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Reimagining transport in the West Midlands

a conversation about change

tfwm.org.uk

@TransportforWM

Greening transport in your area: Workshop

18th November

David Harris

Transport Strategy & Place Manager

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The transport arm of the WMCA

Produce a statutory Local Transport Plan (LTP)

Coordinate public transport services & assets

Concurrent powers on Key Route Network

About TfWM

Precursors – since 1969

We are the local transport authority for the West Midlands metropolitan area

Partnership

& Rescue Authority

Constituent members

Observers

Non-�constituents (at outset)

Cannock Chase District Council

North Warwickshire Borough Council

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council

Redditch Borough Council

Rugby Borough Council

Shropshire Council

Stratford-on-Avon District Council

Tamworth Borough Bouncil

Telford and Wrekin Council

Warwickshire County Council

Plus others; Midlands Engine, Sustainability West Midlands, West Midlands Combined Universities…

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What have we done?

“A Conversation About Change” �(2021 Green Paper)

WMLTP5 “Reimagining Transport in the West Midlands” is being developed
Green Paper published and consulted on (2021)
Core Strategy drafted, consulted on, finalised and agreed (2022-2023)
6 Big Moves drafted and consulted on (2022) to be finalised and agreed
Area Strategy Guidance tool published (2022)

Currently developing 4 Area Strategies and overall Implementation Plan

Last City of Wolverhampton Scrutiny Panel

3^rd March, Vibrant & Sustainable City Scrutiny Panel �Focus on Core Strategy

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Our ambitions for the region

Check out tfwm.org.uk/wmltp5 �for all your wmltp5 needs

But you can visit our website to find out more.

The key details right now are that:

The sustainable transport ambition of the LTP is directly driven and required by the wider agreed policies and strategies of the region (Plan for Growth, #WM2041 etc), and the principles of the regional devo deal and emerging single settlement.

If the ambitions were to change then the LTP would consequently also have to change, but currently remains consistent and true to these.

We have a core strategy that we’ve signed off.

And in our core strategy we set out aims for what we want to achieve in transport. Three that we think are really critical for relating transport to our social, economic and environmental objectives are along the bottom here – we need to improve accessibility, reduce traffic and electrify transport.

And here when we talk about accessibility we are thinking about not just all the possible forms of transport that could get us from a to b, but also how transport, land use and digital connectivity work together to provide access.

Building on this, we have part of our vision for travel which gives us a framework of walk and wheel, cycle and scoot, and ride modes of travel helping us navigate local places within 15 minute neighbourhoods, as well as helping us travel across our “45 minute region”.

And the core strategy also establishes 6 Big Moves for the region, 6 thematic areas of policy and implementation proposals that need to be acted on across the West Midlands to achieve our aims.

We need to make sure our strategy is resilient to uncertainty and across our Big Moves are a number of no-regrets activities that will help us continue to make progress and ensure that the transport system is supporting as many people as possible – and we are reducing its impacts on people and places.

If we are successful we will have a transport system which connects more people to opportunities, more businesses to customers whilst reducing transports impacts on people and places.

So how are we going to deliver that sustainable transport vision.

WMCA and our local authorities have been making good progress, securing well over !bn of new investment into the transport system. With Government committing to providing more than double this from 2027.

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Our Aims

Out 5 Motives for Change and 3 Primary Transport Outcomes

The biggest transport gap for citizens’ accessibility is between those who do/don’t have a car

Our LTP focuses on investing in accessibility to help people thrive without a car

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Our Aims

Out 5 Motives for Change and 3 Primary Transport Outcomes

Reducing traffic and electrifying transport help us address many external impacts of transport.

But the climate emergency in particular requires faster action…

Our LTP focuses on what we would need to do to rapidly shift to more sustainable forms of transport and accessibility.

Inclusive Growth in the West Midlands means that all citizens can shape, contribute and benefit from the advancement of the region.

It is a deliberate and socially purposeful model of growth – measured not only by how fast or aggressive it is; but also by how well prosperity is enjoyed across the whole population and places, and the capacity of our environment to sustain it.

WMCA’s goal for Inclusive Growth is to occupy a space where social need, economic ambition and our responsibilities to the environment are in balance – so we can sustain social and economic advancement.

Transport’s relationship with Inclusive Growth is complex:

• Meeting many of our needs and ambitions relies on transport connections;

• But those same transport connections have impacts that the environment can’t sustain and which are detrimental to other social and economic outcomes; and

• Improving connections for a particular group of people, by a particular mode, to particular places can limit and even worsen connectivity elsewhere for others.

This LTP can help us deliver inclusive growth by delivering equitable improvement of access to opportunity in a way that helps us create great places, healthy habits, and low emissions.

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Challenges – Decarbonisation

DO MAX

National Climate Change Committee

DO MIN

Delayed DO MAX

Delayed CCC

National 2050

9% reduction car travel distance
30% reduction in shopping trip distance
30% increase in PT
175% cycling increase
1 yr Acceleration in EV uptake

WM2041

36% reduction car travel distance
50% reduction in shopping trip distance
100% increase in PT
700% cycling increase
5-6 yr Acceleration in EV uptake

By 2031 under…

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Vision for Travel

Reflecting these principles around accessibility in the Core Strategy we set out a Vision for Travel

Whilst we expect private motor vehicles to play an important role in our future transport system, we still envision a system where everyone can thrive without a driving licence and the need to own an expensive vehicle a system that better caters for the 1 in 4 households in the West Midlands who do not have access to a car.

We have conceptualised what this could look like with our vision for 15 minute neighbourhoods within a 45 minute region.

The vision is based on a combination of walking and wheeling, cycling and scooting , and riding travel options that require neither an expensive private vehicle or a full driving licence.

It means that a good range of everyday services in our neighbourhoods can be accessed in a round trip of no more than 15 minutes, and a good range of places across our region to undertake work, leisure and socialising can be accessed within a 45 minute trip.

These modes will be supported by shared services, granting to access to vehicles without having to own one, and interchanges that bring transport services together to create places with greater amenity.

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Leadership
Vision-led
User centric
Inclusive
Managing demand
Engaging with the public

Accessibility
Land use
Digital Connectivity

Infrastructure and networks
Access the vehicles
Awareness, skills and knowledge

Tiered public transport
Shared services
Interchanges
Managing overall system

Planning, developing and investing
Managing performance
Maintaining existing network

Recharging and refuelling
Enhancing built and natural environment
Embedding responsible innovation

6 Big Moves

DON’T READ THROUGH ALL THE BULLETS ON THE SLIDE�

Six Big Moves lay out the principles, policies and in some cases the specific interventions which we believe will help us achieve our goals under thematic areas of action.

�Behaviour Change

This Big Move helps us to think about how we can transform the way we govern transport to help us change how we access what we need, reduce car dependence, and in the process build a more inclusive West Midlands.

Key to this is how we understand the transport system and how we engage and communicate the need for change to people needs to evolve.

Accessible and Inclusive Places

We need to think about building places where the things we need to access are easier to get to without a car

Walk, Wheel, Cycle, and Scoot

We can put walking, wheeling, cycling, and scooting first; making it safer, healthier and more convenient to travel without a motor vehicle.

Public Transport and Shared Mobility

We can have more reliable, affordable and available public transport and shared mobility services helping us get around our region without the need for a private vehicle.

Safe, Efficient, and Reliable Network

We can reshape our streets to promote and protect sustainable travel, and to focus on the movement of people and goods rather than the movement of vehicles, helping us build a more efficient, resilient and reliable network.

Green Transport Revolution

We can work with innovators to develop the transport solutions of tomorrow that will help us build a better future, transition to zero-emission vehicles and develop our transport system in a way that enhances our environment.

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Target: at least half of all trips in our area to be made by active modes by 2030.

Pre-pandemic

During pandemic

Post-pandemic

Cycling – 1%

Cycling – 4%

Walking – 86%

Walking – 32%

Walking – 37%

So where are we now in reaching that target of Everyone in the West Midlands should be enabled to safely access a range of local destinations on foot, in a wheelchair or on a bike or scooter; with the aim of at least half of all trips in our area to be made by active modes by 2030.

Pre-pandemic (2019) cycling was very low, with walking much higher at 32%.

During the pandemic that changes, with cycling growing quite considerably from a small base. Walking obviously became the predominant form of travel because we had little reason to travel anywhere further than we could walk, along with various projects put up.

Since Covid, things have mostly gone back to normal, although walking does hold a higher proportion of trips. This could be due to wfh, or maybe some of the traffic measures that have stuck around

Traffic levels have been heading back to pre-Covid levels, after the drop, particularly in car/taxi and bus/coach. LGV and HGV have stayed at similar levels

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Why do people not like using active travel modes in WM?

Pedestrian

Cars travel too fast�
Footpaths are blocked�
The way cars are parked

Mobility Aid

Footpaths are blocked�
Footpaths too narrow�
Too much traffic

Cyclist

The way cars are parked�
Cars travel too fast�
Footpaths are blocked

Reasons for rating local travel as poor - PARS 22/23 baseline report - Base 236, 515 and 350 rating walking/mobility aid/bike as poor

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What would make people feel safer?

Permanent segregated cycling lanes

69% support, 17% oppose

Restricting traffic that passes through residential streets

64% support, 21% oppose

PARS 22/23 baseline report

Birmingham – Wheatsheaf Road/Gillott Road

Birmingham – A38

PARS 22/23 baseline report

1872 respondents

PARS 22/23 baseline report

1875 respondents

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What would make people feel safer?

Stricter enforcement of the speed limit

70% support, 13% oppose

Closing streets directly outside schools to all traffic

62% support, 22% oppose

PARS 22/23 baseline report

Coventry

PARS 22/23 baseline report

1868 respondents

PARS 22/23 baseline report

1957 respondents

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Big Move 3: Walk, wheel, cycle and scoot

Coventry – Binley Cycleway

Kings Heath LTN

Solihull - Oak Cottage Primary School Street

Wolverhampton – Wednesfield Road cycling route

We need to support more people to be able to make more journeys walk and cycle (and wheel) across the region.

A significant amount (60%) of trips by car are under 2 miles

Whilst cycling mode shares remain stubbornly low, what our market research and data collections shows is that high quality infrastructure, in the right location is much better used than shared use or lower quality routes.

We should also acknowledge that the primary benefit of this infrastructure will be improving accessibility and health rather than encouraging significant modal shift from car.

Within our Walk, Wheel Cycle, Scoot Big Move, is a commitment to develop, deliver and extend the Starley Network of walking and cycling routed in the West Midlands. Providing a safe, segregated network is key to help resolve most of the concerns people have about using active travel. This should also include the various other parts of infrastructure that make active travel a reliable option, such as secure storage

An excellent example of this is with Coventry’s segregated Binley Cycleway

West Midlands Cycle Hire Scheme

Worked with all 7 LA to deliver WM Cycle Hire
175 docking stations and 1,500 bikes, including 150 eBikes.
Intended to increase cycling levels by reducing the barriers of bike ownership and access.
Over 200,000 journeys, totalling 550,000km (2022).
The offer of free cycle hire during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has proved a huge success, 49,000 miles in just 12 days.

Trialling e-scooters in Birmingham

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Regional Transport Coordination Centre

Big Move 5: Safe, Efficient, Reliable Transport Network

Adopting Vision Zero

50% reduction in KSIs by 2030

Working with partners across the transport system to better manage our transport network for safer, efficient and more reliable journeys

RTCC

Regional Road Safety Strategy

An updated regional road safety strategy has been approved and an updated action plan is being developed.
The main themes of this refreshed strategy are to adopt a “Safe Systems approach” for: Safe road users, Safe vehicles, Safe speeds, Safe roads and mobility, Post-crash response.
The draft revised strategy includes a new target of a 50% reduction in the number of people Killed and Seriously Injured (KSIs) by 2030.

Maintaining our transport infrastructure is critical – to enable safe journeys
And to ensure we can cope with the impacts of climate change

ADEPT Live Labs 2:Decarbonising Local Roads in the UK is a three-year, UK-wide, £30 million programme funded by the Department for Transport that aims to decarbonise local roads.

Developed by the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT), Live Labs 2 follows the hugely successful Live Labs 1. Seven projects, grouped by four interconnected themes, were selected after successfully pitching their ideas in front of a panel of independent experts.

North Lanarkshire Council, Transport for West Midlands, Amey and partners have been successful in a bid to create a UK Centre of Excellence for material decarbonisation in local roads, one of the four themes. The research and innovation centre will develop a materials testing programme to identify and deploy the latest technology for road construction and maintenance, in addition to testing and deploying recycled materials from other industries.

Pavement Parking - Devo

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Mobility

as a Service

MOBILITY CREDITS

MODE

Expansion and new services

DATA

capability

Digital twin

Digital TRO’s

Connectivity

MOBILITY HUBS

CUSTOMER

insight

LIVING LABS

AND TESTBEDS

TICKETING

Smartcards

and mobile

We’re the host city!!

Big Move 6: A Green Transport Revolution

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What are we doing about it?

Big Move 1: Behaviour Change

BEFORE

AFTER

Predict

+

Provide

Decide

+

Provide

Wolverhampton – North Street

Within the Big Moves mentioned earlier, there are a number of measures to make walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting a more acceptable option
A key aim of the LTP is to change priorities, which can be seen forWithin our Behaviour Change Big Move, is a Sustainable Transport User Hierarchy setting the standard for all transport projects. This is not a rigid system, but settles the fact that walking and wheeling should be our first thought after ensuring emergency response is possible, and then cycling and scooting. We don’t stop anything below that, but the design of our schemes should not be ignoring those modes at the top of the hierarchy.
It also involves moving from a ‘Predict and Provide’ system, where you forecast the most likely demand in the future and plan to accommodate that demand, to ‘Decide and Provide’ where you decide on preferred future accessibility and provide the means for that to take place

This approach can be seen through Wolverhampton’s City Centre Public Realm schemes, moving space away from cars and giving it over to walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting. Allowing active travellers to get about without the moving or stationary cars.

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Tailored to local communities and place

Our area strategy guidance tool is helping us zero in on what’s likely to be effective based on local characteristics of places and communities

Prevailing policy context

Local place context

Local people context

B.C.

B’ham

S’hull

Cov.

Core Strategy and Big Moves

Area Strategy Guidance

Area Strategies

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Big Move 1: Behaviour Change

CUSTOMER

insight

Last but not least

We have to ensure we are understand residents and businesses to help us better develop policies and strategies to support their needs

Public engagement is critical for successful development and delivery of the implementation proposals that will cause the behaviour change needed to deliver our aims

Improving how we work and engage with the public will be critical to delivering our aims

TfWM has been developing tools to help us understand travellers – such as our Traveller Segments and personas

And new ways of enabling us to delve deeper into people’s feelings, perceptions and views of the transport system through our Keep the West Midlands Moving online community

We are using these to help us develop a deeper understanding of what works for different people and in different places

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What next?

Meeting the scale of network delivery required
Consensus with national government and local communities
What to do about powered micromobility

Circa £250m of £1Bn CRSTS 1 for AT

CRSTS 2 – Potentially £2.6Bn

Meeting the scale of network delivery required

How can we create the scale (and quality) of infrastructure needed to make active travel safe

Consensus with national government and local communities

National government policies are subject to change, as we’ve seen with recent announcements such as the Plan for Drivers. So we want to
However within the Plan for Drivers, a lot of the criticism of policies is focussed on ensuring there is public approval of any schemes. So how should we be working with communities to put any schemes together?

What to do about powered micromobility

Powered micromobility vehicles, such as e-scooters, are a reality on our streets. People can ride them legally using hire schemes, and while the others are mostly illegal on public roads, they are being used and will continue being used (whether the government provide a regulatory framework in the near future or not)
Can we harness the opportunities of these vehicles (getting people out of cars, providing people greater accessibility, encouraging more active travel) while minimising safety problems for riders and other road users?
Can we wait for new legislation to take any action?

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Accounting for uncertainty

Area strategies will need to be resilient to the uncertainty affecting the future of transport

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What is the future of sustainable transport?

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JOURNEYS FOR EVERYONE