The Sub-Regional Transport Plan (SRTP) identifies separate packages: £78million for walking/cycling, public transport which includes £450 million for buses and £6 million for rail; and £1821 million for traffic management and roads up to year 2015.
Announcing the publication of the Transport Plan, the Minister outlined its importance and thanked all who had contributed to its formulation. He said: “The Sub-Regional Transport Plan completes the coverage of Transport Plans across the north. I am confident that the Plan will facilitate local transport investment and contribute to an improvement in mobility for all, whilst seeking to minimise adverse environmental impacts.
“It represents a significant proposed investment in transport infrastructure of £2.3billion up to 2015, subject to the availability of funds through the normal budgetary processes. It contains practical blueprints for the development of sustainable transport networks in our main towns and cities and guidance for improvements in the rural areas.
“The Plan has been based upon Local Transport Studies covering 29 towns and cities and extensive public consultation undertaken on the Draft Plan released last year. I wish to express my thanks to all who contributed including Councils, stakeholders and members of the public.”
The Sub-Regional Transport Plan has been based upon the guidance provided by the Regional Development Strategy and the Regional Transportation Strategy whose direction and underlying principles were agreed by the Assembly in 2002. The SRTP deals with the transport needs of the north with the exception of the Belfast Metropolitan Area and the rail and trunk road networks, which are covered in earlier Transport Plans.
The Sub-Regional Transport Plan is concerned with two quite distinct areas:
- 29 towns and cities outside the Belfast Metropolitan Area; and
- Rural areas – the smaller settlements and the dispersed population living in the open countryside.
The Sub-Regional Transport Plan provides detail in line with the direction and cost proposals agreed in the Regional Transportation Strategy enhanced by the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland. It presents a balanced set of improvements for local transport including walk, cycle, public transport and traffic measures.
Further information, including the Plan itself, can be obtained on the following website www.drdni.gov.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. The Sub-Regional Transport Plan (SRTP) is launched today as the Department for Regional Development’s transport proposals up to 2015 for the 29 towns and cities outside the Belfast Metropolitan Area together with the rural area. It is a non statutory document.
2. The SRTP is the last of three transport plans related to the implementation of the Regional Transportation Strategy (RTS). The previous transport plans are:
- The Belfast Metropolitan Transport Plan (BMTP) – published in November 2004 (covering the Belfast Metropolitan Area); and
- The Regional Strategic Transport Network Transport Plan (RSTNTP) – published in March 2005 (dealing with the Regional Strategic Transport Network).
3. The proposals contained in the towns/cities are based upon individual Local Transport Studies. The proposals for the rural area have drawn on existing knowledge principally from earlier studies, and from communication with Councils, and public transport analyses.
4. Media queries to: Emma Flynn Davies, Department for Regional Development, Press Office, Tel: 02890540372
