CIHT Awards 2013 Supplement - The Chartered Institution of

Transcription

THE CHARTERED
INSTITUTION OF HIGHWAYS
& TRANSPORTATION
CIHT
AWARDS
2013
Thursday 13 June
Madame Tussauds, London
1
Judges
Panel
2
Richard Allsop
Salman Asad
Mike Bordiss
Chris Bowley
Kate Carpenter
Chris Connor
David Craik
Graham Dalton
John D’Arcy
Peter Dickinson
Martin Doughty
Wayne Duerden
Martin Duffy
Roger Elphick
Kate Fuller
David Gibby
Julia Gregory
Graham Hanson
Les Hawker
Martin Heslop
Sam Hodder
Sheila Holden
Andrew Hugill
Keith Jackson
Daniel Jackson
Phil Jackson
Saul Jeavons
John Jeffrey
Ben Johnson
Phil Jones
Chris Kettell
Gereint Killa
Steve Lee
Andreas Markides
Rob McCartney
Luke Meechan
Mike Napier
Len Parker
Sue Percy
Jerry Pert
Tim Pharoah
Stephen Pottle
Steve Proctor
Steve Rowsell
Sue Sharland
Nicholas Shires
Deborah Sims
David Sprunt
Andy Stocks
David Ubaka
University College London
Amey
Independent Consultant
Highways Agency
Jacobs
Ringway Group
Colas
Highways Agency
Mott MacDonald
Richard Jackson
Department for Transport
ToweyDuffy & Co
TRL
Ringway Group
Gatwick Airport
Transport for London
ACLAND
Go-Ahead
Step Consultancy
Atkins
Mouchel
Lafarge Tarmac
Vinci Concessions
Transafe Network
Phil Jones Associates
TRL
Aone+
Metis Consultants
Costain
CIHT
Ringway Group
Living Transport
Traffic Management & Safety
Rowsell Wright
TRL
Lafarge Tarmac
University of Greenwich
Essex County Council
Highways Agency
David Ubaka Placemakers
Presidential
Foreword
David Anderson
CIHT President 2012 – 13
The CIHT Awards celebrate the best of the highways and transportation
industry and the professionals, who through their innovation, inventiveness and
enthusiasm, inspire improvements that make a real difference to the society
in which we live. These awards reward the remarkable achievements of those
working in the sector and promote professionalism and good practice to a
wider industry audience. This year’s awards are being presented at Madame
Tussauds, London.
2013 saw the introduction of two new awards: the Highway Asset
Management Award and the Reducing Sign Clutter Award. These complement
our existing categories of Health & Safety at Work, 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, Transportation Professional of the
Year and the Institution Award for services to the industry.
With more than 140 entries from contractors, consultants and local authorities
from across the UK and beyond, the wide range demonstrates that our industry
continues to produce high calibre and innovative products that contribute to
both the transportation community and to society.
During my Presidential year I have visited our branches and seen many
examples of the excellent work our members and the industry deliver. Through
all of these, I am delighted to be able to continue my theme that ‘Transport
Matters’, and want to pay tribute to all those involved in improving the social and
economic well being for all.
Thank you to all those who entered the awards this year, spending time
and effort to create excellent submissions. Not only is the quality a reflection
of the level of activity going on in the industry despite our ongoing economic
difficulties, but a tribute to the enthusiasm I have seen across the board.
Congratulations to all those who were shortlisted - your commitment to
excellence within our sector is inspiring.
I extend my sincere thanks to the judges who gave their time, effort and
experience in selecting the winners for each category.
These awards are a key event in the CIHT calendar and 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 in 2014.
3
THE CHARTERED
& TRANSPORTATION
CIHT
Institution
Award
This is an award for excellence within the
transportation profession and to celebrate
individuals who, through their work, have made
a significant contribution that has benefited the
public and the profession.
4
Winner
Hugh Sumner
Director of Transport, Olympic Delivery Authority
Hugh Sumner led on transport for the London 2012 Games’ successful bid in
2003 and his team developed plans that were submitted to the International
Olympic Committee.
Having put in £6.5Bn of transport infrastructure upgrades for the Games, his
team and its delivery partners were responsible for moving millions of spectators
to all of the sports venues across the country. It was a Games based on public
transport; embracing mainline rail, coach, bus, park and rides, walking, cycling
and river trips.
Hugh was previously managing director of an infrastructure company and
before that led a team that operated and maintained the London Underground.
Transportation
Winner
P r o f e s s i o n a l
Young
Transportation
Professional
Award 2013
Emerging professionals are the life blood
of the industry. It is through them that the
transportation profession will continue to
innovate, serve the travelling public and
contribute to the economic prosperity of the
nation. This award is presented to a young
person who is considered to have made a
significant voluntary contribution within the
branch and/or national organisation of CIHT for a
period of not less than two years.
Andrew Moseley
Associate Director, WSP UK
This year’s worthy winner is Andrew Moseley who was nominated by CIHT’s
Yorkshire & Humberside Branch.
Andrew was a founder member acting as Chair & Vice-Chair when the
Yorkshire & Humberside Branch decided to establish a Young Professionals
Committee. This new Committee quickly devised a programme of professional
and social events which were well attended and became a focus for young
professionals within the region.
He was elected onto the full committee in 2009 but continued with the Young
Professionals. His hard work on both Committees was rewarded through him
being elected the youngest ever Branch Chair in 2012. Throughout this time,
Andrew has ensured that young professionals and local university students
become actively involved with the Institution by personally arranging events and
empowering others to do so. These have been both educational and social, all
at no cost to the branch using sponsorship and free venues.
Andrew has also sought to establish cross boundary relationships with
other branches by attending seminars and events. He has raised CIHT’s profile
with other bodies, particularly the Royal Town Planning Institute as a qualified
chartered town planner, but also the Forum for the Built Environment and Leeds
Chamber of Commerce. He is a CIHT Company Champion promoting the
Institution within his firm.
Andrew is an active advocate of the Transport Planning Professional
qualification and successfully achieved it in 2008 - the first year the qualification
was available. He is a mentor promoting TPP through presentations and
workshops.
He also manages LinkedIn, Twitter and the website for the Branch to
maximise exposure.
The Board of Trustees was very pleased to present Andrew with this award
and hope his achievements and dedication are an inspiration to other CIHT
members.
5
Winner
CIHT/Lafarge
Tarmac
Health &
Safety at
Work Award
Judging Criteria
This 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
Judges’ Comments
6
M62 Managed Motorways ‘Eliminating
the Need for Workers to Undertake Live
Carriageway Crossings’
BAM Nuttall Morgan Sindall Joint Venture
The M62 Junction 25-30 managed motorway project is paving the way for
better road worker safety by becoming the first major project to deliver zero
carriageway crossings as part of the Highway Agency’s ‘Aiming for Zero’
strategy.
This two year scheme to transform a section of the M62, which suffers from
heavy congestion into a managed motorway, would normally require road
workers to cross the live carriageways around 70,000 times in order to maintain,
erect and dismantle temporary traffic signs over 65km of motorway and
adjoining M1, M621 and M606.
Under a new five point plan pioneered by joint venture contractors BAM
Nuttall and Morgan Sindall (bmJV) and supply chain partners Chevron Traffic
Management and Morelock Signs, the traffic management team set out to
eliminate live carriageway crossings. Following initial research, sign manufacture
Morelock was asked to design and produce products which could deliver
bmJV’s central reservation signing strategy. Throughout the process Morelock
worked collaboratively with Britpave ‘Fixing Centre’ (to develop a robust sign
fixing solution) and Powergraphics (to achieve the outcome specified mechanics
of the remote controlled signs).
The five point plan includes use of the following strategies:
1. Mobile lane closures for deployment of remote controlled signs
2. Specially designed remote controlled signs for lane closures and remotely
changing existing static signs during lane closures
3. Central sign fixings to permanent concrete barrier to mitigate reactive
carriageway crossings during high winds
4. Permanent sign poles deployed in the central reservation
5. Straight lane one and two lane closures
From September 2011 to March 2013 on the M62 these zero carriageway
crossing procedures have eliminated the need for over 45,000 crossings of the
live carriageways carrying motorway traffic.
“This scheme has made use of a five point plan to eliminate the need for road
workers to undertake live carriageway crossings. It has achieved the delivery
of zero crossings on a very heavily congested section of 65km of motorway.
This has been reached through strong co-operation and integration by the
joint venture contractor and supply chain partners working together focused
on their goal.
From this a blueprint has been created which will enable all future major
highway schemes to achieve the Highways Agency’s ‘Aiming for Zero’
objectives.”
Highly Commended
Commended
Commended
Simplified Traffic
Management – Reducing
Carriageway Crossings
A-one+ Integrated
Highway Services
Aggregate Industries –
Journey to Zero Harm
Aggregate Industries UK
Incident and Injury Free
VolkerFitzpatrick
One of the highest risk activities for roadworkers
is interacting with road users when setting out and
removing signs in advance of any closure. This typically
includes a ‘roadworks ahead’ sign and ‘lane closed
ahead’ signs at 800 yards, 600 yards, 400 yards
and 200 yards on both sides of the carriageway. This
requires roadworkers to cross the live carriageway up to
32 times per installation to set up or remove signs in the
central reserve.
Steps have been made to reduce this risk through,
for example, the introduction of remote control signs.
These still, however, have to be put there in the first
place. While the likes of remote control signs offer
benefit in longer duration roadworks (major projects),
these benefits are not mirrored on shorter duration
roadworks (overnight maintenance works).
Following industry research the company carried
out live trials of a simplified traffic management layout
(removing the 200 and 600 yards signs). Evidence
gathered supported the assumption that the simplified
layout significantly reduced the risk for roadworkers,
while showing neither benefit or disbenefit to the road
user.
Using Interim Advice Note 150, A-one+ rolled out
the simplified layout across its four Managing Agent
Contractor contracts in early 2012. During 2012 it
deployed the simplified layout 6273 times, saving
200,736 carriageway crossings.
In all, 136,750 minutes (equivalent to over 2,275
hours, or nearly 95 days) of roadworkers’ exposure to
the risk of working in live traffic were saved. Reductions
in the number of crossings and the time taken to cross
were achieved while also saving money through using a
reduced number of signs.
To underline the improved safety achievement the
Area 12 MAC achieved one million RIDDOR free hours
in October 2012 and Area 14 MAC achieved one million
RIDDOR free hours in January 2013.
In 2008 Aggregate Industries (Contracting) introduced
a set of health and safety changes and formed the
‘Journey to Zero Harm’ initiative.
The company sought changes to create genuine
health and safety improvements through a holistic
approach to leadership and management, and to
demonstrate to its workforce that it has a genuine desire
to send everyone home safe every day.
Changes introduced through Journey to Zero
Harm had the aim of reducing the Lost Time Accident
Frequency Rate (LTIFR), helping towards the ultimate
goal of the company becoming an industry leader in
Health & Safety.
Year on year it has implemented informed changes;
communicating them through its yearly Health and
Safety Roadshow, quarterly magazines, bulletins and
divisional management meetings. A majority of the
improvements have been minor, or a cost free fix. But
collectively they allow colleagues to make their own
improvements to their workplace.
The changes introduced brought together the
following programmes and ideas:
VolkerFitzpatrick has developed and implemented a
holistic behavioural safety change programme called
‘Incident and Injury Free’.
The initiative drives continuous improvements in
health, safety, environment and quality performance by
empowering individuals to take responsibility for their
actions and those around them.
Incident and Injury Free is based around the four key
principles of the acronym PALS:
Plan – Think before you act
Attitude – Your choice
Lead – Be an example to others
Share – Help others get it right
“A significant reduction in safety risk has
been achieved with the introduction of the
Simplified Traffic Management System resulting
in a considerable reduction in the number of
carriageway crossings by road working personnel.
This system now being used is a major
step towards achieving the Highways Agency’s
‘Aiming for Zero Strategy’. As well as achieving an
important improvement in safety standards it also
has the potential to achieving savings in time and
costs.”
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Observant, Safety Conscious, Avoid Risks (OSCAR)
Visible Felt Leadership
Operational Ownership
Embracing the Supply Chain Proactively
A new, simplified Integrated Management System
Introduction of an Anonymous Near-Miss Card
Fatality Prevention Elements
Interactive Safety Tours
The initiative has provided leadership to shape
health and safety within the workforce, moulding the
behaviour of colleagues and the supply chain. By the
end of 2012 all of the changes enforced throughout the
Journey to Zero Harm initiative have collectively reduced
the LTIFR to 0.5
“Over a period of years, and with an aim to reduce
the LTIFR, considerable improvements have been
achieved in their goal of becoming an industry
leader in Health and Safety.
Helped by the introduction of an anonymous
Near Miss Card Scheme this has resulted in a
substantial increase in the number of near miss
reported incidents and now forms a fundamental
part of their safety culture in helping to drive down
incidents.”
In 2012 the company recruited 47 voluntary
coaches trained to deliver a quarterly programme of 30
minute training modules.
The campaign has been developed to address
environmental and quality issues, as well as health and
safety. Each module applies the philosophy of asking
everyone to ‘look after their PALS’ as they ‘Plan 4 Zero’.
Modules are designed to encourage participants to
discuss issues and develop solutions.
A variety of media conveys the Incident and Injury
Free principles. These include bespoke posters,
reminder cards, ‘You Said, We Did’ noticeboards, site
signage and personal protective equipment.
The supply chain, partners and clients are invited
to participate in free Incident and Injury Free training
sessions. The company also encourage them to train as
IIF coaches – and three suppliers have done so to date.
As a direct result of Incident and Injury Free,
VolkerFitzpatrick’s accident frequency rate has halved
from 0.34 (2011) to 0.18 (2012). It has also seen a
significant improvement in near miss reporting.
“A strong emphasis from senior management
on worker engagement and the encouragement
‘To look after their pals’ culture has resulted in a
reduction by half of the accident frequency rate.
Near miss reporting has also increased by a
significantly large margin in the past year and a
number of 30 minute in-house training modules
have also been developed to help drive the system
forward.
The achieving of consistent levels of
performance over a period of time has resulted in a
number of awards.”
7
Winner
CIHT/Colas
Technological
Application
Award
Judging Criteria
This award recognises excellence in the
application of technology within the highways
and transportation industry, where a marked
positive benefit has been achieved.
• Benefits to the industry and society
• Implementation (communications, training,
reliability)
• Performance measures
• Enterprise and ingenuity
• Wider implementation potential
Judges’ Comments
8
SMARTscan
Carnell in association with the Highways Agency
and EnterpriseMouchel Ltd
Well maintained drainage is important in order to minimise the environmental
impact of road runoff on the receiving water environment. It also ensures the
speedy removal of surface water to enhance safety and minimise disruption and
maximises the longevity of road pavements.
With limited budgets, an historical lack of condition data and the industry’s
commitment to improve road worker safety, an innovative solution was needed.
After extensive research Carnell developed SMARTscan – a unique system
that integrates GPS, video streaming and ground penetrating radar to indicate
areas of the filter drain where capability to transmit water to the carrier pipe is
limited, or where capacity to receive water is restricted.
SMARTscan represents a breakthrough in the risk based approach to filter
drain asset management. Through smarter collaboration with the Highways
Agency and EnterpriseMouchel the survey data produced is now being used
to deliver more for less by targeting specific locations and thereby achieve
significant cost reductions than the traditional method of renewing whole
sections.
The solution adopts a holistic approach to asset management through
time savings, reduced disruption, improved safety, cost savings, optimised
interventions and an efficient inspection regime.
SMARTscan is now set to become an established tool within the Highways
Agency’s Value Management process and approved for use across the whole of
England’s strategic road network. In total it has been used in 11 of the Agency’s
areas and the technology has been adapted to address flooding caused by
surface water runoff from adjacent fields and down motorway embankments.
Following its success in England, Transport Scotland has embarked on a
SMARTscan trial to monitor condition of filter drains over a three year period and
compare results to changes in pavement condition to ascertain the impact of
good drainage on the life of the road pavements.
“The judges considered this to be a novel application of ground radar
technology, providing detailed information on the condition of filter drains
without the need for excavation. It has significant benefits for both industry
and society by targeting maintenance interventions at identified locations,
consequently reducing pavement deterioration and causing less disruption
to the public. With the increased frequency of flooding caused by run-off
from both carriageways and adjacent land, the maintenance of drainage
assets is becoming increasingly important. While continuing to be rolled
out across the Trunk Road network, sufficient use has been made of this
cost effective risk-based tool to prove the technology which may also have
application on local roads.”
Highly Commended
Commended
Commended
Roadworks.org – a national
roadworks database
ELGIN
AutoTrack Junctions
Savoy Computing
Corona 2012
Lightsout Computer Services
Details of over 2.3M roadworks a year are currently
published on roadworks.org – an easy to use and
accessible map based website.
These records contain details from over 150
streetwork registers of local highway authorities. Their
appearance on the website provides real time data for
80% of the local road network and 100% of the trunk
and motorway network of England & Wales.
roadworks.org is a cloud based managed mapping
service which enables peer-to-peer coordination
between utilities, their contractors and local authority
streetworks managers across boundaries.
The website is compatible with virtually all current
web browsers and associated devices – including tablet
computers and smartphones – and enables mobile
and flexible working where suitable 3G mobile internet
coverage is available.
Use of the site eliminates the production of paper
based weekly bulletins, through the presentation of real
time streetworks data on a map; saving councils, utility
companies and contractors time and money.
The roadworks.org project has been highlighted as
an example of best practice by professional bodies in
local government such as ADEPT and TAG.
As a result roadworks.org is one of the most
practical implementations of cloud based computing
which solves the problem of sharing locally held public
data in an accessible format. It can be customised at
local level but effectively it is a shared resource across
over 100 local authorities.
The website was recently recognised by a joint
Ministerial statement from the Departments for
Transport and Communities & Local Government.
AutoTrack Junctions is a road design application that
uses ‘intelligent’ objects to allow engineers or planners
to create and edit roundabout geometry quickly and
easily to UK design standards specified in the Design
Manual for Roads & Bridges.
Rapid model building capabilities are enabled
through the automated calculation of adherence to
rule based criteria. For example as the user specifies
alignments for each intersecting road, a design standard
compliant section of road is placed automatically into
the model. This provides the engineer with a starting
point that can be edited.
Importantly the roundabout model is a singular entity
containing design criteria. This means that the balance
of project design hours is transferred from simple
drafting routines of shapes, lines and arc segments over
to engineering design and analysis.
As any section of road junction geometry is altered,
invariably other related analyses, measurements and
critical data point are affected. AutoTrack Junctions
constantly measures such occurrences and informs the
engineer of any such issues using a rule based design
and auditing engine.
AutoTrack Junctions also uses its intelligent
geometric object as a central data model. From this
point, it can directly control many different outputs
throughout project delivery. 2D geometry is used to
measure and communicate traffic capacity analysis
parameters to ARCADY, kerb alignments to Line Design
Pro, road sign alignments to Sign Design Pro, lane
alignments to AutoTrack Roads Pro and horizontal layout
to AutoCAD Civil 3D.
Lightsout Computer Services has developed Corona
2012 – a piece of online workflow management
software that reduces costs and increases efficiency
and staff morale. This integrated system enables real
time information flow from all media types between
office and workers based in the field.
Corona 2012 was applied to a roadworks project
where between 100 and 120 excavations a day were
made on the M25. The system allowed the construction
company to reduce streetworks fines from £75,000
to zero, share real time works information with other
organisations and reduce administrator and supervisor
head counts, saving £250,000 within five months.
Use of the system also reduced an annual works
management centre overhead by around £440,000.
Corona 2012 has been used by Severn Trent Water
where it has been recognised as having improved
health and safety practice. Prior to its use, highway
construction site managers were responsible for
workforce safety.
Severn Trent’s project leader replaced standard
practice with Corona 2012 so the workforce could
manage their own HSE performance unsupervised.
Its workforce reached one million man hours without
a single RIDDOR incident using the system. Corona
2012 has also generated reports that can be emailed in
seconds, allowing managers to resolve issues faster, or
take preventative action.
Corona 2012 meets many of the requirements of
the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme and
reduces project timescales; lowering the impact of
roadworks on local environments and populations.
“By dynamically linking the three most used
programmes for roundabout design, the judges
considered the software has shown enterprise and
ingenuity by enabling the benefits of more efficient
bi-directional design and analysis processes to
be achieved. Roundabout design is a complex
and iterative process and AutoTrack enables
greater design optimisation to be achieved whilst
maintaining compliance with appropriate design
standards. Design iteration can be undertaken
in real time providing the most effective layout
from the road user perspective and avoiding the
alternative laborious manual design process. All
critical design criteria, such as sightlines and swept
vehicle paths are up-dated as different geometries
are considered.”
“This well developed real time works management
information system reduces costs and increases
performance and efficiency by linking central
data-base systems and remote hand held devices
in the field, including digital photography, GPS
and automated process management. The judges
were impressed by the increased efficiency and
cost savings achieved by the system and the
potential benefits to society resulting from the
reduced impact and duration of roadworks. While
streetworks co-ordination and health and safety
management systems have already been developed,
there is a potential for wider application of the
systems including further highway management
applications.”
“The judges considered the proposed extension
of the current data-base to provide roadworks
information nationally across local authority
boundaries was highly commendable. It has
substantial benefits for the industry in managing
work and for the public by providing details
of current roadworks. While not entirely new
technology, TfL already having a similar system, the
management of a partnership providing a national
database would clearly be an achievement with
potentially large benefits, providing the information
is reliable and up-to-date. While considerable
progress is being made, the judges noted that the
database is not yet embedded nationally when the
full benefits will be realised.”
9
Winner
CIHT/Ringway
Innovation
Award
This award is for innovative problem solving
within the highways and transportation industry.
Its purpose is to recognise and encourage
imaginative concepts and excellence.
• 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)
EnterpriseMouchel (EM) joined forces with SignPost Solutions (SPS) to develop
an innovative method of replacing posts for worn out or damaged signs.
EM’s Highways Agency (HA) Area 1 MAC contract has a substantial amount
of street furniture. Much of it is at the end of its serviceable life having been
constructed in the 1980s. EM’s operations support manager Howard Jones
had noticed that many rusting posts had sound footings and recognised an
opportunity to replace them while avoiding the need for excavation.
Following discussions with SPS’s project manager, Ian Thomas, the concept
of Rejuven8 was developed. The highly effective solution introduces a welded
lower section to the new post. The welded section has an external diameter
slightly less than the internal diameter of the existing post and fits snugly into
the root below ground after the upper section is cut away.
The Rejuven8 technology offers leaner, greener and safer benefits for both
EM and the client. There is no requirement for a statutory undertaker search, no
need to worry about buried services, no digging, no spoil removal, no concrete,
reduced traffic management and substantial cost benefits.
Using this method of post installation takes just 20 minutes and means EM
can deliver more for less and/or can reduce costs significantly for the client.
More than 200 posts have been replaced across the Area 1 network using
Rejuven8 and a further 30 are about to be installed. Adopting this innovation
reduces material usage, a workforce’s exposure to live traffic and cost. It is a
simple but highly effective process.
Judges’ Comments
“The judges were impressed by this simple sustainable innovation that has
widespread application. Reusing existing footings for same diameter sign
posts reduces installation time and significantly enhances roadworkers’
safety. Not having to construct replacement concrete footings substantially
reduces costs, contributes to carbon reduction and removes the need for a
statutory undertakers search and the need for traffic management. The six
innovation assessment criteria were answered clearly and it was excellent to
see the supportive university research and structural testing.”
Judging Criteria
10
Rejuven8
EnterpriseMouchel Ltd
Highly Commended
Commended
Commended
Colas Traffic Safety
System
Colas
A64 Bishopthorpe
South Bridge: Use of
Drawbridge Ramps
A-One+ Integrated
Highway Services
Advanced Mobile Sign
Asset Collection
DBi Services
A roadworker’s workplace is one of the most dangerous
and vulnerable places to be. Fatalities and injuries
continue to demonstrate that more needs to be done in
order to remove the hostility that is associated with our
highways.
All too often roadworkers risk their health, safety
and welfare with very little to protect them from
coming into contact with vehicles. With this in mind
a new technological system was developed to warn
roadworkers of imminent dangers on the road network.
In 2011 Colas’ Traffic Management team based in
the North East, designed the Colas Traffic Safety System
to help protect the safety of their co-workers. The
system helps protect road maintenance workers against
the dangers of working on an operational highway. The
system uses CCTV and has been installed on Impact
Protection Vehicles. The system then actively monitors
the surrounding proximity of vehicles. If any encroaching
vehicle is picked up by the CCTV system both audio
and visual warnings are activated. These alert the
roadworkers to move away to safety and warn the driver
of the approaching vehicle.
At present the system is being trialled following a
review by the Highways Agency. To date the results are
positive. Following successful approval the system will
be installed on all Colas Impact Protection Vehicles.
The long term benefits of the system are obvious
and they may be transferred to other areas, in particular
for the benefit of those working in the roadside vehicle
maintenance industry.
The A64 Bishopthorpe South Bridge joint replacement
scheme involved replacing a bridge joint on the structure
which carries a two lane westbound carriageway over
the River Ouse near York in Area 12.
The scheme was originally programmed for 2014
but A-one+ worked with the Highways Agency to fast
track the scheme to complete in 2012. This was due
to an accelerated deterioration of the joint and rising
complaints about noise. A key element of the scheme
was the imaginative use of a drawbridge ramp system.
The system provided temporary protection to the
joint during the day, before the ramps were raised under
full carriageway closures overnight to allow access to
the joint.
Through partnership working with the City of
York Council and North Yorkshire Police, a traffic
management solution was developed aimed at
encouraging safe approach speeds across the ramp.
The solution included the use of mobile variable
message signs, speed cameras and countdown rumble
strips. In addition, the ramps were painted to highlight
the presence of the hazard.
The primary benefit of the ramp system was that
it allowed two lanes of traffic to be maintained in each
direction during peak times, with only slight disruption
to westbound road users. A secondary benefit of the
ramps was that in their raised position they mimicked a
noise barrier, helping to deflect noise away from nearby
residents during night time works.
“Judges considered this innovative improvement to
an Impact Protection Vehicle (IPV) as being essential
to warn roadworkers of imminent danger and to
proactively alert the approaching breaching driver.
A vehicle likely to collide with the IPV is detected at
150m with CCTV and, using an analytical program
to assess the impact, a visual warning is given
designed to alert an inattentive driver. If an impact
is not likely to be avoided then audible warnings
are given to enable the road workers to make a
life-saving jump in some vital two to three seconds.
This novel safety system for IPVs together with
video capture of vehicles and their speed and
working areas impacted on the judges when they
reviewed the real life potentially fatal incident
recording. Judges hope that this system will be
approved for IPVs and considered for other vehicles
that work in a live carriageway.”
“Judges were impressed by the use of this draw
bridge ramp system to remove the need to operate
contraflow, enabling two lanes to be open in
each direction during the day and to operate full
carriageway closure, opening the working area,
during off-peak hours. Its strengths included
being able to re-use the system and the project
was delivered in a short time frame. The reduction
in user delays from those modelled (one hour at
peak) and actual (insignificant) was a real cost
benefit. Judges felt the system could have use on
dual and major single carriageways where night
working or lane closures are required to complete
work safely for undertakers’ services and drainage
installations.”
DBi Services provides transportation infrastructure
maintenance solutions and serves the road safety
industry. It has introduced many technological
innovations having worked with experts and major
universities in a variety of fields including transportation,
agriculture, chemistry and agronomy.
Among its developments is AMAC – a mobile system
that measures the visibility and legibility of vertical
traffic signs. A multi disciplinary team of engineers,
physicists, psychologists and statisticians working at the
CIDAUT Foundation in Valladolid, one of Spain’s leading
technology centres, has developed the system, together
with DBi Services (US).
The AMAC system ensures that traffic signs provide
the minimum performance levels required, optimises
their operation and decreases their maintenance costs.
The system uses advanced lighting and artificial
vision techniques on an instrumented vehicle to assess
the present performance and usefulness of installed
traffic signs and overhead structures.
AMAC is composed of three subsystems: a mobile
system for data and image acquisition; software for
detection, performance analysis and positioning; and
software for management and analysis.
High sensitivity cameras installed on the vehicle
measures the luminance of traffic signs, even under
low light conditions. Cameras on board have been
geometrically calibrated to measure distances and
dimensions. Together with the multiple sensors on board
the geometry context of a sign’s retro reflectivity is
measured.
AMAC offers a tool for cost effective planning of
traffic signs maintenance and provides a comprehensive
inventory of traffic signs including data such as sign
retro reflectivity, size, height over carriageway and
position.
“Judges considered the potential for asset
management data collection at road traffic speed
to be an innovative use of camera technology. The
benefits are obvious in terms of operator comfort
and safety compared to outside hand held testing
possibly requiring traffic management. The night
time visibility testing from a drivers’ perspective
using retro-reflectivity at speed is novel and
overhead signs may also be assessed.”
11
THE CHARTERED
& TRANSPORTATION
CIHT
Sustainability
Award
Judging Criteria
This award recognises projects, policy initiatives
or strategies delivered by the highways and
transportation industry that can demonstrate a
contribution to sustainable working and living in
the UK.
• Environmental benefits
• Innovation • Objectives met • Planning (robustness of research and
consultation) • Sustainable procurement • Implementation (management, operation,
communications) • Best value and cost benefit
Judges’ Comments
12
Winner
Lowestoft Local Links for Business
Integrated Transport Planning Ltd in partnership
with Suffolk County Council and Waveney District
Council
Long term sustainable travel behaviour change among employers and their
employees within Lowestoft is being secured through the Lowestoft Local Links
for Business project.
The project is being led by consultant ITP and forms a component of the
Suffolk Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) programme which encourages
people to walk, cycle, use public transport and car share across the town.
Aim of the project was to gain the support of 90 businesses over the full
three years of the Suffolk LSTF programme. That target was achieved after just
eight months. Starting from a baseline of zero businesses the ITP team worked
alongside officers from Suffolk County Council to develop one of the fastest
growing business travel plan networks in the UK.
The success of the project is testament to ITP’s tailored and systematic
business engagement programme that takes account of the specific needs of
each local employer. Crucially each business is personally supported as they
develop and deliver an action plan that promotes sustainable travel options for
commuting and business travel.
The project focuses exclusively on benefits that are specific to each business
and their employees. This enables them to select from a range of locally relevant
incentives including cycle challenges, travel information packs, offers and
discounts on public transport, cycle to work schemes, cycle parking, business
grants, ‘Dr Bike’ surgeries and staff health checks.
Benefits resulting from the project are extensive and include an estimated
overall annual saving of 1.6M vehicle kilometres per year (and over 100,000
less car trips per annum), which is equivalent to 340t of CO2 saved a year. At
the end of the first year 83% of employers stated that as a result of the project
more people were travelling in a sustainable way to and from work. Businesses
participating in the project signed a statement of support for this CIHT Award
nomination at the first Lowestoft sustainable travel awards ceremony.
“This project stood out because it delivered the promise of changes in travel
behaviour that would give long term benefits in a challenging environment.
Although travel planning is not in itself innovative, the judges were impressed
with the enthusiasm of the partners in engaging local businesses to
persuade employees to change their travel habits, the degree of success in
a short space of time, and the much greater awareness in the community
of alternative travel options. The judges also appreciated a well set-out
submission document.”
Commended
Commended
Commended
Loughor Viaduct
Replacement
Carillion Rail, Network Rail
and Tony Gee
Recycled Roads:
FM Conway Puts Reuse
Philosophy into Practice
FM Conway
Carillion Rail and its partners have replaced part of a
grade II listed structure with a new 235m two track
rail viaduct near Swansea. This was constructed in
environmentally sensitive sites over a fast flowing
estuary with a high tidal range without disruption to
the operational railway other than within a planned
blockade.
Slender and visually unobtrusive piers were selected
so as not to adversely affect the hydraulic properties
of the estuary. Self-elevating barges were used during
their construction to provide a working platform that
minimised disruption to the channel, protected species
and supported use of low noise and vibration plant.
The final geometry of the new superstructure was
designed with a shallow slab and deeper main girders in
a half through deck allowing the levels of the new track
to match the existing, therefore avoiding a requirement
for raising the embankments and intrusion into the
conservation area footprint.
Through incremental launching, to minimise
landtake, the new deck was constructed alongside the
existing viaduct without disruption to the operational
railway and was slid into its final alignment during a 250
hour blockade after demolition of the existing structure.
Five of the existing timber trestles have been
retained in their current position in the channel for
historical reasons, with a two span section of the
original viaduct permanently reconstructed on adjacent
land using recovered trestles and deck members.
An innovative design allowed construction of new
abutments positioned behind the existing masonry
abutment walls, allowing their preservation and avoiding
the need for cofferdams in the river.
Sustainable design and construction techniques
were used through co-operation and support from a
range of stakeholders. Improved infrastructure with
additional capacity for both passenger and freight trains
was delivered, while preserving heritage with minimal
impact upon the local environment.
FM Conway is a leading infrastructure services company
delivering vital services in transportation, the built
environment and open spaces for communities and
business. A company wide focus on asphalt recycling has
seen FM Conway in the last year recycle 200,000t of
asphalt from roads in London and the South East. It
has also reduced virgin aggregates used in asphalt
by 100,000t and preserved 440,000t a year of virgin
aggregates including asphalt sub base and concrete.
The company’s approach to championing
recycled asphalt planings on roads in London has set
a benchmark for recycled roads in the capital and
demonstrates to the highways industry that high levels
of recycled material can be viably reused.
It is working with local authority teams and network
operators to drive a culture of change in waste reduction
and conservation of natural resources.
Using recovered asphalt is enabling the company to
reduce its expenditure on raw materials, lower the cost
of production and improve commercial performance.
This is particularly important given the limited supply
of virgin aggregates and a 60% rise in bitumen prices
since 2010.
FM Conway’s investment in a new state of the art
£10M asphalt plant at Erith has been key to enabling
the company to reuse a high percentage of Recycled
Asphalt Pavement (RAP) from highways projects and
supply recycled asphalt – using materials that would
otherwise have been sent to landfill.
Since commissioning the facility in 2011 FM
Conway has produced more than 700,000t of asphalt
and used more than 150,000t of RAP.
The asphalt plant’s design includes a fully
refurbished jetty onto the River Thames, allowing
delivery of feedstock from the sea. This is by far the
most carbon efficient transport option and encourages
and promotes the use of a strategic waterway.
Stanford Depot Drainage
Solution
Highways Agency, Balfour
Beatty Mott MacDonald,
FM Conway and Living Water
Ecosystems
“The project impressed the judges with the way
in which environmental, heritage and railway
improvement objectives were brought together.
The need to work in an environmentally sensitive
location while preserving an historic structure
required careful involvement with a number of
stakeholders to deliver a fine engineering solution
to a difficult problem.”
“The company has succeeded in delivering a very
high percentage of recycled surface materials in
resurfacing projects, leading to lower levels of truck
movements, and assisted by the use of a Thameside
jetty allowing the movement of materials by water.
The costs savings from the investment in asphalt
production and recycling as well as transport will
also produce benefits for the company’s clients.”
The aim of this project was to implement a sustainable
solution for treating and discharging surface water from
the Highways Agency depot in Stanford, Kent.
During the winter, the Highways Agency depots
use vast amounts of drinking water to fill brine tanks
and to wash vehicles. Surface water runoff is normally
contaminated, and permits must be sought from
the Environment Agency to allow discharge to the
environment.
A traditional solution has been to install underground
tanks that capture runoff. However, regularly emptying
the tanks is costly and their position underground
means inspections are rare and pollution incident risks
are taken.
To solve this problem Balfour Beatty Mott
MacDonald – the Highways Agency’s Managing Agent
Contractor in Area 4 (Kent and Sussex) – developed a
drainage solution that removed risk from underground
tanks. The solution ensured all depot discharge was free
from contaminants and recycled fresh and foul water
within the depot so that demand for drinking water in
winter was dramatically reduced.
“Depots are often the last places to be considered
for their environmental sustainability. It was
therefore refreshing to see the diligent and
innovative approach taken at the Stanford depot
to remove polluted water from the surrounding
environment, and in so doing reducing the need for
tanker movements. Although the scheme appeared
to have only localised impacts the judges felt that
the project was an example of an approach that
could be replicated at depots around the country,
thus delivering much wider benefits.”
13
Winner
CIHT/Costain
Effective
Partnerships
Award
Judging Criteria
This award recognises the achievements
of effective partnership relationships in the
development and/or delivery of transport
solutions. Many achievements in the transport
sector are the product of well tried and trusted
arrangements. This award seeks to identify
the added value that can result from working
in partnership, through inputs, outputs and
outcomes.
• Implementation (management, operation,
communications)
• Performance measures / internal and external
feedback
• Outcomes / benefit to the user and the wider
community
• Partnership relationships and engagement in
achieving objectives
• Planning and shared goals (robustness of
research and consultation)
• Benefits for the partners
• Sustainability of the project
Judges’ Comments
14
Coventry 2012
Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County
Council, Jacobs, Balfour Beatty and
Waterman Aspen
Coventry 2012 was a £10.7M programme of 30 projects to improve the public
realm and infrastructure in the city centre in preparation for Coventry’s role as an
Olympic football venue for London 2012 – and to create a lasting legacy for the
people of Coventry.
The programme was led by Coventry City Council, with the project
constructed in partnership with Balfour Beatty and the council’s own direct
labour organisation. Design was completed by Jacobs, Warwickshire County
Council and Coventry City Council and the project was jointly financed through
the European Regional Development Fund and the City Council.
Successful delivery of the programme, from conception to completion, took
place within 15 months and with a challenging budget. Work included forming
three new urban spaces and several shared space junction improvements all
within the heart of the city centre.
It was noted by senior project sponsors that all involved were united to
ensure that the project was a success. This was only achieved with the absolute
dedication of the core team of partners who managed and delivered the
programme and the coordination of the support team which assisted through
the project. This involved representatives from finance, communications,
transport management, planning, regeneration and urban design.
The project is an example of a highly successful partnership, working across
a range of disciplines and organisations within both the public and private
sector. It has involved close working relationships with city residents, local
businesses and organisations affected by the work. Impacts of the scheme are
city wide and without the close working partnerships and continued engagement
throughout delivery, the project would not have been possible in the short
timescale.
Targets set by the council and funding bodies for inward investment have
already been surpassed through new business growth and jobs created in
the city centre. Planning applications have increased above target and early
surveys already show 73% of respondents ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that the
redevelopment works have improved the city. The success of Coventry 2012
has led to the undertaking of phase two – a further programme of public realm
improvements in Coventry which has attracted a further ERDF grant.
“The judges were impressed by the strong partnership between multiple
public and private sector partners to deliver a range of city centre projects to
Olympic deadlines. The wider community and economic benefits and project
cost savings obtained were also impressive. Coventry 2012 demonstrates
the impact that well thought out highway infrastructure works and effective
partnership can bring.”
Highly Commended
Commended
Commended
Building the Team to Deliver
the Olympic Network
in Partnership with
Parsons Brinckerhoff,
Ringway Jacobs,
EnterpriseMouchel Ltd, Amey,
FM Conway and JB Riney
Bracknell Forest Council
Ringway and Bracknell
Forest Council
Kent County Council’s
Highways & Transportation
Service in Effective
Partnership with Enterprise
Kent County Council and
Enterprise
In 2010 Transport for London (TfL) was contracted to
design, build and operate the 109 miles of Olympic
Road Network (ORN) and Paralympic Route Network. It
was crucial that TfL maintained good service to the 23M
daily trips it manages across the capital, while ensuring
that none of the expected 1400 Games vehicles per
hour were late for events.
The objectives were clear: to ensure that no
athlete or official was late for their event due to traffic
congestion, to construct the ORN as late as possible
to minimise disruption, to build the ORN with minimal
disruption to road users and in such a way that it could
be switched on and off, and to ensure value for money
through procurement.
TfL created an integrated partnership team using
TfL Roads’ highway maintenance works contractors
– Ringway Jacobs, EnterpriseMouchel and Amey –
along with local borough providers FM Conway and
JB Riney. The aim was to build a team with designers,
contractors and client all in one location.
Use of the five principal contractors and their supply
chains was critical to managing risks, giving incredible
flexibility, depth of support and resilience.
The Olympic project represented the biggest single
scheme that the central London road network has ever
faced, and certainly the most prestigious. The project is
testament to how true collaboration can bring success.
Exceptional teamwork was delivered seamlessly
by the organisations listed here: TfL Roads,
TfL Traffic, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Ringway Jacobs,
EnterpriseMouchel, Amey, FM Conway, JB Riney,
Euromark, WJ Roadmarking, Eurosigns, Eurovia TM,
Gavigan Paving Ltd, Middlesex Haulage Ltd, Orbitals,
RWR, Rediweld and J Costa Ltd.
“The judges were impressed with the partnership
that embraced a highly controversial idea and
delivered a successful programme in the spirit of
the Olympics. The multiple partners responded
admirably in a high pressure situation against
immovable timescales and delivered total success
in the most congested traffic routes in the country
and in the media spotlight.”
Ringway and Bracknell Forest Council have been
working together since 2004 through the borough’s
Street Care term contract, which covers highway
maintenance and highway maintenance projects.
These include carriageway, footway patching and
reconstruction, drainage works, gully emptying,
street cleansing, emergency works, winter service,
maintenance of lines, signs and structures.
Service level agreements (SLAs) established early in
the relationship encouraged both parties to commit to
integration and continuously improve performance and
quality of service. This involved open-book accounting,
higher service specifications, joint auditing, and lumpsum payments.
The new approach fostered an effective working
relationship based on close co-operation and a ‘oneteam’ philosophy. Services are delivered from co-located
offices, which has further strengthened communication
and action channels.
Following a joint review of each service, new
performance measures were put in place. The SLAs
have achieved their objectives and notable outcomes
include:
• Budget certainty for the authority at a time of
unprecedented financial pressure.
• Minimum levels of service are guaranteed and
quality has improved.
• More resources made available by the contractor
(for 24/7 cover) and/or savings realised by the
Council for reinvestment in other services.
• In the 2012 National Highways and Transportation
public satisfaction survey, Bracknell Forest was the
only council amid the wettest summer on record to
see its highway drainage rating improve significantly.
The success of this contract has been the result of the
hard work and commitment shown by the teams from
Bracknell Forest Council and Ringway. Working towards
common goals, this partnership has resulted in savings
for real cashable savings for the Council and brought
about a positive impact on the local community.
“The judges liked this solid and long term
partnership that continues to develop and
introduce new ideas. They were impressed with
the demonstration of continuous improvement to
deliver the service and to make a difference and of
the sustainability of the partnership.”
September 2011 marked a new beginning for Kent
County Council’s (KCC) Highways and Transportation unit
when – following a reprocurement process – Enterprise
took over the maintenance of Kent’s roads.
From day one there has been a clear commitment
on both sides to keep Kent moving through a robust
approach to planning, partnership working and
exploiting technology.
A new Highway Management Centre responsible
for the effective day to day running of everything that
happens on the highway was launched to coincide with
the start of the Enterprise contract.
The centre knows about and controls all repairs
and incidents, providing fast, accurate information to
customers who want to know what is happening on the
road network and why. KCC and Enterprise staff sit side
by side to enable instant and coordinated responses.
The centre is the focal point for reactive works
and this ‘all under one roof’ partnership provides the
customer with a ‘one stop shop’ experience.
The Centre’s technology also allows road traffic
incidents to be dealt with in partnership, keeping
disruption to a minimum and supporting the emergency
services.
In particular, KCC’s Elected Members have
embraced the common sense approach and the can do
culture of the KCC/Enterprise partnership.
The KCC/Enterprise contract runs for a duration of
five years with possible extensions to a maximum of 10.
This provides an ongoing incentive: it is important for
Enterprise to consistently deliver and improve.
A key factor in the success of the partnership
has been the commitment to open and honest
communication. This has created an environment for
continuous improvement, culminating in real efficiencies
and improved working practices.
“This partnership demonstrates good foundations
for delivery of services and for making a difference.
The judges were impressed with the new thinking
to meet current needs in a tough economic climate
and with the prospects for an excellent partnership
over the life of the contract.”
15
Winner
CIHT/
Enterprise
Mouchel
Streets
Award
Judging Criteria
This award recognises outstanding street
designs. Completed schemes, or larger schemes
with completed phases are eligible.
• Demonstration of fulfilling a clearly articulated
vision
• Encouragement of environmentally sustainable
travel choices
• Well executed planning and implementation
(consultation and collaboration)
• Achieving 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
Judges’ Comments
16
Cheapside
City of London
The City of London Cheapside scheme has delivered substantial transport
infrastructure and public realm improvements. This street is now far better
equipped to accommodate the increase in pedestrian traffic while offering a
safer, more vibrant retail destination. Located between Bank and St Paul’s the environment in Cheapside
was generally poor. An overly generous carriageway meant vehicular traffic
dominated the street. Improvements to the transport infrastructure and public
realm were required to improve safety, function and quality of the environment. To address these issues the footways have been significantly widened and
de-cluttered, with raised courtesy crossings now located at all streets adjoining
Cheapside and pedestrian refuges provided at key desire lines. The changes
have significantly reduced speeds and improved safety at Cheapside.
A junction near St Paul’s has been completely redesigned and a large
cycle hire site and cycle racks have been incorporated into it, complementing
improvements to cycle safety such as positioning loading bays off running lanes.
Trees have been introduced along Cheapside and the lighting substantially
improved. A rejuvenated sunken garden and seating provide places for rest.
These improvements have not impeded the operation of Cheapside. Off
street loading bays and improvements at Bread Street fully accommodate the
needs of retail and the operation of the street.
Strong communication – which included close liaison with local traders
and working partnerships – ensured construction time and disruption to local
occupiers were minimised and access was maintained to all businesses
throughout the build.
The Cheapside scheme was delivered on time and to budget. The design
exhibits the very best in urban design simplicity and has delivered bold changes
while carefully balancing the needs of all street users. Cheapside is now well
placed to meet the current and future demands that will be placed upon it.
“The judges considered this to be an outstanding scheme which successfully
addressed the balance between movement and place. It was seen to be a key
component of a strategy to raise the standard of streetscape within a wide
area. This was emphasised by adopting an unfussy approach as well as by
the use of high quality materials.
The judges were particularly impressed with the partnership approach
adopted throughout the delivery of the scheme and also by the very high
standards of workmanship.”
Highly Commended
Commended
Commended
Poynton Town Centre
Hamilton-Baillie Associates
Church Street Square,
Birmingham
Colmore Business District
Oxford Street East
WestOne Infrastructure
Services, TfL, City of
Westminster, The Crown Estate
and New West End Company
This major streetscape and place making project to
regenerate the retail and social centre of the Cheshire
town of Poynton was completed in March 2012.
The scheme was commissioned by Cheshire East
Council with Poynton Town Council. Hamilton-Baillie
Associates provided design team leadership, with
support from Plan-it Landscapes, Arup and Stockley.
The project centred on improving accessibility and
connectivity to retail high street Park Lane, to its
surrounding community and especially to the residential
communities and local railway station formerly cut off by
the very busy London Road.
Poynton can be described as a crossroads town. Its
centre, Fountain Place, consists of the intersection of
London Road with Chester Road and Park Lane. Very
high traffic volumes of around 26,000 movements a
day and significant numbers of heavy goods vehicles
had given rise over the years to a wide, cluttered, signal
controlled multi-lane junction. The barrier effect of the
junction was clearly having an adverse impact on the
economic health of Park Lane and the town centre.
The project consisted of radical streetscape changes
to Park Lane, a decision to simplify and remove all traffic
signals, road markings and barriers and the creation of
a free flow, low speed integrated streetscape. Visually
narrowed carriageways, bold courtesy crossings,
widened footways and strong transitional gateways were
developed.
New paving materials, planting, lighting and street
furniture all contributed to re-establishing a sense of
place at the town’s major and minor intersections.
The scheme represents the first time that shared
space principles have been applied to a major junction
with such high volumes of traffic.
The combination of psychological measures to
influence driver behaviour appear to have succeeded in
establishing a very different speed environment and one
that allows the informal interaction of pedestrians and
traffic.
The main contractor was Casey.
The vision for Church Street Square was nothing less
than the transformation of a ‘dead street’ into a vital
space. A place where local business workers could
dwell, enjoy or pass through, where exhibitions and
street performances could be held and a few minutes
of peace could be enjoyed in the heart of Birmingham’s
‘Little Manhattan’.
Church Street Square was designed to provide
moments of quite contemplation; from the orientation
of the granite benches facing inwards to the selection
of the public artwork which creates a ‘twinkling’
impression as people walk by.
But it was also designed as a space for cultural
use. An area was designated to be used for small scale
music performances and a ‘ribbon’ of spaces through
the square has been provided for outdoor photographic
exhibitions.
Materials chosen for the project had to strike a
balance between resilience, the ethos of conservation
and building on a theme of understated quality befitting
Birmingham’s economic powerhouse.
The project increased the footway width and
reduced the carriageway width, increasing the
emphasis on pedestrian use and taking the focus away
from motorised traffic. Improved access and lighting
have increased confidence for mobility impaired and
vulnerable pedestrians and given a perception that this
is an area for pedestrians – increasing the ‘eyes-onthe-street’ factor so important in improving safety
perceptions of urban spaces.
Church Street forms part of the ‘two churches’
pedestrian link between St Philip’s cathedral on Colmore
Row and St Paul’s church in the Jewellery Quarter – a
key transit between two of Birmingham’s most beautiful
public squares. Church Street Square puts down a
marker for improving the pedestrian experience on this
route.
Church Street Square has been lauded as a great
example of how people including employees and
business owners want to see their district improved.
Oxford Street and the West End are an important part
of London’s economy, generating nearly 20% of its
GDP and sustaining over 300,000 jobs. On an average
Saturday footfall across Oxford Street is over 700,000
people, averaging at around 4.3M people a week.
In addition to large pedestrian flows, the area
contends with high numbers of vehicle movements
including buses, taxis and delivery vehicles. The area
previously suffered from severe pedestrian congestion
in places, poor flowing traffic, localised severance and a
limited opportunity for informal pedestrian crossings.
A scheme proposing environmental improvements
along the eastern section of Oxford Street looked to
make changes across the full width of the highway. The
scheme looked at addressing pedestrian and traffic
compatibility with a focus on accident locations.
One focus for the scheme was a ‘SmoothStops’ bus
stop design. This removes the need for bus laybys that
use valuable footway space and allows buses and other
vehicles to pass. The design solves a problem of buses
pulling out and is self enforcing due to its layout.
Generously proportioned at-grade side entry
treatments, the removal of two signalised junctions,
widened footways and the removal of street clutter
completed the scheme.
A major challenge to the project team was
ensuring the street remained operational during
the implementation of the new proposals. A large
scale public information exercise was undertaken to
understand the logistical and operational needs of major
retailers, TfL Buses and other key users.
The scheme supported economic development by
‘spreading the spend’ encouraging people to explore
cross streets and nearby spaces. The enhanced
appearance has already led to the numbers of shoppers
increasing, along with a renewed desire by businesses
to locate along this part of Oxford Street.
“The judges considered that this was an extremely
courageous scheme which has succeeded in
achieving significant economic and social benefits
through the enhancement of ‘place’ whilst
continuing to provide a route for significant volumes
of traffic.”
“The judges thought that this was a bold approach
to radically changing the character of a typical
urban environment by building on a clear vision.
They particularly liked the creation of discrete
spaces which can be put to different uses as well
as the attention to detail in the delivery of the
project.”
“The judges were impressed with the way in which
this scheme extended the work which had been
carried out previously in the nearby area. They liked
the consistency of theme and the clean and unfussy
delivery. They particularly approved of the use of
chamfered kerbs on the central median and the
innovative bus stop designs.”
17
THE CHARTERED
& TRANSPORTATION
CIHT
John Smart
Road Safety
Award
Judging Criteria
This 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 aim of this award is 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
educational/training/publicity projects, which
can demonstrate the quantifiable effects of the
project either through measurement, monitoring
or description. The CIHT John Smart Road Safety
Award recognises outstanding achievements
which improve road safety.
• Clarity of technical submission
• Research into problem
• Quality of technical solution
• Innovation
• Road safety success to date
• Potential road safety success
• Quality of evaluation
• Affordability
• Transferability - can the scheme/initiative be
repeated elsewhere?
Judges’ Comments
18
Winner
Simplified Traffic Management –
Reducing Carriageway Crossings
A-one+ Integrated Highway Services
One of the highest risk activities for roadworkers is interacting with road users
while setting out and removing signs in advance of any closure.
This typically includes a ‘roadworks ahead’ sign and ‘lane closed ahead’
sign at 800 yards, 600 yards, 400 yards and 200 yards on both sides of the
carriageway. This requires roadworkers to cross the live carriageway up to 32
times per installation to set up and remove signs in the central reserve.
Steps have been made to reduce this through, for example, the introduction
of remote control signs. However these still have to be put there in the first
place. Also while the likes of remote control signs offer benefit in longer duration
roadworks (major projects), these benefits are not mirrored on shorter duration
roadworks (overnight maintenance works).
Following industry research live trials were undertaken of a simplified traffic
management layout (removing the 200 yards and 600 yards signs). The evidence
gathered supported the assumption that the simplified layout significantly
reduced the risk for roadworkers while showing neither benefit or disbenefit to
the road user.
Having gained Interim Advice Note 150, A-one+ rolled out the simplified
layout in early 2012 across its four MAC contracts. During 2012 it deployed
the simplified layout 6273 times, saving 200,736 carriageway crossings. The
simplified layout also saved on average 10.9 minutes setting out and 10.9
minutes removing each installation. So the company saved 136,750 minutes
of time when roadworkers are exposed to the risk of working in live traffic (this
equates to over 2275 hours).
These reductions in crossing numbers and time were achieved while also
saving money through using a reduced number of signs. To underline the
improved safety the Area 12 MAC achieved one million RIDDOR free hours in
October 2012 and the Area 14 MAC achieved one million RIDDOR free hours in
January 2013.
“The judges were impressed by the innovation of challenging conventions
– in this case are all the signs at motorway roadworks necessary? This is
consistent with risk management principles where the first priority should
be to eliminate a hazard where possible. By commissioning driver testing in
a simulator, it was possible to determine drivers’ responses to different sign
configurations and this showed that it is possible to reduce the number of
signs with no detriment to driver information and behaviour, and therefore
without compromising safety.
The judges also felt that the application of a first trial site, with video
monitoring observing driver behaviour, further demonstrated a cautious
approach which could then be rolled out to the wider network areas.”
Commended
Commended
Commended
Changing Places
Cycle/Lorry Danger
Awareness Project
London Borough of
Hammersmith & Fulham
Eradication of
Carriageway Crossings
The Road Safety
Knowledge Centre
Road Safety GB
Half of all cyclists killed in London collide with large
lorries, even though these vehicles make up just 5%
of London traffic. Most of these fatalities happen at
junctions. This is now recognised as a major road safety
problem by Transport for London, the London Cycling
Campaign and most London boroughs.
‘Changing Places’ is aimed both at cyclists and lorry
drivers. The council is getting cyclists into lorry cabs and
lorry drivers onto bikes, so that each gets a better view
of the other’s perspective. The project complements
new procurement guidelines to ensure that lorry
drivers working under contracts with the council have
undertaken the training and are driving lorries that meet
the latest safety specifications.
The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
and TfL together pioneered a Safe Urban Driving driver
course in 2011. This one day course is offered to any
professional large goods vehicle driver who drives
in either Hammersmith and Fulham or its partner
boroughs Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster. The
day includes a practical module out on bikes, led by an
experienced urban cycle instructor.
Drivers gain an insight into the issues faced by
vulnerable road users (cyclists and pedestrians), why
more people are cycling in London and the nature of
increased provision on the streets for cycling and cycle
parking. Participants are also given tips on sharing the
road safely with vulnerable road users and actions that
can be taken to help avoid road traffic collisions.
Monthly events are also held at the roadside to
educate cyclists in how to share the roads safely with
large lorries. Cyclists are invited to visit a lorry cab and
talk to the driver to find out about the issues of visibility
and correct positioning, blind spots and mirrors.
Since September 2011 it has trained over 400 lorry
drivers at its Fulham depot. Feedback has revealed
that 91% of drivers will change their actions to give
more consideration to vulnerable road users and 89%
said their attitude towards vulnerable road users has
improved.
One of the most dangerous activities road workers face
while working on a high speed network is crossing live
carriageways – an accepted practice in the highways
industry for setting out and removing signage.
EnterpriseMouchel (EM) worked with its supply chain
partners and committed over £300,000 to eradicate
carriageway crossings to make roads safer for both road
workers and motorists.
Immediate action was needed following the death of
a road worker in August 2010. EM set up a task force
to research the hazards of crossing the live carriageway
and to explore opportunities to eradicate the need to
cross.
The task force developed a new sign design that
could be remotely operated by road workers, removing
the need to set out signs in the traditional manner. A
prototype sign, based on the principal of rotating prisms,
was developed.
With approval from the Highways Agency and
support from the supply chain, a trial of the prototype
was carried out in a live environment. Following
feedback from all involved a number of improvements
were made, making the sign even lighter and more
portable.
By the end of 2012 EM had successfully removed
the need to cross the carriageway 150,000 times – a
53% reduction in the number of potential crossings
since the signs were introduced.
Benefits of using the new design have the potential
to be realised across all multiple lane roads both
nationally and internationally. When prism signs are
deployed there is no need to cross the carriageway to
place traffic management signs, potentially reducing
carriageway crossings by millions.
Launched in 2010, the Road Safety Knowledge Centre is
a comprehensive online library/directory of road safety
information and resources. It is owned and managed
by Road Safety GB and was developed with funding
provided by the Department for Transport.
Its primary purpose is to provide road safety
professionals with easy access to research and reports
and examples of best practice road safety interventions.
Subscription to the Knowledge Centre is free of
charge and open to all. Currently there are nearly 3500
subscribers and 436 member organisations.
Information (known as ‘listings’) is presented in two
ways: by road user group/theme (such as ‘speed’); and
by type of information (for instance ‘research’). Listings
are stored and archived in date order.
Organisations put forward items for inclusion and
the Knowledge Centre project team identifies items that
it considers suitable for inclusion. All items go before a
Knowledge Centre scrutiny panel for approval.
A weekly email alert is issued to all subscribers,
informing them of listings added in the previous week.
There is also a help forum to enable subscribers to
seek assistance and advice from fellow subscribers. As
of the end of April 2013, a total of 342 help requests
have been posted, generating 1393 responses.
A survey of subscribers produced extremely positive
results. More than 80% of the 205 respondents
rated the Knowledge Centre as ‘good or excellent’ for
appearance, structure and usability.
The Knowledge Centre is a serious, long term
commitment by Road Safety GB to assist road safety
professionals to reduce road collisions and casualties.
“This initiative provided dual benefits: by cyclists
and drivers changing places, each understood
the problems of the other – restricted visibility
and vulnerability for example. Equally important
is breaking down the stereotyping of road user
groups, and these events help in that regard. This is
a practical event, widely transferable nationally, and
can support the move for cycle safety.”
“Like this year’s winner, this project focuses
on minimising road worker risk where central
reservation signs are needed on motorways or dual
carriageways. It uses technology to support risk
reduction by using road signs which can display a
‘blank’ face, or with remotely-controlled rotating
prisms, show a road sign face. By operating the
signs from the roadside, this greatly reduces road
workers’ exposure to traffic.”
“CIHT has always advocated collating knowledge
for evidence-based road safety management, since
access to information has been widely dispersed.
With a reduced and ever more stretched road safety
community, evidence is vital to deliver effective
measures that represent value for money. RSKC
also provides the opportunity for professionals to
share ideas and ask questions, to identify more
effective and cost-effective measures by sharing
experience – both regarding what works and
what doesn’t. It also brings together engineering
and enforcement intervention information with
educational, training and publicity initiatives, which
historically have been treated separately.”
19
Winner
CIHT/
Gatwick
Airport
Major Projects
Award
Judging Criteria
This 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.
• 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, operation, communications,
training and safety)
• Engagement and communication with
stakeholders
• Planning and design (robustness of research
and partnership working)
• Sustainable procurement
• Quality of construction or effectiveness of
implementation i.e. cost effective, practical
and sustainable
• Objectives met
Judges’ Comments
20
M25 Widening J16-23, J27-30
and Hatfield Tunnel Refurbishment
Skanska Balfour Beatty M25 JV
Skanska Balfour Beatty delivered the construction element of the M25 Design
Build Finance and Operate contract for the Connect Plus team.
This construction element of the 30 year DBFO was a £1Bn fixed price lump
sum design and build contract, awarded by the Highways Agency in 2009, to
widen 62km of motorway to four lane running and refurbish the Hatfield Tunnel.
The three year construction period had a deadline linked to the London 2012
Olympic Games. There was a high level of liquidated damages and even higher
consequential costs if completion was not achieved to the contract deadline.
But despite an initial one month delay at the start due to the 2008 banking
crisis and two unusually severe winters, the project was completed and opened
two months early. Cost savings of 18% were achieved and this was shared with
the client on a 50/50 basis.
The construction had a strong safety performance (AFR 0.07) and a
sustainability performance recognised by the Brownfield Briefing Award and
Green Apple Award. CEEQUAL assessment scores were all in the 90s – the high
end of ‘excellent’ – and the project achieved the highest score in its highways
category to date.
Major innovations developed on the project included the King Sheet Piling
Wall (now patented) and the slip formed retaining wall, installed up to 2.3m high.
The overall construction period was the quickest for a widening achieved in
the UK, at 1.8km per month. The project had an average spend rate of £1M per
day – sustained for the duration of the project.
These successes demonstrate what a committed, motivated and empowered
team can achieve. From the outset it was recognised that success would
be totally dependent on team performance and the values and culture that
underpinned it. A ‘One Team’ approach – in collaboration with client, designer
and supply chain – was embedded from the outset in a project execution plan,
which linked together empowerment, responsibility and discipline. Two key
mantras for the works were: ‘We will do what we say we will, every day’ and ‘We
will work safely or not at all’.
“The Skanska Balfour Beatty team faced one of the biggest challenges
in widening one of the busiest motorways in Europe to four lanes, with
a deadline determined by the London 2012 Olympic Games. The judges
were impressed with the health and safety ROSPA award and the excellent
CEEQUAL award among others. Despite the difficult conditions cost savings
of 18% were achieved and the quickest road widening rate of 1.8km per
month.”
Commended
Commended
East Kent Access Phase 2
VolkerFitzpatrick - Hochtief
Joint Venture
M1 J10-13 Improvement
Costain Carillion Joint
Venture, Highways Agency,
URS, Jacobs and Corderoy
Phase two of the East Kent Access Improvement
scheme is the largest highway project ever undertaken
by Kent County Council.
The £87M project provides 8km of new dual
carriageway, associated roundabouts and two significant
structures that cross rail infrastructure at Cliffsend
and Cottington near Ramsgate. It was completed by a
VolkerFitzpatrick - Hochtief joint venture in May 2012.
The new dual carriageway helps support the
economy of east Kent, reduces traffic congestion,
provides journey time reliability and improves
connectivity with the ports of Dover, Ramsgate and Kent
International Airport. It also vastly improves transport
links to Discovery Park and the EuroKent and Manston
business parks.
At the heart of the project was the innovative design
and build of the two key structures. The first at Cliffsend
is Europe’s longest jacked underpass, through which the
new dual carriageway passes. This cavernous structure
is 25m wide, 6m high, 126m long and passes 6m
beneath a major railway line where it intersects with a
public road and level crossing.
The second is a two span integral bridge at
Cottington which carries the dual carriageway over a
high speed train line and a local road. This reinforced
concrete structure was constructed on piled foundations
to mitigate soft ground conditions.
A strong emphasis was placed on partnership
working. The team comprised Kent County Council,
client’s representative Jacobs and the VolkerFitzpatrick
- Hochtief joint venture which included designer Atkins,
co-located in shared site offices.
This approach extended to third party stakeholder
Network Rail, which also co-located to site. Effective
collaboration with the rail operator allowed timely
approval of applications and consents, enabling
construction of the 126m long underpass to commence
earlier than planned.
This complex scheme was delivered five months
ahead of programme, safely, within budget and without
any disruption to rail services.
This improvement scheme upgraded 24km of the M1
between junctions 10 and 13 to Managed Motorway,
with technology to allow the hard shoulders to operate
as running lanes during busier periods. The scheme
had a target cost of £296.5M and a construction and
commissioning period of 162 weeks.
The scheme included construction of ‘emergency
refuge areas’ and ‘maintenance access areas’, 6.8km
of various retaining walls, 7.3km of soil nailing and
13km of earthworks repairs to existing embankments
and cuttings. A total of 48km of extruded slot drain and
communications ducting were installed, hard shoulder
repairs and resurfacing carried out and 59 gantries,
signals and signs and 300 CCTV cameras erected.
Improvements were carried out to Junction 11,
a new ‘half cloverleaf’ installed at Junction 12, a
new structure built over the M1 at Junction 12 and
demolition of the existing A5120 bridge.
Throughout the project three live lanes were
maintained at peak times for the 140,000 vehicles a
day that use the M1.
Development of the project was characterised by
searches for effective solutions to manage down costs.
Since the scheme was awarded the team has worked to
secure further savings from value engineering and lean
initiatives. Projections indicated the project will complete
£54M below target cost, while delivering the scheme
early with an enviable safety record including four
periods of one million RIDDOR free hours.
Junction 10 to 11 was opened with full Hard
Shoulder Running in July 2012, eight months ahead
of programme. The overall M1 Junction 10 to 13
scheme was opened with full Hard Shoulder Running
in December 2012, four months ahead of contractual
completion.
These impressive programme and cost
achievements were made without compromising safety
and the project achieved an AFR of 0.066 and all of
2012 was RIDDOR free.
Achievements on the project have been recognised
by the Highways Agency through its own ‘supplier
recognition’ awards.
“The East Kent Improvement scheme has been
the biggest project taken forward by Kent County
Council and provided important community benefit.
It opened in May 2012, five months ahead of
schedule and within budget. They had successful
engagement with Network Rail which resulted in no
delays to any rail services.”
“The M1 Junction 10-13 improvement team
demonstrated a very strong approach to managing
down costs, applied technology to great advantage,
awarded several highways agency supplier
recognition awards and an impressive AFR rating.”
21
Winner
CIHT/Vinci
Concessions
Highway
Asset
Management
Award
Judging Criteria
This new award recognises achievements of
asset management professionals 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 use
of asset management techniques to effectively
develop maintenance strategies and optimise
use and management of the existing highway
infrastructure.
• Clarity of technical submission • Evidence of creating value through use of
whole life asset management principles
• Best value and cost benefits
• Implementation and monitoring of proposed
strategy
• Innovation and best practice
• Wider benefits and implementation potential
Judges’ Comments
22
Project 30
Lafarge Tarmac, Blackpool Council and Gaist
Blackpool, in common with many other areas, had been struggling to maintain
roads and footways. Maintenance was largely reactive, funding allocations
were inadequate and the Council’s biggest asset - worth nearly £700M - had an
uncertain future.
The Council’s highways team, Lafarge Tarmac and asset management
consultant Gaist decided to work in partnership to deliver ‘Project 30’ - a four
year initiative to revitalise the seaside town’s highways network. It will see £30M
spent over the period to repair or replace over 40 miles of carriageway.
The initiative has seen Blackpool use a prudential borrowing model to obtain
funding and is predicted to deliver savings in excess of £100M over the next 25
years.
It was vital that a robust and convincing case for investment was developed
if council members were to have the confidence to commit to the scheme.
The programme set about achieving full visibility of the network, an investment
programme and a prioritisation schedule for works. A detailed and accurate
condition report for every square metre of the network was produced that
defined a solution to support the necessary investment.
Project 30’s aims were to improve streets for the benefit of residents, arrest
the accelerating decline of the network, significantly reduce the amount of
patching and potholes and the number and cost of tripping claims, treat defects
in ‘mid life’ footways and carriageways and put in place programmes of planned
preventative treatments.
As a result of the initiative Blackpool has been able to move away from
managed decline to a position of positive highways asset management, which
will provide the network that residents and visitors demand for years to come.
“The winning entry for this new award sets an example for other authorities
of how to make best use of prudential borrowing to develop a proactive asset
optimisation and maintenance regime for existing highway infrastructure
based on whole life asset management principles. The judges especially
applaud the council’s approach towards asset inventory development and
use of this information to develop an effective business case to gain political
backing to secure additional funding for asset maintenance against a matrix
of social impacts.”
Commended
Commended
Highways Maintenance
Efficiency Programme
(HMEP) Lifecycle Planning
Toolkit & Deterioration
Model
Leicestershire County
Council, Atkins and DfT
SMARTscan
Carnell in association with
the Highways Agency and
Demand for a more efficient approach to the
management of highways has come to prominence
in the current economic climate. Asset management
principles are supported by a number of national
reviews on highway maintenance. These include
the Audit Commission’s ‘Going the Distance’, the
HMEP Potholes Review, and Scotland’s National Road
Maintenance Review.
Although the principles of asset management have
been accepted, implementation has been slow among
some local authorities due to lack of resources.
Lifecycle planning sits at the heart of asset
management and has the potential to deliver both
immediate and longer term efficiencies. Principles
of lifecycle planning are well established with some
authorities who have developed a mature approach.
However, the Department for Transport found that
many authorities are still to make a start on lifecycle
planning, mainly due to the lack of accessible tools and
recognised deterioration models.
HMEP recognised the importance of promoting
lifecycle principles and identified the need to provide
tools to all authorities that would enable skills to be
developed through easy to use, accessible models. An
objective was for all authorities to benefit from potential
long term savings from lifecycle planning.
An innovative simple to use lifecycle planning
toolkit was developed by HMEP, with help from
Atkins, to meet this objective. This toolkit incorporates
innovative modelling principles and is programmed in a
spreadsheet. It is free to use and accessible to all asset
management practitioners. Until it was published on the
HMEP website in November 2012 nothing similar was
available free of charge to authorities.
The toolkit helps practitioners make strategic
decisions to manage their network through scenarios
based on different budgets and maintenance strategies.
Well maintained drainage is important in order to
minimise the environmental impact of road runoff on
the receiving water environment. It also ensures the
speedy removal of surface water to enhance safety and
minimise disruption and maximises the longevity of road
pavements.
With limited budgets, an historical lack of condition
data and the industry’s commitment to improve road
worker safety, an innovative solution was needed.
After extensive research Carnell developed
SMARTscan – a unique system that integrates GPS,
video streaming and ground penetrating radar to
indicate areas of the filter drain where capability to
transmit water to the carrier pipe is limited, or where
capacity to receive water is restricted.
SMARTscan represents a breakthrough in the risk
based approach to filter drain asset management.
Through smarter collaboration with the Highways
Agency and EnterpriseMouchel the survey data
produced is now being used to deliver more for less
by targeting specific locations and thereby achieve
significant cost reductions than the traditional method of
renewing whole sections.
The solution adopts a holistic approach to asset
management through time savings, reduced disruption,
improved safety, cost savings, optimised interventions
and an efficient inspection regime.
SMARTscan is now set to become an established
tool within the Highways Agency’s Value Management
process and approved for use across the whole of
England’s strategic road network. In total it has been
used in 11 of the Agency’s areas and the technology
has been adapted to address flooding caused by surface
water runoff from adjacent fields and down motorway
embankments.
Following its success in England, Transport Scotland
has embarked on a SMARTscan trial to monitor
condition of filter drains over a three year period and
compare results to changes in pavement condition to
ascertain the impact of good drainage on the life of the
road pavements.
“The judges viewed this free to use toolkit as
having potential for widespread use by local
authority practitioners. They especially appreciated
the toolkit’s focus on a whole life asset approach
covering all key highway assets for life-cycle
planning purposes.”
“The judges considered this innovative approach
to add value in maintaining the existing filter drain
network. The system has a potential of widespread
application to identify maintenance needs for filter
drain networks while minimising disruption caused
by traditional techniques.”
23
Winner
CIHT/DfT
Reducing
Sign Clutter
Award
Judging Criteria
This award is to recognise exemplar schemes
which have reduced sign clutter on roads in
England. Entries have been encouraged from
local authorities who have implemented traffic
sign de-cluttering schemes since August 2010
when the Secretaries of State for Transport and
Communities & Local Government wrote to
English local authorities urging them to reduce
sign clutter.
• A commitment to reducing street clutter, but
with an emphasis on traffic signs.
• Traffic management schemes which minimise
the need for traffic signs.
• Traffic sign audits and a robust inventory of
traffic signs; reviewing the need for signs; and
removing those that are no longer necessary.
• Taking advantage of new 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.
• Demonstrating savings in lighting and /or
maintenance costs.
• Considering whether or not signs need
replacing when they have been damaged.
• Continuous monitoring and reviewing the
strategy and inventory to ensure that signs are
clear and concise without compromising on
the message.
Judges’ Comments
24
Cutting the Clutter
MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways
Removing redundant signs and recycling signs where possible are two
ambitions of MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways. Using best practice
guidance highlighted in the ‘Poles Apart’ reducing clutter document, MGWSP
Northamptonshire Highways has quickly achieved positive results benefiting the
organisation, its customers, highway safety and the environment.
With ‘Cutting the Clutter’ MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways has worked
hard to ensure its customers and partners help it to improve the street scene,
by rationalising signs and creating a balance between essential signing and
minimising obstructions in the footway or verge.
Consultation has been key to its success, providing an opportunity to
highlight the issue of ‘over reliance’ on unnecessary signing which had,
overall, created long term safety issues. A robust media campaign encouraged
members of the public to report other signage that they felt could be removed
via the county council’s Street Doctor fault reporting system. In addition, a
hotline for staff and the supply chain encourages staff to be extra observant and
report incorrect or out of date signage.
Often the simplest and cheapest improvements are community led. As the
word spread, more and more user groups worked on proposed layouts and
existing schemes to identify areas of improvement.
MGWSP Northamptonshire Highways promotes a ‘one up, two down’ policy
and tries to embed this thinking in design processes. Ongoing designer training
and education promotes a ‘less is more’ culture in relation to signing which will
help to provide an integrated and consistent approach in future.
Phase one of this initiative took three weeks. Over 316 redundant, damaged
and illegal signs were removed along with 586 sign posts from the county’s
roads.
Working with key stakeholder groups, the county’s streetlighting PFI
contractor and the public will continue to identify areas of de-cluttering to make
Northamptonshire’s roads and footpaths more accessible and easier to navigate.
The judges liked the holistic deep seated approach to dealing with sign
clutter based upon a clear policy framework. They liked the use of an audit
process to creatively assess sign reduction policies and the use of on-going
training to encourage culture change. The judges welcomed the creation of a
specific annual budget to facilitate ongoing reviews of signs and applauded
the recycling of sigs and posts which had been removed. They particularly
liked the use of the phrase ‘one up; two down’ to define the entire initiative.
All of these components demonstrate a strong commitment from strategy
through to delivery.
Highly Commended
Commended
Commended
HARRP Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Council
‘Less is More’ Street
Clutter Action Plan
Stockton-on-Tees Borough
Council
The Case for Somerset
Somerset County Council
Derbyshire attracts millions of visitors to its outstanding
landscapes, historic market towns and villages. This
provides a complex set of issues that has gradually led
to many locations becoming cluttered with traffic signs
and important road safety messages being watered
down.
Around 15 years ago Derbyshire County Council
pioneered an approach to reducing sign clutter by
developing an environmental code of practice to
assist sign design. In 2011 new measures provided
by Government gave a renewed vigour for reducing
sign clutter. As a result the Highway Asset Review
and Reduction Programme (HARRP Derbyshire) was
established to review traffic signs.
A committed project team was brought together
to coordinate a wide range of initiatives to reduce sign
clutter. Procedures were reviewed and a new sign
ordering approach established to minimise the impact
of new traffic sign schemes and to consider whether
damaged signs needed replacing.
Community or route based sign clutter reduction
projects are identified using the council’s sign inventory
and environmental sensitivity mapping. Locations are
audited to consider the requirement and location of
individual signs. An audit of the A61 Chesterfield to
Alfreton route, for example, identified 261 signs and
151 posts for removal. Across the county unnecessary
lighting has been removed from 344 traffic signs saving
maintenance cost, energy and helping to reduce carbon
emissions.
Working closely with partners has been vital
to identifying enhancements in local communities
to improve quality of life and give a boost to local
economies. In Dronfield for instance, the town council
and civic society have been instrumental in identifying
over 90 different locations where signs could be
removed or changed. This was so successful that risk
management practices were changed as a result.
Further investment in HARRP will see more
communities benefit from reduced street clutter.
Stockton-On-Tees Borough Council (SBC) formulated
a ‘Less is More’ action plan to address the issue of
unnecessary and redundant items of signage and street
furniture on the highway.
Two of the main actions of the ‘Less is More’ action
plan were to undertake an audit of all the highway street
furniture across the Borough and to adopt a ‘blank
sheet’ approach when designing traffic schemes.
SBC employed two asset surveyors to undertake an
audit of all highway street furniture across the Borough.
This audit identified around 14,000 signs on the
highway, which are recorded on an asset database.
Each item is given a unique reference number, a
condition rating, is photographed and its position plotted
using ESRI Arcmap software. Following an assessment
to determine if a sign is required comments are added
to the database to advise future action such as removal,
replacement or upgrade.
Using handheld devices the highway asset
inspectors use the information within the database
as part of their inspections. This allows them to make
informed decisions on damaged or time worn signage
and to help with reviewing and monitoring the database.
A £20M Stockton town centre regeneration scheme
was developed that adopted the aims and objectives
of the ‘Less is More’ action plan and followed the
principles of street scene design outlined within SBC’s
Town Centre Urban Design Guide, which promotes
creative and innovative design thinking.
First stage of the town centre regeneration scheme
was improvements to a junction at the north end of
the High Street known as Maxwell’s Corner. This traffic
improvement scheme was designed using the ‘blank
sheet’ approach which was promoted through the ‘Less
is More’ action plan.
With the successful delivery of the Maxwell’s Corner
scheme the ‘blank sheet’ approach has been adopted
within the design ethic for the rest of the Stockton Town
Centre regeneration.
Somerset County Council is committed to reducing sign
clutter on its highway network and set an initial goal to
remove 1000 unnecessary signs, which it believes has
now been exceeded.
Sign reduction has been achieved in a number of
ways. The first involves advertising the 2010-13 County
Plan in newspapers and on the Internet. A web link
enables members of the public to report obsolete and
unnecessary signs.
This has led to reports of signs tucked away in
hedgerows and no longer having a useful purpose,
school warning signs in villages that no longer have
schools and cattle warning signs and flashing lights
where farmers no longer rear cattle.
The Council also produced a report in December
2010 giving guidance to engineers on how it might
achieve the sign reduction. This document was
distributed to stimulate a fresh approach and ideas
for sign removal and to ensure consistency. It also set
out how it might encourage others to identify signs for
removal. By doing so it gave communities a sense of
ownership and greatly assisted when jointly reviewing
and auditing signs in an area.
Another approach involved undertaking walking
surveys with Parish and Town Council representatives,
identifying signs for removal and overhauling signs
in their villages and towns. Many local councils have
highways groups who were keen to assist.
The Council also agreed new processes with
its street lighting team to follow, to ensure that any
damaged illuminated signs are not automatically
replaced and some thought is given as to whether or not
the sign is absolutely necessary.
Finally the Council is ensuring that new development
designs adopt the reduced sign clutter approach. As
part of the safety audit process for new developments
engineers ensure that only signs that are absolutely
necessary are used.
“This entry demonstrated excellent and innovative
use of audit methods as an analytical tool to deliver
their sign reduction initiative as well as a strong
commitment to training. The case study showed
excellent community engagement and the judges
particularly liked the extension of the strategy to
address both A-boards and temporary signs.”
“This was a small but comprehensive example of
a sign reduction project which showed how good
use can be made of a well audited full inventory.
The judges particularly liked the adoption of a
multi-disciplinary, ‘less is more’ approach based the
increased flexibility afforded by recent changes in
the regulations and the enthusiasm to respond to
possible future relaxations.”
“This entry displayed a significant commitment to
sign removal and was a good example of translating
policy into practice. The judges’ attention was
drawn to the very detailed yet measured approach
which had been adopted through the use of the
design guide available to staff.”
25
THE CHARTERED
& TRANSPORTATION
CIHT
Employer
Award for
Excellence
in Skills
Development
Judging Criteria
The purpose of this award is to recognise
outstanding achievement and commitment to
skills development by employers.
• 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
Judges’ Comments
26
Winner
Waltham Forest Highways Trainee
Development Programme
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The traineeship programme offered by the highways and infrastructure group of
Waltham Forest’s environment and regeneration department, forms an integral
part of its aim to deliver a first rate, value for money service to residents and
businesses, while managing a busy highway network.
This scheme is a continuing programme, which aims to develop aspiring
local engineers and technicians at the beginning of their career irrespective of
background.
Current economic pressures in London have meant this scheme had a high
level of interest from excellent candidates. Ambitious targets are set along with
a structured training plan. Academic qualifications are offered on day release
for those that need them. In the case of graduates a focus is given to rotation
between sections in the highways and infrastructure group and developing
the necessary skills to gain provisional qualifications through the Chartered
Institution of Highways & Transportation or the Institution of Civil Engineers.
The six trainees currently on the programme represent a significant part of the
workforce of just 75.
The programme provides an excellent opportunity to gain experience and
qualifications in civil engineering that may have been unobtainable to many. It
also gives people with existing qualifications the opportunity to progress in the
field of civil engineering. This opportunity can prove invaluable to graduates who
are sometimes forced into industries that do not necessarily fit their educational
background. Many of the trainees are local residents and this gives them an
opportunity to make a real difference to their local environment.
The current programme is testament to the diverse backgrounds of our
trainees. Of the six trainees there are mature students, degree holders, school
leavers and those from completely non-engineering backgrounds. There are also
many other current employees working in the highways and infrastructure group
who participated in earlier incarnations of this programme.
“The judges were impressed with the range and flexibility of the training
provided, which was tailored to the individual’s different experience and
training needs. The scheme develops aspiring local engineers and technicians
through work based learning as well as more formal academic study. The
judges were especially impressed that the scheme reaches out to local
residents and provides a real opportunity for local people to develop a career
in highways engineering.”
Commended
Commended
Developing, Valuing and
Respecting our People
A-one+ Integrated Highway
Services
Training Matrix Model
AECOM
A-one+ recognises that engineering is a powerhouse
of the British economy and its staff is its biggest asset.
The organisation offers specific highway maintenance
and asset management skills development, which
complement opportunities offered by its three parent
companies.
Since October 2009 in Area 12, A-one+ has
delivered 83 Pencil Case Workshops (PCWs). A recent
example is its ‘Underground Services’ PCW, which
included the issue of ‘Safety by Design’ cards, developed
by one of its graduate engineers. Another key training
need for designers is to gain site experience, providing
both an understanding of how schemes are built and a
multi-skilled workforce for tomorrow. In the last three
years in Area 12, A-one+ has provided site experience to
17 young engineers, ranging from three to 26 weeks.
The Area 12 Professional Development Group
comprises 15 young engineers and the aim is to
develop their skills and knowledge. The engineers
have committed to assisting each other in becoming
professionally qualified and inspiring others to develop
themselves. Recent activities have included capturing
design innovation in our ‘Improvement toolkit’, re-drafting
procedures from its quality system and spending a
weekend teambuilding in the Lake District.
At the 2012 CIHT Yorkshire & Humberside Branch
Awards, for the third year running, one of A-one+’s
young engineers was recognised for individual excellence
in the Young Professional of the Year award.
The organisation has also provided overhead
electric power line training to staff at Sellafield Ltd
(nuclear industry) and roadworker safety training to
staff at Norbert Dentressangle (haulage industry). In
2013 A-one+ also engaged with a Year Seven student
to develop a roadworker safety message using social
media. The video has received over 1000 hits on
YouTube and can be viewed at http://bit.ly/17TdTpi
People are critical to the company’s success. Their
skills and technical ability are what clients judge it by.
It is therefore vitally important that staff training and
development is a high priority and the company ensures
it is kept current, relevant and accessible to everyone
who needs it.
In 2010 AECOM introduced a training initiative for
800 staff in its UK and Ireland transportation business.
The career based training and development initiative
embraces all staff and reflects an individual’s level of
entry into the company, length of service and career
path.
The initiative provides AECOM and its customers
with value for money through focused ‘needs based’
training activity, while reducing the unit cost of the
training by using web-based methods and applications.
Four of its seven delivery mechanisms are web-based
and it estimates this approach has resulted in the
reduction in carbon-emission of 50t of CO2 per annum.
The company’s new training model comprises seven
distinct training initiatives and seven mechanisms for
delivery. The model draws together a series of individual
training and development activities to form a cohesive
package that provides a broad range of training required
for such a large workforce.
Training resources have been shared with staff from
its client base, particularly those in the public sector.
These shared courses are supplemented with monthly
seminars hosted by AECOM where presentations enable
staff and clients to share knowledge and best practice
using project information from all over the world.
AECOM believes a strong focus on training with a
flexible ‘needs based’ model has helped it attract and
retain some of the best individuals in the industry which
ensures technical excellence is delivered for clients.
“Staff of this joint venture between Halcrow/
CH2MHILL, Colas and Costain have full access
to the skills development programmes of the
three companies, together with A-One+ highway
maintenance and asset management skills
development training. The judges particularly liked
the pencil case workshops, along with the use of
their graduates to teach others. The programme
uses site experience to support the development
of young engineers and has a programme of
community engagement with local schools.”
“The judges felt that AECOM’s training initiative
demonstrated a good approach to the delivery of
training to a large number of staff. The scheme
provides a systematic and cohesive package
providing training to a varied workforce. The judges
particularly liked the use of web based learning
together with the range of training and development
opportunities available to the staff.”
27
Cover photos: Joanna Plumbe Photography
The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation
119 Britannia Walk, London N1 7JE
t: +44 (0)20 7336 1555
e: info@ciht.org.uk
To download an electronic copy of this document please visit
www.ciht.org.uk/awards2013
CIHT Awards 2013
supported by the Highways Agency
Transportation
P r o f e s s i o n a l
THE CHARTERED
& TRANSPORTATION
Registered in England No. 1136896
Edited by Mike Walter
Registered Charity in Scotland No. SC040873
Designed by Andrew Pilcher
Produced for CIHT by Barrett Byrd Associates
www.barrett-byrd.com
28

CIHT Awards 2013 Supplement - The Chartered Institution of

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