Delivering Regional Renewal: Public support for bold change in North East transport policy

The Common Sense Policy Group and Insights North East present analysis of public opinion on transport policy in the run up to the May 2024 North East Mayoral Election. The survey found the public support bold changes that would transform the transport system, lay down a legacy of infrastructure investment and provide impetus for regional renewal.

The research used a conjoint survey method. This establishes people’s preferences between various features a policy, the trade-offs people are willing to make and the optimal version of a policy. It allowed the research team to uncover underpinning drivers for policy preference among the public.

Most importantly, private ownership of public transport was strongly opposed compared to all other options (not-for-profit, UK government, NECA), with high levels of public support for bold change to increase control over cost and reliability of services.
These findings are consistent with overwhelming evidence that citizens view public ownership and control as essential to improvements in infrastructure, service and outcomes, and that there are high levels of support for tax increases on those who can afford it.

The survey results showed that there was a preference to reduce congestion and a strong preference to reduce deaths caused by pollution. There was a mild preference for decreasing car use. But there wasn’t strong support for increasing the proportion of journeys by bike, presumably because citizens don’t see the immediate connection to addressing the issues they do prioritise, such as reducing avoidable deaths.

This report provides a method for tying together aspects of transport policy, such as active travel, with those elements that voters prioritise, such as avoiding deaths from the consequences of car usage. In summary, the shift to enhanced clean public transport, cycling and walking can be justified by reference to its impact on reducing avoidable deaths.