Local transport worth celebrating!

16 June 2025  |  Guest blogger  |  Local transport

The Integrated National Transport Strategy will be published this year. It will set the vision for transport across England, focusing on how it should be better designed, built and operated to meet people’s needs.

The Strategy will reflect transport’s key role in driving growth across England, unlocking access to opportunities and creating well-connected places.

To gather views from a range of people across the country to support the development of the Strategy, the Department for Transport ran an 11-stop regional roadshow, starting in Newcastle and ending in Milton Keynes.

As part of the roadshow events, the Department asked, ‘What should we celebrate about transport in your local area?’ Here are some of the great examples that people shared…

Birmingham: Shopping delivered by e-cargo bike

In Birmingham, we heard how Better Streets for Birmingham are helping the residents of Kings Heath transition to a more active lifestyle, by offering free home shopping delivery by electric cargo bicycle. By travelling to Kings Heath by cycle, bus or foot, residents are able to do their shopping and have it delivered back to their house by volunteers, avoiding carrying heavy bags and making it easier to choose to leave the car at home.

This free service is offered on the first Saturday of every month.

Newcastle: Reversing a Beeching cut

In Newcastle, roadshow attendees told us that they celebrated the reintroduction of passenger trains on the Northumberland Line after 60 years.

The reopening was celebrated both as a catalyst for economic growth, and also for its social value to communities in the North East of England.

The lower price point, with fares from just £1 single for under-21s with a Pop Blue card, and a maximum £3 single fare from Ashington to Newcastle at peak times, were celebrated as a way to get people to try rail who may otherwise be prohibited by cost.

Brighton and Hove: Wonderful walking and cycling

In Brighton and Hove, we heard people celebrate active travel in the area, with high rates of walking specifically noted. Attendees highlighted the new walking and cycling links between Black Rock and the Marina, and the Valley Gardens investment which included creating 2,900m2 of additional green space, with 37,000 new plants and new footways, seating and lighting to make it an attractive place to enjoy.

Investment into bike sharing schemes across the city and secure cycle hubs at Brighton and Hove station were also celebrated, as well as the availability of multiple bike racks in convenient locations.

Cornwall: Making travel easy

In Falmouth, we heard about the new integrated app for journey planning and ticketing across Cornwall, enabling passengers to see information on all bus services in the county (regardless of who operates them) as well as showing Beryl e-bike hire locations to make multi-modal travel easier.

The app has been delivered through Cornwall’s Enhanced Partnership with local bus operators and funded by Bus Service Improvement Plan funding.

Also in the South West, buses more widely were celebrated, with participants mentioning community bus schemes such as Bob the Bus which provides accessible community transport to Totnes and the surrounding villages.

Milton Keynes: The Redways make cycling a breeze

In Milton Keynes, attendees wanted to celebrate the city’s iconic Redways—an extensive network of over 200 miles of continuous, shared-use paths designed for walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting, including those using powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters. These distinctive routes are traffic-free, offering a safe and accessible alternative to road travel.

The Redways weave through the majority of the city’s estates, encouraging active travel and making them a popular choice for both leisure and commuting.

A key highlight were the Super Redways, a network of 13 continuous corridors of Redways which align closely to the grid roads. They are particularly great for cycle commuters or people who want to travel longer distances. The city has plans to upgrade and extend these routes over the coming years.

London: Making streets healthier

In London, roadshow attendees highlighted the Transport for London Healthy Streets initiative, which aims to improve air quality, reduce congestion and help make London’s diverse communities greener, healthier and more attractive places. The Healthy Streets Approach puts people first and focuses on creating streets that are pleasant, safe and attractive, removing the barriers which prevent people from getting out and about.

There are a number of resources available to help London boroughs put the Healthy Streets Approach into practice and a scorecard which measures metrics such as the implementation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.

Cheltenham: A transport hub that makes connections easy

The redevelopment of the Arle Court Transport Hub in Cheltenham is well worth celebrating. Gloucestershire County Council set about improving connectivity and encouraging more sustainable travel options with key features such as an expanded bus terminal, electric buses, and a cycle centre.

The hub is designed to improve connectivity for sustainable modes of transport around Cheltenham as well as improve air quality and reduce congestion.

The Department for Transport would like to thank everyone who joined us at the roadshows and shared their stories.

Campaign for Better Transport would love to hear about transport that’s worth celebrating where YOU live. You can share your examples by commenting on this Facebook post.

Better Transport Week is funded by the UK Government.

Photo credits:
Birmingham: Better Streets for Birmingham
Cornwall: Transport for Cornwall
Newcastle: Northumberland County Council
Brighton and Hove (including main photo at the top of the page): Brighton & Hove City Council
Milton Keynes: Milton Keynes City Council
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire County Council