Cities Today’s Post

🇬🇧🚉 Louise Haigh MP, the new transport secretary, has announced the biggest overhaul in a generation. Her priorities include #rail and #bus service improvements, greener transport, and tackling regional inequality. With a dedicated team and a commitment to "move fast and fix things," the future of UK transport looks promising! 🤞🏽 #UKTransport #RailReform #GreenerTransport #SocialMobility #MOVE2025 Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpqyYxJz MOVE: Mobility Re-imagined

Rapid transit in North Vancouver and stable funding for TransLink are crucial, but politicians must remember that BC is a big province, so improving BC Transit and restoring passenger rail are also necessary to ensure future sustainability and prosperity.

There is an historical opportunity for transport reform within the North East Combined Authority. This change is needed urgently. In our Common Sense Policy Group report, ‘Delivering regional renewal: public support for bold change in North East transport policy’, published with Insights North East, we set out public opinion in the run up to this year's Mayoral Election: https://lnkd.in/eqQrWWh6 We find: 1. High levels of support for taking transport back into public ownership and control and strong opposition to the current privatised system 2. Deep concern about the impacts on health from the current transport system 3. Strong preference for funding reform through wealth, carbon and corporation tax increases The report finds an average level of support for a bold programme of reform of 79%, with justifications for that programme grounded in reducing transport poverty and inequality particularly popular in persuading people to increase their support. Importantly, the report finds that people are particularly concerned about the effect of the transport system on avoidable deaths through congestion and pollution, but don’t tie that to the need for more active travel through cycling, walking and creating bus lanes. The report presents means of bringing those two concerns closer together. The report ought to give courage to our new North East Combined Authority to deliver real change. Transport was absolutely critical to our region’s historical development and it is just as important to regional renewal now. We cannot persist with the same broken system that leaves people who desperately want to do their bit by giving up their cars unable to do so because the lack and unreliability of services mean they cannot guarantee that they will get to work even vaguely on time. I’ve lived in several parts of the world with reliable and affordable transport far in advance of that in our region – the consistent theme in each of those systems was that they were publicly owned, controlled and directed to the economic needs of those societies. We need the common sense courage to act on the evidence, know that there’s public support and deliver the change that the region is crying out for. The report is related to our Common Sense Policy Group’s Act Now project aimed at designing public policy to rebuild Britain. The time is right to take control of this critical aspect of infrastructure to deliver the regional renewal we need. #UK #publicpolicy #NECA #transport Gemma Brown (Somerville) Elliott Johnson Ian Robson Joanne Atkinson Anna Thew Howard Reed Graham Stark

People want public ownership and control of regional transport networks. Read our latest report:

Public policy researchers from the Common Sense Policy Group at Northumbria University have released a new report with Insights North East which presents cutting-edge evidence on regional public opinion on the future of transport policy in the North East. 📰 Discover more: https://lnkd.in/eRpU5cGE

Efficient transportation is key to our economy. 🚍🚇 #VinForCongress #Transportation #Infrastructure #EfficientTransit #PublicTransport #EconomicGrowth #BetterRoads #CommunityMobility #TransitSolutions #TransportationReform

The recent announcement by The Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom to establish shadow Great British Railways (GBR) marks a significant step towards reforming the nation's rail services. This long-awaited announcement aims to deliver a unified rail system under the GBR banner, promising a more coherent and efficient railway network. However, the discussion around this transformation has largely centred on the rail system itself, without delving into the broader implications that are crucial for the success of GBR.   A truly comprehensive approach to transport reform must transcend the confines of rail services. It should encompass a holistic view that includes employment, housing, education, health and the energy sector amongst others. This integration is vital if our transport network is to be the backbone of the economy and society, influencing and being influenced by these adjacent systems.   Consider the interplay between transport and employment. Efficient transport links are essential for accessing job opportunities, which in turn can stimulate economic growth and reduce unemployment. Similarly, the availability of affordable housing near transport hubs can lead to increased ridership and reduced congestion on roads.   A transport system that promotes walking, cycling and the use of public transport can lead to healthier lifestyles and reduce the burden on healthcare systems as well as significantly contributing to reducing the carbon footprint of the transport sector and aligning with the UK's environmental sustainability goals.   The vision for GBR should, therefore, include a strategic plan that aligns rail services with these broader societal needs. By doing so, GBR can truly put passengers at the heart of the rail service, not just as commuters but as citizens affected by a myriad of interconnected factors.   The establishment of GBR presents an opportunity to rethink and reshape the UK's transport system. By adopting a whole-systems approach that considers the interdependencies with other societal sectors, GBR can create a transport network that not only serves its passengers with efficiency and reliability but also contributes positively to the broader social and economic fabric of the nation. This is my vision for an integrated transport system which is not just about connecting places; it's about connecting lives and fostering a sustainable future for all. Laura Shoaf, CBE, Alex Hynes, Robin Gisby, Andrew Haines, #sustainabletransport, #wholesystemapproach

The new Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, has announced her 5 priorities for the Department for Transport. They include: 1️⃣ improving performance on the railways and driving forward rail reform 2️⃣ improving bus services and growing usage across the country 3️⃣ transforming infrastructure to work for the whole country, promoting social mobility and tackling regional inequality 4️⃣ delivering greener transport 5️⃣ better integrating transport networks Rachel White, Head of Public Affairs at Sustrans, made this statement in response. You can read the Sustrans manifesto for the 2024 election here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/edP7FaTR [Image text reads: “Improving choice and reducing inequality in how we travel is a welcome priority for the new government. We need to make it easier, safer and more accessible to walk, wheel and cycle “This transformation can only happen through integrating transport. We should ensure that walking, wheeling and cycling is fully connected to bus, tram and train networks. “Local leaders know what’s best for their communities. Further devolution of powers and investment will help them deliver better connections, growing local and national economies so people feel the benefit. “We look forward to working with the new government and the Department for Transport to develop a national transport strategy that works for everyone.” ]

The Department for Transport have published the revised National Networks National Policy Statement alongside the government's response to the Transport Committee's review and the public consultation. The government has ruled out a roads review (as recommended by the Climate Change Committee), ignores recommendations on accounting for 'residual emissions' and refuses to make public the National Transport Model to aid scrutiny of the forecasts that underpin decision making. The government also take umbrage at those who say that decision making is still being driven by 'predict and provide' thinking (albeit a more sophisticated version). In the response to the Transport Committee they state: "The government’s approach to decarbonisation is not to stop people travelling, it is about enabling people to do the same things differently and more sustainably while still realising transport’s social and economic benefits." On the same theme the government's response to the public consultation declares: "A number of respondents argued that the government needs to reduce car kilometres travelled in order to achieve net zero. It is not the policy of government to reduce demand for travel. People should enjoy fair access to jobs, education, health, shopping, recreation, friends and family and government wants to facilitate that, not restrict it." A truly disingenuous representation of the arguments in favour of active, public and shared mobility over investment that locks in car dependency. The government continues to state it "believes that the policy choices set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan are the right ones" and refuses to engage with the mounting evidence they are inadequate and unfair. In doing so they are simply kicking the can down the road for the next government to need to address. #climate #transport #strategicplanning

I’m delighted to serve on the Transport Secretary’s Capital Review Panel Like much of life, transport is all about networks. Yet in too many places and for too long, trains, buses, bikes, trams and cars have stayed in their own lanes providing a skeleton of a service. An integrated transport strategy, that puts people at its heart, can reap the rewards of reliable, connected journeys to get the blood pumping through the veins of our cities. Better transport is desperately needed to drive growth and prosperity. Too many British cities are unproductive compared to European counterparts, shackled by lack of transport choice and chained down by too few homes. Housing and transport are two sides of the same coin. You cannot solve one problem without the other. With modern Britain missing millions of homes, continuing to build sprawling housing estates will take too long and create yet more of the congested roads we need to fix. Integrated, reliable and efficient transport networks that tie trams, bikes and buses together can help us deliver more homes on less land and build homes, shops and services at gentle densities. It is time for us as a society to move from being housebuilders to becoming town builders. Trams and metros, the backbone of local transport, are ridiculously efficient at moving people. They create enormous economic agglomeration boosts and allow us to tread more lightly on the planet by helping people live and work closer together. A 3.5m wide city road lane used for a tram line can shift eleven times more people per hour than the same lane used by private vehicles. This is good for towns and cities and the people who live in them. I look forward to playing my part in addressing Britain’s transport challenges and creating a future where more people have more opportunities to live and work happily, well and sustainably. https://lnkd.in/eDgq9uk6