Vision 2030: transport visions for strategic highways

This paper reports work done three years ago for the Highways Agency in England to stimulate long-term thinking about how to develop and operate the strategic highway network in the UK. The effects of road traffic are becoming a critical problem throughout the world, and without some radical solutions the situation is forecast to get worse. Problems such as traffic congestion, global warming and how to achieve sustainability are politically sensitive yet require positive action. Innovative thinking is needed now to develop solutions and actions that are good for the long term. The Highways Agency in its role as network operator is responsible for managing, maintaining and improving the strategic road network in England—over 8000 km of motorways and trunk roads. In a bid to look beyond the usual 5–10 year planning cycle, the Highways Agency commissioned the Vision 2030 Project. Visioning techniques and innovative thinking were used to develop several possible scenarios and propositions for the long-term future of inter-urban transport. These transport visions have influenced the Highways Agency in developing suitable action plans to achieve the desired levels of service for users of the strategic road network, against a changing and challenging background.