Smart Network - Smarter Choices

The Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) was announced as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review in October 2010. This new fund makes £560m available to support sustainable transport measures over the next four years. Details on this fund can be found at www.dft.gov.uk/topics/sustainable/. The Government's LSTF presents a great opportunity to boost sustainable transport across the Metropolitan Area and tackle some of the significant transport, economic and environmental challenges that we face. In response to this new fund, Centro and the seven Metropolitan Local Authorities (Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Borough Council, Sandwell Borough Council, Solihull Borough Council, Walsall Borough Council and Wolverhampton City Council), submitted a project proposal - Smart Network, Smarter Choices in June 2011. This submission can be downloaded here: Smart Network - Smarter Choices (11MB) The Department for Transport (DfT) announced on 3rd August 2011 that Smart Network, Smarter Choices had been short listed for further development. This was an excellent achievement and provided a great starting point for making a case for securing funds through the LSTF. As part of the bidding process, DfT asked for a business case to be submitted in December. The Executive Summary and Business Case for Smart Network, Smarter Choices can be downloaded here: LSTF Executive Summary (2MB) LSTF Business Case (9MB)   Smart Network, Smarter Choices sets out a integrated package of sustainable transport measures on 10 corridors across the Metropolitan Area. Summaries of the measures planned for each of the corridors can be downloaded below:   Airport and NEC Corridor (351kb) Black Country West Corridor (378kb) Connecting Dudley with Birmingham Corridor (366kb) Corridor 404 (358kb) Coventry North Corridors (366kb) North Solihull Regeneration Corridor (362kb) South Birmingham Technology Corridor (356kb) Walsall Road Corridor (333kb) Warwick Road Corridor (327kb) Wolverhampton to West Bromwich Corridor (335kb) "Walking, cycling and public transport have a crucial role to play in supporting economic regeneration, reducing carbon emissions and creating a healthier society. This proposal 'Smart Network, Smarter Choices' will enable our communities to make smarter travel choices - by improving the sustainable travel offer and supporting people at the right time, and in the right place, to make these choices. Through this, we can achieve reductions in carbon emissions and congestion whilst supporting economic growth and improving our environment for future generations."

Councillor Ted Richards
Lead Member for Capital Projects & LTP