A major transport consultation and invitations for expressions of interest on liveable neighbourhoods were launched today as part of the council’s next steps to tackle congestion, improve health and support more walking and cycling in Bath and North East Somerset.
People are being encouraged to have their say on the city’s transport system over the next decade, by taking part in the six-week consultation on the Bath Transport Delivery Action Plan.
At the same time all ward councillors are being invited to put forward expressions of interest for liveable neighbourhoods, residents’ parking zones and electric vehicle parking within their respective wards.
The liveable neighbourhood strategies (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods; Residential Parking Strategy; and On Street Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy) were the subject of a successful public consultation between 9th September and 18th October last year.
Councillor Joanna Wright and Councillor Neil Butters, joint cabinet members for Transport Services, said:
It’s clear we need to radically rethink the way we get around if we are to tackle the climate and ecological emergency and reach our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. We need to cut congestion, reduce emissions and become less reliant on our cars and walk or cycle more instead.
Today we are taking the next steps in achieving these goals. We are launching the Bath Transport Delivery Action Plan consultation and we are writing to all ward councillors to seek expressions of interest under our Liveable Neighbourhood Policy.
We’ve carried out extensive research on current and future transport issues and are already taking action with the launch of the Clean Air Zone in March, but we need to do more to deliver real change.
Your views on how we achieve that really matter. Is removing traffic from the city centre important to you? Would you like to see road space reallocated and more dedicated cycle routes? How important are transport hubs and integrated ticketing and would you like to see more electric vehicle charging points in the city?
Whether you live in the city or travel into Bath for work or leisure, the consultation is your opportunity to have your say and help shape transport in the city over the next decade. Please, take the time to share your views with us in the consultation.
The aim of Bath Transport Delivery Action Plan will identify deliverable transport solutions and be developed over time providing the opportunity to create better connected, healthier and more sustainable communities to live and work in.
It will focus on three key areas:
- delivering sustainable transport
- improving connections
- improving transport provision for people travelling into city in the short, medium and long-term.
Councillor Wright and Councillor Butters added:
The introduction of liveable neighbourhoods has the potential to make huge improvements to people’s lives, enabling our communities to improve their health, wellbeing and equality of opportunity.
This will be the first in a series of opportunities for ward members to submit ideas with their communities to create low traffic neighbourhoods.
The council is currently working on a raft of transport-related strategies and policies from active travel schemes to improving city centre security.
To make it simpler and easier for people to take part in these transport-related consultations, all the information is now contained on one dedicated webpage). This enables viewers to see how the strategies and policies link together.
For more information on the Transport Delivery Action Plan and to take part in the online consultation, visit https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/travel-and-transport-consultations.
All responses must be received by Monday 1 March.