Funding
Resources
Policy futures for urban transport
The latest edition of Policy futures for urban transport emphasises how a new deal on funding and powers is essential to keep the UK's cities moving forward.
The report sets out the 10 key policy changes that are needed to make cities healthier, fairer and more prosperous.
These include further devolution of rail services; greater funding for buses; reform of taxi and Private Hire Vehicle legislation; an ambitious strategy to encourage more cycling and walking; a long term investment plan for urban rail services; and a visionary national policy framework on air quality.
Number crunch: Transport trends in the city regions
Our report, Number crunch: Transport trends in the city regions, identifies some of the most defining patterns of the past decade (and projected future trends) that are changing the face of the UK’s city regions, and the way that people travel within them.
Ageing urban populations, rapid bus passenger decline and huge growth in private hire vehicles are just some of the dramatic shifts taking place in UK cities.
The report draws on data from our unique, free and interactive online tool ‘Data Hub’, which allows users to generate bespoke analysis, graphics and charts of transport, economic and population data.
Banks, bytes and bikes: The transport priorities of the new economy
Our report, Banks, bytes and bikes: The transport priorities of the new economy, highlights how transport needs in urban areas are changing amid the growth of the so-called “flat white economy”.
It sets out how this new economy is already a major driver of the wider UK economy, and how business sectors such as communications, media and information increasingly favour urban locations with good quality of place, as well as good access on foot, by bike and by public transport.
The report challenges monolithic views of what business wants on transport in favour of a more nuanced perspective which recognises that there is a new economy with new perspectives on transport priorities.
Rail Infrastructure Investment Inquiry
National Infrastructure Assessment
Initial take on the 2017 Budget
Policy Futures
Policy futures for urban transport sets out how, with more focused governance in place, the city regions are delivering major investment programmes including on public transport, highways and active travel, and smart ticketing. The report says that - with the right national policy framework - further and faster progress can be made, including:
- ensuring that the benefits of transformative technological change are maximised including new ways of paying for access to transport, connected and autonomous vehicles and data;
- that barriers between different sectors are broken down so that the benefits that transport can bring to achieving wider policy goals - in areas like health, employment and education - are fully realised.
Urban Congestion
The Road to Growth
Pages
Horizon scan of implications of technological and social change
This report aims to provide decision makers with a guide to the implications for urban transport of transformative social and technological change and how they can best respond.
The report (which was produced in collaboration with Arup Foresight) identifies four key overarching trends:
- Changes in demographics and lifestyles and the rise of the sharing economy alter mobility choices
- Urbanisation, climate change and the need to improve air quality put pressure on transport systems
- Advances in technology and increased digital connectivity make transport infrastructure smarter and more efficient
- More powers are devolved to cities and city regions which results in more innovation and leadership in responding to urban challenges in locally appropriate ways
Destination Growth: the case for Britain's regional railways
This report sets out the success of regional rail over the past decade and a half despite limited investment when compared to other rail sectors. The report then goes on to develop two hypothetical scenarios to demonstrate how investment in regional rail could deliver even greater benefits, significantly reducing subsidy and growing the benefits delivered to our city region economies.
A Bumpy Ride for Local Highways Maintenance
The funding and economics of highways maintenance on local roads in the English city regions.
This report reveals a growing gap between spending on road maintenance on national roads when compared with local roads.
Small but Mighty: Delivering big value for money
This report reviews ten examples of small scale transport schemes that have been delivered by pteg members. The case studies range from intelligent bus priority, to journey planning advice, cycle hire and new bus links. The report shows that small schemes can achieve outstanding value for money by: making use of local knowledge; being responsive to changing circumstances; and by being effectively targeted. Small schemes can also help provide proof of concept for novel interventions.
This report builds on our 2011 report on the ‘Value for money and appraisal of small schemes’, which gathered over 150 separate pieces of evidence and showed that, on average, smaller schemes deliver £3.50 of economic benefits for every £1 of public spending. Our wider work demonstrating the impact of local transport spending also includes the 2014 ‘Transport Works for Jobs and Growth’ report, the 2013 ‘Case for the Urban Bus’ report and the transportworks.org website.
Revenue vs Capital Mismatch
The next few years will see an upward trend in local transport capital grant funding from central government, supported by a wide-ranging consensus about the contribution of local transport networks to economic growth. In contrast, Local Authorities have seen a sustained decline in resource funding, driven by deep cuts to the Department for Communities and Local Government‟s (DCLG) budget. And there is no sign the cuts are about to stop. As the mismatch between capital and revenue funding grows, this could ultimately damage the effectiveness of capital investment in local transport networks. This report explores how resource funding constraints are affecting the delivery of local transport capital schemes and how this is likely to evolve over the next few years.
Making the connections: The cross-sector benefits of supporting bus services
The bus is key to achieving 46 policy goals of 12 of the 24 Departments across Whitehall including the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, Department of Health, Department for Education and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This report shows how, despite these cross sector benefits, all the main forms of funding for bus services are under severe pressure and sets out how bus funding can be reformed.
Economic Value of Rail in the North of England
This report shows how the North's booming railways are integral to its economic prospects; and shows why future plans for the North's railways should be based on expansion and growth.
Transport Works for growth and jobs
This report summarises some of the latest academic research which shows the importance of agglomeration economies (the way in which high value sectors of the economy cluster together in cities) in driving wider national economies. It also shows that these urban clusters cannot develop to their full potential without high quality and efficient transport networks.
Delivering Successful Local Transport - the City Region Experience
Report by JMP demonstrating the sound processes that PTEs have for identifying the right projects and then delivering them efficiently and effectively.
LSTF Monitoring and Evaluation Guidance - Final Report
Building on the work of the Department for Transport, pteg commissioned AECOM to prepare additional guidance for PTEs and other Local Transport Authorities to assist in the monitoring and evaluation of Local Sustainable Transport Fund projects. The guidance provides a practical approach to developing cost effective and affordable monitoring and evaluation programmes.
Pages
Understanding the value and impacts of transport investment
Mid Term Review of European Commission 2011 White paper
Local Authority highways maintenance funding
Local decision making on transport expenditure
Integrated Transport Block Funding
Business Rates Retention: Technical consultation
Structural Funds
Community Infrastructure Levy - detailed proposals and draft regulations for reform
Reimbursement arrangements for the Concessionary Bus Travel Scheme in England
Spending Review
Pages
MPs are right to call for urgent action to tackle bus decline, says Urban Transport Group
MPs on the Transport Select Committee are “absolutely right” to call for urgent action to tackle bus decline in their new report into the health of the bus market in England.
National Infrastructure Commission is right to make devolved transport funding for cities a key test for Government’s future infrastructure plan
The National Infrastructure Commission’s call for Government to make devolved funding for urban transport to cities a key test of the Government’s forthcoming National Infrastructure Strategy is hugely welcome, says the Urban Transport Group.
Climate advisors’ ‘clear route map’ for tackling transport emissions welcomed by city region transport authorities
Supporting bus services key to achieving policy goals of Government departments, report shows
- New ‘Connectivity Fund’ needed to reverse significant cuts in bus funding
Investing in bus services is key to achieving a wide range of policy objectives across Government, a new report from the Urban Transport Group has shown.
Urban Transport Group strengthened as Northern Ireland’s public transport provider joins up
Membership of the Urban Transport Group has received a significant boost today as Translink, Northern Ireland’s main public transport provider, has joined as an Associate Member.
South Yorkshire transport chief is new Chair of Urban Transport Group
Stephen Edwards, the Executive Director of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), is the new Chair of the Urban Transport Group.
His appointment follows the end of the two-year term of outgoing Chair Tobyn Hughes, Managing Director at Nexus.
‘Transit oriented development’ can help meet housing demand and reduce car-based urban sprawl, says report
- Report sets out five point plan to realise more building developments based around sustainable, public transport and active travel
Leading urban transport data tool relaunches with expansive range of new statistics
- Refreshed Data Hub expands ability to ‘select, visualise and share’ key transport data
Transport key to ‘putting towns back on the map’, says report
Transport has a key role to play in helping the UK’s post-industrial towns to thrive – putting them firmly back on the map, a report by the Urban Transport Group finds today.
New deal on funding and powers essential to keep cities moving forward, stresses Urban Transport Group
Further devolution of rail services, greater funding for buses and reform of taxi and Private Hire Vehicle legislation – these are just three parts of a new deal on funding and powers that is required to keep the UK’s cities moving forward.