Transforming Cities Fund (TCF)
What's being achieved
We've used £29 million of Department for Transport funding to provide safe and attractive travel corridors in the city and to encourage more people to use the train and bus as well as cycle and walk.
The work is improving access for buses, reducing traffic congestion, helping to improve air quality, increase population health and improve safety at junctions.
The Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) package includes:
• The Transformation of Station Road and station facilities - which have included improved pedestrian footpaths, new and upgraded bus stop facilities, the re-design of Winton Square with new public realm features and a new bus gate to prioritise public transport. It has also paved the way to create a direct pedestrian link at the back of the station to the Goods Yards development and Glebe Street.
• Work carried out to improve the mile-long College Road scheme upgrades the corridor between the station and city centre by prioritising walking, cycling and bus travel, supported by full-depth reconstruction of carriageway and footway infrastructure.
Key measures include wider pavements, segregated cycle lanes north of Avenue Road, a shared carriageway to the south, new pedestrian and parallel crossings, improved bus stops, and a bus gate south of Avenue Road roundabout to cut congestion and pedestrianise the university frontage. Together, these improvements deliver safer and more sustainable travel, modernised infrastructure, and a revitalised identity for this key corridor.
• Helping to deliver the Longton Improvement Scheme, which will improve the town's public spaces, enhancing Longton Railway station and the surrounding area combined with bus, levelling up and safer streets funds, strengthening pedestrian links between Longton bus interchange, Longton railway station, the town centre and the Tesco retail park.
• Other schemes include the installation of equipment to allow faster easier tap-on-tap-off bus fare payments, improvements to the bus station to cater for through services and passenger interchange with the installation of Real Time Passenger Information and red route parking enforcement measures measure on A52 Leek Road and A50 King Street / Victoria Road
Funding
The improvement work is being funded with £29m awarded to Stoke-on-Trent City Council from the government's Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) and Department for Transport's (DfT) Active Travel Fund.
This is backed by £4.68 million of council funding, which was used to unlock the transport-focussed Government money and ensured it was spent in Stoke-on-Trent.
Station Road and College Road travel corridor
The re-development of Station Road and College Road is providing a safe and attractive travel corridor connecting Stoke-on-Trent rail station, Hanley city centre and the City Centre Bus Station.
The aim of the project is to encourage more sustainable travel by rail, bus, cycling and walking. It has improved access for buses, reduced traffic congestion and improved safety at junctions.
There is dedicated space for cyclists and pedestrians in a pleasant and healthier environment along this route that stretches just over a mile and includes Station Road, College Road, Cleveland Road, Regent Road and Lower Bethesda Street.
An attractive environment provide a better experience for residents, commuters, visitors and students as they travel to and around the city as well as boost business and the local economy.
The Transforming Cities programme is:
- Connecting the station with the city centre
- Improving access for buses, pedestrians and cyclists
- Promoting Active Travel
- Creating safe and healthy travel routes
- Providing an attractive gateway and environment
- Connecting new developments such as Goods Yard
- Benefitting the local economy