Authorities in Derby & Nottingham (pictured), Leicester, the North East, Norwich, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and West Yorkshire will bid for a share of £840M from the Fund.

Government says the money can go towards upgrades such as new bus routes linking residential areas to employment hubs, smart technology to reduce congestion, or docking stations for e-bikes.

“Good bus, cycle and tram routes play a huge role in increasing the vitality and vibrancy of cities,” said Transport Secretary Chris Grayling. “These 10 areas now have the chance to transform their transport systems – making it easier for people to get around and enhance links to work, school or shops.”

Each of the shortlisted authorities will receive an initial £50,000 cash injection as well as bespoke support from the Government in order to ‘co-develop’ cases for investment.

Once finalised, funding decisions will consider the relative strength of each bid and their impact on improving connectivity, supporting employment and growing productivity.

The latest £840M allocation from the Transforming Cities Fund comes after six mayoral combined authorities – including the West Midlands and Greater Manchester – received investment for transport improvements at the end of last year.

Commenting on the shortlist announcement, National Infrastructure Commission chair Sir John Armitt said: “I’m pleased to see 10 city regions across the country benefiting from this funding boost, recognising that the need to tackle congestion makes cities a top infrastructure priority.”

He added: “I would now urge Ministers to go further and devolve even greater powers and funding to local leaders. That will enable them to devise longer term plans for transport, boost employment opportunities and deliver much needed homes.”

The Commission has also announced the winners of its ‘Roads for the Future’ competition which sought ideas for how the UK’s road network could be adapted to maximise the potential benefits of driverless cars. The winners – technology company City Science and Leeds City Council – will each receive £25,000 for their ideas.

City Science’s entry examines how sections of roads in urban areas could initially be dedicated to driverless vehicles, as a key step in kick starting their take up and integrating them safely into the network.

The entry from Leeds City Council looks at how data generated from digitally connected cars could be used to improve traffic light sequencing, allowing authorities to better manage traffic and reduce tailbacks.

Photo Credit: Alastair Lloyd