To avoid congestion and related emissions, major transport hubs require efficient public transport options that link travellers to onward destinations. Viable options must provide end-to-end comfort, reliability, safety, and accessibility. Currently, unless running along primary, dense transport arteries, public transport operators cannot deliver commercial, reliable services that link transport hubs with many standalone locations such as business parks, universities, housing estates, rural towns, and retail parks, due to ridership narrowly missing commercial thresholds, in turn resulting in significant private vehicle use -- such routes are termed "Step 2". These trips are typically repeatable, below 10 miles and involve hundreds (not thousands) of passengers per day. Delivering such journeys via commercially viable public transport represents a core mobility challenge to transport commissioners. The UK Central Hub (the Hub) is home to the future Arden Cross HS2 interchange, Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International Railway station. It is a transport and commercial hub of regional significance. Approximately 7.8 miles south of the Hub is Blyth Valley Park (BVP), a commercial centre with over 3,500 people travelling to and from it each day. In addition, the park is approaching completion of 750 new homes. It takes over an hour by public transport to reach the Hub. The route linking the Hub and BVP, the focus of this study, utilises a short 'junction hop' length of the M42\. The outcomes from the study will enable an informed evaluation of CAM to equivalent mobility challenges nationwide, including those that utilise the Strategic Road Network (SRN).There is no existing data and knowledge of scaled Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) services. As CAM solutions approach maturity novel and innovative methodologies are needed to evaluate their viability. This project will deliver a study on the feasibility of a CAM shuttle service considering two different Autonomous Vehicle (AV) technologies, to address the UK Central Hub to BVP challenge.

Over the next few years, the construction sector will witness a wave of infrastructure projects (£60 billion of spend each year over the next decade) and ground work will be undertaken to set future financial settlements. The pace of this growth, and the size of this opportunity, demands a construction sector that is the best in the world. To maximise the opportunities to drive efficiency savings across the delivery of the transport infrastructure pipeline, this proposal brings together key UK Transport Client groups, Suppliers and academic experts to establish a Transport Infrastructure Efficiency 'Living Lab' to build capability within delivery, innovation and managing construction risk. The UK has had a modest track record of infrastructure delivery with some programmes completed late; over budget; failing to secure the benefits expected; or cancelled after a significant investment. With the increasing challenge and complexity of the government's pipeline of major projects, the capacity to deliver is being stretched. The estimation of cost and schedule can be improved and major projects and programmes are tending to avoid innovation risk. These attitudes to uncertainty and risk are deeply engrained and cultural, with inconsistencies across Departments and ALBs. Together, they create barriers to the greater uptake of Modern Methods of Construction and driving productivity. This proposal offers a strategic, scalable and sector wide approach with Government, Client Groups, Suppliers and Academia working in partnership. To overcome these challenges, the 'Living lab' will work in collaboration with i3P and the CIH to tackle the systemic issues that still obstruct the use, integration and adoption of innovations that could drive productivity and wider social benefits through major construction schemes. It will be a catalyst for cultural change, shifting focus within infrastructure delivery decision-making from the costs of construction to an understanding of its whole life value. Statement from Professor Lord Robert Mair, Cambridge University, Chair of the DFT Science Advisory Council and Member, Transport Research & Innovation Board: "This demonstrator is a transformative collaboration. It uses data, technology and Modern Methods of Construction within live transport infrastructure projects to showcase the value of data visualisation through real-time data control rooms and demonstrates where we can drive even greater productivity and efficiency through innovation transfer. By implementing advanced construction and engineering techniques on live projects, we will deliver significantly better outcomes for society and provide the evidence needed to scale how we drive productivity across the transport infrastructure sector."

Awaiting public summary

"The UK primarily relies on its road network for population mobility: 64% of all trips made in the UK in 2016 were by car. While road injuries have been decreasing, road fatalities have stagnated around the 2010 level. There are still almost 190,000 injuries and fatalities per year. To ensure further falling casualty rates, it is imperative to both make the road network as safe as possible and to improve driver skills and attitudes. This project focuses on the infrastructural needs to make roads safer through improving both visibility on the road and offering an affordable technology for better road network management. Current active traffic management systems are able to reduce congestion hours by 20% and accidents by 35%, yet due to their high cost (up to £750,000 per miles) they are rarely used: 95% of UK roads are not monitored at all. This project will support the development of a unique technology that resolves this problem by transforming common road safety markings (road studs) into smart connected devices, which monitor and manage road traffic in real time. These smart studs, designed and developed by Valerann, offer a step change in the ability of policymakers and traffic managers to monitor road systems in terms of both coverage and affordability. This project will support the development of a unique technology that solves this problem by transforming common road safety markings (road studs) into smart connected devices, which monitor and manage road traffic in real time. These smart studs, designed and developed by Valerann, offer a step change in the ability of policymakers and traffic managers to monitor road systems in terms of both coverage and affordability. Specifically, this project will investigate the impact road stud lighting can have on warning drivers about road risks through the use of driving simulation."