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February 2021 ciht.org.uk transportation professional Futuristic tram taken forward for Coventry winter service graphic design active travel digital roads Call for UK Transport sign Old rail tunnels Better public to follow doyenne shows converted for engagement Canada’s lead off her work cycling in Wales encouraged p7 p11 p16 p22 Visit CIHT’s official jobs website: cihtjobs.com transportation consultants directory 2021 Supplement to Transportation Professional, June 2021 CIHT’s Transportation Consultants Directory is the only source of information devoted exclusively to transportation specialists in the UK. Building on the formula which has established the directory as the definitive source of information on firms, their transportation skills and their specialisms, the 2021 directory will include: > A comprehensive listing of UK firms > A detailed breakdown of each firm’s areas of expertise > In depth analysis of the economic prospects for the sector > What transportation consultants think in our business trends survey Published on 14 June with the June 2021 issue of Transportation Professional, the directory will be delivered to every CIHT member plus key transport clients. Questionnaires have been sent out. If you wish to secure an entry, please make sure you complete and return your forms by Friday 26 March. If your firm was not listed in 2020 and you want to be in the 2021 directory, call 01892 524468 or email [email protected] For advertising opportunities contact commercial director Fawad Minhas on 01892 553149 or email [email protected] contents transportation professional Transportation Professional, February 2021 ciht.org.uk Welcome to our seventh digital issue: BBA, 7 Linden Close, Tunbridge Wells, transportation Kent TN4 8HH T: 01892 524468 professional Once again, Transportation Professional is provided as both an Editor: Mike Walter 01892 553148 electronic version and as a printed magazine. Readers who receive [email protected] a copy in the post may also like to browse this digital version to gain News Editor: access to additional content, such as videos. Steve Dale 01892 553146 Look out for the hand icon against some of the photographs [email protected] in this issue which will direct you to further content. Certain articles Consultant Editor: Nick Barrett 01892 524468 also contain interactive links highlighted in blue which will take you [email protected] to documents providing extra detail. Production: We welcome any feedback or suggestions you may have about Alastair Lloyd 01892 553145 [email protected] Futuristic tram taken this current digital format. forward for Coventry Andrew Pilcher 01892 553147 winter service graphic design active travel digital roads Call for UK Transport sign Old rail tunnels Better public to follow doyenne shows converted for engagement Canada’s lead off her work cycling in Wales encouraged [email protected] p7 p11 p16 p22 Mike Walter, Editor Visit CIHT’s offi cial jobs website: cihtjobs.com Commercial Director: Fawad Minhas 01892 553149 [email protected] 4 news & analysis: Strong case offered for more rail spend; Fears for public transport as car use spike expected; Call to follow overseas Sales Executive: 4 Kirsty Barrett 01892 524468 approaches to winter and streamline communications [email protected] 8 debate: Could electric scooters be a realistic mode of transport for most people taking short trips in urban areas within five years? working life: Paul Tuohy of the Campaign for Better Transport 9 tales from the past: The Highway Engineer Proprietor: The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation, 119 Britannia just one more thing: Rail debate rumbles on Walk, London N1 7JE T: 0207 336 1555 [email protected], ciht.org.uk, @CIHTUK 10 letters: Airport expansion and Covid; Electric vehicles and the planet; TP Editorial Panel: Nick Boyle, John Amos, Bridge maintenance and active travel; Cycle priority at junctions Lynn Basford, Peter Dickinson, Jo Field, Billy McCoubrey, Chris Menzies, John Paterson, 11 transport sketch: Taking a virtual tour of sign exhibition Joanna Sammons, Dana Skelley 11 Novel public transport scheme gathers Barrett Byrd Barrett Byrd 12 very light rail: cover story – Associates Associates momentum in Coventry; Trams to be tested at Dudley innovation centre; Cirencester looks to introduce lightweight rail project 16 active travel: Green routes give deserted rail tunnels a new lease of Barrett Byrd Barrett Byrd Associates Associates life for cyclists and walkers in south Wales Publisher: Barrett, Byrd Associates, 7 Linden 18 road maintenance: Pothole funding challenge continues to frustrate Close, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8HH T: 01892 524455, barrett-byrd.com and a profile of the new Midlands Highway Alliance Plus group The views expressed in Transportation 22 future mobility: Discussion hears of drive towards digital roads and Professional are not necessarily those of a look at research to ensure autonomous cars meet people’s needs the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation or Barrett, Byrd Associates. 24 technical paper: Realising cost and efficiency savings from precise asset condition measurements 26 ciht news: Qualified members celebrate success, Entries open for transportation professional annual awards ceremony, Governance changes at Council, Details of – Journal of the CIHT Spring Conference set out 2021 Subscription rates: 29 events: A round up of webinars taking place over the coming months, (January to December only, 10 issues) UK – £103 per year plus details of how to listen again to CIHT webinars held recently. International – £111 per year 30 directory ISSN: 1478-4467 16 31 recruitment © The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation 2021. Incorporated by Royal Charter. CIHT is a charity registered in England (1136896), Scotland (SC040873) This issue’s cover: Officials from and the Republic of Ireland (20103989). Coventry visit a factory to see progress Transportation Professional is with building the city’s first ever ‘very available online in the ‘My CIHT’ light rail’ vehicle (see page 12). section of ciht.org.uk COVER IMAGE: MARK RADFORD February 2021 3 news & analysis Strong case offered for more rail spend Britain’s railways could soon see a “very Passenger numbers may substantial bounceback” in passenger bounce back numbers, assuming the Covid vaccination A LLOYD programme continues to be rolled out at pace, according to National Infrastructure Commission chair Sir John Armitt. Speaking to an All Party Parliamentary Rail Group meeting the other week Sir John added he did not believe that long term changes in passenger behaviour will be significant enough to undermine the case for more investment in greater rail capacity. He also said it would be “foolish to bet against the historic resilience of larger towns and cities” in recovering from the pandemic. I do not believe there is evidence to stop major He predicted that passenger volumes will Sir John spoke of the rail investments.” likely return within the next three to four continuing “strong case” Later in the session, economic advisor years, but added that the customer market is for rail investment in the Oxera’s partner Andrew Meaney gave his likely to be different with more long distance Midlands and the north of thoughts on the future of rail travel post leisure journeys. England and commented Covid. It would seem “fanciful” to consider “I am almost certain there that the health crisis a return to people pressed up against each will need to be some sort of and economic downturn other on the Tube any time soon, he said, incentivisation to encourage Sir John Armitt give “ever more reason adding that while recession and lockdown will people back onto rail and for work to go ahead and for a core set of end one day, reversing new trends like the use public transport,” he added, recommendations to be set and stuck to”. of video conferencing may be hard. “something akin to ‘Eat Out He also revealed that the National “Let’s imagine new habits do actually last,” Andrew to Help Out’.” Meaney Infrastructure Commission is about to start he suggested. “It will probably mean business And at a Transport Select a study into behavioural change arising from trips you do take are the ones that are really Committee session in early February, Transport Covid, which will feed into its next long term important, and commuting will be less of a Secretary Grant Shapps predicted that rail “has infrastructure needs assessment. habit and more of a choice.” a very bright future” in the long term, adding: “I do believe the bulk of commuting will At a second online event recently, Network “there may be pent up demand to see loved return, likewise long distance in the main,” Rail’s lead strategic planner Steven Hart said ones or, frankly, to get out of the house”. Sir John explained, “but of course there will a number of long term forecasts are under He observed that attending virtual meetings be reflection as a consequence of recent way to determine the likely demand from “just isn’t the same as being together”. MW experiences”. However he reiterated: “Today, passengers in the coming years. See ‘Just One More Thing’, page 9. of chronic under investment” and that funding has Counter view heard over Welsh funding not kept up with that seen in England. Complaints that Wales does not get its ‘fair share’ improving train services in Wales. The session also heard the case for further rail of rail investment have been branded “childish “We need to step back and ask what the Welsh devolution in Wales, but Julian Glover warned: “Be and depressing” by a former senior civil servant. rail network should be doing on decarbonisation careful what you wish for. Julian Glover, a special advisor to the and supporting changes in society, and then “If you have a fixed budget and are a smaller Department for Transport until 2016, told (looking at how) to achieve that,” he said.