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
The cross-sector benefits of backing the bus
March, 2019
This report highlights how investing in bus services is key to achieving a wide range of policy objectives across Government.
The report also finds that the way in which bus services are funded is mired in complexity, with no oversight within Whitehall of how the various funding streams from different Government departments impact on bus services overall.
It also shows that all the main forms of funding for bus services are under severe pressure – in particular those that come indirectly from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government which support bus services that bus companies will not provide on a commercial basis. The report calls for a new ‘Connectivity Fund’ – which would bring together existing bus funding together with funding from other Government Departments into a significantly enhanced and ring-fenced pot for local government to support bus services.
Our asks of Government on Brexit and urban transport
March, 2019
This briefing sets out Urban Transport Group's asks of Government on Brexit and urban transport, based around four broad categories of people; funding and investment; the policy framework; and place-based impact.
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MHCLG Review of local authorities’ relative needs and resources
February, 2019
Consulting body:
Department for Communities and Local Government
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Principles for the Rail Review
January, 2019
Our response to the Williams Rail Review, which was established to recommend the most appropriate organisational and commercial frameworks to support the delivery of the government’s vision for the railway. Here, we outline the key principles which should underpin rail reform.
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
What's driving bus patronage change? An analysis of the evidence base
January, 2019
This report explores a range of factors relevant to bus patronage decline, under the themes of social and economic change; alternatives to the bus; and public attitudes to bus travel.
It finds that changing travel habits as a result of different lifestyles and working patterns, wider demographic and economic shifts, the rise of on-demand services, exemplified by runaway growth in Private Hire Vehicles, are amongst the many background factors affecting patronage.
The report also looks at areas where bus use is high or is growing and seeks to draw some initial conclusions about common denominators.
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The place to be: How transit oriented development can support good growth in the city regions
January, 2019
This report examines ‘transit oriented development’ - the principle of putting public transport front and centre in new residential and commercial developments, with the aim of maximising access by public transport, encouraging walking and cycling, and minimising the need to own and use private cars.
The report suggests that transit oriented development has the potential to meet housing need without undermining the green belt or creating more traffic congestion and sprawl. It also examines other areas where it can deliver wide-ranging benefits, such as to local economies; air quality and carbon emissions; social inclusion, employment and skills; health; and public transport patronage.
The place to be sets out a five point plan on how to realise more building developments which are based around sustainable, public transport and active travel.
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
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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
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Rail in the North of England
June, 2014
A briefing on Rail in the North - and the case for investment and a growing railway.
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Multi operator ticketing comparison
May, 2014
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Our vision for Smart Ticketing in the City Regions
June, 2015
This document sets out the progress we have made and the barriers that need to be overcome if the city regions are to get ticketing that looks and feels more like Oyster.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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RSA Inclusive Growth Commission Response
December, 2016
UTG response to the RSA Inclusive Growth Commission, making the case for how transport can support more inclusive growth.
Consulting body:
Royal Society of Arts
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ORR July 2016 Monitoring Highways England investment
November, 2016
Consulting body:
Office of Rail and Road
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Bus Services Bill Consultation
October, 2016
Consulting body:
Transport Select Committee
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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
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Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy Consultation
May, 2016
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
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ORR structure of charges
March, 2016
Our response to the ORR consultation on structure of network charges.
Consulting body:
Office of Rail and Road
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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
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Governance, structure and operation
March, 2016
Consulting body:
National Infrastructure Commission
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Understanding the value and impacts of transport investment
January, 2016
Consulting body:
Department for Transport
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MPs are right to call for urgent action to tackle bus decline, says Urban Transport Group
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
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
Monday, May 13, 2019
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
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Supporting bus services key to achieving policy goals of Government departments, report shows
Wednesday, March 20, 2019
- 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 welcomes Government’s future of mobility strategy
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
The Urban Transport Group has today responded to the Government’s Future of mobility: urban strategy.
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Urban Transport Group strengthened as Northern Ireland’s public transport provider joins up
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
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
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
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.
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.
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