Learned Programme

Papers at the JCT Symposium are delivered by practicing engineers, innovators, academics and industry experts. We pack in around 20 to 25 papers over two days in a single theatre keeping the audience engaged and informed.   

If you are interested in submitting a Paper and presenting it for 2025 all we initially ask for is a working title and a one or two paragraph short synopsis. You can make a proposal by using our contact form.

If you are attending the Symposium and have requested electronic copies of the papers rather than a printed copy you can download the e Papers below.

You will require a password to view the PDF and this will be sent to you in advance of the event by JCT.

Confirmed Papers for 2024

To submit a Paper Proposal for inclusion on the 2025 Programme please either e mail JCT at symposium@jctconsultancy.co.uk or complete the Present Paper Contact form on the Present a Paper page on this website. We simply require a Working Title and a one or two paragraph synopsis to get the ball rolling.

Drones offer local authorities the opportunity to collect data on the condition and effectiveness of traffic signal infrastructure with increased safety, lower cost and with a lower carbon footprint. However, there are regulatory implications for the authority in deploying drones in-house or through a contractor. This paper from the Drone Ready Cities project will help you decide whether a drone solution is right for you and how to prepare for it.

 

Over the past few years, we have seen increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in equipment and systems used for traffic management. However, at this point, their application is rather sporadic and lacks a cohesive approach to their use to achieve a strategic implementation. Most vendors are using AI for specific applications and to provide additional capabilities to their products.

In Spring 2023, the “Superloop” was announced. The Superloop will provide a network of limited-stop express bus routes, circling the capital, enabling quicker connections to key outer London town centres, hospitals, railway stations, and transport hubs. As part of the launch, Network Performance Delivery (NPD) were a key partner in delivery. The entire Superloop network was subject to the RARR process (presented at JCT in September 2023) and bus priority at many locations reviewed. This presentation will detail the innovative approach NPD took to providing targeted Bus Priority for Superloop Routes to ensure express journey times were felt by passengers.

On-line consumer services from Deliveroo, alternatives to Taxis from Uber, optimised route navigation by Waze, hoards of Amazon deliveries, all of these have altered the numbers and types of traffic on our road network and affected our ability to move people and goods around.

How did we get here, how big is the problem and what if anything can we do about it?

It is widely recognised that replacing damaged and failed loops is a disruptive and slow process and while the loops are not operating junction performance suffers.
We will describe a solution that has been used on-street to reinstate detection quickly and reliably with minimal TM and low risk to the installers.

Following from previous presentations and discussions at the symposium and based on experience gained across numerous recent cycle signal designs, from simple crossings to multiple major Cyclops arrangements, the paper and presentation will highlight some unusual layouts, innovative approaches to improving cycle facilities, and discuss the oddities, omissions and ambiguities in design requirements from LTN 1-20 and TSM Chapter 6. Proposing a ‘4way forward’ to accompany the national guidance, that looks to resolve the inconsistencies and design challenges in following the differing design guidance.

All-red pedestrian stages are usually modelled based on an assumption – such as appearing every cycle or every other cycle. A more sophisticated approach is required to provide more accurate modelling. This paper will outline how an assumed uniform pedestrian distribution can be used to predict the appearance frequency of demand dependent pedestrian stages, using pedestrian count data. It will outline how this approach can be combined with the use of bonus greens in LinSig to model demand dependent pedestrian stages. This methodology allows for a more refined approach when compared with traditional modelling assumptions. This paper will also include evidence showing the difference between predicted and observed frequencies. Various sites across Greater Manchester have been part of this study and the data from these sites will be used to support the above. The outcome will be an approach to modelling that can be applied by all users of LinSig.

One of the fruits of the Dutch Talking Traffic program is the realisation of a standard for exchanging C-ITS messages with Traffic Light Controllers (TLCs). The standard was developed in a workgroup including the leading European Union TLC vendors Dynniq, Swarco, and Yunex and has been implemented on a large scale in The Netherlands. This standard has been created to facilitate the large-scale rollout of TLC use cases based on long-range communication. It is now also adopted by the region of Flanders (Belgium) in their large-scale C-ITS deployment initiative Mobilidata as well as studied in the NordicWay 3 program. In the meantime, the Netherlands is looking at expanding the scope of the interface to other types of road equipment, such as RoadSide Units (RSUs), electronic signs, access barriers, sensors, etc. This standard facilitates the large-scale deployment of many day 1 and day 1.5 C-ITS use cases, such as Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory (GLOSA), Time to Green(TTG), and Traffic Signal Priority (TSP).

Alex will discuss the design and explain how they plan to have adaptive signals at both cities to manage the bus corridors but also provide emergency vehicle priority.

SWARCO have worked with a number of customers to support and deliver a program to take them from a standard parking guidance system into a fully integrated UTMC compatible system by providing a phased migration approach to allow customers to get a feel for the system.

SWARCO have supported this phased approach by providing the customers with a 2-6 week pilot of the MyCity Urban Mobility Platform, to give the customers exposure to the system and provide user functionality updates and suggestions to support their use of the systems.

After the pilot, SWARCO have supported the migration from legacy parking guidance systems into the UTMC capability system, which enables the customers to expand their ITS capability, and connect other data sources such as air quality monitoring devices, journey time devices, floating car data, weather station devices, traffic light controllers with remote monitoring and much more.

SWARCO are working with customers to understand what ITS equipment they already have out on the street or data already coming into the council, which can then be used to help move traffic around the area or provide information to the travelling public.  SWARCO interfaces are agnostic into the MyCity Urban Mobility Platform, and would like to continue to work with the customers to enable them to use existing equipment into the system to give a complete ITS solution.

The session will show the range of malicious threats facing sites and sectors and the vulnerabilities that can be mitigated by forethought and the design and specification of proportionate countermeasures.  It will also show the security-mindedness required of professionals. 

Darren Capes will share the latest updates on the additional funding secured for improving Traffic Signals.

Almost every vehicle carries a mobile phone, (not forgetting eCall) the whereabouts of which is known to the service provider. We can buy in that data to learn about traffic movements anywhere. No need for loops, CCTV, or manual counting.

At busy times there is a theoretical and demonstrable mathematical relation between speed and flow rate, which allows the construction of a Fourier representation of that flow into the future, enhanced by AI. More usefully it allows calculation of road capacity today, how near to maximum it is, and what it is likely to tomorrow.

A case study of M6 Jcn 19 shows how the technique is used to safely and easily validate junction design, but it also shows the power of the technique in making future predictions, and, when combined with weather forecasts, monitoring when fog actually exists on the road.

In summary, a powerful and easy way of understanding traffic patterns, and hence how to strategically plan to reduce and avoid congestion.

In 2025 the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and  Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW) are due a re-write.  This paper sets out the background as to what will come in the light of new technologies such as autonomous vehicles, and increasing the safety and resilience of what exists already.

Why do drivers persistently use wrong lanes or run red lights when we have provided clear information? When we create designs, can we get the driver behaviour we want just by telling them what to do?  Or is perception more important than information?

This paper looks into how junction design influences driver perception, and how that changes behaviour. Written applying decades of experience and also a fresh pair of eyes, we explore how we might get drivers to react the way we want, just through our design choices.

In a SCOOT network with short link lengths, such as a gyratory, queues can form which threaten to lock up the network. These may occur due to downstream congestion.  One way to prevent this is to hold traffic back with gating or signal plans, but this can delay more traffic than necessary. There is also a facility within SCOOT to change parameters and plans using the ASCC command, but this can react rather late in some circumstances.  This paper describes the use of the GO bit within a SCOOT plan along with changes to the controller stage change conditioning, to effect a hurry call triggered by loop call/cancel detector inputs. 

What happens when you have an ongoing research and development program which makes better use of data and how this translates into better outcomes for local authorities and road users. 

Cheshire East Council engaged SWARCO to deploy its latest adaptive traffic optimiser, ImFlow, at several problematic junctions. These junctions were previously under Fixed Time, Vehicle Actuated or MOVA control. Has ImFlow made things better?

An Artificial Intelligence heuristic, born out of space exploration techniques, has been applied to address and improve complex traffic congestion in Hull City. The system utilises existing traffic data to create dynamic models of the traffic, allowing a spectrum of approaches to be applied through traffic signal timing adjustments. We will look at the nature of the challenge, the project objectives, the AI application, and the results achieved.

Shuttle systems using traffic signals to control traffic over a one-way section of road are traditionally operated in isolation. In this presentation a member of  Yunex Traffic's Consultancy Services team considers the challenges and benefits of coordinating and controlling multiple 'shuttle' type schemes and shares his thoughts and learnings from recent shuttle deployments.

Mark Andrews - HyTras & Jonathan Mundy - Hampshire County Council will present an overview of the complexities in designing the parallel aspects of a Sparrow Crossing

Martin Andrews will give a brief overview of TOPAS 2545

The paper underscores the importance of integrating future technologies, data, and active travel planning to enhance transport networks and promote sustainable modes. It emphasises the need for a holistic approach, utilising open data and enhancing data integrity to inform decision-making and encourage a shift towards sustainable travel choices. The case study in Scotland showcases how Cycling Scotland used national open data to build an active travel framework. The collaboration between UrbanTide and Cycling Scotland resulted in an open data portal, providing a comprehensive view of active travel. The portal uses automated data integration and validation to enhance quality, identify data errors and standardise formats from multiple data feeds into one centralised system. The paper will showcase the importance of data readiness, quality and access. Additionally, the paper stresses the value Cycling Scotland and partners have seen from integrating pedestrian data and multi-nodal surveys into traffic models for optimising traffic management and promoting modal shifts. Overall, it advocates for innovative approaches and data sharing to create effective solutions for sustainable transport networks.

Vehicle and pedestrian detection at signalised crossings is familiar and widely used, but the data conceals more information than the simple something/nothing outputs.  This paper explores what additional benefits can be extracted from existing equipment and applied to traffic control at the crossing and further afield.

On behalf of ARTSM, and the industry supplier working group formed in 2023, Dave Pregon from Yunex Traffic will provide an update on the ongoing collaborative development work to replace the UTC System to UTMC System CORBA interface. This new solution is intended to provide a more open, secure and certified operation, and improve system interoperability and evolution as system capabilities develop.

2024 Session Chairs

The Symposium Learned Programme is split into seven sessions delivered contiguously over two days. Sessions are Chaired (moderated) by leading industry professionals and academics.

Professor Margaret C. Bell, CBE

Science City Professor of Transport and Environment Science City Professor of Transport and Environment, Newcastle University. 2006: Honoured Commander of the British Empire for services to Sustainable Transport, Queen’s 80th Birthday. 2019: Rees-Hills ITSUK Lifetime Achievement Award. Honorary Fellow of IHE, FICE, FIHT and CMILT and Honorary Editor Chief of the IET ITS. Founder, in 2000, and Chair of the ITSUK Smart Environment Forum until 2021. Currently the Independent Chair of the Bus Service Improvement Plan Enhanced Partnership Board in Derbyshire and Chair of the udi@UTSG. Current research is establishing performance measures for Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory system integrated with SCOOT; evaluating roadside pollution (air and noise) in the vicinity of motorways operating Automatic Traffic Management; understanding travel behaviour of the Tyne and Wear Metro users and influences of mode choice of Bangkok commuters. Understanding the demographics of potential users of shared e-mobility (electric cars, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-Cargo bikes) in European cities including Manchester, Inverness, Dublin estimating the impact of e-mobility on carbon and air pollution emissions.

Mike Guerin

Head of Business Development for SWARCO UK & Ireland. In his role, Mike leads the Sales, Marketing and Bid function for SWARCO’s Traffic products. These include Urban Signs, Inter Urban Infrastructure (Signs & Signals) and software solutions (UTC, UTMC, MyCity). He has 5 years’ experience in the ITS sector, including 3 years at TRL Software, leading the Sales & Marketing function. Mike has extensive experience in leading Sales & Marketing teams in software and other industries, having worked for FTSE100, S&P500, SME’s and Scale Up companies. Mike has a degree & Masters from Lancaster University Management School, is a Fellow of the Institute of Professional Sales & is a big sports fan (speak to him about 90’s Premier League football, the pain of supporting Middlesbrough or his love of American Sports, particularly Chicago’s Teams). He lives in Ascot with his wife and 2 young children.

Jennie Martin MBE FCILT, Trustee, PACTS

Jennie Martin has spent her working life in transport – with the then British Rail, the Corporation of London, and ITS United Kingdom. She was Secretary General at ITS (UK) from 2004 to 2023. She is a past Chair of the Network of National ITS Associations. She is the Hon. Secretary of CILT International, Chair of Bus Users UK, a Trustee of PACTS, Member of the ITS Committee at BSI, and of the National Highways Research and Innovation Advisory Board. Jennie is originally from Sweden but a happily naturalised Londoner for many years.

Eric Sampson CBE

Eric Sampson is a retired UK Senior Civil Servant. At the Department for Transport he worked in the Marine, Highways, Rail, Safety and Local Transport Directorates, as well as The Coastguard Agency. He has held many national and international appointments including the European Commission’s High Level Advisory Group on Intelligent Transport Systems and Chairmanship of ITS-UK and the ERTICO Supervisory Board. He chaired the Boards of Directors for ITS World Congresses in Paris 1994 and London 2006. He was appointed CBE in 2007, elected to the ITS Global Hall of Fame in 2016, and is a visiting Professor at a number of Universities. He has been a transport strategy adviser to the Governments of Denmark, Finland, Ukraine, Sweden and New Zealand in addition to the UK.

Paula Claytonsmith

Chief Executive at Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG). Paula is LCRIG’s Chief Executive and formerly Director, Government and Strategy at LCRIG. Paula has worked in local government leading frontline services, a national public sector improvement agency tasked with performance improvement, KPMG Government Advisory, international consulting assignments, political lobbying sector, and independent national government advisory roles. Paula has also worked in executive leadership roles in the charitable sector including a major stem cell cancer charity leading their operations department and a strategic policy and lobbying role in a leading environmental charity focused on behaviour change to improve local environmental quality. Working in the Highways sector Paula has been a board Director in a disruptive highways technology SME, been a guest on BBC Radio4 programmes relating to Infrastructure, international radio and TV programmes, quoted in The Sunday Times, authored articles for IHE, CIHT, RSMA, LCRIG Insights and spoken regularly at national industry conferences both in the UK and internationally. In 2018, Paula was an expert witness to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee on Local Roads Funding and Governance with acknowledgement by the Committee Chair in the House of Commons and Hansards. Paula is now a Steering Group Member for the subsequent new change in Road Condition Statistics (PAS 2161), part of the NIC CAM expert group and soon to be on the editorial advisory board for Highways Magazine. Paula has also been a technical committee member for PIARC (World Roads Association), and has a passion for all things innovation in the sector.

Tom Siddall - 4way Consulting

Principal engineer 4way Consulting. Tom Siddall is currently a Principal Traffic Signal Engineer at 4way Consulting, having been with the team at 4way for the last six years. As a chartered engineer with more than 20 years traffic signal industry experience, Tom now navigates the country using his knowledge of traffic signal sites he’s designed, commissioned or validated over the years. Specialising in traffic signal control, particularly MOVA, linked MOVA and UTC/SCOOT systems, Tom works with multiple local and national highway authorities, along with private clients across the country. He’s as often working in the home office in South Wales, as in the 4way or client offices, or out on site.

John Nightingale

Drector - JCT Consultancy. John joined JCT in January 2008 following 13 years of experience in both local government and traffic signal contracting. John's introduction to the traffic engineering industry was as a contracting engineer giving him a particular insight in the practical aspects of installation and maintenance of signals. His tenure in local government gave him experience in a broad range of traffic engineering including accident investigation and road safety audit as well as signals design and modelling.

No products in the basket.