Regent Centre in Gosforth will be the first Metro station in a
decade to get new ticket gates to improve safety and reduce
ticket fraud, North East Mayor has said.
Work will be complete by the end of the year to install gates and
bring customer service staff to the busy interchange used by
almost one million passengers every year.
The announcement came as the North East Combined Authority
cabinet signed off the Mayor's three-year £208m delivery plan for
better transport, including cash to repair the region's roads,
lay down 100km of new cycle, walking and wheeling routes and
funding for a new Shields Ferry landing at the Tyne's historic
Fish Quay.
The schemes are part of the Mayor's Local Transport Plan which
was approved by the Mayor and Cabinet following extensive public
consultation which saw over 16,000 responses.
The Mayor's investment will deliver before 2027:
-
More Metro gatelines at key stations – including Regent
Centre in Gosforth – supporting the improvement on
public transport for women and girls and other groups and
protecting fares.
- A new Ferry Landing for North Shields –
safeguarding the iconic Shields Ferry and creating an improved
service for thousands of passengers across the Tyne.
-
Stepping up the roll-out of mobile and smart
ticketing on Metro and local rail.
-
100km of better walking, wheeling and cycling
infrastructure – including a route from St Mary's
lighthouse in Whitley Bay to Blyth, a new link between
Washington and Northern Spire in Sunderland, improvements on
the National Cycle Network between Jarrow and Hebburn and
active travel upgrades in Gateshead at MetroGreen.
-
Safety and accessibility improvements including
improved bus stops across the North East as well as
better connected and integrated stations.
-
£23m of guaranteed investment for County
Durham – bringing Durham into the region's main
transport funding programme aligned with the other six local
authorities.
-
£15.8m for up to 1,000 new electric vehicle (EV)
charge-points in residential areas and
chargers at key destinations and public transport
interchanges.
- An additional £21.7m of highways maintenance
funding for next financial year delivering repairs and
renewals right across the region.
North East Mayor , said: “For too
long we have put up with an inadequate transport network which is
in urgent need of investment. At Cabinet we have agreed £208m in
funding for projects that I will deliver by 2027, revitalising
our transport network and providing a more accessible, safer and
better-connected system for local people.
“I'm proud to confirm that I will fund a brand-new Ferry Landing
in North Shields, the roll-out of smart ticketing, new gatelines
on Metro with Regent Centre the first this year, £23m in funding
for County Durham, 100km of better walking, wheeling and cycle
routes, extra electric vehicle charge points and safer, more
accessible bus stops and stations.
“I have been clear from the outset that I will invest in our
transport system to create more opportunities for local people
and I am delivering on that promise. I have bigger, longer-term
plans for our region and we'll be investing more in due course,
but this initial £208m is the first phase of a major £800m
capital investment programme which we will roll-out over the next
three years to revive our network, and improve public transport
and active travel for all.
“We are rolling up our sleeves and getting on with the job at
hand of investing heavily in transport to reverse the decades of
under investment in the North East.”
The investment announced includes ongoing and new investments
across multiple modes and is expected to be delivered by 2027.
