IHT hosts first Learned Society Lecture
On 16 October 2008, IHT held the first Learned Society Lecture, sponsored by Mott MacDonald, ‘Briefcase travelling – time use and value’. Professor Glenn Lyons, Director of the Centre for Transport & Society at the University of the West of England provided an insight into the value of people’s travel time.
Since the 1960s billions of pounds of transport investment in the UK has been justified on the basis of saving travel time. What is inferred is that travel time is wasted time, yet at least some people, some of the time, are making productive use of their time.
Professor Lyons’ research with colleagues in this area has a focus on business travel and has revealed that travel time can represent an important part of an individual’s day. It gives a different environment in which to work, relax, socialise and to gear up and wind down between different roles and activities. In the context of the knowledge economy Professor Lyons posed challenges to the enduring orthodoxy of transport investment, which has so profoundly shaped transport and society in the pursuit of quicker journeys.
The audience was treated to an analysis of how time value is measured and how transportation professionals and academics could contribute to effective time use through design, consultation and facilitation. After the presentation delegates were given the opportunity to share comments and their own theories with Professor Lyons, in what turned out to be a lively question and answer session. The lecture was well received and all the delegates had plenty to consider as they made their individual journeys home.
To see Professor Lyons’ Presentation ‘Briefcase travelling – time use and value’ please click here
IHT Presidential Conference 2008
IHT Presidential Conference Dinner – 11 September 2008
If you are to stage IHT’s Presidential Dinner in Portsmouth, what better place to hold the event and the reception that precedes it than in the town’s historic Dockyard? And while you are at it, why not encourage your guests to tour Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory? That and the good company, food and drink which generally accompanies an IHT Presidential Dinner should ensure the evening is both memorable and sets the scene for a relaxed, enjoyable and (as it happened) informative Presidential Conference the next day.
All this must have gone through the minds of Southern Branch’s Committee members when they started to discuss this year’s annual Presidential ‘bash’. The event’s organisers acted upon their instincts and ultimately delivered a super occasion. Both the dinner and the conference, held on 11 and 12 of September, were all they hoped it would be.
IHT members and their guests met within the Dockyard for drinks literally alongside the Victory which, especially for those who had never seen it before, is a breathtakingly beautiful sight and reminder of Britain’s former sea power. Everyone was then marched behind a brigade of historically uniformed marines to Boathouse 7 where dinner was to be served; but where they first watched muskets being loading and fired. The noise and smoke were impressive.
Boathouse 7 was once used for the building of small vessels for the Royal Navy and is a substantial building, quite big enough for the 300 or so people attending the Presidential Dinner. President David Tarrant thanked the Conference sponsors, Southern Branch’s organising committee and the branch’s chairman Marcus Stanton. Guest speaker was Gervase Phinn
IHT Presidential Conference – 12 September 2008 – ‘With the Advantage of Hindsight…’

With the advantage of hindsight’ was not just the theme of 2008’s IHT Presidential Conference held last month in Portsmouth but also the ethos applied to the event’s format. Promoter the Southern Branch looked back at previous conferences and decided – under branch member Alan Lovell – to organise something rather different.
This year’s Presidential Conference was based on commissioned research whose findings on how examination of past experience can benefit the future were widely disseminated*. The day long event saw the various authors speak briefly to their research papers and then spend the afternoon as panel members responding to questions – many of them calling for predictions – in the manner of a BBC ‘Question Time’ debate.
The debate was ably led by Bill Turnbull, front man of the BBC’s Breakfast news programme and regular presenter of the six o’clock news. IHT President David Tarrant and Branch Chairman Marcus Stanton – who that morning had respectively introduced the conference and welcomed the 150 or so delegates who attended – sat among the audience to enjoy the proceedings.
What follows is a selection from the many questions asked and elements of the debate that ensued – with the names of panelists in italics. Our apologies to all those who have been paraphrased or whose contributions are not mentioned.
Q: Every expert report and all the professional advice seems to point to pricing at the point of use as the best prospect for tacking the challenges of congestion, funding and sustainability in an economically efficient way. Yet hindsight shows that people don’t want it, and certainly a lack of trust in central and local government is key.
Does the panel think there is a realistic prospect of setting up an independent National Roads Corporation with the ability to manage demand and invest in infrastructure, and if so, how long will we have to wait?
Rod Anderson, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services
Stephen Glaister’s response was that people would not understand what the proposition was but if they did and they had confidence, then it could happen. “The turnpikes were built by the Turnpike Trust, the Port of London
Authority is managed by a trust, so was London Transport.” Trustees made sure the investment required was in place.
Glenn Lyons said that change inevitably met resistance, but that people can adapt. “Would things be better or worse – people are most against something the nearer that thing is to introduction. The general public having confidence in professional advisers is key. Benefits could be enjoyed after going through the pain.”
George Hazel: “If a transport service is seen to be reliable, and that it adds value, then people will pay for this. The M6 toll for example, pay the toll. The Heathrow Express, pay the fare. It is about value.”
AlanWenban-Smith said that a National Roads Corporation, a body that collects money, will not work. “It will be seen as just another tax.”
Kiron Chatterjee’s response was that there are other demand management alternatives available, for example parking. “We must think more broadly than road pricing,” he said.
“People don’t thing of congestion as a problem personally,” followed up Glenn Lyons. “But crucially, they don’t think that congestion overall is a soluble problem, because they have lost confidence (in politicians and advisers).”
Q: How do we get politicians and the public to debate or understand the ‘value’ of the product of transport and hence accept paying the ‘cost’ of travel when public decision makers are so reluctant to make difficult decisions?
Sheila Holden, independent consultant
Stephen Glaister: “When the water industry was privatised, lots of investment was needed. A regulator was appointed to ensure the utility could afford the investment and that those that paid got better quality water. What is needed is genuine accountability.”
According to Glenn Lyons: “You need an independent body and to create debate. There is the thrust and hunger there to have that debate. The professionals have to be prepared to inform what debate takes place.”
Alan Wenban-Smith: “Every household pays for the transport network but the way in which they pay– through taxation, for which they then got free use of the system – is not helpful. Better is paying via the price of fuel, that is, paying per use, which is very helpful. This is a good way for raising money. It is indiscriminate and keeps things simple.”
George Hazel: “This afternoon’s debate is typical and one we have been having for 30 years. It’s not a user focused debate....Tesco stocks shelves with what I want, with good value, so I go there and I buy. It is all about value but as far as roads are concerned, people cannot accept the concept. This is our fault. We haven’t explained it, we haven’t packaged it properly.”
Q: In 1936, the Institution of Highway Engineers had a vision for Britain’s main road network and this year, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the first motorway is being celebrated. At present, Government has no realistic vision for Britain’s future road system. What do the panelists think IHT’s vision should be?
John Wooton, the Motorway Archive Trust
“Mention vision and I reach for a gun!” said Alan Wenban-Smith. “We cannot go on in this way – with the rising price of fuel, insecurity of supply and so on. We need to reconsider what is a good life. That will deal with the transport problem.”
Kiron Chatterjee: “Look at the best ways of moving people, and this will define the best vision for transport.”
Stephen Glaister said the vision should comprise the roads we would like to see built – although too much appraisal and debate were not the point. “We know which schemes will yield high benefits; fundamentally we know a lot. Rates of return can be so high the nation deserves more investment. This is something Eddington failed to address.”
Q: Glenn Lyons talked about unintended consequences and recommended more multi disciplinary analysis. How much is enough and can we learn from other sectors and international experience on decision making to reduce negative unintended consequences?
Sue Sharland, TRL
It was certainly worth looking overseas to see what they did and at other sectors, replied Glenn Lyons. He had previously mentioned the unintended consequences experienced in Athens when the authorities there introduced a scheme to allow vehicles into the city on alternate days, based on their vehicle registration marks. Athenians subsequently bought second cars – often old and polluting ones – to ensure they had registration marks to cover both days. “In the UK now there is greater recognition of scenario planning, which accepts uncertainty exists, whereas conventional planning tends not to. Scenario planning takes the blinkers off,” he said.
Q: Bearing in mind the seeming transport mess we are in, why would you, with the advantage of hindsight, now put your faith in us and employ transport professionals to solve future transport problems?
Stuart Reynolds, Hampshire County Council
“There is something going wrong between the profession and those politicians that make the decisions,” admitted Stephen Glaister.
Said Glenn Lyons: “Forty years and the message hasn’t changed. A letter was sent to Alistair Darling (when he was Transport Secretary) signed by umpteen academics. The points they made were: you need some highway maintenance, some restraint of traffic and some improvements to public transport. Has any notice been taken?”
Alan Lovell made a point from the floor, relating to the contracting out of professional services and the fact that this had taken the focus away from authorities working out their policies. “(As engineers) we are weaker than we were before – and less attention will be paid to us in the future.”
Portsmouth University’s Ian Cross then asked a question which focused on the influence of transportation professionals: >
Q: As a profession, we get almost no exposure in the media and are not generally seen as influential in the wider transport debate. Why is this and what should we do to punch our weight?
Stephen Glaister: “Politicians do listen to the electorate, but the electorate is hopelessly misinformed.” Transport professionals could not get the media interested, he said, which led to some spirited debate drawing in Bill Turnbull, who did his best to defend the BBC.
Earlier, IHT Chief Executive Mary Lewis had remarked that more IHT candidates fail their professional reviews because of poor communication skills than because they were poor engineers.
Bill Turnbull offered guidance on what would help transport professionals gain a higher profile.
John Wootton remarked that his comments to the press were inevitably responded to by journalists with the accusatory words: “But you’re pro roads!”
Bill Turnbull asked him: “What kind of organisation do you represent?” “The Motorway Archive Trust,” was John Wootton’s reply. “That kind of implies you are pro roads then, doesn’t it?” said the BBC man. John graciously agreed that it might, drawing the best laugh of the day.
NB: Other questions not dealt with above were posted by: Gifford’s Alan Pauling; Transport for London’s Michele Dix; Adrian Palmer of Gifford; independent consultant Alan Lovell; David Hardcastle of Mouchel; Tim Malynn of Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services; Andrew Hugill of Atkins; MVA Consultancy’s Richard Crossley; Susan Anckorn of Edmund Nuttall; Robbie Owen of Bircham Dyson Bell; Merseytravel’s Alan Stilwell; Steve Canadine of Gifford and David Gibby.
The Speakers
Speakers at the IHT Presidential Conference 2008 were:
• Glenn Lyons, Professor of Transport & Society, University of the West of England; author of the conference paper ‘Learning from the past – matters of cause and effect’ Download Presentation
• Dr Kiron Chatterjee, Senior Lecturer in Transport Planning, University of the West of England; co-author (with Dr Geoff Dudley) of ‘Times series information and pivotal events'. Download Presentation
• Professor George Hazel, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen; author of ‘Societal change and expectations’. Download Presentation
• Tony Travers, LSE; co-author (with Professor Stephen Glaister, Imperial College) of ‘Policy and governance’. Download Presentation
• Professor Stephen Glaister, Imperial College, London; co-author (with Tony Travers, LSE) of ‘The economy and funding for transport’. Download Presentation
• Dr Mark Beecroft, University of Southampton; co-author (with Professor Mike McDonald) of ‘The changing transport network’. Download Presentation
• Alan Wenban-Smith, Urban & Regional Planning Consultant and Visiting Professor of Planning,
Birmingham City University; author of ‘Planning and the Environment’. Download Presentation
*Synopses of all the papers mentioned above were published in ‘With the advantage of hindsight – a digest of research carried out for the 2008 IHT Presidential Conference’, issued with September’s Transportation Professional.
Conference sponsors were Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services, Bircham Dyson Bell, Gifford and Siemens. Next year’s Presidential Dinner and Conference will take place on the 23 and 24 September.
North West Branch will be hosting the event, which will be held in Manchester.
Moving People, Changing Expectations
2nd October 2008 - Royal Overseas League, London
The conference launched a report on the findings of the IHT’s own study into Sustainable Transport –
‘Climate Change & Sustainable Transport – the challenge for transport professionals’
To download The Executive Summary please here
Further information including presentations, photos from the day and full report will be available soon.
IHT Awards 2008
The Institution of Highways and Transportation’s (IHT) Annual Awards Dinner 2008 took place on Thursday 5 June at Guildhall, London. Over 450 guests attended the prestigious occasion that celebrates and promotes the good work currently taking place in the highways and transportation sector.
The IHT Awards advocate transportation projects and schemes that promote professionalism and best practice, rewarding innovative thinking and technical expertise that inspires both change and development within the industry.
This year the awards took place in the grand settings of the atmospheric Guildhall. The awards were presented by Wing Commander Andy Green, the World Land Speed Record Holder. Guests were treated to a short film of the land speed record attempt, which highlights what can be achieved through perseverance and the desire for engineering excellence.
From the 138 original entries, 33 were short listed for the 10 awards. The categories were Health & Safety at Work, Urban Design, Manual for Streets, Technological Application, Security in the Public Realm, Innovation, Environmental, Sustainability, Road Safety Award and Effective Partnerships.
The winners were:
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IHT/Highways Agency Health & Safety at Work Award – A-One Integrated Services with ‘the Revolutionary Durakerb’
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IHT/Transport for London Urban Design Award – Brighton & Hove City Council with ‘New Road Environmental Enhancements’
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IHT/Department for Transport Manual for Streets Award – Peter Brett Associates for ‘the Hempsted Development’
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IHT/Colas Award for Technological Application – London Borough of Islington with ‘Islington Highway Services’
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IHT/Centre for the Protection of National Industry for Security in the Public Realm West One for their 'Whitehall Streetscape Project'
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IHT/ Ringway Award for Innovation - Brighton & Hove City Council for ‘Talking Bus Stops’
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IHT/Halcrow Environmental Award – Scott Wilson for their ‘A30 Bodmin to Indian Queen Improvement’
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IHT/Skanska Award for Sustainability – Cormac with their ‘Sustainability Strategy’
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IHT/Atkins Road Safety Award – Norfolk County Council for their ‘Don’t be a Loser’ campaign and DBDA with their ‘A-Z of Traffic Tales’
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IHT/Costain Award for Effective Partnerships – Colas Ltd and Portsmouth City Council ‘the Portsmouth Road Maintenance PFI Project’
Two certificates were also awarded on the night. Graeme Wheelhouse, Senior Maintenance Engineer from Capita Symonds received the IHT Young Transportation Professional Certificate. This award is presented to a young person who is considered to have made a significant voluntary contribution within the branch and/or national organisation of IHT for a period of not less than two years. Young professionals are the life blood of the industry. It is through them that the transportation profession will continue to innovate, serve the travelling public and contribute to the economic prosperity of the nation.
Ginny Clarke, Director of Network Services at the Highways Agency was presented with the Institution Award. This is an award for excellence within the transportation profession and to celebrate individuals who through their work have made a significant contribution that has benefited the public and the profession.
The Institution would like to thank all those who entered the Awards, the projects were of an exceptional quality and showed the true innovative potential of the highways and transportation sector. IHT also wishes to thank the Judging Panels and the awards Sponsors, without whom this exciting event would not be possible. We hope that the projects showcased at the event will inspire companies to enter the IHT Awards 2009.
More details of the winning entries, short listed entries and judging criteria can be found in the IHT Awards supplement: Download Supplement
IHT/Engineering Group of the Geological Society Annual Seminar Infrastructure Asset Management: Best Practice
5th February 2008 – Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa
The purpose of the seminar was to understand recent developments in Infrastructure asset management and how they could be applied to a wide variety of different situations. Perspectives of how assets were managed were given for the rail, inland waterway and highway networks. The risk to infrastructure as a consequence of climate change was also discussed.
The Seminar was well attended - with delegates and exhibitors from a wide variety of backgrounds including graduates and experienced practitioners. .There was plenty of useful information on the latest developments in asset management from the exhibitors.
The Chair for the morning session was IHT President Mike Slinn who drew delegates attention to Sir Michael Pitt’s Report on the summer floods and the emphasis for more flood and drainage engineers and the need for infrastructure assets to be designed and maintained to ensure that they were resilient to such risks.
The morning presentations covered management of geotechnical and highways assets by the Highways Agency as well as an overview of how local authorise approach asset management.
First presenter was David Patterson download presentation, an Engineering Geologist from the Highways Agency who carried forward the theme for the day and talked about how geotechnical assets integrate with broader highway assets. His presentation highlighted key areas of development in the management of the Agency’s earthworks. David’s presentation identified the geotechnical asset an integral part of broader infrastructure management, highlighting keys areas of development and effective assessment of risk and consequence to the network and its neighbours.
This presentation was followed by Mark Rudrum, a Director with Arup in London. His presentation download presentation focused on targets set in the Highways Agency’s business plan for Journey Time Reliability, Safety and Air Quality. His presentation covered how performance indicators have been developed to measure the performance of the asset in meeting the Agency’s targets. Mark summarized his presentation with a geotechnical asset management strategic road map identifying activities (safety risk management, customer and operational reliability, environment, efficient management and continuous improvement) moving towards target.
Alan Vooght an Associate of the Mouchel Geotechnics Group was our final presenter in the first session. His presentation “Practical Applications on the M25” download presentation shed light on some interesting geotechnical projects in the Area 5 (M25 Sphere) of the network. This was summarized in an Asset Management Road Map intrinsically linked to Management of the Agency’s Geotechnical Assets within Area 5. His presentation also highlighted the Maintaining Agents’ responsibility to maintain the asset using a process that included Inspections and Surveys, desk studies, Ground investigations and monitoring, Value Management and research to provide a cost effective programme of repair and preventative works.
After the coffee break, Matt Willis a Senior Engineering Geologist from Arup Geotechnics presented “Remote Sensing”downloadpresentation techniques for transport Infrastructure. His presentation highlighted advancement in technology of aerial photography and implementing modern technology, e.g., satellite and aerial imagery, airborne laser scanning and other techniques for use of viewing, assessment and data collection on Agency’s network.
Matt was then followed by Ramesh Sinhal, head of Highways Agency’s Structures and Geotechnical Delivery and Policy Team. His presentation on “Practical Highways Asset Management” download presentation covered the Agency’s asset management vision, current best practices and processes and future developments. Ramesh highlighted the fact that the Agency’s network is a huge asset with limited funds which the main focus of service delivery. Ramesh explained that the underpinning principle of the Agency was to have a high quality service for all our customers based on Whole Life Cost.
The last speaker before lunch Alan Taggart, Director of Highway Asset Management at Atkins, who explained that Asset management is not only about engineering, or finding the right technical solution at the best price but applying business practice to the asset to ensure it provides the service that the public want from it. His presentation on “Local Authority Highway Asset Management” download presentation highlighted the importance of balancing politics and engineering in delivering Asset Management Plans. Alan also discussed the progress by local authorities in developing their asset management plans. In doing so he explained local authorities have made good start in developing their asset management plans in order to deliver realistic benefits and value for money from the service they offer.
Once again we had a 10mins question and answer session before we went for our lunch. Lunch was set in the exhibition hall and the queue was like Boxing Day sale demonstrating real value for money. I decided not to queue and used the opportunity to speak the exhibitors. Exhibitors included IBI surveying who demonstrated their product RouteMapper. It’s been successfully used in asset management, planning studies, noise modelling and other areas.
The Afternoon session was chair by John Perry from Mott MacDonald. First presenter of the last session was Eifion Evans from British Railways Soil Mechanics Section. Eifion presented on “Practical Management of Rail Assets”. download presentation He talked about Network Rail earthworks , their condition, and safety risks from cutting failure, their earthworths database and some examples of earthwork treatments from recent schemes.
Chris Woofe from British Waterways was next to present “Practical Management of Waterways Assets”. download presentationWaterways are our oldest asset. The British Waterways Asset Management System comprises of around 11000 principal assets of all types and key purpose of the inspections is to identify Failure grades and identify priorities and maintenance needs. These inspections are highly valuable and can show improvement in networks condition but can never guarantee to stop all failures.
Chris was then followed by Tony Sangwine, Environmental Policy Advisor for the Highways Agency’s Environment and Sustainability Development Group. He highlighted the fact that the Agency network is only 3% of England’s road network but the most highly stressed network because of the nature of its use. His presentation “Asset Management in a Changing Climate” download presentation explained that the UK is predicting extreme changes in weather and research is needed to examine the Agency’s standards and specifications against future UK climate. These changes may well affect the journey time reliability and will have huge impact on management of infrastructure assets. Climate change is relevant to new development and we should be aware of what we are doing as part of new developments and need to develop risk assessment methodology for risk management issues.
Our last presenter of the day was Steve Hodgetts from Scott Wilson, presenting “Design for Future Management of Assets” download presentation Steve’s presentation underlined the fact that historical assets are not built to modern standards and new developments should be made towards our day to day maintenance and new techniques to retain these structures. Also there should be every effort made to maintain our assets and retain them with the maintenance solutions that are developed.
This concluded our superb day of presentations at the Royal Leamington Spa and I appreciate the IHT and the Engineering Group of the Geological Society for organising this successful event.
Jawad Shah, Atkins
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