Commuters in Yate will be able to enjoy a more sustainable way to travel thanks to the opening of the town’s new park and ride site on Monday 7 February.
Yate Park and Ride is a new £4.5 million transport hub that will help reduce traffic along the congested A432 Badminton Road corridor by providing attractive alternative travel options such as public transport, cycling or car sharing.
The new facility on Badminton Road will be open seven days a week (excluding bank holidays) and includes 198 parking spaces and cycle parking for 46 bikes, as well as improved bus stops. The three new bus shelters installed at Yate Park and Ride are each fitted with green ‘living roofs’. These are topped with a mix of sedum plants and will not only absorb carbon but also help to capture contaminant particles. The features will help to attenuate water, slowing down and taking up some of the storm water before it disappears into sewer systems.
The £4.5 million project is being funded by the West of England Combined Authority. The site will provide an initial park and ride service using the existing bus network, with buses running approximately every 30 minutes. The A432 corridor between Bristol, Yate and Chipping Sodbury will continue to benefit from investment in public transport over the next five years, which will see bus service provision improve.
The car park will also be available for rail users at Yate Station, which is just an eight-minute walk away.
In the coming months further facilities will be installed at the park and ride including 38 electric vehicle (EV) charge points, a car club and click and collect lockers.
West of England Mayor Dan Norris said: “I welcome the opening of this new Park & Ride. I support all measures to make it as easy as possible for local people to get into Bristol by bus rather than car. That’s vital if we are going to meet our ambitious net zero targets. Of course we need to go much further than this and will need investment in more frequent buses to make this truly transformative. We also need to crack on with a new Park & Ride at the northern end of the M32.”
South Gloucestershire Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Environment and Strategic Infrastructure Cllr Steve Reade said: “The site offers commuters a credible alternative to using their car for journeys into Bristol city centre and will also provide an all-day parking option for people visiting Yate and Chipping Sodbury, reducing congestion on local roads.
“Anyone traveling into Bristol city centre or around the Yate and Chipping Sodbury area can also now use the park and ride to easily switch to public transport, car sharing, walking or cycling. The new facility will support sustainable travel in Yate, Chipping Sodbury and the surrounding area and is part of our commitment to create more green travel options for our residents and visitors. It will additionally contribute towards our Climate Emergency goals by helping to reduce carbon emissions and improving air quality.”
Doug Claringbold, Managing Director, First West of England, said: “We are delighted to have collaborated with South Gloucestershire Council on this exciting new initiative helping to encourage more customers to use public transport and contribute to a cleaner environment for all of us.
“We are proud to be the first UK public transport operator to sign-up to ambitious science-based targets to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and to operate a 100 per cent zero-emission fleet by 2035. The vital role of public transport has never been clearer in helping to address the challenges of climate change, and we are committed to helping deliver a more sustainable future for the communities we serve.”
Initially, it will be free to park at the park and ride site all day. Parking charges will be introduced later at £2.60 a day, though parking will remain free for bus users and those parked in an EV charging bay and charging. Parking will also be free for those parked in disabled person's parking place and displaying a valid disabled person's badge.
