BRIGHTON & HOVE City Council has decided how to spend around £6.5m in the coming year improving the City'ss transport infrastructure.

The sum represents almost a doubling of spending on transport projects compared to the previous year.

£3.5m has been allocated for maintenance, which includes £1.3m to repair surfaces on major roads damaged by heavy traffic and freezing weather. Routes affected include the A23, A259, A270, andA2038. Another £200,000 will go on improving footways around the City.

Around a million pounds is being spent on structures such as bridges and retaining walls, including the seafront arches in Kingâs Road and the Marina tunnel.

Nearly a million pounds will be used to upgrade street lighting and a number of areas will get new lamp posts while more energy-efficient bulbs will cut bills and reduce the City's carbon footprint.

A further block of £800,000 will be spent this financial year improving access to key parts of the City such as schools, workplaces, shops, parks, cultural attractions and the seafront.

£275,000 is allocated to improving public transport and regenerating the area around Brighton station will be a key project.

£630,000 will be spent this year improving the City for pedestrians and cyclists with £500,000 and dropped kerbs, better pavement surfaces and signage are all planned.

Other priorities are making streets safer to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured. Key projects here will be the Seven Dials junction, at an estimated cost of £625,000 over three years. The optional Dyke Road cycle lane will be reviewed and improved and money also spent introducing 20mph speed limits in some areas.

Cabinet councillor for transport Ian Davey said: "This plan represents a new long term investment programme in the city'ss infrastructure bringing much needed renewal to roads, pavements, streetlights and the seafront arches which are all so vital to the City'ss economy."

"We want to get the city moving by using various forms of travel, helping people who drive, walk, cycle or use public transport. At the same time we are striving to cut the serious levels of air pollution in some locations, and reduce the numbers of people killed and injured on the roads."