The Road Investment Strategy 2 (RIS2) offers high value for money and for every £1 spent there are more than £2 worth of benefits, according to analysis by the Department for Transport (DfT).
The DfT’s RIS2 Analysis Overview document, published yesterday, said all elements of RIS2 spend generate more benefits than the money invested in them.
The document says that in-depth analysis has played a key role in supporting the investment plan, by informing the identification of problems on the network and potential options for dealing with them. It has also been used to assess different options.
A new Analytical Platform has been developed by Highways England to assess the impacts of different investment packages. In addition to traffic impacts, it also accounts for broader implications, including for the wider economy, the environment and social impacts.
The Second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2) sets out the government’s plans for developing and improving the Strategic Road Network between 2020/21 and 2024/25, so that its long-term vision for a network that is safe, reliable and efficient for everyone is met. £27.4bn will be made available to fund the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network that will move us closer to that vision, through a detailed Investment Plan and a robust and tested Performance Framework.
To understand the future requirements for the SRN the DfT has assessed the areas of greatest uncertainty and impact on road user behaviour. It has built on RIS1 analysis by looking at many different scenarios around key user themes including: trip-making behaviour of users, demographic change, economic and geographic change and technology.
There are six outcome areas on which Highways England must focus for RIS2: improving safety for all, fast and reliable journeys, a well maintained and resilient network, being environmentally responsible, meeting the needs of all users and achieving real efficiency.
“As a result of the work done on improving understanding of the future challenges to the road network, better costing of options, building a robust analytical platform to model the impacts of interventions, and linking impacts through to KPI forecasting models, the department has significantly improved upon the analytical advice delivered for RIS1. This has supported all key aspects of the RIS2 decision making process, ensuring decisions are informed by the best available evidence,” says the document.
Amanda Rowlatt, Chief Analysist at the DfT said in her foreword in the document: “This investment will make a significant difference to the everyday experiences of millions of people using the SRN, helping them to get to work and conduct their business in an efficient and reliable way. It will help ensure the smooth delivery of goods to shops, factories, hospitals, schools, and improve links to ports and airports for international trade. The infrastructure that we invest in now will be serving this country into the next century, shaping our national landscape and the way we live our lives for decades to come. Evidence has played a crucial role in informing investment decisions in RIS2 and we have sought to further improve the analysis and analytical models informing those decisions, building on the excellent work carried out for the first RIS.”
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