The Local Sustainable Transport Fund
Kent County Council has been awarded £2.3
million by the government to fund a series of green transport
projects that support economic growth while reducing carbon
emissions.
The money, from the Department for Transport’s
Local
Sustainable Transport Fund will fund two key areas.
The first includes measures to improve
sustainable access to and from key transport hubs, such as rail
stations, and schemes to improve connections between different
forms of transport, for example walking, cycling and public
transport.
The funding includes:
- £1.5 million to improve sustainable access to key High Speed
stations in the east of the county, as well as to promote and
facilitate walking, cycling and public transport for onward
journeys
- £100,000 for improved facilities at Kent hospitals for walking
and cycling
- £85,000 to support the work of Kent’s Community Rail
Partnerships
- Support for ongoing work to develop smartcard ticketing and
improved integration between types of transport.
The money will also support low-cost,
high-value investment to change peoples’ perceptions of walking and
cycling and improve links between local communities and key
destinations in:
- Tonbridge – between Vale Road and the town
- Maidstone – sustainable transport links at Maidstone
hospital
- Snodland – between Snodland Station and Holborough
The project will be delivered in partnership
with a number of organisations including train operating company
Southeastern,
Action with Communities in Rural Kent and two Kent hospital
trusts.
The funding will also help to secure the
necessary resources to continue Kent County Council’s successful
engagement programme with schools and businesses to promote and
facilitate sustainable travel choices, as well as to ensure the
council remains at the forefront of innovation in this area.