An analysis of UK urban transport
This paper reviews the challenges and opportunities for transport in urban areas. It finds that the impact of transport on the people that live and work in cities goes beyond the benefits of mobility and the economic consequences of congestion. Poor air quality, ill health and road accidents from transport in urban areas all impose significant additional costs on society. Transport also significantly contributes to the negative experiences of urban streets and public spaces. The evidence presented in this paper suggests a growing need for government to define a long-term vision for urban transport which rebalances its competing demands. Such a potential vision could be cities that
This paper reviews the challenges and opportunities for transport in urban areas. It finds that the impact of transport on the people that live and work in cities goes beyond the benefits of mobility and the economic consequences of congestion. Poor air quality, ill health and road accidents from transport in urban areas all impose significant additional costs on society. Transport also significantly contributes to the negative experiences of urban streets and public spaces. The evidence presented in this paper suggests a growing need for government to define a long-term vision for urban transport which rebalances its competing demands. Such a potential vision could be cities that
- enable mobility by promoting a wider choice of journey
- aim to reduce congestion and increase reliability, whilst promoting greater levels of walking and cycling; and
- assist streets and public spaces to become more enjoyable places to be, where exposure to harmful emissions is reduced, and quality of life is transformed.
One of the main findings of this report is that the costs of poor air quality, accidents and physical inactivity in urban areas are broadly comparable with the costs of excess delays.
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