Cycle network linking Wolverhampton city centre and Bilston town centre with employment sites and residential areas:

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2 Context and Problems Corridor length 12.3 km; Population within 800m 59,922; Jobs within 800m 59,100; Unemployment 11%; Average Index of Multiple Deprivation 46; Households with no car 45%; Proportion of journey time delay 31%. Proposed Solutions and Outputs The overarching strategy for this corridor is to target improvements at the pedestrian, cycling and highway network, supported by targeted Smarter Choices interventions. This will enable a shift from car use to take place which reduces congestion and supports a growth in low carbon modes for both existing and new trips. As identified above, the corridor has been identified as a major area for change in the Black Country Joint Core Strategy (BCJCS) and includes a number of regeneration corridors. The Wolverhampton to Bilston section is subject to an Area Action Plan and a Neighbourhood Planning initiative. Walking and Cycling Solutions The infrastructure works focus firstly on providing new cycle infrastructure along the corridor, providing opportunities for residents and employees to cycle for local journeys. It also addresses more localised improvements to the pedestrian and cycling environment to Metro stops and at key crossing points. These improvements to traffic signals will also provide selective vehicle detection for buses to provide priority to enhance the public transport offer on the corridor. Schemes include: Cycle network linking Wolverhampton city centre and Bilston town centre with employment sites and residential areas: Back street and shared footway route via East Park and Wolverhampton College (Bilston campus); Shared surface and back streets routes via Bilston Road and Priestfield Metro stop; An alternative route in the north providing an off-road route via the former railway from Lower Walsall Street to Bilston Road including the upgrading of the pedestrian crossing on Bilston Road to a toucan; A programme of smaller works to improve walking routes to and from Midland Metro stops and improving connections between bus stops and Metro stops with signing etc.; Bilston Road/Ettingshall Road junction upgrading with pedestrian crossing and cycling facilities as part of the back street cycle network; The addition of a footway along a one kilometre section of the Black Country Spine Road in Sandwell which will link residential areas and the Midland Metro stations at Wednesbury to workplaces. The road was originally built without a footway and, although some sections have been retro-fitted with footways, there

3 is still a significant section where walking is not supported by appropriate infrastructure; and Walking and cycling enhancements in the vicinity of the Royal Hospital site funded from Section 106 developer contributions More Attractive Metro and Bus Services Station travel plans are proposed for the Midland Metro stops at Priestfield and Wednesbury Parkway to include supporting infrastructure measures, linking with planned measures to encourage walking and cycling to stops. This will raise the profile of the service and the journey opportunities available along the core route towards West Bromwich and Birmingham. There has been an incremental programme in recent years in the upgrading of some signalised junctions within Wolverhampton, such as along Bilston Road at Hospital Street and Sutherland Avenue. An opportunity exists to make a significant improvement to pedestrian and cycle facilities and bus priority by upgrading a number of key junctions. Bus journey reliability will be improved with the introduction of SCOOT/MOVA at these locations where delays occur including Great Bridge Road, Loxdale Street, Mount Pleasant, Prouds Lane, Ward Street and Wolverhampton Street. Similar upgrades have been installed at other locations with the support of the bus operators. Additional opportunities exist to improve bus and Metro access associated with the Royal Hospital development by Tesco. Further improvements for bus users include shelter upgrades and new real time information displays at 40 stops and 6 pole-based units, funded through Centro s own Transforming Bus Travel RTI programme. This programme of improvements adds to 107,000 spent in 2011/12 to provide electronic passenger information at Bilston Bus Station in line with all the other bus stations controlled by Centro. Marketing Campaign Strategy This will be accompanied by a major promotion of Midland Metro as a key mode of transport providing access to primary employment centres in Birmingham, the Black Country and beyond Just under half of the population in this corridor (44%) are in the MOSAIC/DfT groups that would particularly benefit from initiatives to improve access to employment and regeneration initiatives. Selected communities in the corridor will be targeted via a range of promotions and incentives. Local community travel guides will be delivered to households in the target areas promoting travel by public transport, walking and cycling to local destinations, employment sites and shopping centres. This will be followed by regular promotions of the public transport offer. A range of ticketing and retail incentives to use bus, rail and the Metro will be delivered via door drops to all households within walking distance of the routes. The visibility of the transport offer will be reinforced through outdoor and bus back advertising. A series of local events and Active Travel Roadshows will be held in Bilston, Wednesbury and West Bromwich town centres, Wolverhampton city centre, shopping centres, major industrial sites and business parks to promote improvements to public transport and to launch the new cycle network linking Wolverhampton city centre and Bilston town centre with employment and residential

4 areas. Events, promotions and Smarter Choices initiatives will be supported by press releases and case studies to attract media coverage. To promote training and skills, we will work with Wolverhampton College Bilston Campus and West Bromwich College, building on our established and effective marketing campaigns targeting colleges and universities. Activities will include promotions at Fresher Fairs and Open Days, on-campus advertising and the distribution of travel and student ticketing information with student pre-registration packs. These activities will support the work of the dedicated travel advisors and contribute to modal shift. Smarter Choices Solutions Our employer travel plan support package will be focused on maximising the business benefits of Smarter Choices for local employers and other large trip generators. Dedicated workplace travel advisers will provide site-specific advice for small and medium sized employers. Through business travel plan networks, travel plan grants will be made available for employers within the 26 business parks/industrial estates, Bilston local centre and other large trip generators along the corridor. In addition, grants and Travel Adviser support will be specifically targeted to the top ten employers on the corridor, including Eon, Asda, Tarmac and Morrisons (three of which are already affiliates of Company TravelWise). These travel plan grants will be tailored to the needs of individual employers and available to fund measures such as smarter working technology and cycle training. Employers and large trip generators will also be offered the opportunity to become Top Cycle Locations, with access to a comprehensive cycling support package to increase active travel. Those sites near the Metro stops at Priestfield and Wednesbury Parkway will also be offered a package of walking support to ensure that pedestrian links from their site to local public transport services enable more staff and customers to use public transport and then walk to their sites. As well as benefiting from Centro s existing public transport support package for Company TravelWise affiliates, employers can also access a range of discounts for their staff through the existing Company TravelWise Support scheme, therby supporting the local economy further. Supporting this, the established Wolverhampton and Sandwell car sharing websites will be promoted to employers along the corridor and a new website developed for the Dudley area. Building on the successful partnership with Jobcentre Plus and the voluntary sector, WorkWise will deliver a range of travel assistance to the 5,900 jobseekers living in wards along the Growth Corridor, including: Personalised information, advice and journey planning for travelling to interviews, training and new jobs by bus, train, Midland Metro, car sharing, on foot or by bike; Free day tickets to attend interviews; Free monthly travel passes for the first two months of a new job; and Free cycling support including cycle training, route planning and subsidised equipment and bike purchase. Building upon our existing WorkWise in Sandwell service, we will also engage with West Bromwich Central, Bilston, Chapel Court and Molineux House Jobcentre Plus offices and Single Work Programme and other providers along the corridor (including CAB, PPDG, InTraining and Remploy) to travel train their Advisers to best address the transport needs of their clients. This WorkWise Travel Training service will

5 embed travel support into the day-to-day work of Jobcentre Plus and employment providers as they help people back into employment. Alongside WorkWise, it is also proposed to trial small scale bespoke community transport services around the Growth Corridor to support access to key employment sites and job-related training. These bespoke services would primarily serve the Black Country Enterprise Portfolio s high quality employment area in Darlaston. This improved access is part of a wider transport offer that will enable the expansion of employment opportunities within advanced manufacturing including aerospace, automotive and engineering together with environmental technologies including recycling, which will be crucial to the long term economic health of the Black Country. Travel plan grants will also be available to training providers, tailored to the needs of their individual sites. Within the three secondary schools, Sandwell College and the Wolverhampton College Bilston Campus on the corridor, dedicated travel advisers will engage with students, teachers and parents to refresh the implementation of their travel plans, thus improving access to skills, delivering mode shift and creating a legacy of life long sustainable travel users. These sites, which together will cater for some 15,000 students, will be offered the opportunity to become Top Cycle Educational Establishments with access to a comprehensive cycling support package to increase active travel. As well as benefitting from Centro s existing public transport support package for educational travel plans, Centro s Letzgogreen online resources will be further developed to embed and support independent, sustainable travel into the curriculum for Key Stage 4 students. Travel support and advice will also be offered to students making the transition from learning to further skills development or their first job.