Department of Transport Studies

Research

The Group comprises a multi-disciplinary team of research and teaching staff with a prominent reputation for carrying out a wide range of academic and applied research covering most of the main transport sectors. There are links below to a selection of current and recently completed Projects categorised into broad research areas. This is not a complete list of the work being undertaken by the Group - other Project information will be added in the future.

Note: indicates reports/summaries available for downloading (usually in Adobe Acrobat PDF format).

MAJOR IMPACT STUDIES

Civilising Cities

The Co-ordinating Unit for the Civilising Cities Initiative was established at TSG in October 1999, with funding from the RAC Foundation for Motoring and the (then) DETR. In conjunction with participating local authorities, it aims to practically demonstrate ways in which well-chosen packages of transport and land use measures can contribute significantly and cost-effectively to improving a range of quality of life indicators in urban areas. This will show how transport can contribute to other policy agendas, including health, personal safety, wealth creation, environmental sustainability and social inclusion.

Jubilee Line Extension Impact Study Unit (JLEISU)

London Transport appointed the University of Westminster to provide a co-ordinating unit to facilitate studies into the impact of the Jubilee Line Extension.

FREIGHT TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS

Energy consumption associated with the production and distribution of jeans sold in the UK

This project was carried out with and funded by the Institut National De Recherche sur les Transports et Leur Securite (INRETS), France. It examined how much energy was consumed during the production and distribution of jeans being sold in the UK. The final analysis reveals the levels of energy consumed by each key process and indicates the likely contribution that the production and distribution activities make to the environment in terms of CO2 emissions. The project started in Feb 2004 and was completed in March 2005. Report available in Summer 2005.

Best Urban Freight Solutions (BESTUFS II)

A follow-on initiative to the successful BESTUFS project and aims at maintaining and expanding an open European network for urban freight transport. This network includes experts, user groups/associations, ongoing projects, the relevant European Commission Directorates and representatives of national, regional and local transport administrations and transport operators in order to identify, describe and disseminate best practices, success criteria and difficulties related to City Logistics Solutions (CLS).

Home Delivery in the UK

A project commissioned by the DTI Foresight Retail Logistics Task Force to investigate current knowledge of UK home delivery operations including environmental and social effects, and to identify research needs.

INtegrated Telematics for Advanced Communication in freight Transport (INTACT)

The INTACT project was made up of 13 parties from various European countries working together in order to improve (in the long term) the integration of various telematics applications in road freight transport.

Modelling Policy Measures and Company Initiatives for Sustainable Urban Distribution

A research project on urban distribution operations and how they would potentially be affected by different policy measures and company initiatives. Funded by the EPSRC and Department for Transport as part of the Future Integrated Transport Programme. The project was completed in September 2002.

Sustainable Urban and Regional Freight Flows (SURFF)

SURFF was a three year research project concerned with the network operations of freight centres and city logistics (urban distribution) and aimed to develop and evaluate a number of telematic solutions which were applied to freight centre users and urban distribution communities. The project was co-financed by the European Union in the scope of the IV Framework Programme and specifically in the Transport Telematics Applications Program of DGXIII.

A Framework for considering policies to encourage sustainable urban freight traffic and goods/service flows

An exploratory study of urban freight transport in the UK, funded by the EPSRC as part of the Sustainable Cities Research Programme.

CONGESTION CHARGING

PRicing ROad use for Greater Responsibility, Efficiency and Sustainability in citieS (PRoGRESS)

PRoGRESS is a research and demonstration project supported by the European Commission, investigating the feasibility of road user charging schemes in eight member cities across Europe. TSG is involved in providing assistance to the City of Edinburgh Council on public consultation aspects of the city's New Transport Initiative, a congestion charging based transport strategy.

Road User Charging (RUC) Option Development

This is a Department for Transport sponsored PhD that has developed a new methodology for generating Road User Charging Package options, taking into account the objectives of local authorities and the concerns of key stakeholder groups.

DECISION MAKING AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

Gaining Understanding of Improved Decision Making And Participation Strategies (GUIDEMAPS)

GUIDEMAPS is a three year research and demonstration FP5 project funded by the European Commission, DGTREN. The aim is to identify procedures, overcome barriers and develop tools to improve urban policy decision-making and stakeholder participation, to assist in achieving sustainable mobility throughout the European Union. The project includes fifteen 'practice examples' and five 'case studies', which are assisting in the evaluation of common practice and the development of best practice.

TRAVEL PLANS AND TRAVEL AWARENESS/MARKETING INITIATIVES

INformation and Publicity Helping the Objective of Reducing Motorised Mobility (INPHORMM)

This was a research project - funded by the European Commission - to investigate how transport information and publicity/marketing campaigns can influence people's awareness, attitudes and travel behaviour - and encourage cycling, walking, the use of public transport and other environmental friendly modes.

MObility Strategy Applications In the Community (MOSAIC)

MOSAIC was a three year research project that looked at mobility management strategies to reduce car use in urban areas.

Mobility Management Strategies for the Next Decades (MOST)

MOST was a three year research and demonstration project that built on the findings of several previous European research projects such as MOMENTUM, MOSAIC and INPHORMM.

Travel Awareness, Publicity and Education Supporting a Sustainable Transport Strategy in Europe (TAPESTRY)

TAPESTRY was a three year EU research project investigating how to develop effective communication programmes or campaigns which support sustainable transport policies and encourage sustainable travel behaviour in Europe.

Evaluation of Pilot Programmes of Site Specific Advice on Travel Plans

This project sought to evaluate the effectiveness of providing site specific advice to schools and organisations developing travel plans (completed in September 2000).

SCHOOL TRAVEL INITIATIVES

The Family and the School Run - What would make a real difference?

A scoping study looking at the 'school run' commissioned by the AA Foundation for Road Safety Research.

Levels of activity relating to Safer Routes to School type projects and Green Transport Plans

A review of local authority initiatives aimed at encouraging a modal shift away from the private car for school escort journeys and for journeys to work (completed in May 1998).

Research into levels of activity relating to School Travel Initiatives

A further review, summarising local authority information about School Travel Plans and Initiatives (completed in September 1999).

TRANSPORT AND HEALTH

An Exploration of Concepts of Health Held by Highways/Transport Cabinet Members/Councillors in England

The objective of this Department for Transport funded study has been to assess how health is conceptualised among local government highways/transport Cabinet Members/Committee Councillors.

TRANSPORT AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION

Assessing the 'Value' of new Transport Initiatives in Deprived Areas

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has funded a one-year study to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the benefits of new transport projects in deprived and disadvantaged communities.

Evaluating the Cost Effectiveness of different Transport Measures in improving access to Employment and Job Retention

The Federation Internationale d'Automobile (FIA) Foundation has funded a two- phased study to facilitate a comparative analysis of transport and social exclusion across the G7 countries.

Measuring Accessibility as Experienced by Different Socially Disadvantaged Groups

This two year research project was funded by the EPSRC as part of the Future Integrated Transport Programme. The project developed more refined measures of accessibility that are sensitive to the varying perceptions and needs of different social groups.

Transport and Mobility: The Perspectives of Disadvantaged Communities

The overall aim of this Joseph Rowntree Foundation funded study was to characterise the views and aspirations of people living in disadvantaged communities vis-a-vis their transport and mobility needs, in the context of the changing transport policy agenda.

SUSTAINABLE URBAN STREETS

Conference: From Main Roads to Mixed-Use Streets: Redesigning Traffic Arteries in Urban Areas

A major two-day conference on streets research and practice, featuring over twenty presentations from UK and overseas, including reporting on the following two TSG projects.

Arterial Streets Towards Sustainability (ARTISTS)

ARTISTS is a European Commission project funded under the key action "Cities of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage". The primary aim of this project is to develop Best Practice Guidelines for re-design and re-organise arterial streets in such a way as to improve the physical environment of the corridors while contributing to the implementation of more sustainable urban transport systems. The Guide will be available in late 2004.

Streetspace Design and Reallocation Tool

This project led to the development of a software suite of tools to assist engineers, planners and urban designers in the redesign of major urban streets, including measures for the reallocation of road space. Funded by Department for Transport under the LINK FutureIntegrated Transport Research Programme.

WIDER SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH

Centre for Sustainable Development (CfSD)

The Centre for Sustainable Development was established within the School of the Built Environment in recognition of the growing number of research activities convening under a common theme of sustainable development.