BMBC 21: Barnsleys Local Area Agreement 2008-2011

as Yorcard, quality of waiting environment and boardinginfrastructure, branding and marketing initiatives).• Managing demand and reducing the need to travel throughintegrating transport, land use and parking policies and enhancingthe role of Travel Planning in encouraging smarter choices in travelbehaviour including travel plans for all schools and support tobusinesses.• Providing new infrastructure or facilities to enhance transportcapacity but lock-in the benefits for public transport users.• Through a developing freight strategy and with reference to theexisting Regional Freight Strategy, work with partners and agenciesto secure opportunities to transfer the movement of freight fromroad to rail and, where practicable, inland waterways.Improving Public TransportThe Local Transport Plan presents effective public transport as a keytool in reducing congestion, alongside its role in enabling inclusion andenvironmental improvements. In order to halt decline in public transportpatronage, SYPTE, and the bus operators, working with the Council tointroduce Quality Bus Corridors to improve the quality and reliability ofbus services.Local rail services have shown steady growth, reflecting their role inconnecting the main South Yorkshire centres. The South YorkshireRail Strategy sets out the future for the development of the rail network107in South Yorkshire over the next 20 years. The fast rail servicebetween Sheffield, Barnsley and Leeds was introduced in December2004 and the PTE are looking to double the frequency of this service inDecember 2008. Access to the new Robin Hood Airport has beenprovided through a range of bus services including a direct service fromBarnsley, via the Dearne and Doncaster. Further improvements arebeing considered. There are no direct services to Manchester Airport,though rail links via Huddersfield or Sheffield are provided.Improving AccessibilityImproving Accessibility is also one of the shared priorities set out in theSouth Yorkshire Local Transport Plan. Good transport is crucial tocommunities, especially those in the rural west and east of the BarnsleyBorough, securing access to jobs, services and facilities which arebecoming increasingly centralised. Transport is the lifeblood for manycommunities, connecting people and families, providing reliable accessto towns within the Borough, surrounding cities such as Manchester,Leeds and Sheffield or even further a field to London or Invernesswhether it be for business or leisure.Accessibility to job opportunities and facilities remains an issue in someparts of the Borough, particularly for those on low incomes and withoutaccess to a car. Accessibility of transport is also a particular concern fora number of specific groups including disabled groups, women andothers. To address accessibility issues across the Borough, therebyMeeting Local Transport Needs Barnsley’s Local Area Agreement 2008-11