All Transport
The Future of Public Transport Funding
Research Report, Policy Insights,
27 February 2024
- Invest more. Greenhouse gas emissions from transport must decline rapidly to meet the Paris Agreement goals. As well as renewing vehicle fleets with electric vehicles, this requires modal shift towards public transport and active mobility. Public transport investments must increase significantly to enable the required modal shift.
- Focus on efficiency. More efficient infrastructure and service provision will contain the funding requirement. This requires coordinated institutional management arrangements, a strong focus on competition, a well-functioning multimodal mobility system, public investment decisions determined with efficiency in mind, and efficient financing choices.
- Fund from all sources. Sustainable public transport requires funding from three sources: users, through fares; governments, through general budgets and earmarked taxes; and taxes on indirect beneficiaries, including owners of land that increases in value when its accessibility improves.
Improving the Quality of Walking and Cycling in Cities
Roundtable Report, Policy Insights,
14 February 2024
- Overcome car-centric thinking. Decades of car-centric development have made its assumptions the unquestioned norm. As a result of this “moto-normativity”, risks and harms from motor vehicles may be accepted when they are unacceptable in other contexts. Many cities have begun to question this approach.
- Think beyond infrastructure. Focusing on infrastructure is not enough to ensure pedestrians and cyclists will feel safe and secure and enjoy walking and cycling. Policies must also target street violence, social disadvantage and other factors.
- Redesign planning processes. Processes for transport investments have traditionally prioritised car-centric options. A vision-led approach can provide the basis for redesigning these processes, and help ensure active travel contributes to more inclusive, sustainable cities. Work in progress across a number of cities worldwide suggests such a shift is possible.