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Minister breaks ground on Straiton Park & Ride |
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Thursday, 18 October 2007 |
The Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson today joined SEStran, the South east of Scotland regional transport partnership, and the City of Edinburgh Council to mark the beginning of work on a new £4m park & ride facility in the Capital.
Straiton Park and Ride is the latest in a series of planned park and ride facilities around Edinburgh, being developed by SEStran in partnership with local government. The aim is to help reduce traffic pressures in the capital, manage predicted growth in traffic volume and offer commuters a real alternative to driving to work.
The 600 space facility, south of the city bypass, will offer drivers a secure, free, parking space and quick access into the capital by bus. A high quality terminal building will also be built and work will be undertaken on a new signalised road junction, landscaping, cycle and pedestrian facilities, sustainable drainage, CCTV provision and road improvements.
Stevenson said: “Straiton is a key transport artery for Edinburgh and this new park and ride facility is absolutely vital. If we are to win the battle to tackle congestion in our cities, we must encourage more people to use public transport, walk and cycle. For that to happen, we need excellent public transport choices, and we need to make it easier for people to travel through other means than the car.
“Well planned initiatives like this one give people a real alternative to the car, helping them to avoid the jams, whilst relieving congestion on our roads network.
“The new Scottish Government will build new rail lines, improve the bus network, encourage the use of park and ride facilities, and continue to promote cycling and walking as healthier and greener ways to travel. We must encourage a change in the mode of transport used by the public to protect our environment and ensure our economy can develop without being constricted by an increasingly congested roads network.”
Russell Imrie, the chair of SEStran, added: “As the city’s population grows, Edinburgh is facing increasing traffic congestion. We must act now to avoid gridlock in the future, but there is no point in asking people to leave their cars at home if they have no other way of getting to work. That is why SEStran is spending over £4m developing this new park and ride facility at Straiton.
“It will offer commuters from Penicuik, the Scottish Borders and the surrounding area a real alterative to driving. For the commuter it’s less stressful and faster: for South East Scotland, it helps tackle congestion and reduces our regional carbon footprint.”
The Straiton Park and Ride facility is one element of the Leith to Straiton/Ferniehill quality bus corridor scheme which also includes a route action plan, real time information and a transport Interchange.
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