote the island to visitors getting around by bus.'
Each scheme will undergo a public consultation before work can begin.
The transforming cities fund is separate from emergency active travel funding which has been provided by government for 'quick-win' temporary cycling and walking improvements.