Photo: Leicester City Council / Matt Short Photography
NEWS
Transforming Cities Fund baseline synthesis published
The Department for Transport has published the baseline report from the Transforming Cities Fund national evaluation.
Between 2018/19 and 2022/23 the Department for Transport allocated the £2.45bn Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) across 18 English city regions – to support delivery of sustainable transport improvements which would enhance intra-city connectivity and boost productivity and prosperity.
To evaluate the impact of this unprecedented level of investment in local sustainable transport programmes, the Department commissioned the University of the West of England, Sustrans and Transport for Quality of Life to conduct a national evaluation of the Fund.
Following extensive liaison with the many local authorities benefiting from TCF, an evaluation framework was agreed. This methodology encompassed nine distinct work streams, each aiming to evaluate the Fund’s impact on specific modes or places. Baseline data was then collated in order to test this methodology. This report synthesises the findings of this baseline analysis.
Constantly moving goalposts
Some of this analysis was already out of date before the report was published, as a range of local, national and international factors affected the costs, timescales and desirability of some of the planned schemes – causing the participating local authorities to alter what they actually delivered. These factors included: the Covid 19 pandemic, rising energy prices, inflation, increased home working, the results of local elections and consultations, DfT extending the funding window, and delivery issues such as evolving design standards, difficulties with land purchase or the unexpected presence of services.
The TCF national evaluation is now in its final stage, working towards reporting again in 2026. It is having to adapt its approach to account for these changes to schemes and timelines, as well as to changes in data availability (e.g. as local authorities bring in new technologies or secondary data providers alter their methodologies).
But that’s what happens when you’re delivering or monitoring £2.5 billion of multi-modal investment in hundreds of schemes across 18 city regions over 6 years – the real world interferes with the best laid plans! A well-designed monitoring and evaluation regime, such as that for TCF, is able to adapt to such changes.
Project management
The Smarter Choice Consultancy project manages the TCF national evaluation. We coordinate a team of 12 researchers from three organisations, and facilitate the collation and analysis of data for each of the 18 beneficiary areas across the nine analytical work streams. It’s a bit like doing nine 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzles at the same time. So please don’t buy us one for Christmas!
This project is being completed as a sub-contractor to Transport for Quality of Life, working in partnership with the University of the West of England and Sustrans.
Find out more
Download the TCF national evaluation’s baseline synthesis report.
Read about how we can help with evaluation and social research.
Read about how we can help with the design and delivery of your next sustainable transport or behaviour change project.