Transport - More Info
We call on the Mayor to join the other regional mayors by signing up to an unprecedented plan to create a “national active travel network”, focusing initially on helping children to walk, cycle or scoot to school safely.
The scheme involves all non-London regional mayors but one. The 12 mayors, nine of them Labour and two Conservative, plus Luke Campbell, the Reform UK mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, have signed a joint pledge to “work together to improve our streets for everyone, for the benefit of the health, wellbeing and connectedness of our communities”.
The initial focus from this autumn will be on trips to and from school, with a pledge to create a combined 3,500 miles of routes safely linking schools to homes, town and city centres, and transport hubs.
Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, said the scheme has the potential to “significantly improve” public health in the areas involved, covering 20 million people overall.
When you measure the full cost, public money spent on public transport gives a better return than investment in roads - see https://x.com/modacitylife/status/1962059729967960199
Each of Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton have their own Transport Strategies. Council transport staff are bringing these together into a framework to be the basis for the Mayor and Combined Strategic Authority when it takes over as transport authority. See them here:
Hampshire County Council [https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/localtransportplan]
Isle of Wight - open to consultation to 24 November 2025 [https://www.iow.gov.uk/news/new-consultation-launched-on-islands-15-year-transport-plan/]
Southampton [https://transport.southampton.gov.uk/connected-southampton-2040/]
Transport for the South East’s (TfSE) new Transport Strategy https://transportforthesoutheast.org.uk/our-vision/transport-strategy/ is the region’s strategic advice to Government, setting a clear vision for the future of transport across the South East. The strategy is underpinned by five priority missions:
- Strategic Connectivity
- Resilience
- Inclusion and Integration
- Decarbonisation
- Sustainable Growth
It captures the South East’s defining features, charts how the transport landscape has evolved since 2020, and identifies the region’s key challenges. We don't yet know what transport schemes will come out of the strategy. These will be in the new Strategic Investment Plan due to be published in spring 2026. There are many good aspects to the strategy, so we need to make sure that the Strategic Investment Plan reflects the good aspects.
IPPR: "Everyday concerns: what people want from transport"
https://www.ippr.org/articles/everyday-concerns-what-people-want-from-transport
Research undertaken in partnership with More in Common and Climate Outreach into what the public actually thinks about transport.
GOV.UK: New era of better buses: Landmark Bus Bill becomes law
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-era-of-better-buses-landmark-bus-bill-becomes-law
The Bus Services Act makes it easier for local leaders to take control of their buses and put passengers first. Mayors will be able to take control of local bus services to protect passengers from sudden cuts to crucial routes, or put ticket caps in place for commuters across a local transport network.
GOV.UK: England’s mayors gather to pledge national walking, wheeling and cycling network, backed by government
England’s mayors have also pledged to build a 3,500 mile national walking, wheeling and cycling network, backed by government, which will help people get around more easily and is targeted to improve health and air quality in areas where these are currently poor.