Transport & Travel
Norfolk lacks a coherent county-wide travel strategy fit for the urgent challenges that we face. Norfolk has missed out on tens of millions of pounds of government funding for transport because proposals submitted have not been transformational or ambitious enough. We must invest urgently in green public transport over mass road building projects to move towards our target of net zero carbon emissions for Norfolk by 2030.
We recognise that many of you in our coastal, rural and market town communities have such limited public transport available that it does not make it easy to access work, education, shopping or have a social life. We recognise that this key need is vital to the future economy and we must create a viable network connecting the villages and the county.
Many of you in urban areas have told us that bus travel is too expensive and too limited at evenings and weekends. You have told us of your frustrations at the lack of join-up of bus and train services, leaving long waits for connections or opting for car use. 19% of Norfolk households do not have access to a car, leading to further isolation and lack of opportunity. We want make it easier to make the ‘last mile home’ by walking or cycling (for those who are able) and understand that to do so we need to make improvements to paths, lighting and cycle routes so that you feel safe.
We will
- Introduce a ‘Norfolk Rover’ ticket so that people can travel on routes across bus operators all over the county
- Extend subsidised bus travel for young people to include use at evenings and weekends to aid recovery from impact of covid and connect with friends, social and leisure activities
- Extend the flexi-bus service across the whole county
- Align bus timetables with train arrival and departures
- Extend the coastal hopper service to Great Yarmouth and Hopton so that it mirrors the Norfolk Coastal Path, connects communities and boosts tourism
- Introduce a cheap ‘Norfolk Night Out’ evening bus fare to support recovery of the night time economy in our coastal, market town and urban areas and make timetable changes needed to better support social and leisure activity
- Lobby government to secure investment in additional rail stations
- Create interchange hubs at rail and bus stations with safe waiting spaces, cycle hire, car club vehicles and real time information
- Explore the potential for moving waste transportation from road to rail freight
- Lobby Highways England for urgent safety improvements on the A47 Acle Straight. Funding for dualling remains in doubt. Safety improvements cannot wait.
- Spend at least £1 on sustainable transport for every £1 spent on road projects
- Stop the Western Link road, invest in sustainable public transport and implement local mitigation measures to tackle rat-runs and speeding
- Improve and maintain footways, cycle ways, bridleways and trails to increase pedestrian and cyclist confidence and safety
- Roll out LED lightbulbs in street lighting cross Norfolk to move towards cleaner and cheaper energy while making our streets safer at night
- Extend cycle routes ensuring defined separate safe space protecting cyclists from vehicles, and no shared cycle use with pedestrians to protect those with sensory impairment
- Invest in safe pedestrian and cyclist crossings including bridges across the most dangerous routes
- Extend enforceable 20mph limits to improve pedestrian & cyclist safety
- Secure investment to roll-out electric bus fleet in Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn & Norwich with ambition of extending this to a county-wide electric bus fleet within 8 years
- Bring investment into the county for electric charging infrastructure including charging points for private vehicles & buses at Park & Ride sites