The Vision for Travel

Hop on your bike, jump on the bus, or skip along the street..... In Ebbsfleet the focus is on making it as easy to take the bus, walk or cycle, as it is to drive the car, so you can easily lead a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle in the 21st Century Garden City.

Across Ebbsfleet on most weekday mornings, the challenges of moving around the area can be seen across the area, from Bluewater in the west to Gravesend town centre in the east. At the bus stops commuters and school children wait for a bus that has been caught-up around Bluewater. Drivers filter onto main roads and roundabouts and finally make it to the A2 motorway, caught in a squeeze of traffic with no alternative but to use the car to make it to work on time. Those on foot wind their way through and around former quarries,railway tracks, cliffs rivers and along noisy roads.

These are the challenges that leave families with no option but to own multiple cars, to allow mum, dad and the children to get to work and school on time. While we all would like to be more active by walking or cycling, and avoid damaging the environment, the practical realities of getting around quickly and ‘conveniently’ normally mean the car is the easiest option.

The Ebbsfleet Implementation Framework sets out a vision to create a 21st Century Garden City, by providing a range of safe, convenient and affordable travel options for every journey. By developing attractive walking, cycling and public transport systems, and using technology to integrate them, we can balance mobility for everybody and reduce the need for many to own and store so many cars within Ebbsfleet.

Balancing mobility is not just about making it easier to travel around the local area, but will also support the general health and wellbeing of local communities. Even a short walk to the bus within an attractive street has been shown to reduce stress, and improve mental resilience within commuters in busy urban locations.