07.03.19
£50m plans for transport projects to support South Wales metro unveiled
A £50m programme of local transport projects to support the South Wales Metro has been proposed.
The Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) City Deal has produced the plans for the scheme in collaboration with the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales (TfW) and could see every local authority in South East Wales receive £3m each.
Included in Phase 1 of the Metro Plus Regional Transport Authority (RTA) programme is the creation of transport interchanges incorporating all modes of travel as well as enhanced park and ride facilities and electric charging points across the south of Wales.
The Cardiff Capital Region said new and extended metro networks will open up access to new and existing opportunities for work, training, education, culture, leisure, and retail.
Phase 1 will see £15m invested by the CCR, with the possibility of a £15m co-investment from the Welsh Government.
The body said the remaining £20m will be sourced through local development contributions such as council capital funds.
Work on the programme would, if approved, commence in 2019 and be completed by 2022 – and one of its main aims is to support the implementation of the South Wales Metro project.
The Metro Plus project, worth a total of £738m, will set out to improve accessibility, accommodate for future change, and support both thriving and currently deprived communities.
The project is the key part of the £1.2bn City Deal to create a successful transport infrastructure across the Cardiff capital region.
Over the next 30 years, the CCR said this will create 7,000 jobs and contribute £4bn to the regional economy – supporting over 80,000 passengers daily.
Kellie Beirne, director of the Cardiff Capital Region, commented: “The South Wales Metro is a major ambitious ‘modal shift’ project connecting people and places and enhancing the functional economic geography of the region. It is, however, a medium to long term ambition.
“Metro Plus will support the rapid implementation of a series of more localised measures, which will help to deliver sustainable economic development, by connecting people, communities and business to employment, services, facilities and markets through reliable, resilient infrastructure.”
Huw David, chair of the CCR Transport Authority and leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, said the programme was a local and national government effort to enhance connectivity in the whole region, and stated that Phase 1 will see a host of benefits for all 10 local councils within the near future.