Better Transport

The location of housing and shops has a great influence on whether we drive. Building housing at a low density – that is, creating sprawl – means right away that our school, office, shops and services are far from where we live, making it much more likely we will drive to those places. It also means that a bus service becomes commercially unviable and it means that neighbourhoods are less safe: for example, for children to walk or cycle to visit their friends – simply because there are expanses of 'no man's land' where no one is around – and an empty space is one that is more vulnerable to crime.

In the West Midlands, new housing on greenfield land is built at the lowest density in the country simply creating more sprawling developments.

It is perhaps not surprising that the rural population is the most car dependent and the urban population suffers from the highest traffic volumes on urban residential and shopping streets.

In addition, trains and buses are less punctual than elsewhere, train cancellations are high, and not enough is being invested to make buses and trains attractive options. 

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Some comments we've received

Mary Ann Scadding in Herefordshire: "In this rural area most of the population are car dependent due to the poor bus and train service. There is a bus  that runs every two hours from the village which is 1.25 miles away, the last one is at 6pm.  The nearest train station is Worcester. It would be very good if a new station was opened in the St John's area of Worcester. The train would be an option then, especially for long journeys."

Regional results

East Midlands East of England North East North WestSouth EastSouth West West Midlands Yorkshire & the Humber