A number of local authorities will share more than £64 million from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has chosen to grant funding to a further 44 transport schemes across the country in an aim to encourage investment in sustainable travel choices.
Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said funding these schemes are designed to make people’s lives easier as there will be more transport choices available.
“We want more people to choose to travel in a way that cuts congestion and carbon emissions, delivering economic and environmental benefits,” she said.
Of the schemes receiving funding, £5 million will be spent by Transport of Greater Manchester (TFGM) as a part of its £18 million ‘Let’s get to work’ project, which aims to improve the cycling network throughout Manchester and to encourage local businesses to develop green and sustainable travel provisions for its employees.
Chair of the TFGM Committee, Councillor Andrew Fender, said, “Receiving the largest amount of funding out of any of the cities or regions that submitted a bid demonstrates the success of the schemes we’ve already introduced, and will allow us to build on that great work.”
The Black Country is also set to benefit from a £3 million cash injection from DfT to help it carry out is £24 million project called ‘Smart Network, Smart Choices’, which will be looking to boost economic growth and to cut carbon emissions in the area.
The project has a number of focuses, including organising HGV and bus driver training focused on sharing the roads with vulnerable road users and to increase the number of public transport trips made each year by more than 5.5 million.
Judith Rowley, Centro’s Lead Member for Fair, Accessible and Sustainable Transport, said, “This new funding will allow us to continue these schemes which reduce congestion costing our region more than £2 billion a year, as well as making sure our residents are well connected to jobs, education and training.”
From the £64.5 million funding being distributed by the DfT, a number of projects will be given a grant in excess of £1 million, with Birmingham City Council, Yorkshire and Humber, Newcastle City Council and Durham County Council each receiving around £3 million to put towards their various transport projects.
This latest wave of finance will see the government helping 44 projects, which will see more than £440 million invested into green transport schemes over 2015 and 2016.
The Local Sustainable Transport Fund investment is in addition to the £3 billion available for transport schemes through the Local Growth Fund, which includes £600 million set aside to support sustainable travel projects and £700 million for schemes to benefit all road users.
