Cardiff’s Transport Strategy Set To Be Published

Encouraging walking and cycling, improving public transport options and supporting the Welsh Government’s future development of a Metro system are among the key projects and initiatives outlined in a new document that will be discussed by the City Council’s Cabinet next Thursday. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The new document is designed to explain the future of transport in Cardiff as it strives to become Europe’s Most Liveable Capital City. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Cardiff Transport Strategy brings together all of the main transport elements of the Council’s approved Local Development Plan and the Local Transport Plan. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Citing examples of world cities which are renowned for the high quality of life they offer their residents, the strategy highlights the importance of increasing sustainable travel to achieving Cardiff’s liveable city ambitions. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It outlines the key projects and actions which the Council will undertake as it works to improve Cardiff’s transport network and encourage residents, commuters and visitors to move away from car travel towards sustainable ways of getting around – by walking cycling and public transport. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The current figures are encouraging:
• 17% of people in Cardiff walk to work
There has been an increase of 49% in daily cycling flows in the last 10 years, with a 28% increase in cycling between 2013 and 2014
• 26% decrease in city centre traffic in the last 10 years
• Cardiff now has nearly 14 kilometres of bus lanes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Ramesh Patel, Cabinet Member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability, said: “The Local Development Plan set out that we want to achieve a 50:50 ‘Modal Split’ between daily trips by private car and journeys by alternative forms of transport by 2026. The Transport Strategy document explains our aspiration to reach this target five years before schedule, by 2021. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“In the following years to 2026, our efforts will focus on delivering further improvements in order to increase the proportion of journeys in Cardiff by walking, cycling and public transport to 60% and achieve the aspirational target of a 60:40 modal split. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The Local Development Plan is a strategic document that sets out how Cardiff is going to grow over the next 10 years. Supporting this growth with better transport facilities is essential and the Transport Strategy illustrates how new transport infrastructure will be delivered through a combination of improvements which the Council will carry out itself and facilities that will be provided as part of new developments through the planning process. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The recent Cardiff Car Free Day demonstrated the important contribution that sustainable transport can make to improving the quality of life and health of Cardiff residents and making Cardiff a liveable city. Air quality monitoring carried out on Park Place during its closure for the Car Free Day event showed that concentrations of chemical pollution reduced below levels which could be detected. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

, The transport priorities set out in this document include: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• The Welsh Government METRO Project
• Development of a regional city light tram system linked to the wider regional Metro network
• Better bus routes and services both in Cardiff and on cross border routes
• Strategic cycle network
• Better management of the highway network
• Improvements to the train network
• The new bus Interchange at Central Square
• A new transport corridor through North West Cardiff
• Improving pedestrian routes
• Improving public transport infrastructure
• Improvements in park & ride
• Cardiff West Bus and Rail Interchange
• Environmentally friendly bus Improvements in technology. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

To deliver these priorities, the Council will work with a range of partner organisations including developers, public transport operators, Cardiff’s business community, neighbouring local authorities, Welsh Government, the health sector and other key public bodies. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cardiff continues to grow both in terms of the number of people that live here and the number of people commuting from outside the city to work. Since 2004 there has been a 10% increase in the daily commuter into Cardiff from neighbouring areas from 74,600 to 81,800. As the population continues to grow and more people travel to Cardiff for work, the City Council is committed to promoting and encouraging alternatives to the private car. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​