GTD Summit 2016 - Anne Shaw, Birmingham City Council

www.birmingham.gov.uk/connected

Birmingham Connected: The Wider Context for Green Travel Districts

21st November 2016

Anne ShawAssistant Director – Transportation & Connectivity


The Transport Challenge for Birmingham

Tackling Congestion – reducing demand – annual cost of £2.2bn to the West Midlands Economy6.2% Unemployment – far above national rate of 2.3%24% of 10 to 11 year olds are obeseRoad Safety – 27 people Killed on Birmingham’s Roads in 2015Clean Air Zone mandated by Government to meet EU air quality standards by 2020 at the latestAir Quality – almost 900 annual deaths attributable to NOx & PM2.5



Clean Air Zone

• Birmingham one of 5 cities outside London being mandated by UK Government

• Achieve compliance with air quality limits in the shortest time before 2020

• Will require LGVs, HGVs, Buses, Coaches and Taxis to be Euro 6 (Diesel) or Euro 4 (petrol) as a minimum to avoid charge,

• Birmingham will need to implement additional measures

• Defra consulting on CAZ Framework until 9th Dec.


• Birmingham Connected White Paper published November 2014

• Purpose: “Birmingham Connected sets a new direction for transport. It ushers in a new era in creating choice for how we move people and goods, delivering projects and infrastructure, and the ways in which we fund them”.

• Objectives: Efficient; Equitable; Sustainable; Healthy; Attractive Birmingham


Transport Space Allocation



• 20 year vision to mainstream

cycling in Birmingham• Target to increase the

proportion of trips to 5% by 2023 and 10% by 2033.

• Programmes of measures on highways, green corridors and canals

• Supporting measures• BCC developing a new Cycling

and Walking Strategy – focus on walking and cycling for short journeys around the city


Green Travel Districts• GTDs are an enabler, providing an opportunity for

Birmingham Connected to make a real difference locally , by working with local stakeholders to empower them to take action on transport issues.

• The Vision of Green Travel Districts is one in which there is a concentration of people living and working in an environment where people are put before cars, where residents, workers and visitors can safely walk, cycle or take public transport. The vision is for Districts with less congestion, less pollution, fewer accidents, and healthier, safer, more productive communities.

• Aim is to develop locally led interventions that will achieve reduced car use.


• To achieve and sustain ambitious targets for single occupancy vehicle use of 50% or less;

• To harness the mode shift potential of innovative technology and smarter choices measures at both established communities where potential is identified and at newly created business communities in the identified core growth locations in the BDP;

• To promote sustainable travel initiatives within the GTDs and across the city, be models of best practice and exemplars of what is achievable;

• To provide a blueprint for successful modal shift which can be adopted elsewhere in the city

• To enhance the attractiveness and quality of the urban environment within the GTDs

• To embed a culture of sustainable travel within the GTDs and provide strong motivations for travel behavioural change

Green Travel Districts


Green Travel Districts• GTDs are areas of high economic, social and civil

activity – high levels of inbound and outbound trips. • Interventions targeted at mode shift will have a larger

impact in these areas.• The Selly Oak and Life Sciences campus is one of the

largest growth locations outside of the city centre.

• Focus of the emerging Wider Birmingham Hospitals and University Masterplan being jointly produced with Birmingham City Council.

• Selly Oak the first Green Travel District (GTD) established with key employers who recognised that reducing sole occupancy car trips and ensuring good accessibility by sustainable transport is essential in facilitating growth.

• Building on the work of the Selly Oak GTD, new GTDS are being set up in the City Centre, Soho Road area, Castle Vale and Kings Heath.


Next Steps for Pilot GTD Locations• Establish working group and governance structure• Analyse and discuss travel audit results to identify gaps in

transport provision / issues working with Living Streets and Sustrans

• Identify short and long term priorities• Development of action plan for delivery• Prioritisation of Smarter Choices interventions• Freight Service Delivery Plan toolkit


Next Steps for GTD Programme• Establish a Green Travel Taskforce

• Formed of key partners and decision makers• Make policy decision to support the modal shift towards green

travel that the GTD associations identify• Prioritise larger – scale infrastructure requirements that the

GTD associations may raise at a city / regional level

• Accreditation scheme for Green Travel Districts to ensure :

• GTDs are delivering initiatives to a minimum standard• GTDs are delivering on the strategy outlined in Birmingham

Connected


Birmingham Connected Transport Communications and Behaviour Change

programmeTargeted behaviour change essential in reducing car use

Co-ordinated activity as part of infrastructure delivery

Short term – Major developments in Birmingham City Council - Paradise, Arena Central, Metro and HS2 - resilience during construction.

Short term mode switches to mitigate temporary disruption carry the potential to act as catalysts for lasting behavioural change.

Longer term - need to win the hearts and minds of Birmingham’s travelling public, supporting a shift of preferred ways of travel away from single occupancy private cars to more sustainable, equitable modes.

Essential to work with businesses to support more efficient and sustainable movement of freight, including last mile logistics.


Birmingham Connected Transport Communications and Behaviour Change programme

• More targeted ‘nudge’ initiatives designed to effect mode shift

• Designed to address defined key audiences • Range of appropriate communications channels,

specifically to support:

• Business and growth• Employment and training• Health and wellbeing• Connectivity and co-ordination

Government & Nonprofit

GTD Summit 2016 - Anne Shaw, Birmingham City Council