£20 million to help decarbonise transport in North East England

Urban Foresight is thrilled that a £20 million bid to decarbonise transport in North East England has been awarded funding from the UK government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The project aims to boost zero carbon transport options for people in the region by investing in new electric buses and electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities. It was developed by a partnership of Transport North East, Arriva North East, Go North East, Stagecoach, and local authorities.

Urban Foresight played a crucial role in the bid by developing a costed analysis of new EV charging sites across the region. This identified locations for 92 new EV chargers, including park and ride sites and other key destinations to encourage multi-modal journeys using public transport.

The funding will also support the deployment of 52 new high-quality zero emission buses, which will operate on eight of the highest frequency bus routes across the North East. These routes experience some of the highest levels of air pollution, making this investment a vital step towards achieving a zero-emission transport system in the region.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this important project that will have a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions in North East England,” said Callum White, Principal Consultant at Urban Foresight. “We are proud to have played a role in making this project a reality and are excited to see the benefits to the region.”

The bid was submitted to the government as part of the Levelling Up Fund (Round 2). With this funding, the North East will be one step closer to achieving a sustainable, zero-emission transportation system that will benefit the environment and the community.