A park and ride scheme for Brighton and Hove could start this summer if the council’s cabinet gives its approval.
Cabinet members are due to discuss the options at a town hall meeting next week, with a report proposing the use of existing car parks and bus routes in the first instance.
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Discussions have been taking place with landowners, large car park operators and other stakeholders and the council hopes to announce where the new scheme will operate from soon.
“The council has also submitted a request to the Department for Transport to use funding from our Bus Service Improvement Plan to help it develop the technology necessary for the park and ride to operate.
“Funding from Transport for the South East has been secured to cover the cost of a business case for a purpose-built scheme in the future that will work alongside the new flexible model approach being recommended.
“If approved, the new park and ride would use existing car park space for motorists to park who will then take existing bus services into the city centre and out again.
“This approach has been used by several other local authorities, including Oxford and Portsmouth, to support the case for a purpose-built scheme.
“It would also include developing technology to help with things like ticketing, payments, journey planning, information and signage.
“Once established, the council would be able to use the model to expand to other locations around the city.”
Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport, parking and the public realm, said: “If approved, this will be a great scheme.
“After decades of discussion, 2025 will be the year we deliver park and ride for the city.
“Using existing car park space, we intend to create a park and ride in time for summer.
“Once in place, we’ll be able to monitor, learn from and make improvements to the scheme, before rolling it out to other parts of the city where needed.
“This initiative will operate alongside our efforts to make parking simpler and fairer, our expansion in electric vehicle charging – and our improvements to the city’s walking and cycling infrastructure.
“It all adds up to a comprehensive, city-wide strategy to give our residents and visitors more options to travel sustainably.”
To read the cabinet report, click here.
Well this is potentially great news – depending on where the car parks are, and what the final cost is to those parking there, and how easy it is to then get a shuttle bus into the city centre.
I wonder if the Marina car park is included?
I always felt that Black Rock was the obvious place for a park and ride, for people arriving from the east.
At the west end of the city, and perhaps to the north, you’d need to find a car park near to the A27. We then need the bus service to work with that facility.
Unfortunately I can’t think of many car parks in west Hove. The King Alfred car park is small, and will probably be built on when the new swimming pool is developed.
Now we have the new Hove Beach Park, I’d be bold enough to suggest that the ‘western lawns’ area immediately to the west of the King Alfred car park should be the new park and ride area. In terms of green/climate change policy, you’d have to dress that change up with some tree planting or something, but a visitor car park, plus a shuttle bus running along the seafront from there, would make sense – in addition to the existing Stagecoach 700 service.
A shuttle bus service running all along the seafront, from Hove Lagoon to the Marina, makes total sense.
Let’s hope there’s wriggle room in tight budgets to do the right thing. And the transport department could finally achieve something positive – that actually benefits the city’s residents and encourages visitors.