Transport worth celebrating

Hello Supporter

This Better Transport Week, we're celebrating transport projects that are connecting communities in exciting ways, and finding out what lessons can be learnt from them. 

We visited Coventry, where a really innovative very light rail network is being developed. Battery-powered vehicles will run on tracks that are laid just 30cm within the road's surface, making it quick and affordable to install. We were joined for a test ride by Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood, and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker.

We took a ride on the Northumberland Line, which has reopened for passengers after 60 years. It's an enormous success story, having attracted 380,000 passengers since it opened in December, massively exceeding expectations. 

In Cardiff, we celebrated the amazing transformation to the city's transport network - a new bus station, well-integrated with a transformed rail station; contactless pay-as-you-go ticketing and much more, all ready for the major events happening in Cardiff this summer.

There was loads to celebrate in Portsmouth, where Government funding has helped increase bus use by an impressive 22% in a year, to more than a million journeys a month! This shows that when buses are well-funded and well-run, many more people will use them. 

We visited Plymouth for the launch of 50 gleaming new electric buses. And we met the fabulous Plymotion, who help people to get walking and cycling, with cycle training, bike maintenance workshops, and led walks and rides. 

In too many places, transport does not live up to these great examples. Don't worry, we will carry on campaigning for transport to be better, more affordable, reliable and accessible. But this week is about positive examples. So we are asking, what transport projects in your area deserve celebrating?

They don't need to be great city-wide transformations. You might want to highlight a well-kept local rail station, a treasured community minibus, or your favourite cycle route. If you're on Facebook, please comment on this post and tell us about them! There are lots of great comments already - check them out!

Bye till next time - we hope you enjoy smooth and sunny journeys over the weekend to round off Better Transport Week.

Alice

Alice Ridley
Head of Media and Communications, Campaign for Better Transport