Reimagining Travel

Alongside 23,000 new homes and 20,000 new jobs, Harlow & Gilston Garden Town is aiming to provide dynamic and exciting new ways for people to travel around the local area.

One of the spotlight discussions at the recent HGGT Joint Committee was ‘Reimagining How We Can Travel Differently’ with Rob Goodall from Arup presenting the Garden Town’s ambitious objectives of introducing active travel and innovative bus options for residents over the next few years.

With work having already started on a new public travel route, known as a Sustainable Transport Corridor, between the Town Centre and Burnt Mill roundabout, Arup’s report revealed that 23% of people in Harlow use cycling, walking and buses as their primary mode of travel.

HGGT is looking to double that number across the town in the future, increasing to 60% for residents living in the new Garden Town communities.

Speaking about the ‘Reimagining How We Can Travel Differently’ report, Garden Town Director Naisha Polaine said: “Across the local plans of our five council partners is a commitment to providing alternative ways that inspire people to travel sustainably, as and when they want.

“These targets have been agreed by all partners in the award winning Garden Town Transport Strategy and are also part of our Garden Town status from Government.

“The ‘Reimagining How We Can Travel Differently’ report gives us an initiating framework and the start of a pathway to providing sustainable solutions for people moving around Harlow & Gilston Garden Town in the future.

“It not only signals our intention of what we want to deliver for residents but enables us to have conversations with Government and developers in order to make sustainable travel a reality in the Garden Town.”

HGGT Joint Committee Chair, Cllr Dan Swords, added: “This is something that is genuinely pioneering and the interventions referenced in the report are about providing alternatives for people to change their travel patterns as opposed to banning cars.

“I’m not aware of too many places the size of Harlow that have had such ambitious targets over a short period of time.

“But if the growth of Harlow & Gilston Garden Town, over the next decade, is the same size as Cambridge, Exeter, Guildford and Norwich then we’re going to have to do something drastically different on the concept of active travel.” 

To allow for any legislative changes from the new Government, the Joint Committee confirmed that there will be a further update on ‘Reimagining How We Can Travel Differently‘ in Spring 2025.