Plymotion Secured

 

Plymouth City Council News Release:

We have secured almost £1.5 million from the Department for Transport to continue our successful Plymotion green travel programme for another three years. We are one of 25 councils across the country to be awarded a share of £60 million from the Sustainable Travel Access Fund, for local projects that support access to employment, education and training by bike and on foot.

Plymouth’s funding will help deliver Phase 5 of the Plymotion programme, which will aim to increase the number of trips made to work and school by sustainable transport (in particular walking and cycling) in the city’s three strategic growth areas: the city centre and waterfront, Derriford and northern corridor and the eastern corridor.

It will include free cycle training for adults, free bike safety checks and subsidised bike maintenance courses, along with advice on cycle delivery services, driver safety training, group cycling and walking events and personalised travel planning. There will be a particular focus on businesses and schools, which will be able to apply for grant funding from the programme to deliver initiatives that encourage staff, students and parents to choose more sustainable and active modes of transport. The programme will also support the work of local employment agencies, with travel planning drop-in sessions and the Bike Links ‘Wheels to Work’ scheme, which provides bikes and cycle training to help people access training and employment.

Over the three years, Plymotion Phase 5 will offer personalised travel planning to 6,000 households and 45 businesses, a walking and cycling engagement programme with 75 schools and a wider walking and cycling programme for adults and children.

Councillor Patrick Nicholson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport, Housing and Planning, said: “Plymotion helps people who are living, studying and working in the city to lead more active, healthier lifestyles, by making them more aware of the sustainable travel options on offer.

“Promoting greener travel helps to reduce congestion on our roads, lower the city’s carbon emissions and improve air quality, as well as increase levels of physical activity.

“This latest phase will help people to access education, employment and training opportunities, which will also support the local economy.”

The DfT commended Plymouth for its ‘particularly strong bid, with clear strategic narrative setting out how it will deliver against the fund’s primary objectives of supporting the local economy by supporting access to new and existing employment, education and training as well as active promotion of increased levels of physical activity through walking and/or cycling.’

It said the bid ‘also demonstrated good understanding and consideration of air quality and/or carbon emissions, as well as the provision of solutions to the challenges faced by traffic congestion.’

Plymotion Phase 5 will be delivered in partnership with sustainable transport providers in the city. For more information email plymotion@plymouth.gov.uk or call 01752 668000.

One phrase that does stand out:

“Over the three years, Plymotion Phase 5 will offer personalised travel planning to 6,000 households and 45 businesses, a walking and cycling engagement programme with 75 schools and a wider walking and cycling programme for adults and children.”

It seems to me to be a lot of money for a very small percentage of the population of Plymouth. What do people think?