Liverpool’s public transport network to receive £6m revamp
North West Development Agency has today announced over £6m from the European Regional Development Fund will be invested to improve the public transport network in Liverpool.
The funding is being allocated for six projects, to be taken forward by Merseytravel, which aim to improve the provision and accessibility of public transport into the city centre.
The projects include:
- City centre underground stations – This project has been allocated £417,000 of ERDF funding to enhance the welcome, attractiveness and accessibility of the gateway underground stations to Liverpool city centre. The scheme involves the refurbishment of the station's entrances, new signage, and improving accessibility.
- James Street underground station – This project is receiving an ERDF grant of £680,000. The scheme includes the creation of a new station entrance/exit, the extension of the concourse area allowing incorporation of extra automatic ticket gates, the introduction of a landmark canopy outside the station entrance and new lighting and signage.
In addition, four individual projects which will upgrade significant bus corridors to improve access into the city centre have also been approved. These include:
- City centre bus corridor on A59, with £1.4m of ERDF, will create improved transport routes in and around the city centre to connect with the radial routes on the major corridors including Brownlow Hill, Pembroke Place, London Road, Lime Street and Upper Parliament Street.
- Integrated corridor B gateway on A57, with £911,000 of ERDF, connecting Liverpool city centre and Bootle with Walton, Fazakerley, Old Roan, Maghull and Kirkby.
- Integrated corridor D gateway on A561, with £1.4m of ERDF, connecting the city centre with Kensington, Old Swan, Dovecot, Page Moss, Huyton, Prescot, Whiston, Rainhill, Widnes and St Helens.
- Integrated corridor F gateway, with £1.7m of ERDF, connecting Liverpool city centre with Allerton, Aigburth, Speke and Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
Work will also include bus stops improvements, creating new and upgraded bus lanes, upgrading traffic signals to enhance bus movements and upgrading pedestrian crossings.
Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: "These investments will significantly improve access into Liverpool city centre and encourage greater use of public transport, which will both help to ease congestion in the city centre and support the Agency's commitment to tackling the climate change agenda. Through driving up the quality, accessibility and frequency of public transport, I hope that these schemes will help to provide a real, affordable and convenient alternative to car use for local residents."
The schemes are part of Merseyside's Local Transport Plan, which runs until 2011 and is a £230m delivery programme of transport investment and service improvements.
A separate investment from the Northwest Development Agency will be allocated for the Liverpool Transport Model project, which will receive £250,000 Agency funding to create a computer based modelling facility that will enable the transport needs and impact of new developments to be planned for.
The creation of a Liverpool Transport Model, led by Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Vision, will enable partners to undertake detailed road network and junction simulation when planning new developments, helping to reduce the potential impacts on congestion new developments may create.
