NUFC Fans Urged to Use Park and Ride Scheme - "Altoonative Travel"
A travel plan to get Toon fans from their front door to their seat at St James’ Park has been launched.
The Altoonative Travel campaign hopes to make it easier for supporters to get to the ground for games.
A park and ride from the Metrocentre, discounted bus and Metro tickets and a fans’ car-sharing club are among the schemes aimed at alleviating match-day road madness.
The travel plan is being managed by Newcastle City Council on behalf of the Newcastle United Travel Plan Advisory Board which includes Newcastle United, Nexus and Network One.
Sally Herbert, the council’s sustainable travel officer, said: “Altoonative Travel will give fans a real choice of how they get to and from the match.
“One of the benefits of this new scheme is that for the first time, visitors have one website which will give them all the right information about bus and Metro time ables, car-sharing and where they can park their bike. It will also give fans details about park and ride schemes and finding fellow fans to car share with.
“Another unique feature about Altoonative Travel is that you can plan your journey to the game from your living room directly to your seat.”
With a capacity at St James’ Park of more than 52,000 and matches often coinciding with Saturday afternoon shopping time, getting fans to and from the game is an important challenge for council bosses.
And with the city welcoming away supporters from all over the country and beyond, information needs to be easily available to help them decide how to get to the game.
To the uninitiated it may appear St James’ Metro station would be the best stop to take to get to the ground. But Geordies know that if you are traveling north or south into the city centre on the Metro you would be better getting off at Monument or Haymarket. The idea is to make this kind of local knowledge available to everyone.
As part of the scheme some parking spaces at the Metrocentre will be reserved for a match day park and ride, costing £2, to St James’ Park, operated by Go North East.
The Magpie Mover already offers fans public transport for two hours before and after each game for £10 a season, and one-off passes will soon be available to buy with match tickets.
A travel club on the campaign’s website will allow fans to get personalised info on how to get directly to their seat in the stadium, and let home and away fans link up with others to car-share to the game.
Improvements to roads, pavements, car parks and cycle parking around St James’ are planned, while bus operators are being urged to provide more frequent services on key routes for match days.
Coun David Faulkner, Newcastle’s deputy council leader and a long-time Toon season ticket holder, said: “This is about encouraging supporters to think about sustainability issues as they are making their transport plans to the game.
“We’re very fortunate to have a ground in the city centre which is well-served by public transport and we hope this will encourage people who still drive into the city to think about other options to help Newcastle’s reputation as being the most sustainable city in the country.”
For details visit
Altoonitive Travel
Source: Chronicle Live
August 19, 2010
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