About Transforming Travel's Transforming Cities Fund Programme
Transforming travel locally
BCP Council and Dorset Council were jointly awarded £79m from central government’s Transforming Cities Fund for a programme of investment in public and sustainable transport across the south east Dorset city region. This grant, plus further money from the councils, local business groups and transport companies has given a total programme budget of £102m.
The multi-million-pound TCF investment is funding a network of new cycle and walking routes and bus improvements across the region, connecting major housing, employment, education and retail centres. It is also funding trip-end facilities for schools and businesses, wayfinding facilities and subsidies for the Beryl Bike rental service. The introduction of more sustainable forms of transport aims to transform local travel, reduce road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality and bring economic and health benefits.
Six sustainable travel routes are planned across the region. The original ambition was for TCF to fund the entire network. However due to rising construction, labour and fuel costs, growing inflation and changes to national design standards for cycling infrastructure, south east Dorset’s original TCF budget, awarded pre-pandemic in March 2020, is no longer sufficient to build all the routes.
The continuous coloured lines marked on the map below indicate the sustainable travel routes that are being funded by the TCF. The dotted coloured lines indicate the routes that are subject to future funding.
The routes
- Bournemouth railway station to/from Jumpers Common, Christchurch
- Bournemouth town centre to/from Ferndown
- Poole town centre to/from Wareham Road and Holton Heath
- Poole town centre to/from Merley, Poole
- Poole town centre to/from Ferndown and Wimborne
- Merley, Poole to/from Christchurch
Transforming Cities Fund documents
- Transforming Cities Fund Executive Summary
- Transforming Cities Fund programme governance meeting minutes
Outline business case for the below sustainable travel routes:
- Bournemouth railway station to/from Jumpers Common, Christchurch
- Bournemouth town centre to/from Ferndown
- Poole town centre to/from Wareham Road, Holton Heath
- Poole town centre to/from Merley, Poole
Outline business case for the below sustainable travel routes:
- Poole town centre to/from Ferndown and Wimborne
- Merley, Poole to/from Christchurch
