Better Transport

The Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) process is a process by which regions put forward a wish list to the Government of significant projects they would like some funding for over the next several years. The Government considers the list and arrives at a finalised, funded list.

This process happens in the eight regions outside London. In London, the mayor is responsible for transport and economic development through Transport for London
and the London Development Agency and they make the decisions themselves.

The RFA will be funding significant transport, skills and education, housing and economic development projects from 2009 – 2012 and will also includes regions' aspiration projects up to 2019.

The process began in July 2008, when the Treasury and the Department for Transport  published guidance for regional decision makers. In February 2009 the regions will put forward their wish list. Several months later the Government will produce a final list.

This is an important list. Hundreds of millions of pounds are made available for transport, and the money can go on trains, buses, roads, highway maintenance or 'integrated transport blocks' for packages of schemes, including road construction and widening, bus facilities and cycling infrastructure.

Who makes these lists? Two regional bodies: regional assemblies (or Leaders’ Forum in the North West) and regional development agencies, who work together to choose their spending priorities. These organisations are in turn are influenced by councils within the region, most of whom will be promoting a scheme.

While regions might not officialy make their wish lists public, the lists are often found in minutes of meetings. Have a look at the Regional Assembly's website (or the Regional Transport Board) and see what they’re talking about. This may also give you some valuable insight into how popular or supported a scheme is.

We've collected together documents from each region, along with contacts and priority lists.

Competition for funding can be fierce: most local politicians have a favourite scheme they want funded. These vary from bypasses which have been promised for decades to more recent public transport schemes or the re-opening of a rail branch line.

Money’s tight, so every road scheme that gets in is taking money away from a sustainable travel choice. It’s up to us to keep the road schemes out and get the public transport, walking and cycling schemes in.

While roads are sometimes paid for through the RFA, they are often funded direct through the Government; our roads guide tells you more.

Government guidance on what the regions should include in their RFA wish lists

More about the players