| Introduction
1. Inter-urban transport is, and
will continue to be, driven by a range
of socio-economic factors. To achieve
the project aim stated above, a structured
approach was needed to identify potential
roles of strategic highways in meeting
future mobility needs and identifying
opportunities to influence the long-term
agenda for strategic highways.
2. An outward facing approach was
considered to be essential for technical
and political appreciation of the
project objectives and also to gain
reciprocal information from others.
This was achieved:
- within the Highways Agency (HA),
through an article in the Agency's
"Network" magazine and
sessions at the national staff conferences;
- with other government departments
(especially DTLR) through a series
of presentations within different
divisions and with staff at various
levels of seniority;
- externally with professional audiences,
such as IHT, and PIARC.
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3. The project provided an opportunity
for the HA to consult with other organisations.
One of the motivations for setting
up the project was to identify opportunities
for broader strategic partnerships
in the future, for example with the
European Commission Directorates for
Energy and Transport (DG TREN) and
the Information Society (DG INFOSOC)
in Brussels.
4. Although it was important that
the project should explore the full
breadth of society's needs and ambitions,
the particular remit for the HA is
the future of the strategic road network
and its role as Network Operator.
Therefore conclusions regarding the
Vision 2030 project and recommendations
to the HA for the strategic road network,
which follow from the project, are
directed to this end.
5. The methodology and processes
adopted by the project team have produced
three very different scenarios for
how life in the UK might develop 30
years hence and how inter-urban transport
would evolve in response. These scenarios
allow the project to identify opportunities
and constraints that might prevail
in the future in respect of the HA's
core business, and to reach conclusions
on the potential role of the strategic
highways that could be taken forward
by the Network Strategy Directorate
of the Agency.
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