Northern Transport Summit: Stephen Joseph, transport policy consultant

1. Clean Air Policy
Northern Transport Summit May 2019
STEPHEN JOSEPH

2. Air quality: the challenge
u Research shows impacts of air pollution from
vehicles are wider and worse than previously
thought: linked to low birth weight in unborn
children, heart and lung diseases and
dementia
u Particulates and nitrogen oxides from diesel
exhausts – and also particulates from tyres and
brakes
u Concentrations in many cities exceed EU and
World Health Organisation standards
u Successive legal challenges by Client Earth
have forced UK Government to do more
u 33 cities now have to prepare plans for Clean
Air Zones, and 33 more have to prepare
feasibility studies

3. And transport also now has to respond
to the challenge of climate change

4. Transport has now overtaken energy
as the largest emitting sector in the UK

5. There is increasing pressure to tackle these issues
and they are now central to transport policy

6. City responses
Clean Air Zones targeting buses, taxis, vans and trucks
u Leeds and Manchester Clean Air Zones: charges
for non-compliant buses, taxis, vans and lorries
u Liverpool consulting on clean air polices
u Newcastle: consulting on a clean air zone with
charges or tolls on Tyne Bridges
And beyond that:
u “Zero emission zones”: electric vehicles only
(Oxford)
u Scrappage schemes or “mobility credits”
u Public transport improvements: bus priority routes
(Leeds and Liverpool), new rail and tram stations
u Cycling and walking networks – “School streets”
u Freight consolidation and management – first
and last mile

7. Link planning and transport: Transport for
New Homes research shows what to avoid
u Homes without connections for
pedestrians, cyclists and buses – “red
line” issues
u Public transport opportunities missed
u Importance of mixed land use with
local services and facilities –
Poundbury
u Need for urban quarters rather than
isolated developments

8. But better practice does exist
- Kirkstall Forge in Leeds and Maghull
North in Merseyside: new stations built
to serve new development
- Cobalt Business Park bus links
And further afield
- Kidbrooke: limited parking, places to
walk to
- Poundbury: 32% of residents walk to
work, local facilities
- Shawfair: built around station on
Borders rail
- Kilnwood Vale: extension to Crawley
Transport for New Homes charter; checklist
in preparation

9. New mobility options
u Car clubs
u Car sharing
u Journey aggregators: Sn-ap
u Bike share
u New mobility offers: “Mobility
as a Service”
u Demand responsive transport

10. Finance and funding: the workplace parking levy
uNottingham’s workplace parking levy:
uPaid by employers with 10+spaces
u£300 per space per year
uRaises around £9m a year for transport,
including trams and electric buses
u40% of trips in Nottingham are now by
public transport, highest levels outside
London

11. But may need to go further
Greater Manchester Environment Plan and Tyndall Research
- “carbon neutrality” by 2038
- Aviation emissions included in the national carbon budget
- Pathways towards net zero carbon set and monitored
These may require challenging decisions to keep within 1.5 degrees increase
or even higher limits
New roads, runways and other developments will face challenges

12. Conclusions
u New medical research shows issues with vehicle emissions, especially from
diesels
u Clean Air challenge for cities: and they are starting to rise to it
u Transport is biggest sector in UK emissions and action on climate change
will increasingly target transport
u New technology will help but won’t solve the problem
u There are options available and cities are starting to take them up
u Pathways to net zero carbon are available and cities – and the North -
need to map them and take action

13. Contacts
u stephenfwjoseph@gmail.com
u 07511 054259
u @StephenJoseph7