The Transport Technology Forum is in search of a bigger venue for its next Annual Conference in 2023in the light of attendance at, and feedback from, its 2022 event two weeks ago.
Spread over three days, the conference provided ample opportunities for delegates to make new connections and leave with fresh ideas, prompted by a suite of presentations including a keynote address from the Department for Transport’s Chief Scientific Adviser, Sarah Sharples, and a Q and A conversation with the Interim Commissioner for Active Travel England, Chris Boardman MBE. There was also a host of material detailing the real-world experience of developing and implementing technology solutions, including feedback from meetings of the six TTF Technical Working Groups and ideas around connected roadworks, the Manual for Smart Streets, procurement advice, export support and improving roadworker safety.
More than 200 people from local and national government, technology companies, consultants and academics took part in the conference at the Marriott Hotel in Liverpool.
The Conference was sponsored by HRS and featured exhibition stands by City Science, TRL Software, Westcotec, Smart Video and Sensing, Mobius Networks, emovis, Crown Commercial Service and Vivacity. ARUP, Project Centre/Marston Holdings, PTV and Brightly Software also supported the event.
Given the success of the 2022 Conference, TTF’s organisers are on the lookout for a city that can both offer a larger venue and has experience to share of its own traffic technology journey for the 2023 event which will be held on the 17 and 18 May. Any local authority willing to play host to the event and promote their transport technology innovations is invited to contact the TTF with details.
TTF Chair Steve Gooding said, “We all knew that people who’d been confined to quarters through two years of covid-related restrictions would be likely to welcome the opportunity to attend an in-person event, but it wasn’t just the number of people who travelled to Liverpool that impressed us so much as the genuine buzz of interest for the potential that traffic technology offers. What really matters now is whether the enthusiasm we saw translates into successful fresh thinking that will deliver better outcomes for road users. A key theme of the conference was the need for inclusivity – traffic technology needs to work for all road users, be they on buses or bicycles, in cars, driving vans, or walking – as Chris Boardman put it, it’s all about making places more liveable”.
The presentations from the main conference, and the six Working Group meetings are being made available at the TTF website. The main conference was videoed and will be available on the TTF YouTube channel shortly, and presenters’ slides are being posted on the TTF website.
(Picture – TTF)
