A modern high-quality, efficient and well-integrated transport system is essential to support the competitiveness of the North West’s industry and commerce, and to facilitate the Region’s social and recreational needs. However it is essential that transport systems are designed in a way which contributes towards the Regional Assembly’s sustainable development policies. Access is important too for attracting new investment, particularly in local areas where declining traditional industries are being replaced with new development.

Our current transport system, like other parts of the country, is in need of a major overhaul. Congestion is a serious and growing problem and our public transport network is in need of further investment if our buses and trains are to deliver the service we all want and expect. There’s growing concern too about accidents, air pollution and public health associated with the rapid increase of goods and people on the move.

A key responsibility of the North West Regional Assembly is to develop a Regional Transport Strategy that will deal with these and other transport issues. Local authorities, the Highways Agency, the Strategic Rail Authority (and its successors) and Network Rail will all play an important part in its development, but the strategy will only work if it takes full account of the concerns and the aspirations of local communities across the region.

That’s why I am delighted to introduce this new website to you. Which Way Forward? presents a series of focused articles about those transport issues that affect you, your family and your local community. Written by transport journalists and specialists the articles cover everything from super highways to cycle lanes, congestion charging to car sharing, as well as transport planning and public transport. There are interviews with ambulance drivers, firefighters and local people describing their day-to-day frustrations of simply getting around - real issues that affect all of us at some time or other.

Building a transport system fit for the 21st Century requires public support and political will. There’s no shortage of options but budgets are limited so priorities for expanding the network will have to be made. Simply building more roads is not the only option - past experience suggests that relying heavily on expanding the road network may only generate more traffic. However, doing nothing is not an option either, unless we want to see the whole system grind to a halt.

So, should we, for example, charge people to use the motorway at certain times of the day or to park at work? Should we give priority to certain types of vehicles, such as buses or lorries? Should we be providing better information so people know about public transport alternatives? Should we be improving facilities for walkers and cyclists? Recent announcements from Government on the proposed M6 Toll extension to Manchester, the proposed reduction in funding for Metrolink extensions, and other potential reductions in public investment mean that some difficult choices will have to be made.

The articles on this website are designed to stimulate the transport debate - they could reinforce your views or change your opinion of transport altogether. Either way we want to hear from you, take a few minutes to complete the on-line questionnaire to tell us what you think.

Finally, I would like to thank all the contributors and the editor, John Barwise, for their excellent work in producing this document. I hope that you find it an interesting and thought provoking read. It’s the first of its kind in the UK and I am proud that once again the North West Regional Assembly is taking the lead.

Councillor Derek Boden OBE