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You Can Cut Travel and Grow the Economy. Here's How.
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πŸ€” You Can Cut Travel and Grow the Economy. Here's How.

August 13th, 2026 Subscribe You Can Cut Travel and Grow the Economy. Here's How. Key Takeaways Degrowthers and mainstream economists share the same flawed assumption: that all travel drives economic growth. Roughly half the true cost of driving is covered by taxpayers, not users. Heavy subsidies create large volumes of low-value, marginal trips. Removing these subsidies through road user charging and priced parking would eliminate most of this marginal travel. Because traffic congestion...

When Is Too Much Accessibility A Bad Thing?

Subscribe Welcome. In Today's Transport Leader: When Is Too Much Accessibility A Bad Thing? Why Most Cycling Campaigns Don't Work (And What Does) Safe System's Implementation Problem Plus Quick Trips and Tool. Read online Sponsor the Transport Leader The Transport Leader goes to over 4,000 professionals every week. These are the people who shape transport systems around the world. Sponsor Enquiries: russell@transportlc.org Transport Experts v Vested Interests In the latest Transport Leaders...

One Project, Seven Vetoes: What the Northern Line Extension Really Teaches Us

August 6th, 2026 Subscribe One Project, Seven Vetoes: What the Northern Line Extension Really Teaches Us Key Takeaways The blame for failing to get transport projects off the ground is often that there are too many people who can veto the project. The Northern Line Extension in London succeeded despite the system, not because of it, surviving 7 separate veto points that could each have killed it. The more decision-makers with power to block a project, the less likely it is to survive, however...

Falling Through The Cracks: Why Powered Mobility Devices Deserve Attention

Subscribe Welcome. In Today's Transport Leader: Falling Through The Cracks: Why Powered Mobility Devices Deserve Attention Free Parking Won't Save Your High Street. Complete Streets Might Stop Running Microtransit as a Side Project Plus Quick Trips Read online Sponsor the Transport Leader The Transport Leader goes to over 4,000 professionals every week. These are the people who shape transport systems around the world. Sponsor Enquiries: russell@transportlc.org The AV Pickup and Drop-Off...

July 30th, 2026 Subscribe The Failure of Fare Caps: Ten Blind Spots in Transport Policy Key Takeaways The UK’s bus fare cap highlights a number of blind spots that commonly occur when developing and evaluating transport policy. Evaluating Policy Alternatives β€” Judging a policy against doing nothing, rather than against better alternatives. Ignoring BCRs β€” A BCR near or below one is a red flag, not something to ignore. Balancing the Evidence β€” Highlighting some of the benefits whilst ignoring...

What 791 Cities Reveal About Decarbonising Transport

Subscribe Welcome. In Today's Transport Leader: What 791 Cities Reveal About Decarbonising Transport Four Futures for European Rail (and the One Threat They Missed) The AV Rollout Question Every City Needs to Ask Plus Quick Trips Read online Reach 4000 Transport Leaders The Transport Leader goes to over 4,000 professionals every week. These are the people who shape transport systems around the world. Sponsor Enquiries: russell@transportlc.org Sustainability What 791 Cities Reveal About...

Free Fares for Young People: Good Intentions, Poor Outcomes

July 23rd, 2026 Subscribe Free Fares for Young People: Good Intentions, Poor Outcomes Key Takeaways Free and discounted fares for young people are one of the most popular transport policies in the world, and one of the least scrutinised. The evidence shows free or cheap fares for young people produce, at best, a modest reduction in car use. Where mode shift does happen, it often comes at the expense of walking and cycling rather than driving. Cheap fares for young people add to costly peak...

Stop subsidising fares. Start subsidising people.

Subscribe Welcome. In Today's Transport Leader: Stop subsidising fares. Start subsidising people. E-bike trials: Another Success Distance beats density in reducing car commuting Plus Quick Trips and Innovation Read online Reach 4000 Transport Leaders The Transport Leader goes to over 4,000 professionals every week. These are the people who shape transport systems around the world. Sponsor Enquiries: russell@transportlc.org We need your help to win support for cycling Meredith Glaser from the...

Why Treasury Keeps Getting Roads Wrong

July 16th, 2026 Subscribe Why Treasury Keeps Getting Roads Wrong Key Takeaways Non-transport economists often support road-widening because they don’t know what they don’t know. Induced demand means suppressed trips, shifted travel times, and forgone jobs all return once new capacity opens, refilling the road within years. The claim that roads are unsubsidised while public transport isn't doesn't hold up: roughly half the true cost of driving is paid through general taxation, just hidden in...

From Storage to Strategy: Rethinking Parking's Role in Mobility

Subscribe Welcome. In Today's Transport Leader: From Storage to Strategy: Rethinking Parking's Role in Mobility Beyond Equity: The Economic Case for Accessible Transport Contracts for chaos: why PPPs need room to bend Plus Quick Trips and Tool Read online Reach 4000 Transport Leaders The Transport Leader goes to over 4,000 professionals every week. These are the people who shape transport systems around the world. Sponsor Enquiries: russell@transportlc.org Parking From Storage to Strategy:...