EREWASH residents are being encouraged along with local businesses and community groups to help the Mayor of the East Midlands come up with a multi-billion Pound masterplan for better transport across the borough and the wider region.
Claire Ward’s vision – which includes reducing car dependency – will be showcased at a local exhibition that is being staged in the run-up to Christmas. She wants people in the borough to give feedback.
Claire says her six priorities are MORE RELIABLE buses and trains, BETTER LINKS between towns, cities and the places where people live and work, AFFORDABLE travel for students and young people, SAFE and CLEAN bus stops, ROAD IMPROVEMENTS – and CUTTING JAMS.
Erewash council has already launched a mission to clean and repair bus stops across the borough as part of its new Erewash Investment Fund – which is seeing up to £2million poured into enhancing the lives of residents.
Regional mayor Claire heads the recently-launched East Midlands Combined County Authority – which spans Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. It has a budget of billions to invest in a fully integrated network connecting buses, trains and trams plus walking and cycling routes.
Erewash’s leader Cllr James Dawson said: “Claire says she wants public transport to be an easy and affordable choice for everyone – with communities connected to one another and not just to large cities.
“Her ‘Big Transport Conversation’ is a chance for residents in the borough to help shape a bold new 15-year vision for the region’s transport network.”
The exhibition about it will be held at Ilkeston Library from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Thursday 18 December. Claire said: “For too many people, life doesn’t work because transport doesn’t work. When buses don’t turn up, roads are full of potholes or trains are too expensive, it affects work, education, healthcare and family life.”
She stressed: “I’m ready to fight for the improvements that will make the East Midlands a fairer, greener, better-connected region. Some things will take time, but others can change quickly if we focus our efforts in the right places.”
The deadline for feedback is Sunday 8 February. To have your say visit The Mayor’s Big Transport Conversation – East Midlands Combined County Authority
