Our response to proposals about the Key Route Network

Filed under: Consultation

West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are consulting on changes to how they designate and change the Key Route Network – a collection of the busiest roads in the region. Currently it is written into law and WMCA want to change this to become a separate document. You can reply to the consultation on Commonplace by 15 August 2025.

We support the proposals. It entirely makes sense that the Key Route Network (KRN) should be articulated at a local level by the West Midlands Combined Authority without the need to take up civil servant time, and to address this national oddity.

It is our understanding that the Key Route Network duplicates responsibilities between local authorities and WMCA. And we struggle to identify the tangible benefits of having a designated key route network, whereas in London, TfL manages most of their red routes.

Having reviewed the original release of documents that articulated key routes and the features of those routes, no improvements were publicly identified. Therefore they appear to be largely technical and symbolic. We wonder whether it would be useful to conduct corridor studies and identify the improvements in relation to future funding.

Better Streets for Birmingham

Better Streets for Birmingham is a community group which campaigns for changes to our travel and planning infrastructure to improve the sustainability, efficiency and safety of our streets. We believe that through connecting Birmingham to reduce car dependency, we will make it a more pleasant place to work, live and play.