A group of local authorities covering the area of England north and west of London is consulting on a new transport plan it says will “underpin a green recovery from COVID-19 and support sustainable economic growth.”
The Draft Transport Strategy has been produced by England’s Economic Heartland, the Sub-national Transport Body covering Swindon across to Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire down to Hertfordshire. It sets out how the transport system will support sustainable economic growth while reaching net zero carbon emissions no later than 2050.
It recommends work with the area’s world-leading innovators to trial and deploy cleaner and smarter connectivity across the region, champion investment in better digital connectivity to increase people’s ability to work from home, reducing the need to travel and maximise the potential of East-West Rail and “use it as the catalyst for transforming public transport across the region”.
The strategy also suggests enhancing walking and cycling infrastructure and shared transport to improve local connectivity and “ensuring the region’s freight and logistics needs continue to be met, while lowering their environmental impact”.
England’s Economic Heartland is also seeking views on plans to become a statutory body, “increasing its ability to influence the national agenda and deliver the Transport Strategy”.
The Transport Strategy documents and consultation survey are available on the England’s Economic Heartland website. The consultation runs until midnight on October 6.
