Transport leadership

Local authorities have a key opportunity to link aspirations for sustainable communities and quality of life in our cities to the transport and spatial planning solutions required.

How can we lead on transport?

Link sustainable transport to other agendas like community, health, public space and green infrastructure, providing opportunities for joint strategies and actions and embed these in the local area agreement and local development framework.

Consider a transport hierarchy to inform spatial planning objectives – first support less travel, then support reduced travel distances, then encourage modal shift away from carbon intensive forms and lastly make the best use of available technology.

Stay informed about sustainable transport debates including those around carbon reduction, cost-benefit analyses, road congestion and health implications.

Examine barriers to effective implementation of sustainable transport.

Encourage less travel by promoting working from home and other no-travel options, car-sharing and ensuring that neighbourhoods are served by good quality local retail, employment, school and community facilities and providing attractive, safe and convenient walking and cycling routes.

Develop mutually supportive policy packages that include interventions in walking, cycling, public transport, long distance travel substitution, urban planning, pricing regimes, low emission vehicles and international air travel reduction.

Encourage businesses and workplaces to develop workplace travel plans, potentially making this a planning requirement for all large new businesses.

Lead by example by ensuring your own staff have access to showers, secure cycle storage, cut price or free staff bikes and pool bikes for business travel to promote cycling.