The North East Combined Authority is consulting on an updated Transport Plan for the region. This covers local journeys, for example to school, to work or to the shops, as well as longer journeys around the NE region.
If you want to respond you will need to do so by 26 January 2025. The consultation website is https://www.northeast-ca.gov.uk/localtransportplan.
You can fill in a short survey or there is an email address if you want to send a longer reply.
The survey asks, amongst other things:
- What difficulties do you experience when travelling in our region?
- What improvements would make travelling in our region better for you?
- What would increase your use of sustainable travel (walking, wheeling, cycling, public transport, zero emission vehicles)?
Once agreed, the NE Transport Plan will determine how the regional transport budget, up to £732.3 million over five years, will be spent.
https://twitter.com/NorthEast_CA/status/1859641196894650521
SPACE for Gosforth is preparing a full response, which we will publish. Our initial observations are:
- The Mayor’s commitment in her manifesto to “to make the North East the best connected and greenest region in the UK” is very welcome, and the North East Local Transport Plan (NELTP) has many good features to support this.
- There is a strong focus on integrated transport and safety of women and girls travelling on public transport, both of which we support.
- There are Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to track reduction in carbon emissions and air pollution, and improved road safety, but no targets for what should be achieved in the current Mayor’s term of office.
- In the associated delivery plan there is a commitment by 2027 to deliver “A joined-up walking and cycling network – including a new bike and e-bike hire network, active travel hubs, bike parking at key stations and interchanges and the first phase of active travel network improvements.” but only £300k is allocated for Active Travel in the Mayor’s Headline Priorities that will be delivered by 2027, out of a total budget of £354 million. (For context the last government allocated £1.4bn to upgrade a roundabout in Bedford).
- The 2021 version of the plan included a KPI to reduce total miles driven, which will be key to reducing carbon emissions. This KPI has been removed in the new plan.
- Despite the commitment to “A greener North East”, the plan includes 32 highways schemes including the Blyth and Bowburn Relief roads (estimated cost for both £72 million). The associated Integrated Sustainability Assessment states “there is a significant potential risk of induced traffic” due to these schemes with “the potential to increase emissions”.
The North East Public Transport User Group has also published a summary response from a collaboration of NE Sustainable Transport organisations to aid people wanting to respond but not having time to read through the full set of documents.
Please do let NECA know what would help you and your family travel more sustainably for local and longer journeys around Newcastle and the North East.
https://twitter.com/NorthEast_CA/status/1871526741048500490
Previous SPACE for Gosforth responses to NECA Consultations
- The 20 year transport manifesto for the North East, in April 2016 – https://www.spaceforgosforth.com/neca-2016/
- The July 2017 NECA Walking and Cycling survey – https://www.spaceforgosforth.com/neca-survey-2017/
- North East Transport Plan Consultation in January 2021 – https://www.spaceforgosforth.com/north-east-transport-plan-consultation-january-2021/
- Making the Right Travel Choice Consultation 2022 – https://www.spaceforgosforth.com/making-the-right-travel-choice/
- North East Active Travel Strategy March 2023 – https://www.spaceforgosforth.com/north-east-active-travel-strategy-march-2023/