This project is funded by the DfT to show how cycling initiatives can raise levels of  cycling in the city.

It will be supported by the introduction of Personalised Travel Planning and the development of Lancaster University Green Travel Plan.

The experience gained in Lancaster will be used to improve cycling facilities in towns in Lancashire and other Local Authorities.

Lancaster suffers from traffic congestion during extended peak hours. The project will reduce dependence upon cars and reduce the level of congestion.

Lancaster city centre is designated as an AQMA and a reduction in car journeys will reduce air pollution.

Home Zones Lancashire has successfully completed two Home Zones within the DfT national pilot. Both are located in areas of deprivation. The first is in the Poulton Neighbourhood Management supported by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and the second is in a deprived ward of Burnley. They will serve as models of urban improvements for future works, particularly the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder in East Lancashire, ELEVATE.

The elements of Home Zones will be considered in the ELEVATE programme in East Lancashire. Two potential renewal areas are Whitfield and Bradley in Pendle.

Safe and convenient routes for pedestrians and cyclists can improve access to education and healthcare and open up new opportunities for skills training and employment.

These two renewal zones within ELEVATE lie close to the Mainline Quality Bus route. New footways and cycleways, including safer routes to bus stops, will improve accessibility to essential services from the deprived areas.

Towneley Improvement Zone, Burnley

A carefully designed package of measures will increase active travel and enhance the environment in a deprived area to be improved in the ELEVATE programme.

Safer Stronger Communities Neighbourhood Plan in Digmoor, Skelmersdale

We will provide an integrated package of improvements to improve local access to services and schools for pedestrians and cyclists.

Bridleways provide routes for horse riding in safer and more enjoyable surroundings away from trafficked roads.

Bridleways will promote excursions in the countryside on foot, by bicycle and on horseback which will increase active leisure and support the rural economy.

Lancashire, on behalf of the Management Committee for the West Pennine Moors, has drawn up the Bridleways Strategy for 2006-2013. The construction of bridleways will provide opportunities for active leisure on some challenging upland routes. The West Pennine Bridleway will be a circular route taking in parts of the Pennine Bridleway Feeder and the National Cycle Network.

Better services will increase accessibility. Increased patronage on buses will reduce the number of car journeys into urban centres and reduce peak hour congestion.

We will provide new infrastructure including new bus shelters to improve the comfort of waiting passengers and bus priority measures to reduce journey times and improve reliability.

We are also making travel information more readily available. We are adding real time information displays to routes into Preston and offer information by text to mobile phones.

The route of this busy service has been carefully designed to provide links to essential services throughout its route. It passes important sites including Blackpool Victoria Hospital, Blackpool and the Fylde College, the Department for Work and Pensions HQ at Norcross and several schools and supermarkets.

We will work with train operators and Community Rail Partnerships to raise the standards of travel by train and the services in peak and off peak hours.We want to improve the comfort and convenience for all train passengers.

We want to provide easier access to stations on foot and by cycle, better interchange with bus services and more, secure, Park & Ride. On the the stations we want to offer more comfortable waiting conditions and greater personal safety.

We also want to improve the travel information available to passengers to give them confidence in the whole transport network.

The improvements meet our LTP objectives to;

• Increase journeys by bus and rail
• Improve access to jobs and services
• Reduce delays on journeys

• Improvements at Ormskirk station in partnership with NWDA including improved pedestrian links to the bus station
• Better travel information for passengers at stations between Ormskirk and Preston through a new Long Line Public Address system. A train reporting system, TRUST, based at Rufford
• Refurbishment of Parbold station, Phase 2 programmed for 2006 ·
• Improvements at Upholland station
• Improvements to Park & Ride at Appley Bridge
• Study of other stations to increase Park & Ride spaces and improve security
• Improved access for cyclists and storage for cycles at stations. The conversion of the former Ormskirk-Skelmersdale railway to a linear park will improve access to Ormskirk station. We will work with Merseyrail to improve access and cycle storage at Ormskirk, Aughton and Town Green stations.

Local zoned access control for sensitive areas. Park & Ride for both city centre and to serve peripheral hotspots such as business growth zones and hospitals. Air quality improvement through vehicle access control including potential low emission zones or clear zones.

Personalised travel planning, site centred travel planning (schools, businesses, hospitals etc)

A County Park & Ride strategy (see section 10.6). Air quality management in problematic urban areas where the County, District Councils and local residents have identified air quality issues.

Large scale personalised travel planning projects in our two main urban centres of Preston and Lancaster which aim to significantly reduce car dependency.

Travel planning at targeted locations such as employment sites and hospitals, where accessibility planning has identified that local issues exist. By working efficiently together we can improve accessibility of these sites and reduce localised traffic congestion.

To promote social inclusion, the County Council will endeavour to retain the existing level of service and commitment to Community Transport (CT). Subject to availability of financial resources, it will aim to develop a comprehensive system across the whole County. To achieve this we have a bus strategy which describes how we will work towards the following;

• Encourage and promote the introduction and development of Operator Licences within CT. This should enable groups to expand their services, encourage financial stability, and tender for work, which is outside the current CT remit.
• Promote and develop CT marketing strategy ensuring all members of society are able to access the services, to include leaflets, website, display boards and newsletters. To actively promote the services via the publicity network.
• Ensure integration with other County Council services, via literature etc. and to extend and revitalise the customer base. Work closely with Primary Care Trusts, Social Services, and other transport providers to ensure an efficient and effective transport system for CT.
• Establish a 'Consortium' of transport providers to meet to develop integration of services. This will allow providers to utilise vehicles in a more cohesive and integrated manner.

Garstang Super 8 - an established service providing transport to communities and providing them with access to health, shopping and employment opportunities.

Wyldefyre - making health care accessible to rural areas of Wyre and Fylde.

Carnforth Connect - linking rural areas to transport interchange and local facilities.

Pendle Wayfarer - connecting rural areas to health and employment opportunities.

Burnley BEST - linking deprived areas to employment.

Ribble Valley Rider - providing access to local facilities for communities and tourists.

Dial-a-Ride services are also provided across most of the County.

This scheme is a community service for people who are unable to use existing public transport. It will take people on shopping trips, to visit friends and relatives or to an appointment with a doctor.

Safer Taxis

In partnership with Accrington and Rossendale College, we will promote training to improve the service offered by taxis. We will develop the driving and personal skills of taxi drivers and increase their awareness of the safety of their passengers. We will specify a higher standard of safety and service on the taxi services that we provide through the Passenger Transport Unit.

Taxis provide a valuable service to destinations not served by buses and at times when buses are not running. They can also carry passengers who are unable to use conventional public transport. We will work with District Councils to provide taxi stands at popular origins and destinations.

Motorcycles have special parking requirements and we will provide secure parking for them in convenient locations.

We have launched Wheel to Learning at Runshaw College to overcome transport problems of students from rural areas. Scooter hire has proved very popular.

We support Community Transport schemes across Lancashire and have worked with NHS Trusts to provide Dial-a-Ride services to healthcare.

We have set up a network of Quiet Lanes and Greenways in Ribble Valley. The Rights of Way Improvement Plan will improve access to the countryside for all users. We will work with NWDA and Lancashire Rural Futures to  develop Community Resource Centres which bring services into villages. Improved paths and publicity will promote sustainable tourism in the countryside, which will support the rural economy.