The City and County of Swansea, together with the Stadium Management Company, local police and First Cymru have produced a Travel Plan for the new 20,000 capacity venue. It was developed after thousands of hours of consultation, including visits to St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton and the Majeski Stadium in Reading.
Three large Park and Ride sites have been set aside at Swansea Vale, County Hall and the Recreation Ground. Frequent buses will take supporters to and from matches, dropping them off and picking them up directly from the stadium itself. Local transport provider First Cymru will be laying on extra buses from the Quadrant Bus Station and fans will be met by bus at the main Swansea rail station. There will also be a regular service for Ospreys supporters from Neath.
Car drivers will be encouraged to share journeys by registering on the regional car share database swwitch2share.com. Information about car sharing, public transport and how best to access the venue will all be provided via a “Modus” plan to each and every season ticket holder.
The stadium is also ideally placed on the excellent route 43 of the National Cycle network. Fans cycling to the stadium can safely store their bikes in new racks which have been provided by the developer.
Gerald Clement, Cabinet member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism said, “We have been working closely with the police, First Cymru and other statutory consultees to provide a travel plan that ensures fans can arrive and leave as quickly and easily as possible. The plan more than caters for the demands of the stadium, even at full capacity, if fans follow it.”
"Residents in the vicinity of the stadium will be protected from disruption on match days by extensive parking restrictions on their streets which will be strictly enforced.”
Inspector Bill John from Swansea Police said, “ We have conducted a large amount of research and consultation in planning for the operational Policing response to the opening of the new stadium, which has involved visits to new stadia at Reading and Southampton. We have considered some of the traffic management plans for those football grounds in our planning processes.
“Nevertheless, we do need fans to co-operate with us and use the specified Park and Ride sites or public transport to get to and from the game. This will help us greatly in ensuring that everyone has a safe and enjoyable day out. Over the coming months we will also be utilising police helicopters and traffic analysis experts to see if we can improve the system even further.”
Justin Davies, Managing Director of First Cymru added, “I am delighted that we have been able to be involved in this project for the stadium, a key project for Swansea. We know many people will come to Swansea for sporting events at the new stadium, and knowing that you don’t have the hassle of trying to find a parking space when you visit the stadium will be a great relief to many. First is committed to providing direct transport links – and wherever possible we look for integrated solutions. The service we shall operate will enable visitors to travel by train or by bus, or use the bus connections direct from the train station to the Stadium. We will continue to work closely with Swansea Stadium, the Council and the police to ensure that Swansea has a safe, reliable and frequent public transport system.”
Details
• There are three large park and ride sites for match days, with shuttle buses running to the stadium every few minutes –
• Swansea Vale has approximately 2,000 car parking spaces and will be serviced by a fleet of approximately 40 buses providing free rides to the stadium. There will be a £5 charge for parking.
• County Hall Car Park has approximately 400 spaces and will be serviced by approximately seven buses. Parking at this site is free and there will be a charge of £2 (adults) and 50p (children U16) for buses to the stadium.
• The Recreation Ground has approximately 700 spaces and will be serviced by approximately 20 buses. Parking at this site is free and there will be a charge of £2 (adults) and 50p (children U16) for buses to the stadium.
• There is a disabled drop-off bay at the stadium and wheel chair accessible park and ride buses.
• Parking at the stadium is extremely limited and is only available for players, the media, disabled supporters and stadium staff.
• Fans will not be allowed to park in the Morfa retail park or residential areas next to the stadium.
• The plan will be widely available through the regional press, in leaflet and poster format, and via the websites of the Swans, the Ospreys, the stadium and the local council.