Lancashire Transport Plan 2025 to 2045 (HTML) - Workstream 2: Transforming travel choices

Through the LTP, we will revolutionise the travel options available for people who live and work in and visit Lancashire, broadening our travel horizons and providing genuine choices. Addressing transport-related inequality and social exclusion for individuals will create new opportunities to access work, education, leisure and services.

A lack of reliable, affordable, accessible and safe travel options can create serious health and social implications by blocking people’s ability to meet their daily needs and provide a good quality of life. It can include situations where lower income households are having to run a car that they cannot easily afford due to a lack of wider travel choices. Many of our densely populated areas over 50% of households have no access to a car or van. Across Lancashire as a whole, this is around 22%.

We need to provide more choices so that it is feasible, affordable, safe and attractive to make some journeys on foot, bicycle and public transport, as well as encouraging car sharing. For businesses, providing a genuine range of travel choices ensures access to labour markets, supply chains and customers.

With a growing population and economy, it is vital that we get the best use out of our transport networks, so that journeys are more reliable, affordable and quicker for everyone. Encouraging sustainable travel can free up some road space for new journeys by car (where they are needed) and for freight movements. While there is a need for targeted infrastructure and service improvements across all transport modes, the principle of maximising the value of our existing assets underpins this LTP Core Strategy.

Improve and modernise bus journeys (Policy TC1)

We will work with operators and unlock funding to develop a modernised, comprehensive, frequent and reliable, integrated bus network. We will do this by delivering improved network coverage, enhancing bus priority and transforming the passenger experience.

Buses play a vital role in providing access to key centres, employment, education and services for our population. Travelling by bus needs to be convenient, affordable and accessible, with routes linking people with their destinations. Making buses a viable alternative will help to broaden travel horizons within Lancashire and provide more equitable access to destinations and opportunities, including for people who have limited or no access to a car.

Through our Bus Service Improvement Plan, we are currently improving service frequencies and coverage, improving junctions to keep buses moving, delivering bus lanes and key route parking reviews, as well as delivering improvements to bus stops, stations and shelters. This policy seeks to build on this recent progress, to develop a county-wide bus network that works for everyone.

We are committed to producing a new Lancashire-wide Bus Service Improvement Plan and Enhanced Partnership, which will catalyse further investment in our buses to improve reliability, punctuality and passenger experience.

In the future, this could also involve exploring options for the LCCA's role in the bus network such as stronger partnerships with bus operators, franchising or municipal ownership.

Case study - Pennine Reach bus project

The Pennine Reach project aimed to reduce transport-related social exclusion by enhancing bus connections between communities in Blackburn and Hyndburn. Key measures included modern buses, dedicated bus priority lanes, improved traffic signals, upgraded bus stops, innovative ticketing solutions, realtime timetable information, and better feeder routes. The scheme successfully reduced bus journey times, improved service reliability, supported access to employment sites, aided town centre regeneration and decreased road congestion. The scheme saw a 12% increase in passenger numbers on buses between Accrington and Blackburn.

Enhance rail travel so it is reliable and attractive (Policy TC2)

We will work with operators, Network Rail and Great British Railways, neighbouring areas, and Transport for the North to transform our rail and light rail services and improve performance. Our focus will be on improvements to passenger experience and infrastructure upgrades.

There is a real need to ensure the rail system gets the basics right – it must be reliable, offer value for money, be accessible for all, and there must be clear lines of responsibility when things go wrong.

Rail travel patterns are changing, and it is essential that we adapt to ensure our services and networks continue to meet the needs of our population.

For example, Saturdays are showing impressive demand growth for leisure trips. Sunday travel is also increasingly popular, but demand is currently being suppressed by service disruptions (such as reduced frequencies and engineering works). We therefore need to better match the supply and demand for rail travel at different times, on different days of the week and through different seasons. These first steps towards our rail and light rail ambitions will require extensive partnership working, including through the development of a new Lancashire Rail Strategy. We will also look to influence the timing of engineering works and explore ways to improve value for money of train travel.

Establish convenient and safe active travel options (Policy TC3)

We will develop a Lancashire-wide network of footpaths and cycle routes that are accessible, attractive and safe, to make active travel the natural first choice for short trips. Furthermore, we will improve the availability and quality of our leisure routes, through maintaining, expanding and enhancing our Public Rights of Way networks.

Using methods of travel that involve physical activity, such as walking children to school or cycling to a railway station, is an effective way of integrating exercise into day-to-day routines. Personal circumstances, such as for users of manual wheelchairs or other mobility aids, can also require additional physical effort for mobility, but this also contributes to overall activity levels. Increased physical activity is associated with significant improvements in physical and mental wellbeing, which in turn lead to wider social and economic benefits. Activities like walking, cycling and horse riding are also popular leisure pursuits for residents and visitors. Increased active travel in Lancashire will bring benefits for physical and mental wellbeing, and it is essential to provide the right infrastructure in the right places for people to make these journeys safely.

In much of the Central Belt and Bay Area (e.g. towns such as Morecambe, Burnley and Blackpool), over 50% of residents in employment have a commuting distance of less than 10km, which provides a fantastic opportunity for promoting active travel uptake. As well as helping to improve public health, providing active travel infrastructure can also improve access to services and opportunities, helping to address wider issues such as access in rural and deprived areas, and transport-related social exclusion, which is particularly acute in areas such as Morecambe Bay, the Fylde Coast and urban East Lancashire.

To improve health outcomes and support inclusive productivity, this policy seeks to empower our residents to use active travel through the delivery of safe and convenient infrastructure together with supporting programmes to improve skills and confidence (covered in Policy TC4), making it the preferred choice for shorter journeys

We are already taking steps to develop an interconnected and attractive active travel network in Lancashire. Through our Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans, we have identified and are starting to build high priority on- and off-road walking, wheeling and cycling routes. These focus on connecting residential areas, schools and education centres, jobs, local amenities and services. We will continue to roll these schemes out over the LTP period and seek opportunities to improve complementary facilities such as secure cycle parking.

We are also committed to maintaining and improving Lancashire’s leisure routes, including Public Rights of Way and canal towpaths, on our canals, waterways and greenspaces.

Case study - Valley of Stone Greenway

The Valley of Stone Greenway forms an integral part of the East Lancashire strategic cycleway network. It connects Rawtenstall with Newchurch, Bacup and Whitworth, with connections crossing the border into Rochdale. Upgrades to the off-road cycleway included using the former rail tunnels in 2019 as part of the route.

Case study - Tawd Valley Cycleway

In March 2020, through a partnership between West Lancashire Borough Council and Lancashire County Council, 2km of new cycleway was opened in Tawd Valley Park, Skelmersdale. The scheme involved providing 3m wide, even, non-slip surfaces along previously uneven or informal paths, allowing for greater access for cyclists and people with additional mobility requirements, such as wheelchair or pushchair users. The scheme also provided a new link to West Lancashire College. The Tawd Valley Cycleway received highly positive feedback from local stakeholders and residents.

Enable the use of bus, rail, light rail and active travel (Policy TC4)

We will ensure that our residents feel enabled to use bus, rail, light rail and active modes for travel through marketing, incentives, engagement, information and partnerships with education providers, workplaces, visitor destinations and developers.

As outlined in Policies TC1, TC2 and TC3, it is essential that we improve the experience of travelling by bus, rail, light rail and active modes through delivering more reliable services and safe, accessible, high-quality infrastructure. The other essential step is to ensure that individuals are enabled and empowered to start using these methods of travel – whether through publicising key routes and services, improving skills and confidence, running engagement and educational programmes, providing understandable information in accessible formats, or providing incentives for trying something new. We will develop an ‘activation framework’ that will be used as a guide for all new transport improvement schemes and will include a strategy for allocating appropriate revenue funding to enable these activities, based on the type and scale of the scheme.

This will help us all to get the most out of our transport networks and will be essential in realising the economic, social and environmental benefits from any new improvements we deliver.

Case study - Burnley ‘Sofa to Saddle’ cycling courses

The Burnley ‘Sofa to Saddle’ scheme was a nine-week cycle training course in Burnley to promote cycling as a means of physical activity and transport, particularly aiming to support British Asian women with learning to cycle. Working in partnership with GoVelo and Burnley Leisure, staff were provided to facilitate the training sessions, helping to improve skills, safety awareness, and confidence. The scheme was highly successful, and participants not only learned how to cycle, with several progressing to advanced cycle training, but also reported gaining confidence and a sense of empowerment.

Broaden travel choices in rural areas (Policy TC5)

We will work proactively with private providers, local operators and neighbouring areas to provide better public and shared transport for our rural and more remote communities, reducing the risk of social isolation and broadening travel horizons.

Lancashire is home to some rural areas, particularly in the Rural North in areas such as Bowland, where there is often a need to travel longer distances for work, to access facilities and services, and to socialise.

Coupled with often limited public transport options, this can mean that people have little choice but to travel by car. This can lead to issues such as social isolation, especially for people who have no or limited access to a car, including many young people or those who are unable to drive. We will strive to ensure that no rural areas are left behind, by reducing transport-related social exclusion through improved access to employment, education and social opportunities.

Through this policy, we will collaborate with our partners to provide locally led solutions that are suitably flexible and provide travel choices for areas with highly variable or limited demand. This will require both improving service provision and embracing new innovations and developments in shared transport. We will continue to prioritise the supported bus network, providing well-established community-focused services.

We will develop a Rural Roads and Village Strategy outlining rural road improvements, speed management, access to Greenways, Quiet Lanes projects, schools, Public Rights of Way and the bus network. It will seek to encourage the tourism economy, safer roads, nicer places to visit and access to green spaces. Options such as Demand Responsive Transit may be considered where bus frequency is low in more rural areas.

Ensure taxis and private hire vehicles offer an accessible and safe service (Policy TC6)

We will maintain and enhance the safety and accessibility of taxis and private hire vehicles through supporting suitable licensing and pricing arrangements and improving facilities.

Taxis and private hire vehicles play a valuable role in our transport network, facilitating door-to-door travel and the short trips at the beginning and end of longer journeys, such as accessing a railway station or airport. They provide access to education, employment, shops, services and social activities where public transport or driving is not an option, including for people with disabilities. Taxis and private hire vehicles also support our night-time economy and provide vital connections to our rural and dispersed communities. We need to ensure that taxis continue to offer accessible and safe services in this critical supporting role

We will continue to support effective licensing arrangements, safety features such as on-board CCTV, accessible and available taxi ranks and drop off locations, and affordable taxi services, especially in rural areas.

Transform sustainable travel choices for tourists (Policy TC7) 

We will support our growing visitor economy and mitigate impacts on congestion and pollution through improved sustainable transport options to, from, and between our major destinations.

Lancashire has a substantial visitor economy, attracting 67 million annual visitors to towns such as Blackpool and Morecambe, and to our beautiful countryside such as the Forest of Bowland, Arnside and Silverdale, and our historic waterways. Our tourism sector is responsible for the direct full-time employment of 46,000 of our residents and supports a further 11,000 jobs indirectly. As interest in outdoor activities grows and major visitor destinations expand, the delivery of sustainable and efficient transport to and from our tourist destinations in the Central Belt, Rural North and Bay Area will be crucial. With over 88% of our tourists visiting on day trips, there is a significant opportunity for encouraging travel by public transport. This will support jobs, reduce the impact of tourism trips on our infrastructure, and showcase our outstanding cultural assets and natural landscapes.

Providing facilities like coach parking and tourism-focused bus, rail, walking and cycle hire schemes will help to ensure that we can meet the expanding market’s needs in a sustainable way.

Case study - Blackpool Resort Rider

Launched in April 2025, the Blackpool Resort Rider is a bus service that seeks to improve bus services for the Fylde Coast. The resort rider consists of two lines, an improved existing line which connects Blackpool North with Fleetwood along the iconic Blackpool Promenade, and a new second line, which connects key destinations such as Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool Tower and Cala Gran with Blackpool South station.

Case study - Dales Rail

In June 2024, rail services between Hellifield and Clitheroe were reinstated as part of a Saturday leisure service between Ribblehead and Greater Manchester. In the summer, this route provides a direct service between the Yorkshire Dales and towns such as Darwen, Blackburn and Clitheroe, running twice a day on Saturdays.

Reimagine public transport ticketing (Policy TC8)

We will work with operators, neighbouring authorities and key stakeholders to progress towards a fairer, more affordable and more integrated ticketing system.

Lancashire has a number of bus, rail and light rail operators, connecting the area internally as well as to neighbouring authorities. It can be complicated, expensive and inefficient to make journeys that involve using multiple modes or operators. There is a need to explore ways of simplifying our ticketing and make journeys more affordable, ensuring broader and more equitable access to opportunities and destinations. This could help to improve traveller confidence, support increases in patronage on our bus, train and light rail networks, and support economic growth.

We are already working to develop the AnyBus app and will consider rolling out the AnyBus ticketing programme across Lancashire, building on the success in Preston, Fylde Coast and East Lancashire.

We are also supporting Project Coral, which is working towards a seamless, affordable, nationwide, multi-modal 'tap and go' ticketing system. We are working with bus operators to prepare for when Project Coral goes live.