Case Study 1: Clyde Metro
Embedding Health and Wellbeing in Transport Planning
Case Study: The Clyde Metro project is a pilot for the CHIA which is part of the Economies for Healthier Lives programme of funding from the Health Foundation. As part of this programme, the Clyde Metro's proposals were considered in a impact identification workshop in 2023 as part of the HIA process. This case study summarises the approach taken, including early lessons learned and key benefits of using the CHIA for the project's business case development.
Background on project: | |
Project
| The Clyde Metro project resulted from recommendations made by the Connectivity Commission, acknowledging the unequal distribution of public transport in Glasgow City Region. With those living in areas of higher vulnerability and deprivation disproportionately affected by lack of accessible, reliable and affordable public transport and identifying this as a significant barrier to accessing key services and employment opportunities. Following from the initial feasibility study undertaken by the Metro team, the Clyde Metro was included in the Scottish Government's Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). The project has moved to delivery phase with funding from Glasgow City Region to develop its Case For Investment. Clyde Metro was identified as a key pilot within the Economies for Healthier Lives project and a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) was proposed as a means to ascertain key impacts of the Metro for health, the determinants of health and equity. "From the outset of Glasgow City Council's work on Clyde Metro, there has been a need for a practical approach to demonstrate the direct and indirect health benefits a fully integrated mass transit system can bring to the City Region. "Working with the Economies for Healthier Life team - we focused on the importance of collaborating with communities and groups to understand from all angles how infrastructure projects can affect people's lives differently through the various stages of a project's life cycle. "The resources and tools provided will enable our team to find and generate evidence which may support recommendations to decision makers and primary stakeholders regarding identified transport corridors and the positive health benefits which could be realised in addition to wider economic and societal factors. "(Kerstin Connor, Operations Manager, Clyde Metro).
|
HIA Timeline
| September 2022 In September 2022, in preparation for the HIA process, there was a background information session to update a range of stakeholders on the Clyde Metro project in advance of the workshop. October 2022 In October 2022, the core team held a workshop, as part of the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) process. Participants used the Scottish Health and Inequalities Impact Assessment Network (SHIIAN) health impact checklist to identify potential impacts on populations and health determinants likely to be affected by the Clyde Metro proposals. The workshop allowed the project team and project stakeholders to: - develop an understanding of the HIA process for staff involved in the Clyde Metro project to ensure a common understanding of HIAs. - identify potential positive and negative impacts on key populations and determinants of health that may result from implementing the Clyde Metro proposals. - generate research questions to help inform the future development of Clyde Metro. - develop recommendations that can be used to inform the development of Clyde Metro at an early stage. March 2023 The initial workshop was followed by another one in March 2023 with the Economies for Healthier Lives Community Panel. This process resulted in a series of key recommendations for further exploration as the project development process evolves which will inform the full HIA process. Key recommendations included the following: - Shared Vision: o Develop and share a clear vision of the intended benefits of the Clyde Metro. - Community Engagement: o Undertake robust community engagement - this is crucial from the outset to ensure both infrastructure improvements and other benefits meet community needs in a way that empowers them. - Equality Principles: o Follow the Equality Act principles, ensuring that there is broad engagement which takes account of different population groups within the community, and is conducted in an accessible format with appropriate engagement approaches and support to enable full participation - Safety: o Design Clyde Metro, its stations and stops to ensure safety and accessibility, and to reduce transmission of infectious disease. - Sustainable Procurement: o Ensure that social benefits are included within any contracts awarded to bring improvements to the local community. - Targeted Recruitment: o Include targeted recruitment to maximise employment opportunities during the construction of the Clyde Metro. - Health and Environment Co-Benefits: o Maximise co-benefits for health and the environment when developing Clyde Metro infrastructure, including climate adaptation as well as net zero functions and design that reduces flood risk. - Integration: o Integrate Clyde Metro with services to other regions (rail, long distance bus and ferry) both physically and through an integrated ticketing system. - Support Walking, Wheeling and Cycling: o Provide bike parking and connections to bike sharing schemes at stations and stops to support cycling as well as walking and wheeling. o Extend bike sharing schemes to peripheral areas so that more communities can benefit. - Stations as Community Hubs: o Enable stations to become hubs, offering and connecting to other community resources. - Car Reduction Policy: o Implement complementary interventions to support reduced car use such as road space reallocation and parking policies. - Accessible Navigation: o Support physical and online navigation to help meet the needs of those who experience challenges such as language barriers and sensory and cognitive impairment, including street signage and online information. - Inclusive & Affordable Ticketing: o Ensure that ticketing is inclusive and accessible for all, including those without access (physical or cognitive) to digital services. o Ensure that ticketing is affordable to all, with bus concessions applying across the network. - Accessibility: o Ensure that accessibility of vehicles, stations and stops is achieved to enable disabled people to use public transport. o Staff training and culture should be considered to support disabled people and others and respond appropriately to safety concerns. - Local Needs: o Timetables and their scheduling should assess the demand within the area to meet local need. - Advertising o Ban health-harming advertising such as unhealthy foods or fossil fuels at stations, stops, on-board carriages and on online booking systems and apps. May 2024 In May 2024 - the report outlining key health and equity impacts and recommendations from both workshops, was presented to the project's steering group. The steering group welcomed the report and key recommendations. As a result, it was agreed that Clyde Metro would include full Health Impact Assessment as part of a suite of Impact Assessments to be commissioned out by project team to help inform the development of the case for investment.
|
Lessons learned and next steps
| The HIA workshop exercise was undertaken prior to the Strategic Case being developed and will help to inform the Case For Investment. This has helped to support the decision to commission a full HIA alongside other (statutory) Impact Assessments such as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Strategic Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG). The HIA appraisal and evidence review will revisit the workshop recommendations and inform decision making. "Securing support and having a budget to ensure that a Public Health expert is embedded in Clyde Metro project team is a helpful means to ensure that health and wellbeing is at the heart of the Clyde Metro's design, construction and operation stages." (Kirsten Connor, Clyde Metro Operations Manager)
|
This case study was developed with support from the Clyde Metro Team. For more information, please visit the project's webpage.
Share this page
