The Scottish Government

Verbatim account of information gathered on Flip-charts at workshops

GROWING A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

§ Key Points:

• Congestion

A. Impact on individual

B. Impact on freight

C. London

• Better use of what we have (not just infrastructure)

• Perceptions

A. PT

1. real problem

2. perceived problem

B. About road congestion

C. Cost of motoring

• Balance

• Public and private sector motives

• City regions and how we make transport planning decisions

A. Local vs. long distance travel? Balance

B. Transport and land use planning has 2-way impact

C. Bottom up approach, as well as top down

· What can transport do to grow a sustainable economy?

· What is stopping us doing this? Barriers/ issues

· What do we mean by transport? Derived demand

A. Wider considerations:

1. anticipating trends - globally

2.market based - people and goods

3. choice

a) improving choice

b) improving efficiency

4. perception and safety and reliability

5. not just about infrastructure but also behaviour

6. cost of motoring big issue

7. people don't see public transport as viable choice

B. Congestion is due to lack of capacity (both road and public transport)

C. Better use of existing transport - not just infrastructure solutions

D. What is congestion?

1. demand > supply

2. predictability

§ Road congestion and the economy

A. Loss of working time

B. Perception about journey times

C. Quality of life

D. Cost of time for businesses and individuals

E. Relative levels of congestion - Scotland compared with other places

F. Forced to have improved public transport where congestion gets very bad

· Freight

A. Loss of time can have major impacts

B. Logistics is a separate industry, very efficient

C. Impact of major incidents

· Should private sector have more involvement in transport planning etc.?

A. Logistics factor in delays, but is still having major impact

B. Motorists feel uninvolved in transport, not sure who is 'in charge'.

1. willing to accept charges, tariffs etc.

· Identifying growth points for future transport needs

- Where to start?

- Does transport planning come first or is it reactive?

A. Development is dependant on transport access

B. Connectivity to cities important for housing decisions

C. Park and Ride positively perceived… but too late in appearing

D. Need to provide alternatives when imposing traffic management measures

1. carrots and sticks

E. Speed between cities or it is important to make lots of connections between?

F. Quality of public transport experience very important

G. Information

· How much are we prepared to pay for transport?

A. Market aspect

1. who determines? Market or government?

2. informed population re transport spend and revenues from road tax, fuel duty, etc.

B. Trust and transparency - see where the money goes

C. Behaviour change and externalities

D. Societal choices

E. Is transport a local issue?

§ Transport and Economic Growth

A. Is economic growth an end in itself or a means to an end?

1. about supporting wider Exec policy; quality of life

B. Does transport infrastructure investment alone promote economic growth?

1. depends on what kind of investment, ex. container ports

2. absence may inhibit/stunt growth

3. growth or activity

a.) distribute

b.) displacement - good?

c.) share

4. what is constraining growth? - skilled people

5. planning gain

6. T(1)A - project trips on road network

a.) now all aspects

7. perceptions

§ Transport and Place

A. Integration, transport and planning

B. Role of city regions, central belt

C. Rural vs. urban investment

1a.) conflict amongst areas/regions

1b.) best way to achieve growth

i.) rural links important

1c.) convince other areas what is best for Scotland

2a.) National planning framework - links with NTS

The 'Golden Triangle'

(big picture from the top - hierarchy)

Ø Links transport/planning

Ø Better guidance from SE planning (consistency)

Ø Assessing capacity on public transport

Ø Integration LTS and transport

· Economic Growth (part I)

A. Growth in Scottish economy

B. NTS/ Climate change

C. High economic growth vs. environmental

D. Get people nearer to the work (challenge?)

E. Access to tourism (rural areas)

Ø Key points:

1. NTS: Set out clear thinking on priorities (political conviction)

2. Economic Growth

3. Clear vision- Direction

4. Set out clear targets

Ø Does investment in infrastructure stimulate economic growth?

1. Economic growth SE priority

2. Moving people (public transport) infrastructure

3. Places important to economic growth

a.) debate about what places are important (conflict)

Ø Investment provides an anchor to keep business and people

1. Does investment bring growth or sustain growth

· Economic Growth (part II)

- Growth in Scottish Economy

- NTS/ Climate change

- High economic growth vs. environmental

A. Get people nearer to the work

- challenge?

B. Access to tourism (rural areas)

· Freight

A. No real alternative

B. Cleaner vehicles

C. Routing

D. Fuel wastage reduced

E. Freight strategy

F. Driver hours

G. Lorry weights

H. Freight traffic static

· Need for NTS

A. Gap (RTS/LTS)

B. Set priorities at national level

C. Another high level document

-Fear?

-Deliver economic growth

· Innovation

A. Bio fuels

B. Ad-hoc grants

· Metropolitan areas

A. Economic growth/ Debate on investment

B. Focus on

- Difficult process to apply all interests

- Executive priorities conflicts

Ø Economic growth vs. Environmental

§ Key Points:

Ø Trade off between economic growth and environment

- But does it have to be? Can we have both?

Ø Behavioural change key prioritising issues

Ø Aviation clearly an important area

Ø Technology can help but isn't everything

Ø Is increasing traffic growth a price worth paying for economic growth?

Ø Relationship between incomes and car vs. public transport use

Ø Rural Scotland - less potential for model shift

§ Environment and Economic Growth

- How do we balance them?

- Can we balance them?

A. There's a trade-off… but how to decide?

1. Does there have to be a conflict? Should we be looking for a win-win solution?

2. Does travel have to continue growing?

3. The costs of travel aren't fully taken into account when decision making

4. Public buy-in key - no sudden changes

5. Transport pricing - How elastic is it?

6. Awareness of travel choices

7. Targeting

8. Have to ensure that public transport is a good experience

9. Information and awareness of public transport

· Aviation

- Social inclusion angle

- Problems with monitoring

- Short haul flights - rail can be a competitor

· Technology

A. Does make a difference but traffic growth cancels out the impact

B. Can Scotland gain some benefits from this industry?

C. Lots of questions about future technologies and alternative fuels

D. Need hard and soft measures - How important is pricing?

E. Freight - use the sea!

§ Sustainable economic perspective

A. Congestion, especially in city areas

- 'city regions' need to be included in context of NPF and land use planning

- need to also take into account peripheral and rural areas

- requirement for framework within which departments can be assessed

- NTS will not define what shall happen at regional and local level

a.) NTS - RTS: 2-way process

B. Development of communities - require access

a.) How is this achieved? - geographic factors constrain options available

- Challenge for Scottish Executive - tune into all strategies / plans and role / position of transport

Ø Prioritisation - how do we go about this?

- new roads requested by business - growing traffic levels

a.) How can we square this?

b.)PT investments to create viable alternatives - who pays?

C. ERDF

Ø Successful

Ø Still less flights than London

- Rail investment will not have significant impact on congestion alone

a.) free capacity used by 'new' drivers - issue of latent demand

- PT does not compare

i) cleanliness

ii) thorough ticketing

iii) information

iv) timing (integration) to meet needs

Ø Integrates solutions necessary - additional services not enough

D. Freight

- D&G: Only option road freight at present

- Development of rail freight would be very beneficial

Ø Capacity issues - constraining factor at present

- Also sea freight

Ø D&G proposals to dredge harbour for wind farm infrastructure

- Priority = greater development of freight alternatives

- Ring fenced funding

- Rural development perspective - requirement remains for investment in local road network providing access to key freight roads

- Competitive haulage - good, quick transport

E. Prioritisation of economic growth

Ø Relative weighting - dynamic overtime

- In sustainable economy relative importance of industries likely to change, ex. timber likely to have greater role in future

- Prioritisation of development in metropolitan areas creates issues in rural / marginal areas.

Ø Balance required

- Infrastructure investment required in both urban and rural areas

i.) investment for direct development

ii.) investment for connectivity to developments

iii.) sustainability - fuels etc.

- What implications could congestion charging have on business?

- NTS: Case studies of different industry structures and look at all angles, not just transport

- Public sector procurement plans

Ø Key Issues:

1) Investment in local transport

2) City region growth - balance with more remote areas, also personal and business use

3) Do not be limited - think about all modes and all solutions

4) Framework for prioritisation of decisions, NTS flexible

· Sectoral Solutions

A. Does one size fit all or do we need different solutions for different sectors?

- If so, what solutions and how do they differ?

ex. road freight, SMES, financial services etc.

§ Sustainable economic growth?

A. LRT good example of project meeting both aims

B. Prioritising projects in terms of economic impact… at national level/ at local level

C. Public transport investment in Scotland focused on city regions - so have to look at different solutions for rural areas (essentially car transport)

D. Climate change - requires massive change in what people expect they can demand from the transport system

1. Better rail/ road/ sea/ air links understandably feed this expectation

E. Upgrading transport infrastructure - automatic assumption that this contributes to economic growth, when in fact there is a level of displacement activity

F. Need for demand management

- Fundamental role for RTAs

- Across sectors as well as geographies

G. Preoccupation with variety of local projects in Scotland?

H. What trends do we set by the infrastructure investment in Scotland / what trends do we follow?...

I. NTS should identify key drivers by area and by sector, and should provide an analysis of and commentary on this

J. Can reduce energy consumption while increasing economic growth

- More developed economies have greater emphasis on managing climate change

K. Energy prices actually decreasing over longer timescale

L. NTS could break down transport consumption by geography - could better demonstrate cost/benefits against impact

- However, hard to capture vehicles' impact in one particular area and levers over adapting vehicles are limited from Scottish Executive perspective.

- so:

Ø Can't focus on benefits simply for city regions

Ø NTS has to recognise different needs by area

Ø Should challenge link assumed between increased transport infrastructure and investment & economic growth

Ø Challenge people's expectations of the transport system

Ø Understanding Scotland's profile (ex. peripherality, % SMEs) is key to driving competitiveness

§ Regeneration, Employability and Skills

Ø How can transport support them?

Ø Can the right people with the right skills get to the right jobs?

Ø Transport - Opportunities and constraints?

- Example of Airdrie - Bathgate:

A. Skills/learning - opens up access to colleges in addition to increasing access to employment opportunities

- Example of Easterhouse - Glasgow

A. Area of high deprivation, cut off in terms of transport access - this has to be key consideration

Colleague

· Different kind of investment

- High-speed Edinburgh - Glasgow rail link

- Better / more bus routes

· Single local authorities can have very different profiles in terms of deprivation from area to area (ex. Cumbernauld, Wishaw) - need better connection within areas

· What role does / should concessionary travel play?

- Won't help if there aren't services in place

- Difficult to measure impact