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Economic Development

£30m funding boost for West Midlands transport

New capital stream will support the create of bus lanes, junction upgrades and improvement stops across Birmingham and the Black Country

£30m in new funding has been awarded to boost bus services in Birmingham and Dudley(Image: Birmingham Mail)

A new funding package worth £30 million has been announced to revamp transport services in the West Midlands.

The capital will go towards the creation of new bus lanes, upgrades to junctions and better bus stops aimed at improving journey times in Birmingham and the Black Country.

The changes will be focused on Birmingham city centre and links to the south and west Birmingham and Dudley, offering passengers quicker connections as well as links to the expanding tram, rail and sprint networks.

The investment is backed by a grant of more than £24 million from the Department for Transport, topped up with funding from West Midlands Bus Alliance partners including the city council and Transport for West Midlands.

 

Detailed designs will now be developed in consultation with communities, bus operators and local authorities and it is expected the new links will benefit 73 million passengers annually once operational.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: "We are already seeing bus use beginning to rise in the West Midlands - bucking the national trend.

"This new investment from the Government will allow us to further improve bus journeys across the region, making them quicker and more reliable and helping to better connect people to work and leisure opportunities throughout the West Midlands."

Birmingham City Council leader Coun Ian Ward added: "Bus is the most popular form of transport in the region, accounting for more than 260 million journeys a year and we are looking to make it even more attractive and encourage people to leave their cars at home.