Northern Evidence Academic Forum highlights impacts of transport on people and communities

The next meeting of the Northern Evidence Academic Forum will take place tomorrow (28 September) at 12pm where academics will be discussing the wider impacts of transport on people and communities.

The forum, set up by Transport for the North (TfN), brings together the region’s policy and decision-makers with the researchers who have the data that could help shape and enhance transport projects.

There is growing recognition of the need to better reflect wider impacts in transport policy and investment. Investing in transport should be about more than shaving a few seconds off journey times. TfN’s recently published research on transport-related social exclusion (TRSE) has further highlighted this point.

Our Strategic Transport Plan, adopted in February 2019, provides a clear and cohesive route to creating greater opportunities for those who live and work in the North. It forms a solid stage for the North to make the best possible case for investment in our infrastructure to re-balance the UK’s economy. By speaking as One Voice for the North, TfN has continued to make the case for investment in the North that will reduce inequalities within our communities and level up the UK.

Tim Foster, Interim Strategy and Programmes Director at Transport for the North, said: “Globally, transport is a fundamental part of modern living, and it has profound impacts on health and inequalities. Having good transport links can have a major impact on every aspect of people’s lives – from being able to get to work or school or visiting friends and family, to ensuring deliveries and vital services can get through without disruption.

“Improving our understanding of the challenges that people face, and by sharing the evidence with our delivery partners and decision-makers, we can drive positive change for all communities across the North.”

In this edition of the Northern Evidence Academic Forum, we will be welcoming four speakers to discuss their work on how to measure and achieve these positive impacts whilst mitigating the potential negative impacts.

Speakers for this Northern Evidence Academic Forum include:

• Dr Karen Lucas, University of Manchester – presenting on the social and equity dimensions of transport investments
• Joe McTigue, Northern Trains Limited – presenting on the value of rail in the North across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
• Dr Like Jiang, University of Leeds – presenting on understanding the impacts of transport noise
• Jack Ford, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Transport for the North

Joe McTigue, Northern Trains Limited said: “It is clear from this analysis that the Government’s investments in Northern represent good value for money and bring positive impacts across diverse range of economic, social and environmental criteria. Northern is continuing to refresh and add to this analysis, which has helped in our decision making as well as monitoring and evaluation.”

Discussions and research from the forum will also be incorporated into TfN’s Northern Evidence Hub, an open and collaborative platform that hosts up-to-date evidence from a range of policy areas. The hub facilitates knowledge sharing across the region – ensuring that Northern policymakers can access robust evidence from a single location.

Click here to register for your free ticket for the Northern Evidence Academic Forum at 12pm on Wednesday 28 September.

Photo credit: Shutterstock

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