ciht awards 2015 - roadbridgeroadbridge.ie/media/44480/ciht_awards_supplement_2015__1_.pdf · - 3 -...

CIHT Awards

2015

CIHT Awards Programme 2015.indd 1 22/05/2015 14:21

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- CIHT AWARDS 2015 -

Judges PanelJeremy Bennett Gatwick Airport

Mike Bordiss CIHT Procurement and Delivery Panel

Dave Capon GeoPlace

Kate Carpenter Jacobs

Chris Connor Pretium Associates

David Craik Colas

Graham Dalton Highways England

Andrew Davidson Transport Scotland

Peter Dickinson CIHT Urban Design Panel

Wayne Duerden Department for Transport

Martin Duffy Towey Duffy & Co

Byrony Dyer Department for Transport

Roger Elphick CIHT Network Management & Operations Panel

Robert Fuller EM Highway Services Limited

Rob Gillespie Hounslow Highways

Les Hawker CIHT Asset Management Panel

Sheila Holden The Step Consultancy Limited

Nick Hopcraft Highways England

Ken Huddart CIHT Network Management & Operations Panel

Matthew Hughes CIHT

Andrew Hugill CIHT

Joe Irvin Living Streets

Daniel Jackson Skanska

Phil Jackson VINCI Concessions

John Jeffrey Independent Consultant

Neil Johnstone SYSTRA

Mark Kemp Oxfordshire County Council

Steve Kent CIHT Network Management & Operations Panel

Esther Kurland Urban Design London

Steve Lee CIHT Procurement and Delivery Panel

Andreas Markides Odyssey Markides

Rob McCartney A-one+

Kit Mitchell CIHT Sustainable Transport Panel

Mike Napier Costain

Sue Percy CIHT

Jerry Pert CIHT Procurement and Delivery Panel

Tim Pharoah Living Transport

Steve Proctor TMS Consultancy

Glyn Rhys-Tyler CIHT Network Management & Operations Panel

Robert Ringsell Department for Transport

Jon Sandford HCA

Libby Sands AECOM

Sue Sharland CIHT Senior Vice President

Nick Shires Lafarge Tarmac

Deborah Sims University of Greenwich

David Sprunt Essex County Council

Alan Taggart CIHT Asset Management Panel

Steve Tomkins Galliford Try Infrastructure

Neil Wallace CIHT Road Safety Panel

It should be noted that projects with references to Highways England were completed under the Highways Agency.


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Presidential ForewordDavid Gibby, CIHT President, 2014-2015

This year is an extra special year for the CIHT Awards as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ceremony which is

now a key date in the Institution’s calendar.Throughout the past ten years the

Awards ceremony has been held in some of the most prestigious buildings in London such as Madame Tussauds, Lord’s cricket ground, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Courts of Justice. This year is no exception, with the awards being presented at the distinguished Landmark London Hotel.

The CIHT Awards celebrate and reward creative and innovative projects that are a result of those working in the highways and transportation industry. During my presidential year, I have been fortunate on my visits across the country, to see many examples of the excellent work being done by our members and the industry. This work makes a significant contribution to improving the social and economic wellbeing of the country for all – a key aim for CIHT.

In 2015 we have ten award categories for: Highway Asset Management, Reducing Sign Clutter, Health & Safety, Technological Application, Road Safety, Sustainability, Innovation, Effective Partnerships, Streets and Major Projects. We also recognise individuals and organisations through our Employer Award for Excellence in Skills Development, Young Professional of the Year and the Institution Award for services to the industry.

This year we have received over 180 entries from contractors, consultants and local authorities from across the UK and beyond. This demonstrates that our industry continues to produce high calibre

schemes and innovative products, that contribute to both the transportation community and to society.

On behalf of CIHT I want to thank all those who entered this year’s Awards, for taking the time and effort to create such extremely good quality submissions, giving the judges some difficult decisions to make.

Congratulations to all those who were shortlisted. Your commitment to excellence within our sector is an example for others to follow, and we must all look to learn from the entries and share best practice within the sector.

I extend our sincere thanks to the judges who gave their time, effort and experience in selecting the winners for each category.

These awards would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors, for which the Institution is most grateful.

I hope that you feel inspired by the entries featured in this supplement to enter your projects for the 11th CIHT Awards in 2016.


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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 CIHT Board of Trustees are delighted to select Michèle Dix as the winner of this year’s Institution Award for her ongoing

contribution to policy formulation, technology and management in highways and transportation.

Michèle started her career at the Greater London Council (GLC) after completing her PhD in transport and land use planning, and became a chartered civil engineer through the GLC’s transport planning graduate scheme. She spent 15 years in the private sector with Halcrow Fox, becoming the board director for urban transport. She joined Transport for London (TfL) in 2000 as Director of Congestion Charging on a job share

basis with Malcolm Murray-Clark and Managing Director of Planning in 2007.

Michèle has led TfL's strategic thinking on the future transport needs of London, testing and challenging solutions; providing clear direction on appropriate transport solutions for the future; responsible for the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and transport requirements for the Mayor’s 2050 Infrastructure Plan; coordinating the implementation of local plans and borough partnerships; and developing major scheme interchanges.

This year (2015) Michèle was recognised with a CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for services to transport in London.

Michèle is now responsible for developing Crossrail 2 and gaining funding and powers for it. Michèle is a visiting professor for UCL and is Chair of an international committee PRESCOM for the UITP, which promotes public transport research and best practice globally.

CIHT Institution Award

Michèle Dix, Transport for London


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CIHT/Mouchel Young Professional Award 2015

Peter Hibbert, Principal Transport Planner, Jacobs

Young professionals are the future 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. This award is presented to a member

who is considered to have made a significant

voluntary contribution within the Region,

group and/or national organisation of CIHT

for a period of not less than two years.

This year’s winner is Peter Hibbert, who was nominated by the CIHT Yorkshire and the Humber Committee.

Peter is a Principal Transport Planner at Jacobs. Over the past 18 months, Peter has been managing Transport for Lancashire’s (TfL) major scheme programme. A key element was undertaking an independent peer review of the

current status of all schemes in TfL’s investment programme to ensure each scheme offered value for money. A high level economic appraisal tool was developed and the associated gross value added benefits generated by each scheme were also quantified.

This work provided a robust evidence base for Lancashire’s Strategic Economic Plan, which helped them secure £233m of funding from the Government’s Local Growth Fund. Peter also developed a business case template for scheme promoters to utilise, and has subsequently provided support to scheme promoters with the development of DfT compliant business cases.

In 2008, Peter became a member of CIHT and has been an active member of CIHT Yorkshire and the Humber for seven years. He is currently Chair of the CIHT Young Professionals Committee (YPC) and is responsible for organising a range of academic and social events, securing sponsorship for those events, and increasing the membership of the YPC. The YPC has recently increased from five to 12 very active members who represent the majority of the local consultants and Leeds University. Peter is now seeking new members from local authorities. Under Peter’s guidance the YPC has contributed significantly to the functions of the main Committee.

Since obtaining the Transport Planning Professional qualification in April 2013, Peter has actively raised the profile of the qualification and encouraged colleagues and peers alike to pursue this route to chartership. Furthermore, Peter is a trained Professional Development Scheme mentor and is currently mentoring several staff within his organisation, as well as providing advice to peers whom he knows through the CIHT network.

The CIHT Yorkshire and the Humber Committee is currently working with schools and universities to encourage more people to come into our profession, and Peter has been very active in this work through explaining the role of a Transport Planner and his working life. Such events are vital to raising the profile of the highways and transportation industry, which is of critical importance, if we are to attract the best individuals into our industry and deliver against a challenging future investment strategy.


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CIHT/Lafarge Tarmac Health & Safety at Work Award

Exposing road workers to the hazards of roadside working places them at significant risk and that risk is unlikely to disappear.

Carnell’s survey/welfare vehicle has been designed and developed to control the extent and circumstances in which the company’s people are exposed to live traffic when surveying alongside a high speed road.

Roadside survey teams need to be mobile, often surveying more than 2km of roadside or central reservation in an eight hour shift. They also need to have mobile office space and must be given suitable and sufficient welfare facilities. Carnell’s survey/welfare vehicle has challenged the current industry standard of separate equipment and welfare vans, by providing all of these facilities in a standard short wheelbase Mercedes Sprinter.

Operatives working on a central reservation face a significant risk when exiting a standard survey or welfare vehicle by the side door as it exposes them immediately to the hazard of a live fast lane. By providing access to the office and welfare environments via the rear doors, the survey/welfare vehicle eliminates this hazard.

Carnell’s survey/welfare vehicle allows visual communication between the office and working area to the rear of the vehicle, which significantly reduces the number of times an operative has to exit the vehicle and enter the work zone.

Carnell is extremely proud of this new design for survey/welfare vehicles across the industry and look forward to other suppliers following their lead.

Safer Roadside WorkingCarnell Support Services Limited

Judges’ Comments“The judges were impressed with the very strong focus on the safety of the road worker. This scheme offers a very practical and effective solution and provides a strong welfare benefit for the workforce. The judges felt that this solution was transferable, offering potential benefits and improved safety outcomes across the industry.”

WINNER

Judging CriteriaThis award is for outstanding examples of new developments that make a marked positive contribution to the health and safety of employees or professional users of the transport network, embracing aspects of behaviour technology, infrastructure provision and operation.

The judges were looking for evidence of:• Implementation (training, communications,

continuity)• Contribution to health and safety objectives• Originality• Planning (robustness of research and

consultation)• Wider implementation potential• Best value and cost-benefit


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Highways England Area 4: Plant, Vehicle and Pedestrian Management Plan

Aggregate Industries UK Limited, Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald JV and HW MartinWork on the Area 4 project commenced in 2009, with Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald (BBMM) as the Managing Agent Contractor. The principle supply chain partners are Aggregate Industries UK Limited (Surfacing) and HW Martin (Traffic Management). In 2012 BBMM approached Aggregate Industries and HW Martin to look at how workforce safety could be improved within Area 4.

Aggregate Industries, BBMM and HW Martin came together to investigate additional safety measures to enhance the existing Workplace Transport Plan (WTP) and increase safety on site. It was imperative that any new initiative prioritised the safety of the workforce at all times. This collaboration has led to the development of a new way of managing the vehicle/workforce interface. Within the Area 4 WTP this is known as the Plant, Vehicle and Pedestrian Management Plan (PVPMP). Following development and trialling in 2013 the new approach was rolled out during the 2014/2015 work period.

The roll-out across Area 4 has been accomplished by empowering the supervisors to demonstrate the PVPMP and educate all parties on the dangers and risks associated with the plant and pedestrian interface.

The development and implementation of the WTP and PVPMP has noticeably improved on-site safety within Area 4 and changed the way the organisation approached vehicular movements and the segregation of working areas on-site.

Judges’ Comments“The judges felt that this was a very well presented submission, which pushed the winner all the way, in what was a very close decision. The plan has utilised, learnt from and adapted best practice from projects such as major road widening schemes, thus addressing an important high risk area within traffic management schemes.”

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Health and Wellbeing at A-one+ Area 12

A-one+ Area 12 Integrated Highway ServicesA-one+ is an Integrated Highways Services Provider employed by Highways England. A managing agent contract generally lasts for five years and it was recognised that, at some point, employees working on this contract could suffer from ill health – mainly due to the fact that everyone would all be five years older by the end of the contract.

A-one+ Area 12 is a 24/7 business running day and night, carrying out a multitude of highway maintenance operations, such as winter services and gritting, therefore a lot of the personnel (mainly operatives) are unable to visit their own GP, should they need to, during normal working hours.

After the appointment of the A-one+ Area 12 ‘Health Advocate’ it was decided to embark initially on a general health awareness campaign to target general health issues, taking the form of ‘mini MOTs’. This enabled the team to visit all satellite depots and certain construction sites to conduct this mini MOT, which included blood pressure check; height to weight ratio; Body Mass Index; calorific equation; visceral fat ratio (which produces a person’s metabolic age); muscle mass and how much water the body was retaining in the muscles.

A-one+ deliberately targeted certain areas of general health including stroke awareness, prostate awareness, free flu jabs and fresh fruit Fridays.

The long term goal is to foster a supporting culture within the organisation through this ‘Physical Health’ which would then eventually open the door to ‘psychological’ ill-health and related symptoms. There is a well-documented link between psychological ill-health and safety, and this has been one of the driving forces behind the on-going health initiatives.

Judges’ Comments“The judges liked the systematic approach of this project and the strong engagement with the workforce. Good emphasis and focused approaches on health and wellbeing, with consideration for the long term benefits for the workforce marked this out as a strong entry.”

COMMENDED

Highways England Area 3: it’s more than just the statistic

EM Highway Services LimitedEM’s Area 3 Asset Support Contract received an unprecedented level of £190m budget allocation in 2014/15.

This resulted in 1000+ personnel working over 200,000 hours on the network and installing more than 2,000 lane closures each month.

Despite the workload, Area 3 achieved three million hours without a RIDDOR accident, (the second time Area 3 has reached this milestone) achieving the lowest ‘all accident’ rate of any Highways England (HE) Area. Since September 2014, Area 3 has eliminated all carriageway crossings, the first Area to do so three months ahead of HE’s target; saving 600,000 crossings.But there is more than just statistics! Behind the numbers lies a highly effective bottom to top health & safety culture, embraced and driven by the people most at risk, the operatives, and given total commitment from managers. Observations and ideas are routinely captured, reviewed and implemented within the framework of EM’s

ISO18001 accredited management system, which is aligned to HE’s ‘aiming for zero’ vision.

The safety culture is embedded through a wide range of training; communications to engage the workforce; the Area 3 SHE Action Plan, which is aligned to HE’s Health and Safety Excellence Wheel; ‘near-miss’ reporting, of which there were 261 near-misses reported in the last quarter and continual reinforcement of the messages.

Judges’ Comments“The judges thought that this scheme provided clear delivery of the client’s objectives. The submission showed a highly controlled and well managed approach to safety, displaying strong evidence of success and the delivery of a good cross-team approach to a health and safety culture.”

COMMENDED


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CIHT/Colas Technological Application Award

Judges’ Comments“By extending the use of the average speed cameras at minimal extra cost, the judges were impressed by how this innovative application of technology had greatly improved the enforcement of lane restrictions for LGVs. This was achieved by good teamwork and the close support of partners including the police and the haulage companies. The benefits have seen improved LGV driver behaviour, with a significant reduction in lane 2 violations, and increased safety for road users and the workforce. Implementation has been well managed, including the use of portable message signs and warning leaflets to increase awareness of increased enforcement. Whilst performance data has only been collected recently, it is clear that the system has the potential for much wider application. ”

Judging CriteriaThis award recognises excellence in the application of technology within the highways and transportation industry, where a marked positive benefit has been achieved.

The judges were looking for evidence of:• Benefits to the industry and society• Implementation (communications, training,

reliability)• Performance measures• Enterprise and ingenuity• Wider implementation potential• Best value and cost-benefit

A1 Leeming to Barton ECI – improving large goods vehicles driver behaviour through roadworks

Carillion Morgan Sindall and Redspeed International working on behalf of Highways England with North Yorkshire Police

The A1 between Leeming and Barton is an all-purpose two lane dual carriageway carrying in the region of 50,000-54,000 vehicles a

day, with approximately one-quarter being heavy goods vehicles. The route has historically had a poor accident record, with continuing safety, congestion and journey time reliability problems. Improvements have been on-going since March 2014 with online works to upgrade into a dual three lane motorway, enabled with major traffic management over 22km.

During this period, collaboration between contractors Carillion Morgan Sindall JV, North Yorkshire Police, Highways England, and supply chain partners Redspeed International has been exceptional. This working group has delivered a structured hierarchical five point change process, the objective being to create a cultural change in large goods vehicles (LGV) driver behaviour through roadworks. This initiative uses firstly warnings, learning and education, and then enforcement methods, which are proving to be a great success with an 85% reduction (28 April 2015) in lane 2 violations by LGV. This enforcement deterrent was only possible due to technological change in existing average speed cameras.

This method utilises the existing enforcement cameras with dual capability for enforcement of both speed and weight (restriction). The 85% reduction in lane 2 violations will improve safety through roadworks for both road users and workers. The structured hierarchical five point change process:1. Portable message signs warning of new

WINNER

enforcement methods in roadworks 2. Warning leaflets to key truck stops and services3. Collaboration with the Road Haulage

Association4. Letters to haulage organisations with option of

actions/learning feedback5. A non-endorsable (fine fixed penalty notice)

and further North Yorkshire Police intervention


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HIGHLY COMMENDED COMMENDED

COMMENDED

Advanced Mobile Asset Collection

A-one+ Integrated Highway Services and DBi ServicesAdvanced Mobile Asset Collection, or AMAC, is the first technology to achieve accurate, mobile retro-reflectivity measurement of road signs, markings and studs.

This survey is carried out while on the move at traffic speeds, using an innovative data collection and processing technique. Developed in Europe in conjunction with DBi Services (United States), A-one+ in Area 7 has used the technology to drive efficiency and improvement. The result is a comprehensive interactive inventory of all road signs, markings and studs on the network.

This way of collecting data is quicker, safer and more reliable than current inspections, and will lead to longer term cost savings. Further savings will be made, avoiding expensive traffic management for surveys and the cost of disruption to the road users.

Judges’ Comments“The judges were impressed by the ability to collect multiple data sets at traffic speed and model the deterioration of a wide range of retro-reflective assets within the highway. Application of the technology is fast, reliable, economical and integrates with GIS. The deterioration models produced enables replacement strategies to be refined and evaluated based on reliable data. Society benefits from safer roads and improved customer satisfaction, as a result of the safe and consistent data collection undertaken, without the need for traffic management. There is great potential for a wider application of this technique to the whole of the highway network, to improve asset management.”

i-Tree

EM Highway Services LimitedThe value that trees within the Strategic Road Network provide to the eco-system has long been ignored.

However EM Highway Services Limited (EM), after much research, has opted to utilise the US Forest Service i-Tree Eco software in Highways England Area 1, when staging a pilot trial to quantify the benefits provided by the trees. By combining field data with local phonological, climate and pollution data, i-Tree Eco is capable of calculating the function and benefits, or ecosystem services provided by the trees. Calculating the benefits as a monetary value can help develop strategies concerning existing trees, species planting regimes and tree stock generation. It will also inform and support decision making regarding future investment for maintenance and improvement strategies.

EM selected Evans Associates and Treeconomics as their pilot partners, with additional support provided from Davey Tree Expert Company and Forest Research. This blend of local knowledge and world renowned expertise has facilitated the sharing of ideas and ensured that the project was delivered to programme and budget, whilst maintaining the reliability of results.

The application of this technology to highway trees on a strategic road network is a world first.

Judges’ Comments“For the first time anywhere in the world, an ecosystem evaluation has been undertaken for highway trees on a strategic road network, which has greatly increased awareness of the value of the green assets. As part of the highway network, the soft estate delivers function and benefits which have a positive value to society, that has not previously been fully understood or appreciated. Detailed inventory and carbon information has enabled whole-life costing principles to be applied to trees as an appreciating asset, in terms of both their value and extent. The detailed information also enables planting and maintenance strategies to be planned and evaluated to improve the highway environment.”

Long Range Infra-Red CCTV System

Skanska Balfour Beatty Joint Venture and Simulation Systems LimitedThe new Highways England Smart Motorway All Lane Running (SM-ALR) design utilises the existing hard shoulder as a permanent running lane and has large sections without road lighting. In the event of an incident, clear identification of the situation is imperative to firstly alert any emergency response and secondly, convey safety instructions to approaching traffic.

During construction of the M25 LUS SM-ALR Scheme, Skanska Balfour Beatty Joint Venture, in collaboration with its supplier Simulation Systems Limited, pioneered the development of a cost effective, high performance long range infra-red CCTV system, which met the challenging MM-ALR operational performance requirements.

The system provides high quality, real-time surveillance of the motorway, irrespective of light and weather conditions. With clear images captured over 600 metres from camera sites, the system provides superior footage in poor conditions, compared to traditional CCTV. Its cost effective installation makes it a viable option for use on existing and future motorway schemes.

System configuration, updates and fault investigation can be carried out remotely, reducing on-site maintenance and road worker exposure, and further enforcing its whole-life cost and worker safety benefits.

Judges’ Comments

“The successful application of long range infra-red technology has revolutionised incident and debris verification, and management at night, which is essential for all-lane running on managed motorways without street lighting. No additional infrastructure or network changes are required and it can be simply incorporated into designs or retro-fitted at minimal cost, with each part of the site covered by two cameras to avoid blind spots. Clear identification enables any emergency response to be alerted and for instructions to be conveyed to approaching traffic.”


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CIHT/Ringway Innovation Award

Judges’ Comments“The judges were impressed by not only the number of innovations and bespoke elements of this scheme that could be easily transferred to other structures, but also the engineering principles and thinking behind the design and construction ingenuity. The judges felt that the concept of post-tensioning a structure from the outside, allowing the original pre-stress to become redundant, is a relatively simple economic solution and the fact that it had minimal impact on the travelling public over a relatively short period of time should be acknowledged.”

Judging CriteriaThis award is for innovative problem solving within the highways and transportation industry. Its purpose is to recognise and encourage imaginative concepts and excellence.

The judges were looking for evidence of:• Enterprise and ingenuity• Design strengths (efficiency, sustainability, ease

of use, user benefits, problem solving)• Performance measures/user feedback and

benefit to the user• Quality of manufacture/construction/project

delivery• Implementation (communications, training,

management)• Best value and cost-benefit

Overall comment from the Judges“The judges were greatly impressed this year with not only the quality, but also the range of entries, some of which looked back at old working practices and brought them into the modern age, whereas others developed totally new and ingenuitive solutions to age old problems.”

The Hammersmith Flyover, opened in 1961, is a strategic route into central London. It is a unique pre-cast post-tensioned structure,

supporting a dual two lane carriageway carrying 70,000 vehicles each day.

Transport for London (TfL), in collaboration with Costain, Ramboll, Parsons Brinckerhoff (RPB) and Freyssinet, are extending the life of Hammersmith Flyover through pioneering post tensioned design and construction innovation, whilst keeping London moving. This project champions innovation through collaborative working and utilising developments in material science to push the boundaries of bridge refurbishment.

Post-tensioning special inspections revealed severe corrosion of the existing pre-stressing strands across the structure, which were deteriorating at a significant rate, affecting the structure’s ability to carry load.

The technical complexity, interdependency and strategic location presented numerous constraints in both design and construction which required innovative solutions at all stages of the project.

New technologies and innovations were developed, including the design and installation of a pioneering post tensioning (PT) system. It is believed to be the first full replacement of a bridge PT system, where it is not possible to remove the original. The application of cable stay technology for the PT tendons, giving enhanced

Hammersmith Flyover Strengthening and Refurbishment

Costain, Transport for London, Ramboll & Parsons Brinckerhoff (RPB), and Freyssinet

WINNER

durability, is the first application of this type in the UK.

Throughout the construction stage, the flyover has remained open to the travelling public during peak periods, with only limited closures at night and occasional closure at weekends, which is a credit to the hard work of the project team and co-operation of the many stakeholders.


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COMMENDED

Union Street Turbo-Style Roundabout

Bedford Borough Council and Hanson ContractingUnion Street roundabout is a very busy urban roundabout which lies on the A6. The roundabout has daily flows of 25,000 vehicles, along with 550 cyclists and 2,500 pedestrians (including 200 children) crossing at the arms. An analysis showed that this junction had the highest level of serious cyclist accidents in Bedford over the last ten years.

Bedford Borough Council decided to implement a new turbo-style roundabout to improve capacity and safety. The turbo-roundabout is an innovative arrangement of a two lane roundabout that has revolutionised roundabout design in The Netherlands. It combines the capacity of a two lane roundabout, with the safety of a single lane compact roundabout.

This turbo-roundabout is the first in the country and was funded through a grant from the Department of Transport. The new design has made the roundabout safer to use by reducing traffic speeds while maintaining traffic flows with no additional peak time queuing and providing safe crossing points for cyclists and pedestrians.

Judges’ Comments “The DfT Cyclist Safety Grant provided an opportunity to develop a novel solution, building on the fundamentals of the original Dutch design concept, but tailored to the local context with significant stakeholder engagement. The judges were impressed by the balance of pragmatism and innovation, to produce a creative and efficient solution which addresses the primary design objectives, whilst accommodating the needs of all road users.”

Advanced Mobile Asset Collection

A-one+ Integrated Highway Services and DBi ServicesAdvanced Mobile Asset Collection, or AMAC, is the first technology to achieve accurate, mobile retro-reflectivity measurement of road signs, markings and studs.

This survey is carried out while on the move at traffic speeds, using an innovative data collection and processing technique. Developed in Europe in conjunction with DBi services (United States), A-one+ in Area 7 has used the technology to drive efficiency and improvement. The result is a comprehensive, interactive inventory of all road signs, markings and studs on the network.

This way of collecting data is quicker, safer and more reliable than current inspections and will lead to longer term cost savings. Further savings will be made avoiding expensive traffic management for surveys and the cost of disruption to the road users.

Judges’ Comments“The subject of good asset management is high on every network owner’s agenda, and the ease and consistency with which inventory data can be gathered and processed is paramount to good, efficient investment in the future. AMAC brings together the technology and application in a new and innovative way that will provide excellent new options and resources to the highway and traffic engineer in the UK.”

Robocut – remote controlled roadside grass maintenance

EM Highway Services LimitedThe squeezing of the networks to maximise capacity and availability are constraining both the working window and the working space available to undertake essential routine and cyclical operations.

This is not only impacting upon productivity, but is also forcing network maintainers, organisations like EM, to question current perceived safe working practices. Cuttings and embankment slopes are becoming steeper, the need to maximise productivity when on the network is increasing and importantly the safety of operatives, especially those undertaking routine and cyclical activities, is being threatened.

In light of these factors, and following an internal review of EM’s soft estate maintenance programme and several ‘near-miss’ reports, the EM operational team went to partners McConnel Limited of Ludlow with what was felt to be a unique problem – ‘how can we improve safety, maximise productivity, minimise network disruption and cut grass on steeper/irregular slopes?’.

This solution was put forward by the company’s operatives as part of a business improvement activity, via its ‘you say, we do’ safety initiative and the answer turned out to have more in common with Gameboy than with Gardeners World.

‘Robocut’ – a remote controlled all-terrain mowing and vegetation clearance machine, enables operatives to work in a much safer, effective and more efficient manner

when carrying out soft estate works. Building on improvements in the accuracy and response of remote controlled devices developed through improvements in bomb disposal and remote sensing devices, EM worked with McConnel to develop and train operatives in the use of Robocut within the depots before taking them out on the network.

EM invested in the trial and established the safest operating procedure for this activity, recently saving £15,000 and 52 man days on a grass cutting operation on the A34 at Tothill. EM are now rolling out this methodology across all their contracts.

Judges’ Comments“The judging panel considered this an innovative application of some existing technologies. The robocut will not only increase productivity, but will also improve roadworker safety as they will be able to control the machine away from heavy traffic and/or difficult terrain. It was considered that this would have widespread application across the whole network from trunk and motorway in particular, but also a large number of local authority roads.”


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CIHT/Costain Sustainability Award

Judges’ Comments“The judges were impressed by the scope and quality of this initiative. Health issues arise not only from the negative impacts of transport, but also from using transport to contribute to better health through increased active travel and a better social life of streets. It has the potential to boost active travel, while at the same time bringing a new and valuable perspective to the design and management of streets. It is an innovative policy approach that encourages consideration of the social role of streets, alongside the need for more sustainable travel behaviour. The health agenda opens up new possibilities in the planning, management and funding of street works.”

Judging CriteriaThis award recognises projects, policy initiatives or strategies delivered by the highways and transportation industry that can demonstrate a contribution to sustainable working and living.

The judges were looking for evidence of:• Environmental benefits• Innovation• Objectives met• Planning (robustness of research and

consultation) • Sustainable procurement • Implementation (management, operation,

communications) • Best value and cost benefit

Improving the Health of Londoners – a transport & health action plan Transport for London

Improving the health of Londoners: transport action plan is the first health action plan in the world for a transport authority. The overarching

objective is to strengthen health considerations in policy and decision-making within TfL and support stakeholder organisations, particularly London boroughs, to do so too.

This ‘health handbook’ for London’s transport sector serves multiple purposes:

1. Showcasing the many ways that transport in London is already delivering health benefits from the roll-out of cleaner buses to improved air quality, to investment in cycle tracks to support active travel. This enables practitioners to understand the many and varied ways they are delivering win-win-wins for transport, sustainability and health.

2. Identifying the priority areas where the biggest impacts can be made through the transport system to improving health and reducing health inequalities. This enables policy makers to put their energies into areas that will give the biggest ‘health return’ on investment.

3. Providing a locally tailored medical evidence base for the relationship between transport and health. Every statement is referenced to a reputable source, meaning that leaders, advocates, practitioners and policy makers can take the evidence presented in this report, and apply it to their own policies, business cases, etc, to make the case for investment in sustainable transport.

4. Committing to deliver ten actions over three years to embed health considerations into internal processes, support given to partners and stakeholder engagement. These actions include strengthening the appraisal and procurement processes, engaging new stakeholders in the health sector and

WINNER

monetising the health impacts of these activities.

5. Offering a range of tools, resources and key evidence sources to support practitioners in building health into their own practice.


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Street Lighting Toolkit

Scottish Futures TrustTypically, electricity used for councils’ street lamps account for 25% of their total electricity bills (£41m annually across Scotland) releasing 200,000 tonnes of Co2 into the atmosphere yearly.

With councils under pressure to make the best use of limited budgets and the cost of electricity set to double over the next ten years, never before has the argument been so compelling to explore ‘spend-to-save’ investment opportunities in LED lanterns.

In 2012, the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) carried out a pathfinder project with two councils to establish the savings through the introduction of LED lanterns. These projects indicated that an investment of £300m would deliver circa £900m of avoided costs over 20 years. To enable other councils to test the feasibility of an investment within their street lighting estate, a Street Lighting Steering Group comprising Scottish Government, Resource Efficient Scotland, Scotland Excel and COSLA established a co-ordinated support package. A major component of this was SFT’s first street lighting toolkit which was published in 2013.

In 2015 SFT expanded and further developed its most ambitious toolkit, with the added impact of its potential to be used globally.

SFT reviewed the level of investment required which has reduced considerably to £200m to deliver £1.3bn of avoided costs over a 25 year period.

SFT’s toolkit is a world’s first, providing users with visibility, clarity and understanding of the benefits of undertaking a street lighting replacement programme of investment.

This is corroborated by the fact that SFT has received over 100 requests for the toolkit from across Europe and further afield including Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Mexico and the USA.

With the whole of the UK now looking to use SFT’s toolkit, the UK’s cumulative energy cost savings are estimated at £13bn and a save over 30m tonnes of Co2 over the next 25 years.

Judges’ Comments“The lighting toolkit shows the way forward to achieve potentially huge savings in energy and operating costs, and makes use of the latest lighting technology to deliver results. The greater longevity of lighting units also will achieve a reduction in the frequency of maintenance visits, reducing both costs and interruptions to highway operation. It is an innovative approach that can readily be replicated throughout the UK and beyond.”

Hazardous Highway Waste Materials – developing a sustainable solution to a long-term problem in Hampshire

Hampshire County Council, Amey plc and Allasso RecyclingHampshire County Council, Amey and Allasso Recycling have been working collaboratively to develop the use of hydraulic bound material (HBM) as a solution to the environmental challenge resulting from the use of traditional highways surfacing materials. Over 11,000 tonnes of HBM has been produced so far, through an approach which optimises material usage and significantly reduces the carbon footprint in transportation and construction. The environmental benefits have been at the forefront of its development:

• The road network is now a linear quarry and the arisings, once a waste product, are now a commodity – HBM consists of approximately 97% recycled product

• Waste from site to landfill has considerably reduced. The carbon footprint of transporting waste on a 110-mile round trip to the nearest hazardous waste facility has also reduced; Co2 savings for this operation alone are approximately 260 tonnes

• The cold process instead of conventional hot recycled products has significantly reduced energy consumption and Co2

• As HBM can be used as a sub-base, base and binder, it saves on importing more conventional materials and therefore also reduces the use of virgin aggregates

• Using HBM as a single layer combined product saves construction time, and enables the road to be reopened sooner. This gives a Co2 saving on the reduced mileage driven on diversions

• The process enables by-products from other industries to be recycled, such as PFA and slag from steel works and coal fired power stations respectively

• It is a safe process for workers, as well as for residents and road users

The three partners are investing further in the use of HBM by developing a recycling facility which can manufacture 300 tonnes of HBM per hour, with a feedstock capacity of approximately 5,000 tonnes. A full testing regime is in place to ensure the material produced is compliant with requirements.

Judges’ Comments“Hazardous waste from highways maintenance and renewal is a costly problem, and recycling it to provide construction materials produces both environmental and cost savings. The innovative use of such procedures in a highway maintenance context is commended here, as is the strong collaborative approach taken between council and contractors. The submission document was also one of the best.”


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- 15 -


M876 Junction 1 – the use of recycled tyre bales in embankment repair

BEAR Scotland, Transport Scotland, Clann Waste, Jacobs and John Paul ConstructionThis is the first use of tyre bales as a fill material to repair an embankment failure on a Scottish motorway. The localised 10m wide shallow seated semi-circular embankment failure on the M876 near Falkirk required some 200 tyre bales, consisting of approximately 100 tyres in each bale, crushed and tied together with steel bands.

The design for the repair was prepared by shareholders, Jacobs, in accordance with the guidance provided in PAS 108:2007. Transport Scotland approved the scheme to be progressed as a trial project and the construction was managed by BEAR Scotland.

The tyre bales for the scheme were provided free of charge by Clann Waste Management, as an incentive for future use in road maintenance projects.

Following the removal of loose material and benching of the embankment, the actual repair was carried out very quickly. The tyre bales were put in place over a weekend, which reduced the time the cut face of the embankment was left exposed, and minimised impact to the motorway traffic.

Using the tyre bales reduced the need for virgin aggregates. The carbon emissions savings were calculated to be 33%. The overall savings in terms of cost was approximately 16% in a scheme valued at £270,000.

Around 45 million tyres are discarded every year in the UK. To use them as a construction material offers significant environmental and cost saving benefits.

The objectives of the scheme to provide an improved sustainable solution were met fully. Carbon emissions from the quarrying and transporting of virgin aggregates were reduced, as was the quantity of virgin aggregates used. Due to this use of tyre bales, the overall construction period was reduced compared with more conventional methods of construction.

Judges’ Comments“The judges applauded the application of what is a simple and effective solution, but one which has yet to find its way into mainstream practice. It makes perfect sense to use tyres for fill related to highways, instead of the costs and damage of transporting old tyres to waste landfill. The judges also appreciated a well presented submission.”

Peterborough Highway Services

Peterborough Highway Services (partnership between Peterborough City Council and Skanska UK)In delivering Peterborough Highway Services, Skanska is combining its own ambition to be the leading green contractor, with Peterborough City Council’s ambition of becoming ‘the UK’s Environment Capital’.

Crucially, Skanska made sustainability the cornerstone of the service, by developing its delivery plan around the ‘One Planet Living’ framework – developed by the World Wildlife Fund.

Instrumental to the company’s success was the 12 months spent at the start of the contract, identifying where genuine sustainability gains could be made. As a result, Peterborough is a showcase of energy-saving initiatives, including:

• A fully tracked fleet recording all driver interventions to encourage efficient fuel consumption and better driving, which is reducing diesel consumption and Co2 emissions

• Fitting solar photovoltaic panels at the company’s office has replaced 40% of the building’s energy consumption and is saving 4,000 KWh a month

• Skanska is using waste water to pre-wet the salt before winter gritting and with the upcoming introduction of rainwater harvesting for vehicle wash down and gully cleansing, it will save 15% on the use of potable water

• Using the innovative Dragon Patcher and micro asphalt heater instead of more wasteful cut and fill repairs for potholes

• A dedicated electric car (Nissan Leaf) and electric bike are used by the site team to carry out inspections on the network, saving around 950kg in Co2 emissions

• In the first year, the company has diverted 97% of waste from landfill, exceeding its target of 95%

• Currently 60% of non-materials suppliers (labour, consultancy, etc) are from the local area, higher than the 50% target

• Over half of the company’s contract staff are working with the local Skills Service to develop community skills; apprentices have been recruited and Skanska is also reintroducing ex-offenders into the workplace

• Even food in the canteen is local, sustainable and Fairtrade where possible.

Judges’ Comments“The judges wish to commend the holistic approach taken to environmental issues with which highway contractors have to deal. It fits well with Peterborough’s broader environmental ambitions, and gives an indication of how important it is for highway authorities to set the bar high when contracting highway services. The Skanska example should provide a model for other councils and contractors to follow. The working framework is impressive, and the judges appreciated a thoughtful and well-presented submission.”

COMMENDED COMMENDED

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- 16 -


CIHT Effective Partnerships AwardEssex County Council Strategic Highways Transformation

Essex County Council and Ringway Jacobs Limited

Judges’ Comments“This was the clear winner from an extremely strong field of entries. A model of effective partnership working built on shared objectives and problem solving, demonstrating success through transformed behaviours. A shining example of what can be achieved through true collaboration.”

Judging CriteriaThis award recognises the achievements and added value that can result from effective partnership relationships in the development and/or delivery of solutions.The judges were looking for evidence of: • Implementation (management, operation,

communications, complexity)• Relationships and engagement in achieving

objectives• Outcomes/benefits to: - The activity or project - Costs/best value - The wider community and users - Sustainability and the environment - The partners and supply chain• Planning shared goals (robustness of research

and consultation)• Performance measures/internal and external

feedback• Development of the partnership throughout the

activity or project

In 2012, Ringway Jacobs Limited was appointed as the strategic partner to Essex County Council to deliver integrated maintenance services

across the 7200km highway network. The Council recognised that it needed to transform the way the service was delivered as it moved from ten separate suppliers to a collaborative team, with ECC and Ringway Jacobs staff working within a single organisation, focused on the achievement of shared outcomes.

This unified structure was formed with teams appointed jointly on a ‘best person for the job basis’, with a single line of sight throughout the organisation, removing man marking – all managed by Ringway Jacobs. The integrated co-located teams use shared IT, processes and procedures, all operating and communicating internally as ‘Essex Highways’.

Recognising the advantages of adopting a structured approach to the relationship, a joint improvement team was established to set the strategic direction and provide clarity of responsibilities and relationships. In 2015 the partnership gained third party certification to BS11000 – Collaborative Business Relationships including a number of key suppliers.

A key driver of the service has been to achieve efficiencies and more than £11m of savings have been delivered in the first year over the previous arrangements. These were achieved through the development and management of integrated programmes overseen by a programme management office, the removal of man-marking and efficient working, whilst maintaining service levels.

The partnership supports local employment, with 30% of its expenditure through local SMEs, has taken on 51 apprentices and developed graduate opportunities with Anglian Ruskin

WINNER

University and the University of Essex. All staff and the supply chain are encouraged to participate in volunteering activities through a community outreach programme and engage with schools to raise the industry profile.


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HIGHLY COMMENDED

A477 St Clears to Red Roses Improvement

SRB Civil Engineering UK (Roadbridge- Sisk JV), Welsh Government, Ramboll and Hyder ConsultingThe A477 St Clears to Red Roses Improvement (A477SCRR) was constructed by SRB Civil Engineering (Roadbridge-Sisk JV) and designed by Ramboll, on behalf of Welsh Government (WG) under Early Contractor Involvement contract.

The integrated team, with WG and Hyder Consulting as the employer’s agent, successfully brought the project through the statutory process, detailed design and construction, using an ‘open-door’ approach. Collaborative, pro-active management of environmental considerations meant that there were no objections from statutory environmental bodies at the public inquiry.

Design and construction innovations, balanced a 200,000m3 earthworks deficit and generated additional 60,000m3 of rock reducing 5,000 HGV movements on the local roads.

The effects on the local community, road users and the environment were minimised, through careful and considerate planning. Excellent stakeholder partnering resulted in no complaints being received by South Wales Trunk Road Agent or Carmarthenshire County Council from over six million traffic users.

The project was successfully opened in April 2014, three months ahead of programme and delivered 13% under budget. Design innovation resulted in the removal of a high skew over-bridge and redesign of a river-bridge, saving over £1m. Effective collaboration with the pavement sub-contractor saved 30% using CBGM.

Value for money and local spend was prioritised, with 85% of the supply chain sourced from within Wales.

The team partnered with a local SME, Hydro Industries, applying their ground-breaking electro-coagulation water treatment to successfully treat site runoff. This was the first application of this technology on a road scheme in the UK.

A Constructing Excellence in Wales Exemplar Project, the A477SCRR promoted integrated collaborative team working, to deliver a world class piece of infrastructure. Examples of community-based initiatives (137 in total) were undertaken in partnership with WG, including construction of 11 additional car parking spaces for a local primary school; planting of a bee friendly garden with Esteam (local group of adults with learning disability) and partnering with TRAC (local employment group) to provide opportunities for long-term unemployed.

Judges’ Comments“A very successful project where the clear emphasis on quality delivered a range of community, environmental and financial benefits. Early private sector involvement and extensive community engagement delivered added value from start to finish.”

Crewe Rail Exchange

Cheshire East Council, Jacobs, Balfour Beatty, Network Rail, Virgin Trains, Ringway Jacobs and AECOMEffective partnerships were central to ensuring the viability of the Crewe Rail Exchange regeneration project. Designed to enhance Crewe Station as a major transport interchange, the project overcame significant challenges, including:

• Aspirations which exceeded the available budget• Complex and high risk construction (demolition and

construction alongside a live railway)• Multiple stakeholders, including Network Rail and Virgin Trains

This was only possible as a result of seven organisations working together towards a common goal. Their achievements are particularly impressive, given the technically and regulatory challenging railway environment.

Works involved constructing a new high-quality parking facility with taxi ranks adjacent to Crewe Station, constructing a new access/egress to the station and refurbishment of the existing subway, with new ticketing and other station infrastructure. Demolition of the redundant Post Office and Network Rail buildings, including a two level deep basement adjacent to the West Coast Mainline, was required to facilitate these works, involving complex Network Rail possessions.

This was the first project in Cheshire East Council’s ‘All Change for Crewe’ regeneration programme. It was delivered through the Department for Transport’s Station Commercial Project Facility – a £100m station improvement fund with a strict funding deadline.

The Council’s vision and willingness to provide additional funding transformed the project. Effective partnership working from all of the parties involved helped to develop the solutions and make this vision a reality. To meet aspirations, the team worked together to identify value engineering savings and source nearly £1m of additional funding. Other achievements included:

• Completion within programme and budget• 20 night possessions of the West Coast Mainline with no

overruns or delays• 90% overall customer satisfaction score• Completion of new high-quality station facilities.

Judges’ comments for the Commended projects:

Four commended projects that demonstrate both the quantity of entries in this category (34) and the quality, making it impossible for the judges to separate them. This outcome also demonstrates the diversity of activities across the sector where genuine partnership working is delivering success to clients, providers and the wider community.

COMMENDED


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- 19 -


EM Highway Services and Causeway Technologies

EM Highway Services Limited and Causeway Technologies LimitedLeading highways asset maintenance and management provider, EM Highway Services Limited, and global software provider, Causeway Technologies, have formed a uniquely effective partnership to deliver the most appropriate, fit-for-purpose ICT solution in just 12 weeks across seven EM contracts.

United by complementary values and behaviours, EM identified Causeway as its business systems partner of choice, adopting the full Highways Management Suite to provide a complete end-to-end solution for its financial, operational and supply chain management needs.

Adopting a co-located ‘one-team’ approach, stakeholder confidence was established through a series of ‘Discovery’ workshops. The team was empowered to remove or manage out any potential ‘blockages’ so as to maintain implementation effectiveness. A dedicated senior Causeway consultant is based in EM’s head office and agreed service levels are reported quarterly.

Using Causeway as the business management system underpinning all aspects of the business, EM now manage over £500m of turnover per year. There are now 1,237 users of Causeway within EM and its supply chain. So far, the system has saved £354,000 of costs in preparing invoices, post works cost reports and final accounts. This led to EM becoming the first Highways England Asset Support Contract provider to initiate live inspections from mobile device to IAMIS in ‘week one’ of its Area 9 contract.

Causeway’s incident management module captures events as they happen on the ground, providing a fully auditable response plan to reduce congestion and maintain the safety of road users, from initial report. The system facilitates the drive to a paperless working environment and map assisted planning has provided a 96% reduction in abortive journeys.

The partnership has seen both organisations grow; EM doubling in size since the implementation, whilst Causeway have been able to unlock new market opportunities and develop the solution, using both EM’s experience and knowledge in a win-win partnership.

Somerset Flood Resilience Team

Skanska UK, Somerset County Council and Environment AgencySkanska, working alongside Somerset County Council (SCC), the Environment Agency, supply chain and a range of community stakeholders, has shown how an immediate response to the flooding of 2013 has developed into an enduring partnership to defend the area against future flooding.

Formed in response to the floods of winter 2013/2014, and building on Skanska’s existing relationship with SCC as its highway term maintenance contractor, the Somerset Flood Scheme Delivery Team initially provided critical assistance – operating amphibious vehicles as community transport, deploying 50,000 sandbags, delivering food and post, providing evacuation, medical response and domestic refuse clearance.

Post-flood, the team has been working with a shared purpose to shore up the county against further disasters.

One such priority was the village of Muchelney which had been cut off for 82 days following the flood. The team had just nine months to research, acquire land, and design and build a

The Metrolink Family

Transport for Greater Manchester, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, MPact-Thales, RATP Dev Limited and ThalesA partnership approach between Transport for Greater Manchester, Metrolink operator Metrolink RATP Dev Limited (MRDL), delivery partner WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff and contractors MPact-Thales (MPT) and Thales Transportation, has seen the delivery of a £1.5 billion investment programme that has tripled the size of Greater Manchester’s iconic Metrolink light rail network.

This has been achieved by placing collaboration and a genuine commitment to achieving a common goal at the heart of delivering this step change in customer experience and reliability.

The ‘one-team’ approach enabled major and complex operational changes to be seamlessly introduced to a live tram network currently carrying 68,000 passengers a day. As a result shared measures, processes and learning have been implemented across all the partners.

Thanks to partnership working, the Metrolink family has opened nearly 60km of new operational tramway on budget, with 24km delivered months ahead of schedule. In particular, the latest line to open in November 2014, was delivered one year ahead of schedule. As a result, Metrolink has seen patronage increased by 50% in three years, and achieved a customer satisfaction rate of 85% in a recent Passenger Focus survey.

COMMENDED COMMENDED

COMMENDEDpermanent solution, ahead of winter 2014/15.

Working collaboratively, holding workshops and meeting every week, the team, along with its subcontractors, raised the Muchelney to Drayton road by 1.27m along a 0.5mile length.

In the same time, the team also planned, designed and constructed civil engineering works at Beer Wall, to increase the flow capacity of the River Sowey as it passes through the A372 highway embankment. This will help mitigate flood levels, protecting properties, two strategic rail lines and the A372 itself.

The schemes have been completed on time, within budget, and to excellent health, safety and environmental standards. Feedback, including messages from the public, has been enormously positive and the team is working on other flood resilience schemes to support the communities in Somerset.

Together they are proving that the hallmark of an effective partnership comes not in an emergency, but in the aftermath – when the spotlight has moved away, the team’s dedication to protecting the county has grown stronger.

Your route to a professional qualifi cation

Whether you are just starting out in your career or an experienced professional, CIHT can help to support your professional development needs by off ering you access to professional qualifi cations:

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• Transport Planning Professional

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- 20 -


CIHT/EM Highway Services Streets AwardSouthall Broadway Boulevard

Ealing Council, Project Centre and Murrill Construction Limited

Judges’ Comments“The judges thought this was a scheme that benefited from an excellent, clear and simple vision on an extraordinarily busy street with a multiplicity of users. The judging panel liked the design and concepts used on the scheme and the fact that they had been adapted from previous smaller schemes.”

Judging CriteriaThis award recognises outstanding street designs. Completed schemes, or larger schemes with completed phases are eligible.

The judges were looking for evidence of:• Demonstration of fulfilling a clearly articulated

vision• Encourage environmentally sustainable travel

choices• Well executed planning and implementation

(consultation and collaboration)• Achieve a good balance between movement and

place functions• Excellence in accessibility and inclusiveness• Quality, functionality and maintainability of design• Good connectivity to the surrounding community• Evidence that scheme objectives are being

achieved

Southall Broadway Boulevard is a £7m renovation project, designed to improve the public realm and pedestrian road safety, and

boost local business. The vision set out to radically alter the look and feel of this 1km long high street with an innovative layout, creating a change in the interaction between pedestrians and drivers.

The design adopted contemporary concepts that have been used elsewhere on smaller schemes, but the game-changer was to take these concepts and scale them up onto a significantly busier street. In addition, by subdividing the street into two distinctive styles that repeated themselves, a sense of rhythm and spatial hierarchy was created, slowing traffic and reinforcing pedestrian priority and movement at key points.

Analysis identified that pedestrians ignored controlled crossing points and guardrails, moving across the road in a direct route for their needs and this ad-hoc crossing style explained the high pedestrian accident rate. Accordingly, the design created a new balance, dividing the street into ‘boulevard zones’ and ‘street zones’ creating areas for informal pedestrian movement and other areas for vital functions such as bus stops and loading bays.

The project team successfully fulfilled the vision by thoroughly articulating the benefits to stakeholders, sticking to the plan, skilfully overcoming obstacles and constructing a high quality product on time.

Observations show the scheme has achieved its objectives. Pedestrians are crossing the road easily and more safely, traffic is moving smoothly and buses are operating without additional delays. Residents are extremely satisfied with the

WINNER

end results; members of the public have been congratulating ward councillors on the “wonderful” scheme and the deputy leader of the Council was “full of praise”. Finally, the success of the project was formally recognised by Cabinet who were moved to “congratulate officers on this project”.


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COMMENDED

Mini-Holland in Waltham Forest: The Walthamstow Village Trial

London Borough of Waltham ForestAs part of the ‘Mayor’s Vision for Cycling’, London’s outer boroughs were invited to submit proposals to transform the cycling infrastructure and encourage people to take to two wheels. Waltham Forest was one of the successful ‘Mini-Holland’ boroughs with an anticipated allocation of £27m to fulfil their ambitious vision.

As part of this Mini-Holland programme, the ‘Walthamstow Village Trial’ provided the Council with the opportunity to test out innovative solutions to reduce rat-running and deliver vast improvements in safety and convenience for cyclists and pedestrians.The overarching objectives of these improvements were to:

• Reduce the amount and speed of through-traffic using residential streets

• Improve the look, feel and safety of Walthamstow Village for all road users

• Encourage environmentally sustainable travel choices

The trial incorporated many radical measures to alleviate ‘rat-running’ within the area and improve safety and infrastructure available to cyclists and potential cyclists.

Through extensive engagement with the community, the Council effectively created a ‘living’ consultation where they, residents and businesses, were able to better understand the impacts of the changes in a real-life situation. Whilst it presented several challenges, it allowed the Council to actively learn and improve its approach to this and future schemes, to ensure that they meet the needs of the current and future population.

Judges’ Comments“This submission was an experimental trial to test innovation and the judges really liked the opportunity to gather evidence clearly, establishing what would work before expending large amounts of money. It demonstrates a positive way to present proposals to an entire community in order to expose the benefits of a scheme rather than to emphasise the negatives.”

Hornchurch Town Centre Regeneration

Jacobs and London Borough of HaveringHornchurch town centre, within London Borough of Havering, has a well-balanced mixture of shops, ranging from well-known high street names to specialist businesses; it also has a thriving nightlife based around pubs, eateries and the cultural quarter. Given the ageing population in the borough, together with other shopping hubs and major retail centres within easy access, regeneration of Hornchurch town centre was seen as critical to support the local economy and ensure that all businesses prosper.

The vision for Hornchurch town centre drew on its rich heritage. The town’s social assets were the basis of expanding Hornchurch’s cultural and retail economy.

Considerable stakeholder and public consultation was undertaken during an extensive design development process. This underlined the importance of general traffic operation to local people and the Councillors.

The scheme provides a balance between the aesthetic and functional (and between pedestrian and driver needs) which is appropriate to the local context and has delivered the support of local Councillors and the public. It combines enhanced streetscape, accessibility, easier crossing for pedestrians supporting economic activity, a reduced number and a reduced severity of these collisions. In addition, improved alleyways connecting to car parks, a 20mph no-stopping zone along the main area of High Street, new and improved lighting, off-road loading bays for local shop deliveries and addressing congestion and highway safety, have made the town centre more accessible, vital and viable.

Judges’ Comments“London Borough of Havering has been at the forefront of developing this type of scheme and the submission displayed great vision, together with the use of interesting techniques which have subsequently been used elsewhere with great success.”

Norwood Town Centre

London Borough of Lambeth, Landolt & Brown, FM Conway and Proctors Electrical ServicesThe townscape improvements carried out by Lambeth Council with investment from Outer London Fund (OLF) at the southern end of West Norwood have been genuinely transformative. A tangle of multi-lane road junctions, narrow, congested pavements and under-played but remarkable historic buildings and spaces have become a generous, pleasurable and revitalised town centre for the residents and businesses.

New crossings and enlarged pavements have made pedestrian movement feel as important as the car routes. Tatty, confusing traffic islands scattered with railings and signage have been turned into high quality public spaces, stitched back to the frontages they sit alongside. Floodlighting of historic buildings and monuments has made this part of West Norwood a wonderful place to be, day or night.

Significantly, a range of characterful, independent new businesses have taken root and older businesses are showing

a new lease of life. The successful FEAST event (a monthly volunteer-powered community street market) in St Luke’s churchyard has had a catalytic effect with a vintage furniture fair and a craft market blossoming at its fringes. Many businesses now remain open on the Sunday when FEAST takes place and an extra day of good trading has an obvious beneficial economic impact.

Judges’ Comments“The judges thought this was an excellent example of place making using a multi-disciplinary approach with architects being prominently involved. The judges were impressed by the way that the scheme proposers were willing to adapt their design to meet/react to the aspirations of the community. Judges also thought this provided a good example of the benefits of bringing together and maximising available resources.”


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CIHT John Smart Road Safety Award

Judges’ Comments“The judges were impressed with the scale of the measures, which combine a package of engineering, education and communications strategies, and enforcement to address a significant road safety problem on an extensive route. The submission was significantly referenced to an evidence base and resource material, and demonstrated substantial speed reduction following scheme implementation.”

The A9 Trunk Road connects central Scotland and the Highlands. This single/dual carriageway route stretches 246 miles from Dunblane to Thurso

and over a five year period, 254 people were killed or seriously injured. In developing an overall safety strategy for the route, the A9 Safety Group was established by Transport Scotland and comprised of experienced representatives from public and private sectors.

The Group’s developed strategy looked across four key areas designed around improving driver behaviour:• Communication - Establishing a dedicated website (http://a9road.

info/)• Engineering - Improvements related to signing, lining and visibility• Education - Campaign strategy targeting overtaking and speed

limits • Enforcement - Introduction of an average speed camera system (ASCS) - Reduction of already high offender ratesThe A9 strategy was innovative in that it also introduced a rise in the speed limit for HGVs exceeding 7.5t, which in conjunction with the ASCS, was projected as being a positive step towards improving driver behaviour and in providing operational benefits.Vysionics installed the SPECS3 ASCS providing:• 27 sites between Perth and Inverness covering single

carriageway sections • 23 sites between Dunblane and Perth with a visible

focus on at-risk junctions Key performance indicators for the project with evidence are published quarterly. The main headlines from this first analysis (Jan 2015), show:• Speeding offences were reduced by a factor of eight

compared to previous enforcement strategy• Overall speeding is down from one in three drivers to

one in twenty• Examples of excessive speeding (10mph+) down by 97% • Journey time increases in line with predictions• Journey time reliability improved• No evidence that drivers are avoiding the A9• Feedback from hauliers suggests consistent journey

times for HGVsThe initial performance report was too early in the

Judging CriteriaThis award is in recognition of John Smart, CIHT’s former Director of Technical Affairs and Business Development who sadly passed away in November 2012.John had a strong personal and professional commitment to improving road safety throughout his career and the Institution is honoured to associate him with this award.The CIHT John Smart Road Safety Award recognises outstanding achievements which improve road safety. This award aims to identify, share and celebrate good road safety practice. Road safety initiatives, schemes or products that contribute to casualty reduction are welcomed for this award, particularly where they provide outputs that can be widely applied.The award welcomes both engineering and education/training/publicity projects, which can demonstrate the quantifiable effects of the project either through measurement, monitoring or description.The judges were looking for evidence of:• Clarity of technical submission• Research into problem (including analysis of the impact

the problem is having and the factors contributing to it)• Quality of solution and methodology of how it

addresses the defined problem(s)• Innovation• Evidence of outcome (eg recorded change in risk/

accidents/behaviour/attitudes) including details of programmed future monitoring

• Quality of evaluation of outcome including informing future activity

• Affordability, qualitative and quantitative benefit• Transferability – can the scheme/initiative be repeated

elsewhere?

A9 Interim Safety Plan

A9 Safety Group

WINNER

life of the system to provide detailed casualty analysis, but feedback from the police on casualty reduction is promising.


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COMMENDED

Seven Dials Roundabout Scheme

Brighton & Hove City CouncilSeven Dials was a notoriously hazardous city-centre junction: seven roads met at a mini-roundabout posing particular difficulties for cyclists and pedestrians. Prior to redevelopment it was the city’s third-ranking collision site, averaging 8.3 collisions per year (almost half involving cyclists). The vehicle-oriented layout encouraged aggressive driver behaviour and a disregard for adjacent signal-controlled pedestrian crossings.

Over 26,000 vehicles travel through Seven Dials every day, with high numbers of vehicles and pedestrians competing for space during peak hours (2000 vehicles/1300 pedestrians). Several key bus routes run through the junction and four of the roads have retail frontages, resulting in the generation of a high number of pedestrian movements.

A full oval-shaped central island has now been created, with a wide, single circulatory lane ensuring priorities are clear and space for shared movement through the junction. The movement of large vehicles has been accommodated within an overrun area, using robust surface materials that discourage general traffic. Three of the approach roads have been reduced to a single lane entry/exit and footways have been widened to reduce crossing distances. Planting, seating and cycle racks have been installed.

The scheme was completed in December 2013. Surveys undertaken in 2014 showed a 3% increase in cyclists and a 17% increase in pedestrians using the junction. Traffic volumes have remained the same. Feedback from the public and local businesses has been extremely positive.

Judges’ Comments“This large complex junction had many vehicle conflict points, contributing to a high collision frequency, almost half of which involved injury to cyclists. Successful changes to the junction have resulted in an increase in cycling and walking and a more conducive place.”

Cycle Safety Shield

Ealing Council and Safety Shield SystemsEaling Council worked with Safety Shield Systems to develop, trial and successfully roll out a collision avoidance system that is fitted to vehicles to help reduce accidents with vulnerable road users. Targeted primarily at the issue of HGV and cyclist collisions, the system has a number of distinct features including the primary warning system to drivers of a potential collision with cyclists, pedestrians or motorcyclists (filtering out other inanimate objects to eliminate repetitive and unnecessary alarms).

This ‘intelligent’ detection also includes headway monitoring, forward collision monitoring, high beam control, lane departure warning and speed monitoring to further help prevent accidents and poor driving behaviour. Together with the 360 degree cameras, a six month trial was conducted by Ealing Council, where the headline results were the avoidance of 15 serious collisions, improved vehicle fuel efficiency by 8% and a 20% improvement in driver behaviour (safety rating).

Despite all the features, the Council also negotiated the system to be available at a competitive price range (£850-£1900 per vehicle depending on package selected).

The trial has revolutionised the thinking towards lorry safety and performance in London, and is now being rolled out across all of Ealing’s contractor fleet (over 100 vehicles) with other local authorities around the world starting to follow suit. The system can also be used on buses and coaches, and talks with major operators on this are in advanced stages.

Judges’ Comments“The judges welcome this initiative to address a problem of conflict between cycles and goods vehicles, which result in an extremely high injury severity. While many such systems are in use, this system specifically alerts the driver if a collision is possible, thereby avoiding the problem of excessive alerts reducing driver response. While only applied to one vehicle at present, it has scope for wider application.”

Improving Road Safety with Solar Active Road Stud Technology

Rennicks (UK) Limited and East Ayrshire CouncilEast Ayrshire Council was the first in the country to install new dual LED active road studs on a major, rural 60mph road, encountering a higher rate of incidents, particularly at night and during inclement weather.

The objectives were to improve safety, whilst limiting damage to the environment and reduce all types of accidents on a 60mph stretch of road near Waterside on the A719 in East Ayrshire, which carries some 4500 vehicles per day.

180xSR-15 solar powered active road studs were installed adding effective delineation. The four LEDs on each stud (two in each direction) automatically activate at dusk and during inclement weather, highlighting the horizontal and vertical geometry of the road.

Drivers on this key route can now see the road much further ahead and benefit from the difference innovative road marking makes – bright delineation and advance warning of

bends, providing a safer more enjoyable driver experience.

East Ayrshire Council also considered the environmental benefits of the products, so solar units are ideal not only for carbon reduction, but have a low impact on the wildlife.

Whole-life costings were considered throughout the project. A ten year life (three years maximum life for traditional studs) provides better full life costs, less traffic management deployment, less delays in terms of traffic congestion caused by roadworks and ultimately less carbon.

Judges’ Comments“Collisions on rural bends can be of above-average severity and resistant to reduction. This scheme used the recognised technology of solar-powered road studs, with an improved form (dual LEDs) and claimed warranty to ten year operation, which improves value for money from public budgets. These studs help to highlight alignment on winding roads, reducing sudden braking, which can lead to loss of control collisions.”


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CIHT/Gatwick Airport Major Projects AwardMetrolink to Manchester Airport

Transport for Greater Manchester

Judges’ Comments“The judges were impressed by the early and effective delivery of the new tramway through sensitive urban environments. A raft of innovative and environmental benefits were part of this strategic project that improves connectivity to the airport, helping deliver regeneration and growth to the area.”

Judging CriteriaThis award is aimed at individual projects with a total project value greater than £15m that are outstanding examples of transportation or highway projects that demonstrate they have been delivered on time, to budget and contribute to the accessibility and transport choices of the local or national community.The judges were looking for evidence of:• Benefits to the community (contribution to

wider economic and social objectives)• Benefits to the environment (for example:

energy savings, level of recycling, percentage of sustainable resource or materials used, contribution to low carbon future)

• Implementation and delivery of project (management, partnership working, operation, communications, training and safety)

• Engagement and communication with Stakeholders• Planning and design (including BIM application)• Enterprise, innovation and ingenuity• Objectives met (including time, cost and quality)

Transport for Greater Manchester is delivering a £1.5bn investment scheme to triple the size of its iconic tram system, Metrolink. The

latest line to open is the £400m locally funded 14.5km extension to Manchester Airport, via Wythenshawe.

Opening on 3 November 2014, more than 12 months ahead of schedule, it provides significantly improved links to employment, retail and leisure opportunities, as well as supporting regeneration and economic growth.

Early delivery was due to lessons learned from previous extensions driving efficiencies across the project, resource flexibility due to delivering other extensions early and the development of innovative tools and techniques. The project included:

• Construction of 14.5km of brand new tramway through a range of urban environments, ecologically sensitive areas and heavily populated residential/town centre

• 15 new, fully accessible stops • New Park & Ride facility just off the M60

motorway • Extensive utility diversions to move often ageing,

even pre-war assets, away from the new tramline• Construction of major new structures:

– 2 new motorway crossings – Viaduct over the Mersey valley, a site of

Special Biological Importance • Extensive highways interfaces including the

design of 28 road junctions

This brand new line is part of a bigger picture that will deliver significant improvements to the infrastructure of Manchester Airport and the surrounding area. This extension will also support and provide connectivity to the UK’s first ‘Airport City’, an £800m landmark property development, one of the most significant regeneration schemes since the 2012 Olympics redevelopment.

WINNER


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M25 Later Upgrade Sections

Skanska Balfour Beatty Joint Venture, Connect Plus, Atkins and Highways England The M25 Later Upgrade Sections (LUS) was the first smart motorway all lanes running (SM-ALR) scheme to be completed in the UK. Constructed by Skanska Balfour Beatty joint venture (SBBJV) the scheme is comprised of Section 2 spanning 20km between Junctions 5-7 and Section 5 spanning 26km between Junctions 23-27, totalling £321m and delivered under Highways England M25 DBFO contract with Connect Plus.

‘Smart motorway’ describes the future of England’s motorways where technology is used to monitor and inform drivers (CCTV, traffic sensors, electronic messaging). ‘All lanes running’ utilises the existing hard shoulder as a permanent running lane, effectively increasing the cross-sectional highway capacity, without widening the carriageway.

The new SM-ALR concept gave the team an opportunity to reassess motorway design and construction. The result is an exemplary project through its holistic approach to sustainability, technology, safety, resource management and construction. Whole-life cost and safe future asset maintenance were fundamental considerations from the outset, while maintaining the objectives of improving traffic congestion, journey times and road user satisfaction along one of the busiest motorways in the UK.

The M25-LUS is acknowledged by Highways England as being outstanding in its peer group for speed and safety of overall delivery, with the scheme saving over 20% of the original budget estimates (£65m), and 15% of the original contract programmes (36 weeks over the combined projects).

The scheme successfully developed and deployed a number of initiatives which SBBJV has actively shared with HE and wider highways construction, operations and maintenance community, providing additional value to the client. These technological innovations have proven to be so successful in operation, they have been adopted as ‘business as usual’ for all other SM-ALR Schemes in HE’s portfolio. The M25-LUS is regularly cited as the current benchmark standard for smart motorway delivery.

Judges’ Comments“The entire client-contractor delivery team demonstrated considerable cost and time savings in a live working environment, underpinned by a collaborative work ethos. The successful engagement of suppliers and stakeholders enabled improvements to be completed ahead of time and under budget for this highly commendable scheme.”

A43 Corby Link Road

Northamptonshire County Council, KierWSP and InterserveAfter successfully campaigning for this much needed new dual carriageway, construction started in June 2012 on the £37m A43 Corby Link Road. The new four mile route opened in May 2014, on schedule and on budget.

The road lies to the south of Corby and connects Kettering to the south, with the A43 to the north and east of Corby.The scheme:• Upgrades the existing A43 running through Geddington• Enables the growth and regeneration of Corby without

causing major congestion in the town• Reduces community severance in rural areas, particularly the

village of Geddington• Greatly reduces traffic volumes through nearby towns and

villages• Supports the wider economic development of Corby and

Northamptonshire• Provides improved access to employment for the residents of

Corby• Reduces the number, potential and severity of road accidents• Enhances the local environment in rural and urban locations

The redevelopment and regeneration of Northamptonshire is top of the agenda and visible throughout the county. With the county recognised as a prime location for growth and investment from both the public and private sector, the maintenance of the system is of real importance.

A great highway infrastructure will work hand-in-hand with plans to encourage the development of existing new industry and commerce in the county, and will be needed to cope with the expected growth in population.

The A43 Corby Link Road ensures planned growth already taking place in Corby and Kettering that is supported with excellent transport corridors that link through to the national networks.

Judges’ Comments“The judges commend this well-designed, environmentally sensitive project, for its co-ordinated delivery and incentivised cost share approach through value engineering. The project will help local communities, reduce traffic volumes and provide potential for the economic development of Northamptonshire.”


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CIHT/VINCI Concessions Highway Asset Management AwardLeeds Highway Maintenance Strategy: creating value for the community

Leeds City Council

Judges’ Comments“The judges were impressed by this submission describing the asset management journey Leeds City Council has undertaken over the last ten years. It demonstrates the benefits that may be realised through adopting a well-founded asset management approach. It is an excellent example of what can be achieved through self-learning and the adoption of best practice, and has led to Leeds championing asset management for West Yorkshire Combined Authorities.”

Judging CriteriaThis award recognises achievements of asset management professionals, teams and organisations, working in the highways and transportation industry. This award is aimed at promoting application of whole-life asset management principles and seeks to identify added value that can result from the use of asset management techniques, to effectively develop maintenance strategies and optimise use and management of the existing highway infrastructure. The judges were looking for evidence of:• Creating value through use of whole-life asset

management principles• Best value and cost benefits• Implementation and monitoring of strategy• Innovation and best practice• Wider benefits and implementation potential

Leeds City Council has developed a whole-life asset maintenance model that is ensuring the efficient use of resources to maintain its

3000km road network, which is of vital importance to the local community and the economy of the city. The model benefits from more than ten years of cost and condition data, providing an accurate picture of the impact of previous maintenance strategies. Output from the model is supported by the Council leadership and senior politicians who have backed continuing investment in highway maintenance and made road condition a Council priority. Implementation of the strategy is beginning to show real benefit in the reduction of potholes and third party liability claims.

The development of the model has combined Leeds’ previous work in this area, the HMEP toolkit, and observation and sharing of best practice from elsewhere. The work has been undertaken entirely in-house and represents good value with minimal running costs. The model is integrated with existing inventory and condition software packages, so that as condition surveys are completed, the model can provide the current and predicted network maintenance status with just a few simple ‘clicks’. The output has been verified with historical data and condition trends, leading to a high degree of confidence in forecasting.

The output from the model is being used to generate an annual State of the Highway Network report to communicate the application of asset management to stakeholders. The report will engender a greater understanding of the pressures

WINNER

facing highways maintenance and how the application of asset management is delivering efficient services for the community. Councillor Richard Lewis, Executive Board Member for Transport and the Economy, said: “The maintenance strategy that has resulted from this work is now in place and is essential for the sustainability of future road maintenance in Leeds”.


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COMMENDED

Roadside Grassland Management – applying asset management principles to restoring lost local biodiversity and reconnecting habitats

EM Highway Services LimitedAs part of Highways England’s (HE) Area 1 Managing Agent Contractor contract, EM has designed a grassland management plan, to ensure that a structured programme of activities is delivered to enable biodiversity and landscape management commitments to be met.

This whole-life asset management approach facilitates the production of a superior grassland environment to be considered as an asset management function, instead of the more traditional ‘environmental’ or ‘soft landscape’ activity. Utilising the whole-life asset management approach enabled the proposals to be equally assessed for funding against other projects/schemes through Highways England’s value management process. Value is assigned to the range of ecosystem services that grassland provides; storm water attenuation; amenity value and carbon absorption are just some areas where value is created.

The grassland area on the A30 between Newton and Treswithian junctions was used as a pilot scheme to create and proactively manage an area of new, species rich, grassland within the existing roadside verge for wildlife to find refuge. These grasslands (and the pollinating species they support) have far reaching positive impacts on almost every area of society. The most obvious benefit is the environmental and biodiversity enhancement this work can bring, alongside residual benefits to the wellbeing of people and communities.

Judges’ Comments“This submission was very well presented and highlights the important aspects of managing the environmental features of highways assets. It provides an excellent example of how a whole-life approach to species management can enable funding to be obtained, through demonstration of environmental benefits.”

Highway Improvement Programme – investing to improve Cheshire East Highways

Ringway Jacobs for Cheshire East HighwaysDuring the winters of 2011/12 and 2012/13, Cheshire East’s road network suffered the greatest decline in condition, at a rate never seen before. Carriageway defects and third party claims spiked to an all-time high. Customers responded with poor satisfaction ratings and there was insufficient investment to arrest the deterioration.

In light of this deterioration and increased maintenance costs, Ringway Jacobs (Cheshire East Highways), the Authority’s integrated service provider, were commissioned to develop a highway asset recovery strategy.

A clear 3-level strategy was devised to improve the declining situation with asset management central to the improvement programme. The Authority responded by providing an unprecedented level of investment of £25m over the following two years.

The benefits achieved by the strategy have seen significant improvements:• An 83% reduction of potholes and defects in need of repair

across the network• A huge reduction in annual compensation payments from

£500,000 (2012/13) to £1000 (2014/15)• Public satisfaction with road surface condition increasing

from 7% in 2012 to 36% in 2014 • Further committed investment from Cheshire East Council of

£16.5m over the next three years, due to the success of the Invest to Improve strategy.

Judges’ Comments“This submission provides significant evidence of the improvements to customer satisfaction that can be achieved through adopting a whole-life approach to the investment in highway assets. The evidence submitted demonstrated significant improvements in a number of areas, including the NHT survey results.”

Major Investment in Highway Infrastructure Assets

Herefordshire Council and Balfour Beatty Living PlacesThe underlying condition of Rural C and Unclassified roads in Herefordshire was at an unacceptable level. The extensive highway asset (over 2000 miles) would cost over £2.5bn to replace at today’s prices, approximately £100m being required to return the overall road network to acceptable condition.

The severe weather damage (December 2013 to February 2014) was partially being addressed through Bellwin and severe weather damage funding. Additional investment of £20m was secured and targeted at the Rural C and Unclassified roads as part of the 2014/15 and 2015/16 maintenance programmes.

The principal driver behind the additional investment brings Herefordshire’s roads up to an ‘acceptable’ standard and as a result, reduces the whole-life cost of maintaining the highway asset, whilst making a notable difference to people’s lives.

Against the investment of £29.4m (including the cost of borrowing), a reduction in whole-life costs of £74.4m over the 34 year term is predicted. An estimated net benefit of £45m, or a £25m saving for every week that would elapse without the investment.

The condition of roads is a key priority for local residents, with clear evidence that improved condition is important to the county’s health, wellbeing and economy.

Judges’ Comments “This submission is an excellent example of the success that can be achieved by adopting an asset management approach to improve highway performance. It demonstrated the importance of engaging with elected members and the public. This approach has substantially improved condition of the network over a short period of time.”


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CIHT/Department for TransportReducing Sign Clutter AwardSign Rationalisation in Highway Maintenance – a new approach

Norfolk County Council and Amey plc

Judging CriteriaThis CIHT/Department for Transport Award recognises exemplar schemes which have reduced sign clutter on roads in England. Entries were encouraged from local authorities who have implemented traffic sign decluttering schemes since April 2012, that demonstrate significant improvements in urban or rural situations through the removal of traffic signs. The judges were looking for evidence of local authorities demonstrating that they have met more than one of the following criteria:• Designed a scheme which has significantly

reduced the number of traffic signs and road markings

• Demonstrated a commitment to reducing street clutter, but with an emphasis on traffic signs.

• Designed traffic management schemes which minimise the need for traffic signs

• Taken advantage of measures to reduce traffic signs provided by the department for transport – for example, removing the requirement to place two regulatory signs at the start of a restriction.

• Demonstrated savings in lighting and /or maintenance costs

• Considered whether or not signs need replacing when they have been damaged

Norfolk County Council is committed to reducing sign clutter to help maintain asset efficiency, ensure the effectiveness of signage

across the highway network and improve the aesthetic in the rural county.

Although a review of signs happens at scheme design stage, this project focuses on how signs are rationalised by the highway maintenance staff, specifically (but not isolated to) rural roads.

The main objective is to enable highway maintenance staff to challenge the traditional approach of automatically replacing or repairing damaged or worn signs. Although the potential cost savings were a significant factor, the recommendations outlined in the Traffic Signs paper ‘Signing the Way’ further supported this approach.

By providing training, guidance and support, Norfolk County Council has been able to implement a change in culture across the county which encourages front line maintenance staff to challenge old practices and make reasoned decisions to help reduce sign clutter. It’s a bottom up approach focusing on what’s needed rather than what is already there.

Previous experience recognised that a ‘risk assessment’ based approach was the most effective way to support this decision making. A template was created to prompt the decision maker to consider, not only the highway environment and an established local knowledge, but also the history of public contacts received and known accident data.

This approach was further reinforced in the Council’s Transport Asset Management Plan and now the challenge ‘Is this sign necessary?’ has become normal practice for their highway

Judges’ Comments“The judges like the fact that this submission was part of a complete approach to sign rationalisation; from design through to maintenance. Its proponents are successfully challenging the traditional approach to the replacement/repairing of damaged or worn signs.”

WINNER

maintenance staff.Focusing on sign rationalisation within

the highway maintenance teams has been a significant step forward for the Council, which concluded that sign rationalisation need not be isolated to specific schemes, but viewed as part of the routine working day.


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COMMENDED COMMENDED

Capital Renewals Decluttering Programme

Transport for LondonIn April 2013, Transport for London (TfL) decided to reinvent the way capital renewals were carried out. Traditionally, local authorities maintain their road network through resurfacing their carriageways and footways, without a thought for whether the signs and markings associated with these assets are appropriate. Billions of pounds have been spent, and thousands of opportunities missed. TfL decided that the old ways of doing things were no longer appropriate.

For the last two years TfL has combined the Capital Renewals programme with a detailed decluttering review programme. It has reviewed every strip of paint on every carriageway resurfacing job and analysed every sign, every post, every bollard, every piece of tactile paving, and every vehicle crossover within the bounds of its footway renewal works. Over 1.5 million square metres of the network has been reviewed, and this is only just the beginning. TfL says it is committed to reducing clutter on London’s streets.

TfL maintains its footways and carriageways through the Capital Renewals programme. This programme renews approximately 700,000m2 of carriageways and 50,000m2 of footways every year. TfL now runs a complementary decluttering programme, alongside the capital renewals programme, with a dedicated team of design engineers analysing every piece of street furniture and road marking within the capital renewal sites, to determine if they are absolutely necessary. This collaborative approach was adopted after establishing that the benefits could be maximised and the costs minimised, if the decluttering was carried out with associated renewal works. Following renewal, the highway environment is left as a ‘blank canvas’, with only the essential signing elements remaining. The benefits of this are clear – improved legibility for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians; improved aesthetics and urban realm for all users; and improved traffic flow through better understanding, compliance and enforceability of regulatory signs and markings.

Judges’ Comments“The judges liked the clear commitment to assess, not only the need for street furniture, but also the use and application of white lining within a broad decluttering initiative.”

Clapham Old Town

London Borough of Lambeth in partnership with FM Conway, Urban Movement, Marks Barfield and Project CentreThe £2.3m Clapham Old Town (COT) scheme involved a complete re-design of the project area. This presented the perfect opportunity to review the multitude of signage installed in a piecemeal and uncoordinated way over decades. Dozens of unnecessary signs and posts were removed. For example, some parking bays had two or three signs – each on its own post – when only one was required.

Signs considered necessary were fixed to lamp columns or walls wherever possible. COT made use of the 1939 London Buildings Act that gives councils the powers to fix street nameplates to buildings. With traffic signs on walls, building owner consent was sought. A couple of waverers finally agreed once it was explained the alternative was a sign and post right in front of their property.

COT presented opportunities to redesign the general layout of the highway so regulatory signs were no longer required. Four different sets of 616 No Entry signs and accompanying 612/613 signs were effectively ‘designed out’. The project area also contained a range of directional signs for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. In the age of SatNavs and Legible London, the project team agreed to remove it all, although street nameplate provision was significantly expanded.

Once the highway design layout was agreed, an assessment of each proposed regulatory sign was made. The default position was: Is the sign a regulatory requirement and, if not, is it necessary? Several proposed signs were removed from the design at this stage. In some instances, a lamp column location was tweaked, to accommodate an illuminated sign or Belisha beacon.

In total, more than 100 sign posts and approximately 100 signs were removed, whilst almost 50 new street nameplates and parking signs were fixed to buildings.

Judges’ Comments“This is an impressive decluttering scheme, which successfully supports the larger ‘place making’ initiative in Clapham Old Town. The judges considered that good use had been made of the new flexibilities which have recently been made available by the Department for Transport.”


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CIHT Employer Award for Excellence in Skills DevelopmentRailways Graduate Rotation Scheme

Mott MacDonald – Railways Division

Judges’ Comments“A great initiative that ensures young professionals get experience and understanding across the different engineering disciplines making up the rail industry. This cross-functional experience is all too rare, yet vital if today’s graduates are to lead an efficient and customer facing rail industry in future. The programme has clear aims and delivers on them through exposing graduates to the experience they need to become professionally qualified, in a way which is easy to manage, not administratively intensive, and provides measurable results. The rotation ensures that individuals experience and understand multi-disciplinary transportation, equipping them to be able to work anywhere in the world. The scheme has meant that the average time to chartership has reduced to four years, whereas previously this was six to seven years.”

Judging CriteriaThis award is open to employers who can demonstrate excellence in career skills development for their highways and transportation staff, and how this learning activity is adding value to the industry, the organisation and the individuals.The judges were looking for evidence of:• The original aim of the skills development initiative• How the initiative has added value for the

individual employees, organisation and the industry

• How the initiative is expanding the workforce by appealing to all members of the community

Mott MacDonald Railways Division Graduate Rotation programme demonstrates its dedication and commitment to developing

the next generation of rail engineers. It provides an innovative, simple and cost-effective solution to a problem that many organisations face.

The Railways Division has seen unprecedented growth in the last two years and some of the key business plan objectives are to move up the consultant chain, by winning a higher proportion of strategic consultancy work, increase overseas and UK sales, and regenerate depth of expertise and management capability, in a competitive employment market.

The Railways Division aims to attract and develop graduates with broad experience, who are technically competent in their specialist area and who also have experience and appreciation of other functions, including exposure to all aspects of the business. The graduate rotation programme is designed to create a talent pipeline of consultants who are comfortable and effective in a multi-functional environment.

The programme objectives are to provide all graduates with experience associated with functional and technical specialisms including:• System level design, including simulation and

modelling work• Functional specialism• Multi-functional project work• Site work and project implementation• BIM/CAD/visualisation• Planning and programming• Preparation of bids and proposals

WINNER

• Financial and commercial fundamentals• Work in another section or overseasThe success of the graduate rotation programme has exceeded expectations.


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JuMP UK Network

A-one+ Integrated Highway Services and ch2mWhen it comes to skills development, a group of colleagues at A-one+ and ch2m are taking an altogether innovative approach. The group, supported by the senior management team, has formed its own junior and mid-level professionals UK network (JuMP UK) to help boost skills and careers.

Members are able to gain opportunities for continuous professional development, thanks to access to advice, mentoring, learning and social events. They also have the chance to gain new skills and valuable experience as they take part in activities outside of their day job and learn how to network more effectively.

JuMP UK was originally created to attract, develop and retain the best talent within the industry to help address the skills shortage in this sector. Its vision is to foster a culture that invests in developing the future leaders of the business, maximise the potential of junior and mid-level staff, better understand and bridge cross-business group and project gaps and enhance morale and retention.

Judges’ Comments“The scheme empowers employees to develop their potential through provision of mentoring, networking and learning opportunities. The initiative is innovative and inclusive, develops a culture of staff development and enhances morale by providing an attractive place to work.”

A-one+ Ambassador Group

A-one+ Integrated Highway ServicesA-one+ has established an Ambassador Group based in Managing Area Contractor Area 12 (Yorkshire and Humber). This group brings together registered STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) Ambassadors and those interested in career skills development and promoting engineering to the local community.

In early 2014, A-one+ started with four STEM Ambassadors working within the group. Following the work the group has done throughout 2014 and into early 2015 in promoting this area of skills development, it has now increased the number of STEM Ambassadors to 15. This is a 275% rise in less than 12 months, allowing A-one+ to amplify benefits delivered by the group and help to address the industry’s skills shortage.

As well as the benefit this work brings to the company, industry and community, A-one+ has found that getting involved also ignites its employees’ personal skills development, particularly people skills, communication, organisational and presentation skills, aiding career development and preparation for professional review.

Judges’ Comments“This scheme brings together STEM ambassadors and colleagues interested in career skills development and the promotion of engineering to the local community. It demonstrates how corporate support for STEM ambassadors turns it from a niche interest into a core corporate initiative.”

Apprentice Development Programme

Skanska UKSkanska has developed an award winning apprenticeship development programme. The Level 3 apprenticeship in civil engineering was first established in 2007 and is based around an NVQ Level 3 in civil engineering. It is run in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board and the National Construction College.

The apprenticeship programme has offered opportunities to more than 50 people from different backgrounds and every corner of the UK. All content is aligned with the requirements of the Institution of Civil Engineers – from leaving school, right the way through to be coming a world class, Chartered Engineer.

Our apprentices are provided with a solid support network from the outset of their relationship with Skanska. Expert mentors and an apprentice lead team made up of former graduates, experienced engineers and HR professionals hold regular feedback sessions and workshops, a development forum and networking session to share advice. This solid support network and high content quality of the apprentice scheme has led to achieving a retention rate of over 94%.

Judges’ Comments“Skanska’s apprenticeship programme is a well-structured and supported scheme. It provides opportunities to groups which are traditionally under-represented in the sector. It is an established and well-developed apprentice programme and offers a defined career path, providing visibility and ownership for employees’ development.”

EM Academy – the road to learning

EM Highway Services LimitedIn seeking to continue its success by developing the people who will drive the business forward, EM Highways Limited has developed the EM Academy.

The EM Academy is designed to provide a variety of career development routes into the EM organisation, which range from apprenticeships, student placements and graduate programmes to providing 12 month ‘year-in-industry’ placements and scholarships as well as ‘on-the-job’ training.

The EM Academy purpose is to attract, develop and add value to individual employees from across the UK’s diverse communities, whether at the very commencement of their careers or experienced professionals.

It is designed to give people opportunities for continuous professional development at every stage of their career, through EM’s talent management process that recognises skills gaps and areas of excellence.

Judges’ Comments“The Academy builds on the success of the EM people strategy and provides a variety of career development routes into the organisation, from apprenticeships, student placements and graduate programmes, to on the job training. The EM Academy provides employees with opportunities for continuous development, at every stage of their career.”

COMMENDED COMMENDED


The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation119 Britannia Walk, London N1 7JETel: +44 (0)20 7336 1555Email: [email protected]

To download an electronic copy of this document please visitwww.ciht.org.uk/awards2015

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