A short thread on the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 ( #STPR2) 1st phase just published by @transcotland at https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/investment-focused-on-sustainable-travel-for-a-green-recovery/. 1/7

Transport plans are usually lists of pet schemes. This one is much more focused on genuinely strategic objectives, which is good news. The explicit target of reducing car km by 20% (carried over from Climate Change Plan) is crucial. 2/7

That said, v glad to see Glasgow #Metro and other local public transport projects being prioritised. Lack of (more) new roads (except fixing the A83) notable. Promising shift towards better matching investment priorities to the transport hierarchy e.g. active travel freeways. 3/7

Strategising is, of course, the easy part. Implementation is hard, especially against the background of tabloid outrage and ‘the war on the motorist’. Fascinating challenge is how that 20% reduction in car use will be delivered in practice. 4/7

Absence of a coherent plan for road pricing is the obvious omission here. Cuts to the heart of the multi-level governance issue of transport being a partially devolved policy competence. Plus UKG doesn’t want to open that can of worms. Yet. But it will have to do so, soon. 5/7

Political challenge for @scotgov too as reducing car km means real people/firms having to make difficult adjustments to what they do. Encouraging behaviour change is not something the rather timid current administration has always engaged in as much as it likes to make out. 6/7

Nonetheless, I’d say that getting this far points to the success of committed government officials (and experts e.g. Glasgow #ConnectivityCommission ) in convincing the politicians to move at least some distance in the right direction. More please 7/7