Barriers to the Delivery of Sustainable Transport Solutions

Final workshop of the DISTILLATE programmeGreat Minster House, LondonTuesday 22nd January 2008

Professor Angela Hull Heriot Watt University Edinburgh

Research Objectives and Methods• Objectives: data collection and analysis on:

- Organisational structure & internal processes- Engaging and interacting with stakeholders- Barriers, practices & processes- Use of policy instruments & appraisal techniques

• Three ‘qualitative’ surveys:– Questionnaire survey of transport planners in 16 authorities Oct

2004– 29 interviews 2005-06: national experts; local authority land use

planners, transport planners, environmental strategy officers, public health officers, corporate strategy officers in 5 authorities

– Re-survey of 16 authorities August 2007

Questionnaire Surveys: importance; satisfaction/ scope for improvements; difficulties; remedies

Self-completion questionnaire:

• 2004 - 23 open-ended Qs, 37 tick-box style questions. 98% response rate

• 2007 - 12 open-ended Qs, 31 tick-box Qs. 50% response rate

2004 - Problematic Stages in the Decision-making process

…different experiences of barriers in the process

Challenges in 2004 to using

policy instruments

‘External’ challenges

Net rating of ‘barriers’ faced in local transport delivery

Skills shortages

Political short-termism

National policy contradictions

Financial constraints in delivery process

Lack of local rail control

Legal issues

Lack of infrastructure funding

Engineering

Public acceptability

Land use planning

Rail industry costs and risk aversion

Private sector transport operations

Subsidies for scheme operation

2004 – Ranking &Prioritisation of Stakeholders

Stakeholders ‘Seriousness

Score'

Transport operators 0.55 Business 0.52

Public 0.51 Elected Members 0.51

DfT 0.49 Other public services 0.47

LSP 0.47 SRA 0.46

Other parts of authority 0.46 Regional Assembly 0.40 Highways Agency 0.39 Government Office 0.36

RDA 0.36 N'bouring Members 0.32

Neighbouring Officers 0.32

ODPM 0.30 Consultants 0.23

Engagement of operators with LTP delivery

Representation and inclusiveness, use of responses

Local priorities, disintegration at national level

Difficulties with delivery, inc. some two-way problems in coordination and delivery

Clarity of relationship with DfT, poor understanding of strategic transport interventions, unrealistic reporting requirements

Scope for Improvement >

< L

evel

of

Imp

ort

ance

Different staff

TimingStakeholder procedures

Objectives

Political

Physical location

Divided responsibilities

No formal arrangements

Lack of gov. guidance

Organ/Man. Structure

Time and resources

Intra-Authority Barriers

Intra-Authority Barriers to Delivering Sustainable Transport Systems in 2004

Time and Time and resourcesresources

Cross sector working on policy instruments Health Land-use Environment Transport Corporate

Strategy

Demand restraint (e.g. parking controls/ congestion charges)

Information provision Land use measures (inc. regeneration)

Light Rapid Transit (LRT) New road infrastructure (inc. bridges)

New/ enhanced bus services and community transport

Public transport fares Soft measures (e.g. awareness schemes, travel planning)

Traffic management Walking and cycling provision

Ways of working: getting the public health agenda into the transport plan

Public Health Leadership Group

Director of Public Health

T'port & Green Space Worker

The Council

Director of Transport

Department

Planning Policy

Transport engineers

PTE LTP

Conurbation-wide Directors of Public Health Group

Annual Public Health Report

LSPGroups

Development Control

Public Health Leadership Group

Director of Public Health

T'port & Green Space Worker

The Council

Director of Transport

Department

Planning Policy

Transport engineers

PTE LTP

Conurbation-wide Directors of Public Health Group

Annual Public Health Report

LSPGroups

Development Control

Incorporating the environmental agenda into the transport plan

Transport

Air Quality Management Team

Travel Planning Officer

Car Clubs Officer

Car Clubs Officer

DfT

Executive LTP Group

Land-use planners

LSP

LSP Environment Group

Air pollution

WG

Shared priority

WG

Shared priority

WG

Shared priority

WG

Air Quality Partnership

PCT Area

Panels/ Forums

websites

Public and media

Private sector

DEFRA

2007 Questionnaire Survey

What the questionnaire is designed to measure:

The ‘beliefs’ of our Local Authority partners on what has changed since 2004:

a) The use of tools: indicators, option generation and appraisal, modelling, funding

b) How the process of delivering transport strategies and schemes has changed [national regional local]

c) Changes within local authorities

Test the appropriateness and targeting of the DISTILLATE Products

Very Important Stakeholders

2004 2007 1 DfT 1 Elected members (own authority) 2 Elected members (own authority) 2 Transport operators GOR 3 DfT 4 Officers (other depts in authority) 4 Business interests Transport operators Elected members (neighbouring

authorities) 6 The public Other public services (health, educ, etc) 7 RTB The public Business interests 8 RTB 9 LSP RDA Officers (other depts in authority)

Transport Planners’ satisfaction with stakeholder engagement 2004 2007

1 GOR 1 Transport operators 2 Consultants 2 RDA 3 Officers (neighbouring authorities) GOR Elected members (own authority) Elected members (own authority) DfT Highways Agency 11 Transport operators 11 LSP RDA RTB Other public services (health, educ) Other public services (health, educ) Elected members (neighbouring

authorities 14 Officers (neighbouring authorities)

Highways Agency Business interests 16 Regional Assembly 17 Elected members (neighbouring

authorities) 17 Business interests 18 DCLG

Important Factors in Problem/ Opportunity Identification

2004 2007 1 Opinions elected members (own

authority) 1 Internal officer strategic review

National government objectives 2 Opinions of elected members (own authority)

3 Internal officer strategic review 3 Local consultative forums 7 Interaction with regional level

decision making bodies 10 Health and education service providers

Monitoring programmes 11 Technical officers (neighbouring authorities)

Local consultative forums Elected members (neighbouring authorities)

10 Public/ lobby group consultation 13 Community strategy /LAA 11 Media comment 14 Media comment

Hindrances (all of the time/ often) in Integrated Planning and Decision Making

2004 2007 1 Pressures on staff time 1 Pressures on staff time 2 Different timing of writing/

publishing plans 2 Different timing of writing/ publishing

plans 3 Different physical locations of

departments 3 Different stakeholder engagement

procedures/ timing Division of responsibility for

implementing different aspects of the delivery process

4 Different objectives between departments

Factors that could be improved within the authority in the delivery of transport strategies and schemes

2004 2007 1 Pressure on time and resources 1 Pressure on time and resources 2 Lack of guidance on integration

from central government 2 Division of responsibility for

implementing different aspects of the delivery process

Different physical location of departments

Different timing of writing/ publishing plans

Different timing of writing/ publishing plans

4 Different stakeholder engagement procedures/ timing

External Barriers to the delivery of a sustainable transport system

2004 2007 1 Lack of funding for operational

subsidies 1 Public acceptability of congestion

charging 2 Public acceptability Lack of funding for operational

subsidies Nature of privatised/ commercial

local transport operators 3 Financial constraints

Lack of funding for infrastructure development

4 Lack of funding for infrastructure development

5 Contradictions within national policy objectives

5 Short-termism in political decision making

Importance of Policy Instruments

2004 2007 1 New/ enhanced bus services 1 Demand restraint – parking controls Land use measures 2 New/ enhanced bus services 3 Demand restraints 3 Public transport fares 4 Light Rapid Transit Walking and cycling provision Information provision Light Rapid Transit Traffic management Land use measures Low levels of satisfaction in the ability to use these policy instruments, except for:

2004: Information provision2007: Awareness raising; Travel planning; New road infrastructure; Information provision

Importance of modelling policy instruments

2004 2007 1 Land use measures 1 New/ enhanced bus services 2 New road infrastructure 2 New road infrastructure Light Rapid Transit Land use measures 4 Traffic management 4 Traffic management New/enhanced bus services Soft measures

Low levels of satisfaction with modelling in both surveys, except for:

2004: LRT; Traffic management; New road infrastructure

2007: New road infrastructure; Traffic management. Lower levels of dissatisfaction.

Importance of Indicators for assessing small/ medium transport schemes

2004 2007 1 Cost of construction 1 Cost of construction Accidents 2 Accessibility 3 Accessibility 3 Public transport patronage 4 Traffic levels Operating cost 5 Quality of street environment 5 Traffic levels Public transport patronage Accidents Local economic activity 15 Carbon dioxide emissions Land take 16 Biodiversity Heritage 17 Carbon dioxide emissions Distribution of benefits across society Heritage 19 Health (excluding accidents) Noise levels Noise levels 21 Water pollution from transport 21 Water pollution from transport

Importance of Indicators for assessing the impact of major transport schemes

2004 2007 1 Accidents 1 Cost of construction 2 Cost of construction 2 Accessibility Accessibility 3 Public transport patronage 4 Traffic levels Operating cost 18 Carbon dioxide emissions 18 Health (excluding accidents) Heritage Noise levels Noise levels 20 Water pollution from transport 21 Water pollution from transport 21 Biodiversity

QUESTIONS?

For further info Contact

Angela Hull

School of the Built Environment

Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh

a.d.hull@hw.ac.uk

Break-out Sessions after the Coffee Break

• Development of Strategies

– Chair: Tony May

• Development of Schemes

– Chair: Neil Paulley

• Financing and Institutional Management

– Chair: Angela Hull