We want people to be prioritised over cars at Langarth. This means making it as safe and easy as possible for people to get around on foot, bike and public transport, both within Langarth and into surrounding communities.
As part of our plans for Langarth we are looking at providing mobility hubs in each of the five village centres and want YOU to help decide what services they could include.
What is a mobility hub?
In simple terms a mobility hub is an easily accessible place which brings together different kinds of transport, together with additional facilities, services and information.
Aimed at encouraging more sustainable travel and improving journeys and travel choices, mobility hubs join together public transport services such as buses and taxis, with people powered transport (bikes / cargo bikes / e-bikes and scooters) and shared transport options such as car clubs.
Did you know that 63% of all trips in the UK are estimated to be under 5 miles?
Information from the last census showed that 26% of journeys to Truro were under 5 km (3.1m), with 2,947 journeys carried out by car or van, 2,453 by foot and 219 by bicycle.
Of those people who commuted into Truro, only 1% used the bicycle, 7% hopped on the bus or train, 12 % walked – with 73% travelling by car, either as a driver or passenger. (The remaining 4% worked from home).
Over a quarter – 26.7% – of households in Truro had no access to a car or a van.
By providing alternatives to the car, mobility hubs can support active travel options, such as walking and cycling; improve safety and accessibility; help to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality, and free up street space for people to stay and play. They can also help to reduce car dependence in semi rural areas.
What kind of services are available?
Some of the first mobility hubs were developed in Bremen in Germany, with hubs now introduced in cities in Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.
While some towns and cities in the UK already provide spaces which join together public transport services with cycle parks and car hire facilities, and a small number of places are looking at developing mobility hubs, Langarth would be the first place in the country to actually create a series of specially designed mobility hubs offering access to a wide range of services and facilities.
There is no one size fits all design – each mobility hub is unique and can be tailored to fit the needs of the local community.
This is where YOU come in – we want to hear what services you think should be included in the Langarth mobility hubs?
What are the options?
Each mobility hub is centred around providing safe and easy access to public transport services. At Langarth this is likely to focus more on buses, taxis and potentially demand responsive mini bus services.
Add in car share and car club bases (for both cars and vans, electric and conventional);bike share and bike hire bases ( for e-bikes, cargo bikes and conventional cycles); secure bike storage; bike repair stands and pumps, and ev charging points and it is easy to see how the hubs could quickly become a focal point for residents and visitors.
Other services already available in mobility hubs in other countries include hiring child car seats, bike seats and trailers. What are your thoughts on these options?
While you are waiting to catch your bus or pick up your e-car or e-bike, what about a covered waiting area with seating, wi fi and phone charging facilities, co working space, accessible toilets and cafes or coffee shops? You could even think about adding showers to enable energetic and enthusiastic pedestrians and cyclists to change before going to work.
As more and more of us shop online, you might like the idea of a package delivery lockers or a community concierge parcel last mile delivery service?
You will need to know what time the next bus will arrive so what about a digital information pillar in the centre of the hub? As well as providing real time transport information, this could tell you about ticketing and way finding , and how long it would take to walk to other parts of the site, or to surrounding communities. It could also include information about events and activities taking place in your village centre or in other parts of the development.
If you have got time to spare, you might like to try out some community exercise equipment while your children enjoy a nearby play area, or even pick a new book from a self service lending library!
The options are endless and we really want to hear your thoughts about what you think would work at Langarth.
How can I get involved?
Our transport team are working on ideas for providing mobility hubs as part of the development of the masterplan.
They are currently looking at creating individual hubs for each of the five village centres across the site. However future plans may include adding additional hubs near the primary schools or other key areas of the site.
We want to set new standards for housing developments at Langarth. This means being prepared to do things differently.
We think providing mobility hubs which have been specially designed to meet the needs of the people living, working and visiting Langarth is a fantastic way of ensuring that we deliver our vision.
So please help us create a ground breaking transport system by sharing your thoughts and ideas with the team at [email protected]
