TfN has published two new reports focused on the importance of improving rural connectivity across the North.
The rural North is home to more than 2.1 million people and 121,000 businesses, as well as significant visitor destinations including National Parks and World Heritage Sites. However, many rural areas face challenges due to limited public transport connectivity, limited local services and higher private car dependency. This means the North’s rural residents often have to travel greater distances to access employment, education and basic services.
We are actively enhancing our rural evidence base to strengthen the case for investment in rural connectivity, in line with the ambitions in the North’s Strategic Transport Plan. Our latest evidence shows the contribution rural areas are making to the Northern economy, health and social outcomes, and preserving natural capital.
Our research includes a summary report that assesses rural mobility across England, the North and North Yorkshire. We included a case study to enable a more localised analysis within the North and better understand the diverse rural characteristics of North Yorkshire. This report has been developed from our extensive data and evidence base and draws upon Transport for the North’s Analytical Framework. We have also undertaken research with our Citizens’ Panel to provide insight into rural user perspectives for developing mobility hubs. These reports have identified five key findings, highlighting the areas where we need to work collectively to address these challenges.
Our analysis now shows us the extent of the problem that many rural residents in the North are facing around car dependency due to limited travel options, which exacerbates social exclusion and inequalities. In the rural North, car ownership is high (87%),1 often due to a lack of public transport and active travel options. Nationally, rural households spend £38 more per week2 on transport than urban households, creating a barrier to accessing employment, services, and opportunities.
In North Yorkshire, bus service kilometres have dropped by nearly 50% since 2012/13, meaning residents are more likely to rely more on private cars. Those without a car tend to be older, lone, or single-parent households,3 which evidence suggests could increase their vulnerability to social exclusion.
Without speeding up the rural transition to electric vehicles (EVs), the North risks failing to achieve its goal of near-zero carbon emissions from surface transport by 2045.4 There is a significant gap nationally in EV charging infrastructure between rural and urban areas, with 45 publicly available charging devices per 100,000 population in rural areas compared to 62 in urban areas.5
Rural residents also travel much further than their urban counterparts (6,500 miles per year vs. 3,661 miles)6 and have higher car dependency, making the transition to EVs even more critical. Without this transition, if rural residents do need to drive, they will remain dependent on petrol and diesel vehicles, constraining carbon reduction ambitions.
Strong digital connectivity in the rural North is crucial to realising the region’s potential to boost its economy by £118 billion in GVA annually by 2050.7 The rural workforce is highly skilled, with 64% employed in professional, technical, senior management, or skilled trade occupations.8
However, broadband speeds in rural areas across the North, are on average, slower than in urban areas (47 Mbit/s vs. 56 Mbit/s),9 which hampers economic growth and the adoption of new technologies. Improving digital infrastructure is essential to support the region’s skilled workforce, enhance business operations, and enable innovative travel solutions.
Improving rural transport connectivity can unlock the potential of the North’s rural visitor economy. The rural North is home to several of the UK’s most visited National Parks and coastal areas, which attracted around 420 million visits in 2019. Currently, car travel is the dominant mode of transport for visitors (85% of long-distance journeys within the North), reflecting the limited public transport options.10
In North Yorkshire, public transport accessibility has decreased, with bus stop density much lower than in urbanised areas of West Yorkshire. This limited accessibility particularly affects areas around North Yorkshire’s two National Parks, reducing their potential to attract visitors who rely on public transport.11
Mobility hubs in rural areas, developed in partnership with local communities, can integrate various transport options with wider services which could help increase local accessibility and provide sustainable travel options. TfN’s research shows that 70% of village residents believe a local mobility hub would increase their travel options and make it easier to access key services.
Moreover, 68% of village residents say a mobility hub would encourage them to make more onward journeys using bus or rail services, while 60% would do the same with a hub in a nearby market town. These hubs have the potential to reduce social exclusion, increase accessibility to opportunities, attract more residents and visitors, encourage public transport uptake and stimulate local economies.
Working collectively to improve rural connectivity
Our research underscores the need for strategic investment in rural infrastructure to unlock the full potential of the North. By addressing challenges like car dependency, insufficient EV infrastructure, and weak digital connectivity, it can unlock economic growth, reduce inequalities, and support our environmental ambitions. The development of rural mobility hubs, in particular, represent an opportunity to enhance local transport options, and improve quality of life and access to opportunities for rural residents.
We are keen to hear our partners’ and stakeholders’ thoughts on our findings and how our evidence base can be used to help inform policy development and interventions to improve rural connectivity.
For further information on our research, please email [email protected].