Nicola Kane

Nicola is responsible for Steer’s client relationships in the North of England and Scotland. She has particular expertise in strategic planning, including the development of transport strategies and plans, major scheme business cases, and the integration of land use and transport planning. She is used to working in complex stakeholder and political environments and has recently been appointed to DfT’s Capital Review Panel, advising the Transport Secretary of State on capital investment priorities. Her clients since joining Steer include TfGM, WYCA, SYMCA, LCRCA, and Sheffield and Manchester City Councils. 

Nicola joined Steer in 2022 from Transport for Greater Manchester, where she was Head of Strategic Planning, Insight and Innovation. She led the development of Greater Manchester's fourth local transport plan: Greater Manchester Transport Strategy for 2040 and a supporting Five-year Transport Delivery Plan, which formed the basis of the city region's recent £1bn+ City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. She also led the development of new policy agendas, including the Streets for All Strategy, a new City Centre Transport Strategy, and Greater Manchester's approach to new and shared mobility and transport decarbonisation.

Nicola was responsible for a major market research programme delivered by TfGM's insight team and a number of EU and InnovateUK-funded innovation pilots, such as trials of shared electric cargo bikes, EV car clubs, 5G junction technology and eScooters.

She is a member of the Institute of Transport Studies (University of Leeds) Advisory Board, the CIHT Professional Skills Committee, and the CIHT Future Transport Visions Steering Group. She previously held roles on the POLIS management committee and Manchester Climate Change Partnership Board. She is also a chartered town planner (MRTPI) and transport planning professional (TPP) and was awarded TPS Transport Planner of the Year in 2017.