First published in 1999, this book contains case studies of rail transport policy-making in two UK Passenger Transport Authority areas and reviews the factors informing such policy-making. It contributes to transport geography by explaining why the actual policies implemented in Starthclyde and Merseyside were pursued, and to the continuing development of the political science theory of 'the urban policy regime' by analysing the differences in policy development attributable to the different 'city-regional' (Strathclyde) and 'public choice' (Merseyside) geographical structures of local governance. The book demonstrates that these differences in the spatial organisation of local institutions play a powerful role in determining the operation of the local 'regime' of policy-makers, the form of final policy outputs, and the level of public accountability achieved.

First published in 1999, this book contains case studies of rail transport policy-making in two UK Passenger Transport Authority areas and reviews the factors informing such policy-making. It contributes to transport geography by explaining why the actual policies implemented in Starthclyde and Merseyside were pursued, and to the continuing development of the political science theory of 'the urban policy regime' by analysing the differences in policy development attributable to the different 'city-regional' (Strathclyde) and 'public choice' (Merseyside) geographical structures of local governance. The book demonstrates that these differences in the spatial organisation of local institutions play a powerful role in determining the operation of the local 'regime' of policy-makers, the form of final policy outputs, and the level of public accountability achieved.

At a time when transport is high on the political agenda and government decision-making is being vigorously scrutinised, there is a need for an incisive and accessible analysis of the key policy issues. This book is a highly readable introduction to the transport debate from two experts in the field. The authors celebrate the advantages of a modern transport system, but argue that years of poorly conceived and executed transport policy have resulted in Britain's transport system being far worse than it should be. They show that a substandard transport system creates economic, social and environmental costs, but demonstrate how these can be addressed through affordable and politically deliverable changes. Using a refreshingly novel approach, Shaw and Docherty use the familiar idea of the journey as the basis for their discussion. The book follows members of the Smith family as they uncover a wide array of transport issues, including why the problems we all encounter as we travel around actually come about; which policy trade-offs were responsible for creating them in the first place; what impacts we all have to suffer as a result; and what we can do to fix them. This lively and engaging approach will make the book ideal for a wide readership.

This informed and lively book offers a timely analysis of the UK government's sustainable - or subsequently 'integrated' - transport policy 10 years after the publication of "A New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone". Written by prominent transport experts and with a foreword by Christian Wolmar, the book identifies the modest successes and, sadly, the far more significant failures in government policy over the last decade. The authors also uncover why it has proved so difficult to adopt a more sustainable approach to transport and break Britain's love-affair with the car. The book reviews the links between the idea of sustainability and transport policy, and provides an up-to-the-minute analysis of the political realities surrounding the delivery of a sustainable transport agenda in the UK. It picks up on the principal components of "A New Deal for Transport" and evaluates to what extent these have, or haven't, been delivered in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The contributors analyse why delivering sustainable transport policies seems to present particular difficulties to ministers across the UK, and considers the UK's experience in an international perspective. The book draws lessons from the last 10 years in order to better inform future policy development. "Traffic Jam" is an indispensable analysis of the difficulties involved in turning policy ideals into practical reality, and as such will be of interest to scholars, students, planners, policy analysts and policy makers.

The British state has long been regarded as one of the most stable and centralised political structures in the world, and devolution represents one of the most significant changes to its fabric in 300 years. To date research on devolution in the UK has largely focused on core public policy areas such as health, economic development and social welfare. Work on transport has been somewhat limited, despite its increased policy prominence in recent years. This book presents a thorough academic investigation into the impact of devolution on the formulation and delivery of transport policy in the UK. Using detailed interviews with key policy makers, transport providers, business organisations and user groups, the authors draw upon concepts and ideas from across the social sciences to inform their analysis. The picture that emerges is distinctly mixed: there are elements of both convergence and divergence in the strategies and policies adopted by the devolved administrations, and marked variations in the overall performance of these administrations in transport are uncovered. Ultimately, though, devolution on its own is an insufficient basis for improved policy performance what matters is the generation of enough strategic capacity to promote real change for the better.

About the authors
Danny MacKinnon is Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Aberdeen.
Jon Shaw is Reader in Human Geography and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Transport at the University of Plymouth.
Iain Docherty is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management at the University of Glasgow.
* This book presents a thorough academic investigation into the impact of devolution onthe formulation and delivery of transport policy in the UK.
* The authors draw upon concepts and ideas from across the social sciences to inform their analysis by using detailed interviews with key policy makers, transport providers, business organisations and user groups.