Freight
After the southeast, the West Midlands conurbation has the second largest concentration of population, combined with a dynamic manufacturing and distribution base, which results in a considerable volume of freight.
As part of the Council's objective to reduce congestion and cut pollution, local authorities within the region have introduced policies to counteract the negative effects of freight in the West Midlands. The West Midlands Regional Freight Strategy has since been produced which includes strategies to address problematic freight issues, which are on a regional basis due to the cross boundary nature of the West Midlands conurbation.
A Freight Quality Partnership has been created to encourage more efficient use of the road network and the use of alternative modes, such as inland waterways and rail. This will help in achieving the shared priorities of improved road safety and producing better air quality stated in the Local Transport Plan.