Steer Director Nicola Kane elected new Chair of Transport Planning Society

Nicola Kane, Director at Steer, will succeed Ben Plowden as the 16^th Chair of the Transport Planning Society.

With a career spanning billion-pound transport strategies, pioneering local behaviour change programmes and innovation trials, and involvement in the TPS Skills Programme, Nicola brings an exceptional blend of big-picture vision and hands-on regional insight – making her perfectly suited to lead the TPS at a time when the English Devolution Bill and Integrated National Transport Strategy are dominating the debate about the future of transport. 

Based in Manchester, Nicola is responsible for Steer’s business in the North of England and Scotland. 

Commenting on her appointment, Nicola said:

“I am excited to have the opportunity to lead the society through a fascinating period of change for the industry in the context of a new mission-led government, local government reform and ongoing devolution of transport funding and powers. 

“Embedding vision-led planning principles and practice into transport planning and delivery at a national as well as local level will be central to my role, and I will be looking to focus particularly on having more constructive conversations about the role of transport in shaping people’s lives and local places. 

“I am also keen to see more diversity in the profession and particularly to encourage more women into transport planning and to progress to leadership roles. I hope to increase TPS’s visibility and activities in the regions through more local, in-person events to provide great networking as well as professional development opportunities.”

Her ability to navigate both large-scale strategic frameworks and multi-modal integration makes her ideally placed to lead the transport planning profession through this era of change.

Outgoing TPS Chair Ben Plowden said:

“It has been my privilege to work with the TPS Board, its membership and our many partners in the industry to continue the development of the TPS over the past two and a half years.  I am delighted that Nicola will be succeeding me as Chair – her professional experience and active work with the Society make her perfectly qualified to take the TPS to the next stage of its continued development.”