Smartlink, Ashford

Smartlink is a passenger bus transit system link proposed in 2006 between the town centre of Ashford, Kent, England and its suburbs and main amenities.
Aims of the scheme.
Smartlink is an element of the transport strategy for Ashford (along with junction 10 improvements and junction 10A development on the M20 motorway, a new "Victoria Way" and the dualing of "Chart Road".
 It is intended to increase in the number and proportion of trips by sustainable means, particularly passenger transport. The aim is integrated bus provision across the town.
The plan is to give the Smartlink buses priority over other traffic and passengers improved waiting environments with real time travel information.
Routes.
A three-legged Smartlink system is proposed, linking the town centre with
Parking will play a key part in the overall strategy for encouraging use of alternative modes of travel, and demand will be met by building new car parks and developing Park & Ride at the edges of the town. Three Park & Ride sites are proposed to anchor the new system, with a phased implementation programme over ten years.
The three-route proposal was perhaps prematurely announced, aligned with particular developer landowners' interests in mind, over the interests of others.
Constraints.
One of the constraints to implementing Smartlink is the lack of height and width underneath the existing "Newtown Road" bridge, which lies upon the Cheeseman's Green route. The existing bridge headroom only allows use by mini-buses, restricts two-way traffic and only incorporates a narrow elevated footway on one side of the carriageway. Several scheme options have been assessed and the preferred option is to replace the existing bridge with a new bridge to current design standards. This will improve accessibility by bus, cycle and pedestrians between the town centre and the surrounding south-eastern area of the town.
Proposed works include -
In the longer term, the objective is for "Newtown Road" to be improved in further phases to provide a strategic highway network extending south-east of the town to provide improved multi-modal access to the housing areas of Cheeseman's Green and the employment areas of "Waterbrook" and the "Orbital Business Park."
Funding.
It is planned that the estimated £30,000,000 cost of the development will be funded:
Completion.
The proposal was to deliver Smartlink in two phases, phase one by 2012, with phase two by 2016, dependent upon the development of Cheeseman's Green and Chilmington Green. In practice, it is expected that the Park & Ride scheme will be in place by 2009 (originally 2008), using conventional buses, but then "streetcar" type vehicles will be brought into use as the development continues.