Communities will now benefit from convenient new local travel hubs offering sustainable transport options for short-distance trips. They are being rolled out across Halesowen as part of a year-long pilot project.
The first two hubs, known as Local Travel Points, have been installed at Huntingtree Park and Andrew Road, by Halesowen bus station. A third hub will open on Cross Street later this summer.
Local Travel Points are modular hubs designed to give people alternative and convenient options for trips around the local area. They fit into small public spaces, bringing together a range of local travel and community services to suit the location, while better linking communities with local transport facilities and wider amenities.
Cllr Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environment, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, with Chris Brown, senior future mobility developer at Transport for West Midlands at the Andrew Road Local Travel Point.
At the pilot locations, people can now access West Midlands Cycle Hire bikes and eBikes, secure bike storage, a cycle tool station, and passenger information. Seating, canopies and benches have been installed alongside these services, to help revitalise the public realm. Electric car charging and by-the-hour ‘car club’ car rental will be introduced soon.
The Local Travel Point at Cross Street will feature a public sculpture co-created by Black Country artist Tom Hicks and members of the local community. TfWM and IKON Gallery commissioned the three-dimensional artwork, which will celebrate the industrial heritage of the Black Country.
Halesonians will be offered a series of offers to encourage use of the new services and support residents to travel affordably. In the coming weeks, residents will receive 100 minutes of West Midlands Cycle Hire credit, redeemable until the end of Summer. Six months of free secure cycle storage will also be available.
The £400,000 project has been designed and developed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) in partnership with Dudley Council and Black Country Transport. It is being funded as part of the region’s Future Transport Zone. The initial three instillations will lead the way for further rollouts of Local Travel Points across the region.
TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), has already earmarked funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement to support the additional installations. Future locations could have additional features added to suit the area including e-scooter hire and eBike charging facilities.
TfWM is looking for the views of the public and other stakeholders. People can already have their say using Commonplace – the online engagement platform for the project. Throughout the year, TfWM will deliver a programme of engagement events and evaluation activities to measure the impact of this trailblazing scheme.
Read the full story on the WMCA website.
More information on Halesowen Travel Point Pilot
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