Making Warrington a “well connected place”

THE 20-year plan to make Warrington a well-connected place – with less car dependency and high quality walking, cycling, and public transport networks – has been approved by the borough council
Warrington’s fourth Local Transport Plan (LTP4) aims to transform how people travel around the borough, make the town centre less car-dominated and create new opportunities to travel in different, healthier ways.
A key part of the vision is to reduce the number of trips made by car in Warrington. Currently, almost 75 per cent of commuter trips are made by car. The plan aims to reduce this to 60 per cent by the first Census (2041) that will take place after the end of LTP4 period.
This will be supported through investment in walking and cycling infrastructure, improving the local public transport offer and giving people more choice about how they travel for each journey.
The plan also aims to manage the demand to travel by car and reduce traffic congestion by improving the ‘last mile’ of journeys made to and from the town centre. This will be achieved through high quality transport infrastructure that makes walking, cycling and public transport the obvious way to get to, from, and through Warrington town centre.
Cllr Hans Mundry, the borough council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “I’m delighted that our fourth Local Transport Plan has been approved. It provides a clear vision for a resilient and efficient transport network that supports the town’s growth over the next 20 years. As such, it will support the continued economic success of Warrington, the people who live here, and the companies that choose to do business here.
A key priority for us has been to address the impact of congestion and local air pollution caused by vehicle emissions. That’s why we have set out plans – supported by major transport infrastructure improvements – to transform the way that we all travel around Warrington. Our ambition is to reduce car dependency and make walking, cycling, and public transport more attractive options. With Warrington’s strong track record in transport, it’s a vision I’m confident we can deliver.”
The draft LTP4 document also focuses on health and wellbeing, with plans to reduce emissions from transport; encourage healthier, day-to-day lifestyles; improve safety for all highway users; and make Warrington a more disabled friendly place.
In addition, it considers the need for a future mass transit solution for Warrington – ways of securing substantial improvements to existing bus and rail services, plus examining the case for Light Rail/Tram (LRT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). No mode is being ruled out at this stage.
For more information, and to view the draft LTP4 document in full, please visit warrington.gov.uk/LTP4