The Resource Centre holds all our documents (briefings, consultation responses, press releases and reports). Signed-in members also have access to projects. You can search the Resource Centre by topic or by type of document.
Resources
Resources
About towns: How transport can help towns thrive
November, 2018
This report examines the key role that transport interventions can play in supporting post-industrial towns.
It features case studies from the UK and the wider world of how different types of interventions - from transport’s role as an ‘anchor institution’ for local economies and as an employer, through to how transport interchanges can act as ‘gateways’ and sources of civic pride and renewal - can achieve results.
A key finding of the report is that isolated capital interventions in transport infrastructure are insufficient in themselves. Instead, more co-ordinated programmes of transport capital and revenue investment and support are needed if towns are to truly thrive.
Active Travel Inquiry
October, 2018
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
Topic:
Local roads funding and governance
October, 2018
Our response to the Transport Committee Inquiry into the condition of local roads, their funding and governance. We suggest four actions for government to enable local roads to be bought up to the required standard and be future-ready.
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
Document:
Topic:
Health of the bus market
October, 2018
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
Topic:
Transport appraisal and modelling strategy: informing future investment decisions
October, 2018
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Doing more for less - How working together on transport cuts costs and saves time
October, 2018
The Urban Transport Group brings together and promotes the interests of Britain’s largest urban areas on transport.
Through working together as a network, we help to save time and money for our members by doing things once and collaboratively – rather than separately and expensively.
Saving significant costs for our members is just one benefit of being part of our organisation.
Topic:
Transport (Scotland) Bill
September, 2018
Consulting body:
Scottish Parliament
Topic:
Bus Services Act Open data and accessible information
September, 2018
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Document:
Topic:
Future of Mobility
September, 2018
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
Last mile: a Call for Evidence on the opportunities available to deliver goods more sustainably
September, 2018
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Document:
Topic:
Pages
Multi operator ticketing comparison
May, 2014
Topic:
Government proposals to ban CCTV enforcement of parking and implications for buses
January, 2014
On 6th December 2013 the Government issued a consultation document on local government parking strategies. The stated aim of the proposals is to help with the cost of living and to support local shops. In this briefing we concentrate on the CCTV enforcement proposals – and in particular the implications for buses.
Topic:
HMT 2013 Spending Review: transport number crunch
October, 2013
Briefing analysing what the 2013 Spending Review means for transport. It takes a closer look at the overall funding envelope for the UK government and the Department for Transport and how this has evolved, before looking at the balance between resource/revenue and capital budgets and the specific challenges facing local transport over the next couple of years.
Topic:
What do the health reforms mean for PTEs?
May, 2013
A pteg briefing, written with support from Sustrans and Dr Adrian Davis, on the opportunities for PTEs presented by the Government's health reforms.
Topic:
A better deal for the bus from the Spending Review
April, 2013
Summarises how buses are funded, the raw deal they have been getting, and how the Spending Review can give the bus the greater share of available funding that it deserves given its contribution to multiple Government policy goals.
Transport number crunch
February, 2013
In this briefing we seek to place the 2011 and 2012 Autumn Statements in the context of other major changes in transport funding that have taken place since May 2010, analysing the implications for local transport.
Topic:
Funding shift - How the regional cities lose out on transport
February, 2013
This briefing looks at three current and emerging trends on transport funding which threaten to take funding out of the major urban areas of the Midlands and the North.
Topic:
Concessionary Travel: The funding timebomb for PTEs
November, 2012
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme has been highly successful in giving older and disabled people the freedom of free off‐peak bus travel. But the costs of the scheme are rising fast whilst funding is falling. This financial ‘timebomb’ will lead to severe cuts in other frontline transport services unless a sustainable funding solution can be found.
Document:
Tram-trains - From suburban station to the heart of the city
July, 2012
Brochure explaining the key features of tram-trains, their potential, their use in Europe and plans for tram-train in the UK.
Document:
Topic:
Rail in the North
November, 2011
A booklet by the Rail in the North All Party Parliamentary Group exploring key policy issues affecting rail in the North of England.
Document:
Topic:
Pages
Small but Mighty: Delivering big value for money
June, 2015
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.
Topic:
Revenue vs Capital Mismatch
March, 2015
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.
Topic:
A Healthy Relationship: Public health and transport collaboration in local government
February, 2015
This report sets out the findings of a survey of all Directors of Public Health (DsPH) in England. The survey investigated the extent of collaboration between public health and transport teams within local government since public health teams moved into top-tier local authorities in April 2013. As well as analysis of survey results, the report includes a series of case studies exploring examples of good practice in more detail. The majority of DsPH responding to the survey said that there had been an improvement in the extent of their team’s collaboration with transport planning colleagues since the move to local government. Most placed a medium to high priority to on the health impacts of road transport in their work programme; had had the opportunity to engage with the development of local transport plans; and had participated in jointly funded projects and data sharing with transport colleagues. DsPH identified a number of barriers to further joint working, but there were also numerous examples of good practice. The research was conducted for pteg by public health and transport specialist, Dr Adrian Davis.
Delivering the future: New approaches to urban freight
February, 2015
This report highlights the essential role of urban freight in ensuring the effective functioning of the UK economy and presents a fresh vision designed to safeguard this role as well as protect the environment and quality of life for communities. It envisages that every opportunity should be taken for freight to make its way to urban areas by rail or water, either directly into those areas, or into the major distribution parks that serve them. It argues that those distribution sites should be located so that it is practical for goods to travel the last mile(s) into urban centres using zero/low emission modes. These last mile journeys should be achieved as safely, unobtrusively and with as little environmental impact as possible. The report explores a number of ideas that could assist in achieving this vision and calls for a broader, nationwide freight strategy to provide direction and leadership to the industry and its stakeholders.
Ticket to Thrive: The role of urban public transport in tackling unemployment
February, 2015
This report reveals the vital role of public transport, and the bus in particular, in enabling people to find and sustain employment. Some 77% of jobseekers in British cities outside London do not have regular access to a car, van or motorbike and can face significant barriers to work as a result. The report finds that these barriers include expensive public transport tickets; poorly connected employment sites; mismatches between working hours and available transport; and limited travel horizons. It recommends seven key policies that could help overcome these obstacles, including: a new funding deal to enable local councils to protect lifeline bus services and connect people to opportunity; more effective powers over bus services for local transport authorities, offering them greater control over where and when buses run and the affordability of fares; a review of the potential for an adequately funded national jobseeker and apprentice travel concession.
Topic:
Oxford SmartZone
February, 2015
In 2011, the two main bus operators in the city of Oxford introduced an inter-operable smart ticketing system known as the SmartZone. Meanwhile, many other parts of the country have faced significant challenges in attempting to introduce inter-operable smart ticketing in deregulated bus markets. The Oxford system has therefore attracted considerable attention and it has been suggested that it could offer valuable lessons for other areas. This paper explains the context within which the scheme was developed and describes the key features of bus ticketing in the city of Oxford and in its wider travel to work area. The paper then compares the Oxford system with the aspirations of Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs).
Topic:
Air Quality in the City Regions: A Transport Toolkit
August, 2014
Aimed at city region authorities, this toolkit provides an accessible overview of the issues and options for tackling air pollution associated with transport.
Making the connections: The cross-sector benefits of supporting bus services
July, 2014
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
July, 2014
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.
Topic:
A heavy load to bear - towards a fairer allocation of rail industry costs for regional rail
July, 2014
This report shows how regional rail is allocated a disproportionate share of the railways' overall costs which distorts the wider debate about its value for money. The report sets out how an alternative fairer, more defensible and rational system would halve regional rail's share of government support.
Topic:
Pages
ORR PR18 Initial Consultation
August, 2016
Response to the ORR PR18 initial consultation.
Consulting body:
Office of Rail and Road
Improving the Rail Passenger Experience
May, 2016
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
Topic:
Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Consultation
May, 2016
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Topic:
ORR structure of charges
March, 2016
Our response to the ORR consultation on structure of network charges.
Consulting body:
Office of Rail and Road
Document:
Topic:
DfT Hendy Review consultation
March, 2016
Our response to Sir Peter Hendy report: re-planning of Network Rail’s investment programme.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Document:
Topic:
Governance, structure and operation
March, 2016
Consulting body:
National Infrastructure Commission
Topic:
Understanding the value and impacts of transport investment
January, 2016
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Document:
Topic:
Shaw report scoping study
December, 2015
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
Document:
Topic:
Rail Competition
October, 2015
pteg response to Competition Markets Authority consultation on rail markets competition.
Consulting body:
Competition and Markets Authority
Document:
Topic:
ORR Systems Operations Consultation Response
October, 2015
Consulting body:
Office of Rail and Road
Topic:
Pages
Rail Review must deliver further devolution to realise world-class railway
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
The Government’s ‘root and branch’ review into rail must bring about further devolution of rail responsibilities if the UK is to realise its ambition of creating a world-class railway, says the Urban Transport Group.
Urban Transport Group launches new analysis - and research programme - into causes of bus patronage decline
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
- Analysis finds many background trends are unfavourable to the bus but that common factors exist in areas where the bus is bouncing back
The Urban Transport Group has today published initial analysis of the causes behind the decline in bus patronage.
Topic:
‘Transit oriented development’ can help meet housing demand and reduce car-based urban sprawl, says report
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
- 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
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
- Refreshed Data Hub expands ability to ‘select, visualise and share’ key transport data
Urban Transport Group appoints transport heavyweight to investigate benefits of locally-run rail stations
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Transport expert Stephen Joseph is to investigate the benefits that flow from devolved authorities' involvement in railway stations, for a new report for the Urban Transport Group.
Urban Transport Group welcomes appointment of Andrew Jones as Rail Minister
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed the appointment of Andrew Jones MP as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, with responsibility for rail.
Topic:
Transport crucial to achieving Government’s ‘Prevention is better than cure’ vision
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed the Department of Health and Social Care’s ‘Prevention is better than cure’ vision, whilst also highlighting th
Transport key to ‘putting towns back on the map’, says report
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
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.
Urban Transport Group sets out concerns over new Scottish buses legislation
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed the intent of new legislation to reform bus services in Scotland but has warned that changes need to be made if the legislation is to be workable in practice.
Topic:
Urban Transport Group welcomes recommendations to overhaul taxi and private hire vehicle legislation
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
The Urban Transport Group has today welcomed a report which calls for an overhaul of legislation for taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs).
Topic: