The Strategy
Introduction
The preceding chapters have set out how we have analysed the problems and opportunities of the Area and how the impact of different interventions have been assessed. From this work it is clear that more effective approaches to tackling congestion are needed.
Demand Management - we are investigating in detail all forms of demand management, using the financial support committed by the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF). However, we recognise that some potential measures, such as electronic road pricing would take some years to introduce.
Our short term strategy is based on existing policy options but their effectiveness is limited. We wish to work in partnership with Government to develop and deliver longer term solutions that tackle congestion effectively and bring about the improvements to the quality of life and business competitiveness that we seek.
Whilst tackling congestion is our main priority, reflecting the outcomes of the research and consultation we have undertaken, we will continue to work to improve air quality, road safety, accessibility - particularly for the socially excluded, and directly support the regeneration of the urban area.
We have not set out a hierarchy of transport users as this LTP2 is outcome focused, as suggested by Government Guidance. Indeed we recognise that, for a complex urban area, the priority of different users will change through time and place. For example where a congested strategic route passes through a local centre it will be appropriate to give priority to movements along that route at peak times - for all users, but outside the peak the needs of people using the centre, for example loading and pedestrians crossing and socialising will need to be given a greater priority. We have however sought to ensure we fully understand the impact of different measures on different groups of transport users so a clear understanding of who gains and loses from any proposal is possible. The ongoing engagement with stakeholders has been important for this in addition to technical work such as the Equality Assessment and guidance such as the 'Age Proofing Toolkit'.
At the core of this will be a sustained and consistent policy approach. This will be accompanied by a development programme that makes best use of the resources we have available. We have overhauled our programme and project management systems and put in place effective monitoring and review systems to ensure we remain on track and are able to respond to changing circumstances (see Chapter ‘Implementation’ and Chapter ‘Performance Management ’).
The position of the West Midlands Metropolitan Area, at the heart of the nation's road and rail networks, means there is inevitable tension between the demands of local and longer distance movements of people and goods. The interaction between these movements on the motorway and rail networks at a time when capacity is limited is critical to our Area. We work closely with the Highways Agency and Network Rail to resolve the problems that arise. The importance of trips through the West Midlands to the national economy and how we manage demand by both road and rail in the medium term is one of the major challenges facing our TIF work.
We will only be able to deliver our strategy if we have long term support from the many stakeholders and citizens in the Area. Hence a key element of our strategy, both short and longer term, is ongoing meaningful dialogue, consultation and information provision. We already have in place a range of mechanisms for ongoing engagement with the business community, environmental groups, transport operators and different sectors of the public at a metropolitan level. This is supported by a wide range of arrangements at a local level across the constituent authorities. However, we recognise the need to strengthen the way in which we communicate the key transport messages and ensure people are well informed about our proposals and how they fit with national proposals. We anticipate this will be an increasingly important part of our strategy, particularly when hard choices about how we tackle congestion are faced.
The strategy integrates with a range of other policy frameworks, most notably the Regional Spatial Strategy, Regional Economic Strategy and Regional Housing Strategy, whilst recognising the national and local dimensions that exist. Our transport strategy seeks to both support and influence these. Where transport investment is planned we will seek to ensure other strategies reflect this so that we maximize the benefits from this investment, helping to lead policy development rather than just responding to other initiatives. As identified earlier, ongoing work in respect of the Black Country Study, the Coventry/Solihull/Warwicks Study and emerging City Region Development Plan is underway. The LTP2 has been influenced by this work and this work will influence LTP2 delivery. However, the timetables are such that it is not possible to encompass any detailed aspect of these studies in the LTP2. We will review our strategy in the light of conclusions emerging from these studies as part of the monitoring and review process we have put in place.
The following sections outline the three principle elements of our short term strategy. The range of policy tools we propose to use are described. These are often used in packages to maximise their impact. The initial TIF work will examine in detail the contribution of different tools to congestion reduction and the early outcomes will be used to inform the choice of which tools, in which combinations and to what extent, should be used to target congestion in the short term.
In parallel on-going accessibility planning work will be examining appropriate policy responses to the problems identified from the analysis using Accession and complementary approaches. Where there is a transport element to the proposed resolution, it is anticipated that bespoke measures for the particular problem identified will be developed. We are particularly conscious of the potential impact of any road pricing scheme on people with limited incomes. We will be seeking to ensure that any demand management measure introduced does not adversely impact on the accessibility of excluded groups. Corporate approaches to land use planning policy will also be influenced by the Accession outputs.
The very successful work undertaken to improve road safety will continue, building on our experience from the impacts of previous measures and looking for new approaches.
Reducing congestion will be the main plank of our approach to improving air quality, coupled with direct measures such as supporting and encouraging the use of alternatively fuelled vehicles, car clubs, walking and cycling.
The detailed contribution of different modes of transport and specific programme areas is set out in the Appendices. We have adopted this approach to ensure the core document remains a manageable size. As our LTP2 covers the largest metropolitan area outside London, with a population of approximately 2½ million, there is a limit to the amount of detail we can cover in it. Hence the Appendices cover, in greater detail, how different modes, for example walking and cycling, are expected to contribute to the delivery of the strategy.