Transport Innovation Fund

TIF funding will be a critical component of the resources needed to deliver the GMITS, and we are currently working to develop a compelling, additionality based case for a substantial contribution towards its total funding costs. Although further work is required, and there is a need for further information (eg on regional budgeting) we would expect the case to focus on:

  • The significant productivity benefits of our strategy, particularly in terms of its potential to deliver employment growth in the most productive parts of the North West region, time savings to business users and a beneficial impact on the breadth and depth of the city region's labour market.  The strategy will play a key role in supporting the Manchester CRDP and hence the Northern Way Growth Strategy.  We would anticipate therefore a high GDP return for the TIF funding deployed.
  • The potential role of a toolkit of hard edged demand management measures as part of a package of supporting public transport improvements, in tackling congestion and promoting employment and GVA growth across the city region
  • The potential use of new local funding sources linked to the current review of local government finance and exploration of the contribution of new local funding sources such as workplace parking levies.
  • Our innovative approach to transport planning and delivery including improved integration between transport and land use/ regeneration strategy development and delivery through our Corridor Partnership model, which will focus on the delivery of agreed outcome based targets.
  • Ensuring that key stakeholders have financial incentives to meet their targets and in particular to support public transport modal share and congestion management. The Corridor Partnership model will allow Greater Manchester to see revenue risk managed by those most able to influence demand.
  • Providing targeted support of additional Greater Manchester travel planning resources to those Corridor Partnerships best placed to deploy those resources effectively.
  • Highlighting the interaction of planning decisions and their implications for transport usage at the corridor level and implementing integrated strategies in these terms.
  • An innovative approach to integrating public transport modes in individual corridors through the development of joint working arrangements designed to deliver agreed modal share and accessibility targets.

In the meantime we will continue to work closely with the Department on the programme of spend of the TIF pump priming money. The key elements of the work include:

  • research work to identify the point at which congestion can significantly harm economic growth and the environment (the " tipping point"). This is the point when significant investment in public transport capacity will, therefore, be needed alongside the development of a toolkit of demand management measures which, when coupled with investment in public transport, will achieve the behavioural change necessary to continue to support sustainable economic growth.
  • The development of Corridor Plans and Partnerships in key corridors across the city region
  • The development of travel  behavioural change strategy and modal strategies both at a city region and corridor level
  • A review of transport governance structures within the city region
  • Identification of the key transport infrastructure components of the bid,

The full TIF bid will be submitted in July 2007. Further details are set out in a separate statement which is submitted alongside this LTP in line with the Department's TIF guidance.

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