An extra 390 spaces are now available at Lansdown Park & Ride as part of the Council’s upgrade of the city transportation system – two weeks earlier than planned.
The Council has already extended Odd Down Park & Ride by 230 spaces and plans to expand the Newbridge site by 250 spaces in the Autumn. The number of spaces will jump some 40% from 1,990 before the extensions started to 2,860 when complete. Some 500,000 passengers use Lansdown Park & Ride every year – a number anticipated to increase as a result of the expansion.
Councillor Roger Symonds (Lib-Dem, Combe Down), Cabinet Member for Transport, said, “The Council views this as a critical expansion of a Park & Ride site that is usually full by midday with many workers or visitors to Bath travelling from east Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
“This means that drivers arriving after this time cannot use Park & Ride and must clog-up the city centre streets looking for a space, even though they want to use public transport. The completion of this expansion will mean these drivers will be able to find a space.”
The extension is part of the Bath Transportation Package that will help to tackle traffic congestion, improve air quality, and provide the infrastructure needed to support new homes and jobs for local people. The projects are funded through a combination of Council and Department for Transport and represent £27 million of investment.
Ian Bell, Executive Director of Bath Chamber of Commerce, said, “Better transport infrastructure is essential if the Council is to help business create the right conditions for new jobs and greater prosperity in the area. Customers and staff must be able to get around quickly and conveniently.
“Together with the other improvements in the Bath Transportation Package, the Lansdown expansion is another welcome step in the right direction.”
Nearly 50,000 cars enter Bath every single weekday. The Government predicts that this will increase by 15% over the next 10 years – equivalent to an extra 7,500 cars per day.
