Call for cheaper rail travel and trams from Chichester Green Party

A sustainable urban mobility plan for Chichester, including cheaper train travel, a new station, possibly at Tangmere and electric buses has been called for by the Green Party.
The A27 at ChichesterThe A27 at Chichester
The A27 at Chichester

These would run alongside the ‘least environmentally damaging’ of the upgrade options to the A27 to relieve traffic and congestion on the road.

Members would also like to see tramlines, safe cycle ways in to the centres from outlying areas, tunnels to cross the A27 and possibly small, landscaped park and ride schemes.

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The party said calling for all the A27 options to be reinstated was ‘going round in circles’ and traffic statistics from other examples revealed new or enlarged roads would fill up again within a short time.

Campaigner and Green city councillor, Sarah Sharp said: “It is shocking that with the environmental challenges facing us today we are presented with plans to solve the problems of moving people around our area with no thought for anything other than building or upgrading roads, at vast expense.

“These plans are still not in the public domain. Highways England won’t commit to taking part in a public meeting and won’t give precise details of when the plans will be published, although the latest we gather is that they may be released at the start of the summer holiday period – with the danger that the consultation will be missed by people going away.

“We invited three important decision makers to attend a public meeting to discuss this, but none of them have agreed.

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“John O’Brien, cabinet member for transport at West Sussex County Council declined our invitation, along with Highways England representatives.

“Andy Ekinsmyth, head of transport and countryside services for West Sussex, who has a duty to consider a sustainable travel plan for the city, was also unable to attend.”

Residents with expertise in transport planning interested in being involved with this initiative are asked to contact Sarah Sharp on 07789 843556 or [email protected] or Isabel Thurston at [email protected]

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