We want to ensure we prioritise access to Bath from rural areas, as well as considering the issues of those who live in the city itself. We are committed to improving the connectivity of all of the residents of Bath and North East Somerset, including those living in our market towns and rural communities.
Progress so far
Bath’s Park & Ride services are an integral part of Bath’s transport systems, providing free parking and fast, reliable and regular trips into central areas from easily-accessible sites on the edges of the city. These services reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, and without them, it would be impossible to meet the demands on Bath's inner city roads and parking.
All of the routes are enormously popular, with over two million passengers a year in total. For many living in rural communities, your only realistic option for accessing the city is currently to drive to one of these sites and transfer to public transport for onward journeys.
Current challenges
If you’re travelling from outside the City of Bath, travel choices are limited, so the overwhelming majority of people commute to work by car. There are more commuting journeys into and out of Bath than within the city itself. 75% of people driving to work in Bath do so from outside the city boundary, and 78% of journeys to work from rural B&NES are made partly or totally by car.
Twinned with the scale of inbound and outbound commuting from the wider B&NES area, this highlights the need for more sustainable travel options on key corridors into the city.
What you've told us
In response to our consultation in early 2021, 41% of people identified connecting Bath to rural communities and market towns as an important priority. The idea of providing safer cycle routes into the city gained the most support.
What this plan means for you
Our vision
We want to improve travel choice on a number of routes between Bath and the wider district.
Improving sustainable access
- We will create express bus routes and segregated cycle routes along the main roads into Bath from rural communities and market towns, with mobility hubs and interchanges that allow easy transfer between different modes of transport, and better access to quick onward journeys into Bath.
- Demand-responsive bus services would complement the express bus routes and mobility hubs by providing for those in smaller communities that are not within walking and cycling distance of transport links.
- Improved links and facilities to the existing cycle network for those travelling by bike would enable trips by bike into Bath and to other key destinations.
Flexibility and choice
- Mobility hubs would provide seamless journeys between different transport modes, allowing better access to quick onward journeys into Bath.
- Local work hubs in rural villages and market towns will offer people greater flexibility in where they work, reducing the need for commuter journeys into Bath, saving both time and money.
- Provision of more local goods and services within a short distance of communities, to ensure these are available within a 20-minute walk or bike ride, will reduce the need to travel long distances by car.
Find out more
To learn more about parts of the plan which will benefit you in particular, you may want to explore the following sections.
Themes
- Connecting Bath to rural communities and market towns
- Better public transport options
- Providing for travel by bike and on foot