Better Connected: what it means for transport authorities
The Department for Transport (DfT) publication Better Connected: a strategy for integrated transport marks an important moment for transport policy in England.
The Better Connected strategy, published last month, alongside the long-awaited local transport plans statutory guidance, sets out government’s vision for a fully-integrated and passenger-focused transport network. The strategy's ambitions sit alongside a series of significant legislative changes, including through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, the Bus Services (No. 2) Act and the Railways Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament.
For Urban Transport Group (UTG) members, the strategy provides both direction and opportunity. It signals a move away from mode-specific transport delivery, towards more integrated, place-based outcomes, with local transport authorities (LTAs) at the centre.
Better Connected: principles and priority areas
The transport strategy is underpinned by 3 guiding principles: people, place and partnership. These guiding principles support 8 key priorities, which will be delivered through a series of commitments that government is responsible for delivering.
The 8 key priority areas for the Better Connected strategy are:
- Simplify payments and information
- Provide safe and dependable journeys
- Make travel accessible and affordable
- Create healthier communities
- Align transport and development
- Champion data and technology
- Empower local leaders
- Optimise decision-making and appraisal
Key takeaways
Across the strategy’s 8 priority areas and government’s key commitments, there are several areas of particular significance for LTAs, many of which build on existing ambitions, but with increased scale and expectations of responsibility for local leaders.
A stronger role for local transport authorities
A central priority for the strategy emphasises empowering local leaders. This includes a clear ambition to continue the roll out of simplified and flexible long-term integrated funding settlements that reduce the need for central approval over expenditure and allow more flexibility over spending on local strategic priorities.
West Midlands Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority already receive Integrated Settlements with Liverpool City Region, the North East, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Greater London to follow next year. More will join them as further MSAs become eligible to apply for ‘established’ status.
A more devolved and integrated ticketing system
The strategy sets out ambitions for simplifying ticketing and improving passenger experience. Commitments in this area focus on enabling integrated, contactless “tap and go” systems, led by major city regions for their local areas (supported by national back-office infrastructure and consistent data standards).
For LTAs, this creates a clear pathway towards delivering integrated ticketing systems, where passengers can move seamlessly between rail, bus and other modes within one simple fare structure.
Delivering on this will require LTAs to play a leading role in bringing together operators across modes, integrating local and national ticketing systems and ensuring consistency in fares, ticketing and journey information.
This builds on the existing work of a number of UTG members, who already have integrated ticketing as a central part of their transport networks.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s M-Card, for example, is available as a tap and go app and offers passengers the option to buy tickets that cover unlimited journeys by bus and rail across the region. Since launching in 2020, over 10 million tickets have been sold through the app, making it “the most successful ticketing scheme in the country outside London”.
Stronger alignment between transport and development
The strategy emphasises that decisions on transport, housing and wider development will become more integrated to create “better-connected places”. This includes through “vision-led planning” and considered development around transport hubs.
For transport authorities, this creates an opportunity to play a central role in shaping growth, as well as supporting well-connected places and sustainable travel patterns as part of their wider place-making objectives.
Our members are already making these connections. Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone spatial plan, for example, sets out the housing supply up until 2040 for each district. As part of the plan, potential development sites have been assessed holistically, taking forward those which could be best served by public transport to deliver well-connected neighbourhoods.
The role of data and technology
Data and technology are positioned as key enablers of integration throughout the strategy. Key commitments focus on expanding open data, improving real-time passenger information, supporting innovation, and the increasing use of AI technologies.
For LTAs, this highlights the importance of developing and maintaining robust digital and data-handling capacities including: ensuring data is standardised and transferrable across multiple modes; using real-time and predictive data to improve performance of services; and supporting better integration between systems and platforms.
This also links closely with the strategy’s ambitions around reforms to appraisal and decision making, with a shift towards outcomes-based approaches, which are supported by better data and analytics.
Alignment with national ambitions
The strategy sits alongside a broader programme of legislative reform, particularly the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026, the Bus Services Act 2025 and the Railways Bill.
These legislative reforms will provide important foundations for the delivery of the Better Connected strategy. Rail reform is expected to simplify fares and create a unified rail framework through the establishment of Great British Rail. Bus reform will strengthen the ability of LTAs to shape local services and better integrate networks. Devolution reforms are set to support the shift towards greater control and place-based governance.
Together, these national ambitions create the foundations for a more integrated and place-based transport system, alongside the key government commitments set out through the strategy.
Although most of these commitments and priority areas are supported by existing and emerging legislation, much of the legislative framework remains mode‑specific at present. Most commitments will be delivered through updated guidance, funding frameworks and governance arrangements. However, to support the fully integrated transport vision as set out by the Better Connected strategy, secondary legislation or guidance may need to be developed to fully support these ambitions.
UTG is continuing to explore any gaps and future regulatory or guidance work alongside its members.
Delivery, collaboration and next steps
As Better Connected moves towards implementation, it provides a strong foundation for continued collaboration between national government, local leaders and the wider transport sector.
The ambition for more integrated funding settlements, alongside proposed reforms to governance and appraisal, has the potential to support more strategic, place‑based transport planning over time. Ensuring that emerging arrangements are sufficiently long‑term, transparent and flexible across the range of transport authority contexts will be important in supporting consistent delivery and enabling learning as approaches evolve.
Whilst the strategy covers multiple passenger modes, there may be opportunities to further consider how areas such as freight, as well as broader decarbonisation objectives and modal shift, can be better reflected.
Overall, Better Connected represents a positive step in setting out a shared national direction for transport in England, building on the innovative work already underway in devolved areas of the country to deliver better, more joined up transport networks. It provides a clearer framework for local authorities to work in partnership with government and the sector to translate national ambition into practical, locally responsive transport systems that reflect the needs of their places and communities.
Author: Gemma Gates is Policy Officer at the Urban Transport Group.