Our PHOEBE experts have gathered research on the current state-of-play related to transport modelling research and the PHOEBE framework in our deliverable “SoA and end user needs review”. The latter is available in a preliminary version and contains several aspects which are highlighted in this new item and in bullet points below.
Even though stakeholders were consulted within the framework of the previously mentioned deliverable, the PHOEBE consortium would like to gain some feedback from you. Thus, we invite you to read the deliverable and provide us feedback by answering the survey below.
Summary of the deliverable:
Highlights gaps in science and policy related to transport modelling
Sheds light on the crucial connections between traffic simulation, road safety assessment, and the role of human behaviour models.
Confirms that the iRAP Star Ratings are a suitable road safety assessment methodology to meet the needs of the project.
Showcases that understanding modal shift and induced demand is critical in understanding the changes in the network flow and speed and their impacts on safety in the transport system.
Summarises more than 50 stakeholder consultations
Lists several key messages and conclusions, such as:
Mode choice and modal shift models are the first steps to be taken to simulate traffic and safety impacts.
Fusion of road assessment and traffic simulation: the strong inter-relationship between traffic simulation and road safety assessment is at the core of the PHOEBE methodology.
PHOEBE will present its current research during the 27th PIARC World Road Congress, which will take place from 2-6 October 2023 in Prague.
The congress, which is themed “together on the road again”, includes ministers’ sessions, 60 technical sessions, workshops and foresight sessions. PHOEBE will participate in the latter and will be presented during the “IRAP Innovation Workshop” that takes places during World Road Congress.
In our third interview after NTUA and iRAP, we spoke with Sam Chapman, Senior Vice President Innovation and co-founder of ‘The Floow’, about the importance of PHOEBE for West Midlands, existing road safety challenges in the English region, as well as the potential result and learnings that the pilot can provide. ‘The Floow’ cooperates with the local transport agency of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) in their effort to enhance the safety of vulnerable road users in various traffic scenarios across the densely populated region.A video interview, which will summarise the project plans, will be released in the following weeks.
Good afternoon Sam, how would you describe the mobility situation of the West Midlands region?
Transport services are co-ordinated by TfWM, which has the jurisdiction over seven metropolitan boroughs, the largest of which is the city of Birmingham. The local rail system comprises over one hundred stations, carrying services delivered by six different operators. A single light rail line conducts a tram service between the cities of Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Fifteen operators provide bus services across the region.
During the morning peak, more than 70% of all trips to urban centres are made by car, which decreases to 36% when Birmingham is considered in isolation. TfWM aims to reduce the high levels of car dependency and make West Midlands a place ‘where people can thrive without having to drive or own a car’. There is an increased focus on promoting active travel, which make up less than 2% of the traffic entering metropolitan centres during the morning peak. During the pandemic, TfWM were awarded £16.85m as part of the UK government’s emergency active travel fund to build dedicated infrastructure for walking and cycling.
What are the unique aspects for a region in the PHOEBE project?
Unlike other the use-case locations, West Midlands is a combined authority comprising of multiple towns and cities. Each local authority will have its own perspective and priorities when it comes to transport, arising from the different constituent levels of rural and urban areas within each. Many of the regions have high degrees of urban deprivation and high population growth creating new challenges for safe citizen mobility.
What are the road safety challenges of the West Midlands?
The West Midlands target is a 40% reduction of serious injuries and fatalities (KSI) by 2028, which requires a reduction from an average of 1048 of this type of accidents in 2017 to 629 in the next five years. However, the region faces several challenges to achieve safer roads, such as a widespread proliferation of e-mobility solutions, more vehicles utilising connected and autonomous technologies, and increasing levels of active travel. In 2017, 64% of KSI road users in the West Midlands were pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists. There is a danger that the region’s goal to reduce car dependency and increase the proportion of active travel trips will lead to an increase in the overall number of persons KSI in an environment where the underlying level of risk remains the same.
How can West Midlands support the other pilot cities and vice versa?
Our region is a large area with a large variety of differing road risk scenarios. This coupled with large numbers of co-located programs allows lessons to be learned applicable to other regions drawing from the wide variety of the transport environment and its solutions.
