The report explores best practice in, and barriers to, the delivery of transport schemes, focusing on the co-ordination of government action. It reviews central government departmental objectives and the structure of transport governance and funding. It outlines initiatives that could address the question of how to better integrate transport, housing and economic planning. Transport aspects of the Sustainable Communities Plan are examined, as is the co-ordination of transport initiatives in three areas of England: Milton Keynes South Midlands, Thames Gateway South Essex and the North of England. Potential measures to improve the overall delivery of transport outcomes are identified.

The study was undertaken in response to a perception that in relation to transport there was a lack of joined-up objectives and thinking across Government departments which was leading to a planning and delivery process which was not well integrated across the disciplines and therefore failing to deliver effectively on the ground.

The study was undertaken in three phases: the first of which consisted of a desktop review of Government objectives and targets in the relevant policy areas, a review of key initiatives at the national level, and a review of current structural and funding arrangements for transport; the second of which focused on the delivery of the Sustainable Communities Plan and included selection of case study areas, desktop reports, consultation with stakeholders, and identification of key issues; and thirdly the development of recommendations.

There is a potential mis-match between the Department for Transport’s emphasis on congestion reduction and other government departments’ objectives around both economic development and sustainable communities. Greater prominence and a higher degree of formalisation need to be given to the sub-regional transport infrastructure planning and delivery process. There is a significant gap in the current funding regimes for larger sub-regionally significant infrastructure projects that contribute to economic growth and housing development but not to the existing congestion agenda. The Commission for Integrated Transport recommends that Community Infrastructure Funding be increased in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review and also that a city region wide approach to the development of strategic transport authorities is applied for the larger conurbation areas.

Commission for Integrated Transport
Phone: +44 20 7944 8669
cfit@dft.gsi.gov.uk

01/11/2006

Commission for Integrated Transport

research

Urban Policy > Transport and infrastructure

Public transport