In LTT magazine, LTT916, available for subscribers to access.
There have been a considerable number of new transport propositions aired in the past couple of weeks, which means we have a lot of busy news pages. One theme is the approaching public spending review, to be unveiled in two weeks time, which has brought a burst of strategic transport submissions at both the national and local levels. These ambitiously and optimistically would require significant new resources, which it seems most unlikely the Chancellor will be willing to commit. We look in particular at two big proposals from Yorkshire and the West Midlands.
Amongst our other news are some interesting developments on bus policy, including ideas about creative approaches to franchising from the DfT and its abandonment of the concept of bus connectivity assessments, despite considerable funding and effort having been put into that idea. We also keep an eye on the development of policies by the ten major local transport authorities now under control of Reform UK, suggestions for the location and structure of the Government’s proposed tranche of new towns, and policy ideas from a number of organisations including the Transport Planning Society on behaviour change; Living Streets on road safety; and COMO UK on the use of electric vehicles in car clubs.
We have reports from the International Transport Forum ministerial gathering in Leipzig, with policy statements on AI and Road Safety; from the first Welsh Public Transport Summit in Wrexham, where new rail plans were unveiled; and from the National Vision Zero event in Liverpool.
We look forward to the LTT Future Transport 2050 event with a review of a new book by Professor Marcus Enoch exploring eight possible scenarios for the development of society over the next 25 years and how transport will potentially be changed to reflect those. Marcus will be joining the speakers at the event in London at Regents College on June 10th, and there is still time to be with us then (for booking link see below).
Our major contributing columnist in this issue is John Dales, whose article considers pragmatic and positive approaches which those in local government might adopt to work alongside the new Reform UK councillors in control of a significant number of authorities. He draws on thinking about consensus building and mutual understanding between those of different outlooks in our increasingly adversarial and polarised society.
In his Editorial Opinion, Peter Stonham anticipates the Chancellor’s impending public spending announcement and what might be the most helpful approach to determining investment priorities, and in particular the pivotal role in decision-making of the Treasury and its new agency, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), alongside other promised reforms to processes and judgements on value for money. He considers whether, in an era of overarching missions, transport expenditure should properly still be treated as a separate tranche of money necessarily routed through a specific department.
FUTURE TRANSPORT 2050 EVENT JUNE 10th — Still time to be there!
LTT readers are warmly invited to join us on the 10th June for Future Transport 2050 event, and its important discussion taking place in the relaxed environment of Regent’s College in London. The event will feature a mix of presentations on prospective future scenarios, interactive discussion about their validity, and consideration of how best to embrace both uncertainties and unwelcome potential policy outcomes.
Coupled with a summer style outdoor evening ‘after party’ for socialising and networking, this event is proving very popular and promises to be stimulating, enjoyable, memorable and professionally rewarding. We hope LTT readers will recognise this special opportunity for those who want to think beyond immediate horizons.
For those who have yet to book, we have reserved some priority places for LTT readers at a specially discounted rate. Full details are included in LTT this time or you can go straight to the event website https://www.landorlinks.uk/future-2050/
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The next issue will appear on 12 June 2025.
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A 30-year journey
Local Transport Today has been providing a unique service of news, analysis and comment about everything relating to transport at urban, conurbation, rural and regional levels in Britain for over 30 years.
Founded as a magazine in 1989, it quickly became required reading for planners and transport managers in local authorities, transport service providers, consultants and specialist suppliers and all those researching and studying the challenges of providing mobility and accessibility for people and businesses all around the UK.
Over the years, conferences and seminars, online information resources and other networking and knowledge exchange activities - including an annual Local Transport Summit - have been added to the mix.
During the Covid-19 lockdown this year, LTT introduced a regular fortnightly series of online conversations which became must-attend discussions for those tackling the impacts of the pandemic on local transport.
The most recent innovative step has been the switch to digital publication including the LTT digital platform, providing an enhanced reader experience for you in accessing LTT content. This brings together the opportunity to read the complete copy of the magazine digitally - and print it out if required - with the facility to explore its contents as individual items. This platform is designed to suit both desktop and handheld devices. There are also direct links to all featured websites and email addresses mentioned in the magazine.
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For anyone who is not a subscriber, there is a facility to quickly purchase access for either an individual issue or a monthly or annual subscription to LTT. And you will see that we have brought in attractive new lower prices, as we have promised, to reflect the switch to digital delivery. It is now just £75 to subscribe to LTT for a year as an individual or £7.50 per month.
This full exceptional collection of material is not available anywhere else and continues the well-established LTT mission to be the only authoritative source for UK local transport professionals and practitioners!
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The UK Local Transport Eco-system at a Glance(!)
Transport issues and challenges are now a complex overlapping web of different localities, activities, modes, professional disciplines, technologies and financial and governance models. The LTT team uniquely understand this matrix and how all the different elements fit together.
