New local travel hubs offering communities easy access to bikes, electric car chargers and other services are to be trialled on the streets of Halesowen.

Called Local Travel Points (LTPs), the first three hubs are set to be installed at Huntingtree Park, Cross Street and Andrew Road over the next two months.

The modular hubs can be assembled to fit parking bays and small public spaces and bring together a range of local travel and community services to suit the location. They are designed to make it easier to choose active, shared and sustainable travel for short trips, as well as better link communities to wider bus, rail and tram services.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) has also teamed up with contemporary art gallery Ikon to commission Black Country artist Tom Hicks and poet Liz Berry to host free photo-walks and creative workshops during March and April. Following these, Tom Hicks will co-create a new public sculpture with members of the local community for the Cross Street hub.

The £400,000 pilot scheme is being funded as part of the region’s Future Transport Zone and will lead the way for the further roll out of Local Travel Points across the region.

Designed and developed by TfWM in partnership with Dudley Council and Black Country Transport the hubs will also link Halesowen to a reshaped West Midlands Cyle Hire network in Dudley borough.

The three locations will each feature a distinctive mix of services and information:

• The Huntingtree Park hub will include WM Cycle Hire, cycle storage, car club access, a parcel locker, a canopied seating area/bench, and travel information point. It has been tailored to suit the parkside location and will closely coordinate with the team at the neighbouring Healthy Hub Activity Centre.
• Andrew Road car park, a busy location on the edge of the town centre, will include all the Huntingtree Park hub facilities plus an electric car charging point.
• At Cross Street – the most residential location – there will be an active travel-focused offer with cycle hire provided.

There are also plans to make the hubs a focal point for cycle training or other community activity – starting with the Ikon Gallery workshops.

TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), has already earmarked funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) to support the further roll out of LTPs. In future locations additional features could be added to suit the area including e-scooter hire, or a cycle maintenance and repair facility.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, said: “These local travel points bring together a range of emissions free options for people on the move like our cycle hire service as well as electric car charging and locate them right in the heart of our smaller local centres and neighbourhoods.

“They will make it convenient and easy for people to make a low carbon, healthy travel choice – especially for shorter journeys – and provide better links to bigger town and regional centres.

“This is all part of our investment in green transport to reduce car use, improve air quality and tackle the climate emergency. I look forward to seeing them installed and up and running in the next few weeks.”

Cllr Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environment with Dudley Council, said: “As a local authority that’s working towards becoming net zero by 2030 we are delighted to see this pilot scheme coming to parts of Dudley borough.

“I am sure we will have many residents using the travel hubs in order to be more sustainable in their transport choices including active travel such as cycling.”

Adam Tranter, the Mayor’s cycling & walking commissioner, said: “Local Travel Points will give residents a variety of transport options on their doorstep and this pilot is a great opportunity to help residents choose greener transport for local journeys.

“If we’re going to enable people to choose cycling, in particular, we know that a key barrier is secure cycle storage so I’m particularly pleased to see some of the region’s first secure cycle hangars on-street in this pilot.”

Cllr Mike Bird, WMCA portfolio holder for transport and leader of Walsall Council said: “As the Future Transport Zone the West Midlands has been at the heart of innovation of new ways of travelling – from supporting the development of autonomous vehicle technology to the trial On Demand Bus services in Coventry.

“Now we are trialling Local Travel Points on the streets of Halesowen bringing key transport services like cycle hire, electric vehicle charging and public transport access closer to communities.

“These are part of our plans to offer people more sustainable alternatives to the car, to reduce traffic congestion and pollution on our streets and give people more choice for their daily journeys.”