Cities told transport strategies need to be bolder
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan today issued a challenge to local authority and city leaders to be bold and innovative in developing transport strategies.
The minister was speaking at an event in London to launch the Urban Challenge Fund – a new funding scheme designed to support packages of measures that will deliver a wide range of transport improvements.
Cities will only be eligible to receive money from the fund if they can show their plans will: improve journey choice, tackle congestion, improve safety; lower carbon emissions; and promote healthier lifestyles through better air quality and more walking and cycling.
The Government firmly believes imaginatively planned, well delivered transport can deliver for all these agendas, not just one or two.
Sadiq Khan said:
“The last decade of record investment has delivered thousands of infrastructure improvements, both big and small, in our towns and cities up and down the country. But we can do more.
“Given the environmental and financial challenges we face, it is more important than ever that urban transport planning is embedded in broader economic and spatial planning. That sounds obvious, but the extent to which urban authorities have been successful in doing this varies tremendously.
“The Urban Challenge Fund is designed to support cities that want to deliver economic, health and environmental improvements at the same time, and are prepared to take the bold decisions needed to make that happen. This new fund will help to create a cleaner, safer and more prosperous future for generations to come.”
The new fund will replace the Congestion Transport Innovation Fund which was established to support towns and cities in tackling congestion through local road pricing schemes. The Urban Challenge Fund will support wider packages of measures that not only tackle congestion but offer greater choice for transport users, improve safety, reduce air pollutants and carbon emissions and improve the living environment. This new approach will stimulate greater innovation amongst local authorities and appeal to a broader range of cities.
The proposals were outlined in a discussion paper published today which local authorities and stakeholders will be invited to comment on. Cities and authorities will be invited to submit proposals on the basis of a published set of criteria after the next spending review.
