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The Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority has endorsed plans for £15.3 million of improvements to bus routes. The Tyne-Tees interview with Ken Kemp, Nexus' Interim Services and Integration Director can be viewed here. Two major new park-and-ride facilities will be built to encourage motorists to switch to greener transport if a bid for Government funding is successful. These would be Tyne and Wear’s first bus-based park-and-ride schemes, and stand alongside improvements to surrounding roads to speed up bus journey times. The plans, developed with Tyne and Wear local councils through the Local Transport Plan, include: 1) A £3.12 million park-and-ride facility for 520 cars at Follingsby on the A194(M). The facility is aimed at drawing motorists from the heavily-congested A1 Western Bypass and surrounding towns and cities including Washington, Birtley, and Sunderland. Dedicated buses will run direct to the centres of Gateshead and Newcastle. A further 480 spaces may be provided at a later date. 2) £1.34 million of improvements to the Felling Bypass and nearby Sunderland road to smooth bus journeys. 3) A £2.26 million park and ride facility for 328 cars on Whickham Highway in Lobley Hill, easing traffic congestion around the Western Bypass, Team Valley and into central Newcastle and Gateshead. 4) £1.49 million on road priority measures to smooth bus journeys into Team Valley Trading Estate. 5) £2.9 million upgrading the Wheatsheaf gyratory and Stadium of Light access in Newcastle road, Sunderland, improving bus flow. 6) £1.1 million improvements to bus Superoute corridors in Tyne and Wear. Nexus has worked closely with Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council and Sunderland City Council in drawing up a detailed bid for around £12 million in Government funds. The plans have been approved by the cabinets of both local authorities. Bernard Garner, Director General of Nexus, said: “Several million bus passengers every year will benefit from this investment. “The bus network has a crucial role in helping to achieve Tyne and Wear’s wider social and economic objectives – and the more specific issue of congestion on key routes into our towns and cities. “It is clear substantial investment in the bus network is required to tackle congestion delays and develop the quality and quantity of bus infrastructure. “Tyne and Wear’s local authorities have a good record of investment in bus facilities, including high quality interchanges at Eldon Square, Park Lane, Gateshead, Four Lane Ends and most recently Washington. These demonstrate as partners we can work successfully together to deliver.” A bid will now be made to the Department for Transport. The partners hope to start work in 2010 with construction taking around a year. In 2006 a total of £32 million was identified in the Regional Funding Allocation by the Secretary of State for bus corridor improvements within Tyne and Wear. It is intended major schemes will be delivered in phases covering all the major bus and congestion corridors identified in the Local Transport Plan.
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