Good day my good friend.

For the second day in a row, Thameslink has decided that running a rail service is really challenging. So I am currently writing this on a cold, busy platform at City Thameslink station. Let’s see if I can do this before my train turns up.

Note: I wrote this before the Transport Secretary resigned. I’m not changing it because I don’t really have the time to. Other than to say this: typical.

📕 I have co-authored a book on Mobility-as-a-Service, which is a comprehensive guide on this important new transport service. It is available from the Institution of Engineering and Technology and now Amazon.

💼 I am also available for freelance transport planning consultancy, through my own company Mobility Lab. You can check out what I do here.

💭 Some thoughts on the Integrated Transport Strategy

Today, I’m launching a new national vision of transport that seamlessly joins all modes of transport together, and puts people at the heart of our transport system.

I want everyone to be able to contribute to this vision and have launched a call for ideas on how the strategy can best deliver greater opportunity, healthier communities and better lives.

Oh, Louise. Those words are music to my ears.

Many of you will probably have heard about the Secretary of State for Transport’s new vision for transport in the UK. Namely her commitment to take a people-first approach in a new Integrated Transport Strategy. The first since the 10 Year Transport Plan.

She has also announced a Capital Review Panel of some extremely clever people to look at DfT’s capital programme and provide independent advice. Well done to Ben, Nicola, and Glenn for getting some well-deserved recognition!

On the face of it, we have been here before. Politicians have spoken big about changing transport for the better for the entire time that I have worked in transport planning.

But this time…feels different somehow. Not in terms of making big announcements on schemes, but in terms of something more crucial and fundamental.

The Transport Secretary seems committed to fixing the plumbing.

Transport investment decisions are as much a product of process as they are of philosophy. And for a long time, transport has been seen as an engineering challenge or a soundbite.

Now, we are getting inklings that this critical plumbing is being fixed. The Capital Review Panel, seemingly based on the Welsh Roads Review, is such an example. Where external expertise is directly feeding into and informing the process.

The announcement to Parliament also provides some further clues. References to a single national vision for transport point towards a vision-led approach to transport planning, at last. Walking and cycling being the best choice for shorter journeys, which is always welcome. As well as a commitment to regional roadshows to inform the development of the content of the strategy.

And a massive, massive focus on devolution in the Transport Secretary’s Speech. As well as some thoughts about what that will look like which were shared with the Sunday Times at the weekend. As well as changing how value for money is being measured.

Too often, big transport changes have not come about for a simple reason. That is because our system of transport governance and decision making has not enabled them to happen. It is so reliant on a push from central government to make it happen, that any kind of wavering in Marsham Street dooms the policy initiative.

Meanwhile this talks about rewiring how decisions are made so that radical change has a better chance of sticking. The opportunity for devolved funding and powers is being glimpsed in these words, and from what I understand the Department for Transport is taking it seriously this time.

Only time will judge whether these are simply words. The devil will always be in the detail. But what is being shown here is a window of opportunity. The first such window for the better part of a quarter of a century. Where a singular, uniting vision of the future of transport across the country could be supported by radical changes in governance and decision making.

For that reason alone, today is a day to be hopeful.

I urge you to complete the form calling for ideas to include in the Integrated Transport Strategy. It really feels like the government is listening right now, and so what you say could have a big impact.

✊ Something that inspires me

I am writing this on the way back from a fantastic CIHT CLIMATES workshop, led by the always-excellent Glenn Lyons. As part of the workshop, we shared some inspiring and sobering videos of the climate emergency. Including this great speech by David Attenborough at COP26.

Words are extremely powerful. It got me thinking of the words that have probably shaped my view of the world more than any other. Said by another great scientist, Carl Sagan. Enjoy them.