Plan jobs, homes, shops, leisure facilities and other services within easy reach when preparing land use plans and developing major sites.

Access, rather than movement, is important to people and the environment.  This reflects the need to reduce dependence on the car and strengthen access to services for those without a car.  In 2001 some 70% of Lancashire people commuted to work by car, compared to 54% in 1991.  53% of primary school children travelled to school by car in 2002.

Ensure good access to education, jobs, healthcare and other services as well as leisure opportunities through a combination of transport services and innovative service provision. 

The ability of people to access places of work, learning, health care, shopping, leisure and other opportunities can significantly impact on their quality of life. Reaching services can be particularly difficult for those without access to a car.

Invest in state of the art technology to deliver clear and accurate transport information and to operate Intelligent Transport Systems.

Providing real time information on traffic and public transport will allow drivers and passengers to make their journeys more efficiently and will help to ease congestion.

Develop bus and rail based Park and Ride schemes close to major road corridors, railway stations and rapid transit corridors.

Park and Ride helps to promote public transport and encourage car users to use public transport for a significant portion of their journey.  It reduces the number of car journeys into urban centres, helping to reduce congestion and pollution levels.  Potential Park and Ride sites will be identified through the Lancashire Local Transport Plan process.

Develop and promote a ‘world class’ digital infrastructure in Lancashire to help meet economic and travel-reduction objectives.

Lancashire’s broadband infrastructure is incomplete, particularly in more rural and remote areas.  Moreover, the take up of provision in well-served urban areas is low, and ICT usage in business is modest.  E-commerce opportunities need to be grasped and extended to strengthen Lancashire’s economic performance.

Develop state-of-the-art integrated ticketing and Smartcard initiatives to boost public transport patronage.

Multi-operator tickets can help towards making journeys more ‘seamless’, whilst Smartcards can be used to deliver public sector services for libraries, schools and colleges, social care facilities and a fully integrated transport system.  The Northern Way growth strategy aims to increase the use of Smartcards.

Reduce long-stay car parking in principal urban areas and main towns through an integrated approach to parking standards and network management.

Traffic within Lancashire’s urban centres can have a damaging effect upon environmental quality and economic attractiveness.  Morning and evening commuter flows in particular can have an impact.  A reduction in long stay commuter parking is important to encourage a shift to more sustainable methods of travel.

Promote the development of work, school and personal Travel Plans..

Journeys to work and the school run are responsible for a large share of peak car travel in Lancashire.  Travel Plans help reduce car journeys, cutting traffic congestion, pollution and road casualties

Support the appropriate development of Blackpool Airport accompanied by a Surface Access Strategy, as an economic asset for Lancashire.

The Northern Way growth strategy recognises that airports can play a key role in the economic development of Lancashire and the region.

Provide a well-maintained safe cycle and footpath network and promote its use throughout Lancashire. 

Nearly three quarters of all journeys made are local trips under 5 miles, and half of all journeys are less than two miles.  But most trips between 1 and 2 miles are still made by car.  Cycling and walking offer healthy and pollution-free alternatives to making these journeys by car.

Press for improved cross-boundary links with our neighbours and beyond.

Important national and trans-European transport corridors pass through Lancashire, and north-south and east-west corridors cross here. Transport would benefit significantly from improved journey time reliability and safety. 

Pursue major improvements to the strategic highway network in Lancashire.

Substantial economic, environmental and safety improvements will follow from the construction of the following major road improvements over the life of ambitionlancashire: Colne-North Yorkshire border, Broughton Bypass, completion of the Heyhouses-M55 Link, Heysham-M6 Link, Norcross-M55 Corridor, Ormskirk Bypass, Penwortham Bypass.

Press for improvements to give good road and motorway links to Lancashire’s ports.

Reliable and efficient links to the County’s ports are critical ingredients for Lancashire’s improved economic performance. The roads linking the ports of Heysham and Fleetwood with the region are operating close to capacity with journey times becoming increasingly unreliable. Congestion is also having a significant impact on the communities through which these routes pass.

Develop a network of quieter and safer rural roads in the County.

The provision of a network of quiet lanes and greenways will result in a wider choice of options for people to travel safely on rural roads and enjoy rural areas. Pilot schemes in Chipping, Slaidburn and Downham will allow their effectiveness to be assessed.

Maintain Lancashire’s transport infrastructure to a high standard to provide good access to education, jobs, healthcare and other services as well as leisure opportunities.

The highway network is the most valuable capital asset of the County Council and gives access to all services.  The maintenance of this asset is therefore paramount to ensure easy and safe access to essential services in Lancashire. 

Improve existing and provide new railway stations in Lancashire.

A concerted effort is needed to raise the profile of public transport and dramatically increase the number of people travelling by rail.  Consideration will be given to new railway stations at the following locations: Coppull, Cottam, Garstang, Midge Hall, Buckshaw Village, Wrea Green. 

Provide new or improved rail/bus interchanges and bus stations.

Bus and railway stations located close together encourage the use of bus and rail, and make public transport interchanges much easier.  New or improved rail/bus interchanges are being considered at Accrington, Burnley, , Upholland station, Cleveleys, Kirkham, Ormskirk, Rawtenstall, Nelson and Burscough Bridge.  New bus stations are planned at Preston and Skelmersdale.

Pursue the implementation of Rapid Transit systems in East Lancashire and on the Fylde Coast. 

Rapid Transit systems have the potential to facilitate regeneration, improve an area’s image, and reduce congestion and pollution.  Rapid Transit involves a comprehensive approach to public transport provision in a particular area.  This can include the use of trams, trains or high quality buses.  The following disused railway lines will be safeguarded for rapid transit: Accrington to Haslingden, Rose Grove to Padiham, Fleetwood to Poulton le Fylde and  Rishton to Great Harwood.

Protect key disused rail corridors for future transport use.

Disused railway lines and rail corridors have the potential for possible long term reinstatement as new road, rail or rapid transit routes.  The following disused rail corridors will be protected for future transport use: Burscough Curves, M6 to Preston city centre via Deepdale, Bamber Bridge to Preston, Colne to the North Yorkshire border.

Promote Lancashire’s role in a West-East Eurocorridor extending from Northern and Southern Ireland across the Irish Sea to the Trans-Pennine Corridor of Northern England and thence via the Humber ports and North Sea to the Netherlands, North Germany, Poland and beyond.

Following the enlargement of the European Union, increased trade with Ireland, the Netherlands, North Germany, Poland and beyond will strengthen Lancashire’s economic performance.  Lancashire’s ports at Heysham and Fleetwood have a significant role to play in this trade, complemented by road and rail network links that could provide a viable alternative to the M62 corridor.

Press for improvements to the strategic rail network.

North-south rail traffic to London and the south-east and through to Europe is restricted by capacity, time and quality constraints. Similarly, Trans-Pennine rail infrastructure needs strengthening.  Effective and competitive links are vital if Lancashire is not to be regarded as peripheral.

Press for improvements to the quality and frequency of local rail services.

Enhancing the quality and frequency of rail services will generate additional passengers.  Schemes to be examined include;

Clitheroe to Manchester

Blackpool South to Colne

Blackpool North to York

Barrow/Windermere to Manchester Airport.

Promote the growth of rail freight in Lancashire.

Efficient distribution is central to the needs of business.  The majority of freight is moved by road. The transfer of freight movement to rail and water can help reduce the impacts of distribution.  Sites for rail freight development will be protected in the following areas:  Bamber Bridge, Farington/Cuerden, Fleetwood Docks & north east Thornton, former Huncoat Power Station, Heysham Port and Preston Docks.

Implement a programme of route-by-route improvements to support a Quality Bus network in Lancashire.

Quality Bus routes raise travel standards and have the potential to increase patronage substantially. An increase in patronage of 15% can be expected when service on a route is raised to Quality Bus standard.