There’s not long left to have your say on plans to improve travel facilities around the Upper Valley of Calderdale.
People living or travelling around the Upper Valley are being asked for their feedback to inform improvements to travel facilities, aimed at reducing private car use and enhancing links with existing public transport.
Calderdale Council is delivering a pilot project which will see Shared Transport Hubs installed in up to two locations per town in Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd. The project is being funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Shared Transport Hubs bring together types of transport and other services that minimise reliance on the private car. This could include Car Club facilities, secure cycle storage, e-bike charging points and other facilities to improve onward travel at train stations or other public transport hubs.
A short survey is available at uppervalleysharedhubs.commonplace.is(external link) and asks people to think about a number of proposed facilities as part of a Shared Transport Hub and if they see them as essential, a nice to have, or not required.
It also asks respondents to think about where they would use these facilities most, and if there are any further considerations the project team should bear in mind as plans develop.
There’s also the opportunity for people to place a pin on a map to show the location where they would most like to see Shared Transport Hub facilities.
Over 100 people have already completed the survey, but there’s still time to have your say. The deadline for responses to the survey is Friday 23 December 2022. Work will take place to develop proposals in 2023.
All the feedback collected will be analysed and used to develop further plans. The project will be designed with consideration given to other work taking place around the area, including Todmorden Town Deal improvements, Corridor Improvement work and Environment Agency flood works.
Although this pilot project specifically focuses on the Upper Valley, if successful, further similar schemes could be developed around the borough and the wider West Yorkshire region.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Resilience, Cllr Scott Patient, said:
“We want to hear from local people to help inform and influence our plans for Shared Transport Hubs in the Upper Valley area of Calderdale. The hubs could contain a number of features and facilities, so it’s important to have your say so we can develop plans that have the most impact.
“Supporting sustainable travel modes is an important part of our work to tackle the climate emergency. We’re especially interested to hear about facilities that would encourage people to use public transport more frequently or to travel in a more sustainable way for any further journeys to or from transport hubs like bus or rail stations.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:
“Improving our transport network and connecting more people with opportunities are at the heart of making West Yorkshire an even better place to live and work.
“The hubs will give people more transport options, which is key to helping more of us make the most of everything our region has to offer.
“We want our hubs to offer the services people need, so I would encourage everyone to make the most of this opportunity to help shape the plans.”