Delight over new role for transport chief Laura
THE managing director of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), has been appointed as the new chairman of the Urban Transport Group.
Laura Shoaf, who was previously vice-chair, has over 20 years’ experience leading in urban transport planning in the UK and USA.
The Urban Transport Group is the UK’s network of city region transport authorities lobbying to bring funding and powers to city regions.
Ms Shoaf is the first female chair of the organisation and was recently shortlisted in the Everywoman awards for transport and logistics as a leader in their field.
She has been responsible for key initiatives across the West Midlands and is overseeing more than £4 billion investment in the region’s infrastructure through the HS2 Connectivity Package and the Strategic Transport Plan.
Ms Shoaf said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to Chair the Urban Transport Group and to work with colleagues from across the city regions to meet both the challenge of the
Covid-19 crisis and the ongoing transformation of urban transport networks.
“During the pandemic, the Urban Transport Group is proving its worth more than ever with intensive daily liaison on the multiple operational and financial challenges that all its members face. It has been, and continues to be, invaluable to collaborate on these problems and to be able to make common representations to Government to secure the funding and policy support we need.
“Alongside our response to Covid-19, we as a network are also delivering on the strong consensus on the need for high quality, integrated urban public transport networks that can support the greener, healthier and more prosperous city regions that we want to see.
“Our members are at the heart of delivering programmes to achieve this, including extensive investment in better rail and bus services, as well as in making active travel easier and more attractive.”