Transport Strategy for the South East Consultation Draft October 2019 ii Transport Strategy for the South East Prepared by: Prepared for: Steer Transport for the South East www.steergroup.com www.transportforthesoutheast.org.uk WSP www.wsp.com Contents iii Contents iv Foreword vi Executive Summary Chapter 1 Chapter 3 Chapter 5 Context Our Vision, Goals Implementation 2 A Transport Strategy for and Priorities 92 Introduction South East England 52 Introduction 92 Priorities for interventions 4 How this Transport Strategy 94 Funding and financing was developed 53 Strategic Vision, Goals and Priorities 95 Monitoring and evaluation 57 Applying the Vision, Chapter 2 98 Transport Goals and Priorities for the South East’s role Our Area 101 Next steps Chapter 4 14 Introduction 18 Key characteristics of Our Strategy the South East area 66 Introduction 28 The South East’s relationship with the rest of the UK 67 Radial journeys 71 29 The South East’s relationship Orbital and coastal journeys with London 76 Inter-urban journeys 33 Policy context 78 Local journeys 35 The South East’s 81 International gateways transport networks and freight journeys 86 Future journeys iv Transport Strategy for the South East Foreword I’m incredibly proud to present this draft transport strategy for the South East for public consultation. It sets out our partnership’s shared vision for the South East and how a better integrated and more sustainable transport network can help us achieve that together. Foreword v economy more than double over the next And we know we will need to make some thirty years, providing new jobs, new homes tough decisions about how, not if, we and new opportunities – all supported by manage demand on the busiest parts of our a modern, integrated transport network. transport networks as we cannot continue to A prosperous, confident South East where simply build our way to growth. people want to live, work, study, visit and do This is a thirty-year strategy. The changes business. we want to see will not all happen overnight, We are clear that it cannot be growth at any and in some instances, there are policy Cllr Keith Glazier cost and that new approaches are needed challenges and other hurdles which stand in Chair, Transport for the South East to achieve our vision. Transport is the single our way. But I am confident in the ability of biggest contributor to UK greenhouse gas our partnership to make the case for doing emissions and the majority of those come things differently. from private cars. And transport is the only I’m also convinced that the big issues we In little more than two years, Transport for sector whose contribution continues to grow face in our communities – improving air the South East has emerged as a powerful while others reduce theirs. That needs to quality, investing in better public transport, and effective partnership for our region. change. Speaking with one voice on the South supporting the switch to green vehicles, East’s strategic transport needs, we have The first step on this journey is a simple one; encouraging active travel and more successfully influenced how, where and we must make better use of what we already sustainable employment and housing when government money is spent on our have. Our road and rail networks in the South growth – require a bigger picture view. major roads, railways and other transport East may be congested but we know that, in That’s why Transport for the South East infrastructure. the short-term, targeted investment to relieve is so important, bringing together local pinch-points alongside new technology like authorities, local enterprise partnerships and The publication of this draft strategy digital railway signalling are the best and organisations like Network Rail and Highways marks the next step in the organisation’s most effective ways to address short-term England to plan for the future we want. development and is the result of a truly capacity and connectivity challenges. collaborative effort from Transport for the If we get this right, the prize is huge – for South East and its partners. By setting Beyond that, the strategy is clear that government, for taxpayers, for businesses out the strategic goals and priorities catering for forecast road traffic growth and for everyone who lives and works in the underpinning our vision for the region, this in the long term is not sustainable – so we South East. But it must work for everyone. document provides a clear framework for must turn our focus towards large-scale That’s why I want as many people as possible future decision-making which will help us investment in public transport. We need to to take part in the consultation and have their create a more productive, healthier, happier ensure that new and emerging technology is say on this draft strategy. and more sustainable South East. used to its full potential to boost connectivity. We need to make the case for policy changes We already have the second largest regional which enable more joined up planning, economy in the UK, second only to London. particularly between transport and housing, Our strategy would help the South East’s to help build more sustainable communities. vi Transport Strategy for the South East Introduction In economic terms, we have identified the potential to grow the number of jobs Executive This document is the draft of the in the region from 3.3 million today to 4.2 Transport Strategy for South East million and increase productivity from Summary England. It has been prepared by £183 billion to between £450 and £500 Transport for the South East, the Sub- billion Gross Value Added a year. This is National Transport Body for the South almost 500,000 more jobs and at least East of England (see Figure i), with the £50 billion more per year than without support of its 16 Constituent Local investing in the opportunities identified Transport Authorities, 5 Local Enterprise within the Transport Strategy. Partnerships, 46 district and borough authorities and wider key stakeholders. Transport for the South East’s mission is to grow the South East’s economy by delivering a safe, sustainable, and integrated transport system that makes the South East more productive and competitive, improves the quality of life for all residents, and protects and enhances its natural and built environment. Its ambition is to transform the quality of transport and door-to-door journeys for the South East’s residents, businesses and visitors. Executive Summary vii Figure i The Transport for the South East area viii Transport Strategy for the South East Overarching approach – planning basis using pricing mechanism and tariff Figure ii Evolution of Transport Planning policy for people and places structures across modes to incentivise those using all vehicle types to travel at This Transport Strategy presents a shift less busy times or by more sustainable away from traditional approaches of modes). Planning transport planning – one based on for people planning for a future based on recent Currently, many parts of the South East Modal shift Planning for Planning for places trends and forecasts – to an approach are in the first stage of the process vehicles & integrated vehicles High quality street of actively choosing a preferred future focussed on ‘planning for vehicles’, transport policy Capacity environments and setting out a plan of how we can get however, every place is different and enhancements Integrated transport & there together. there are exemplars in the South East, land use planning and around the UK and internationally Number of The traditional approach, one that is akin that are in the second and third stages, to ‘planning for vehicles’ with extensive that we can learn from. highway capacity enhancements for cars, is not sustainable in the longer Time term. Instead, there needs to be a transition from the current focus towards more ‘planning for people’ and more ‘planning for places’ (see Figure ii). The Transport Strategy has utilised modelling to understand how and where the transport network will see future strain. However, instead of simply expanding the network where strain will be most acute, the Transport Strategy sets out how this congestion could be alleviated by investing in attractive public transport alternatives and developing integrated land use planning policies to reduce the need to travel, adopting emerging transport technologies, and implementing more significant demand management policies (e.g. paying for the mobility consumed on a ‘Pay as you Go’ Executive Summary ix Our Vision Vision Statement By 2050, the South East of England Transport for the South East’s vision for the South East area is: will be a leading global region The vision statement forms the basis of for net-zero carbon, sustainable the strategic goals and priorities that underpin it. These goals and priorities economic growth where integrated help to translate the vision into more targeted and tangible actions. transport, digital and energy networks have delivered a step- change in connectivity and environmental quality. A high-quality, reliable, safe and accessible transport network will offer seamless door-to-door journeys enabling our businesses to compete and trade more effectively in the global marketplace and giving our residents and visitors the highest quality of life. x Transport Strategy for the South East Strategic Goals • More integrated land use and Environmental priorities: The strategic goals, aligned to the pillars transport planning that helps our • A reduction in carbon emissions to of sustainability, are: partners across the South East meet net zero by 2050 to minimise the future housing, employment and contribution of transport and travel to Economy: improve productivity and regeneration needs sustainably. climate change. attract investment to grow our economy • A ‘smart’ transport network that • A reduction in the need to travel, and better compete in the global uses digital technology to manage particularly by private car, to reduce marketplace.