The central role of the Northern Way's transport work was to add to what could be achieved by the North's three regions and eight city regions acting alone. This resulted in a clear focus on the connectivity between the North's city regions and between the city regions and key business destinations elsewhere in the country, as well as international connectivity. The Northern Way Transport Compact also worked with partners to add economies of scale to city-region led initiatives.
The foundation of the Transport Compact's work was the establishment of a clear Strategic Direction for Transport and a set of Short, Medium and Long Term Transport Priorities.