Some light reading for the beach...

This is a review of (primarily) how the benefits of active mode investments can be better captured in appraisals.

It was carried out by John Nellthorp for Active Travel England. The main points have been known for a while (and John recently briefed #TAGFest attendees on it) but the full report is now out.

The ideas are an interesting mix. Some are about things we can do already which could be made easier (eg bringing journey-time savings into #AMAT); others are about new areas of research and guidance (eg on the traffic-evaporation response to roadspace reallocation).

From a quick skim so far, it's worth reading. There's a lot of good context, reminders of what's out there (eg the useful tools developed by TfL and TfG M), and food for thought on how we approach some of the issues.

And my local landmark cycle bridge gets a photo - so it must be good!

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/estimating-the-benefits-of-active-travel-investment

My week at work (fieldwork edition):

Out and about, troubleshooting transport problems for a local authority. Four towns, all distinctly different places. Four different sets of issues, 4 different solutions.

Plus...
▶️ how transport project #appraisal could develop next. #TagFEST #TAG
▶️ Statutory requirements for how parking revenue gets spent
▶️ Which way is north - grid, true or magnetic?
▶️ And what's really inside TV detector vans? (Yes, there was a transport planning context!)

This lovely wildflower meadow to finish the week.

@nora

Feeling very cute today with my new glass bolo tie from Nora’s shop. It has the nicest strap I’ve ever seen— wide around the collar so it stays in place. The glass is lovely without being flashy and the weight is just enough to feel substantial and stay in place. Thank you for making such high quality items available! #fashion #boloties #outfitoftheday #cute #boringFancy #western #tagfest

My week at work (rainy edition):
➡ transport appraisal discussions at #TAGfest
➡ the case for a step-change in the public transport system for an urban area with a rural hinterland
➡ active travel routes
➡ the role of developer funding in a major scheme
➡ the latest #TAG updates
and ☔ trying to stay dry along the way!

Super final day of #TAGFest yesterday.

Highlights for me were:
➡ the run-through of the new #carbon guidance
➡ good news that Active Travel England is looking to develop active travel appraisal methods further.
➡ some very practical tips on post-Covid model adjustments, expanding on the guidance.

Good discussions, lots of different perspectives.

Big thank-you to the #DfT and #ATE teams for the presentations and bringing it all together.

#transportplanning #appraisal

Day 2 of #TAGfest - the #DfT #TAG Conference.

Couldn't join every session today, but caught some interesting updates on SNTBs' analytical tools and the potential impacts of remote working on agglomeration.

Looking forward to Day 3 (grand finale) next week.

#transportplanning

Very worthwhile first day at the #DfT #TAG Conference - aka #TAGfest (let's see if the name sticks!)
Lots of highlights, but I'd particularly pick out the discussions on:
-- JT savings being a proxy for wider changes in travel patterns or opportunities.
-- Forthcoming guidance re assessing schemes against their objectives
-- Distributional weightings
And I caught up with an old friend in the online chat as well!
Looking forward to the remaining two days. #transportplanning @transport