The Connecting the North initiative scales innovative technology to bolster transport network reliability. The solution leverages current systems' data, supplemented with additional inputs, offering a cost-efficient fix without extra infrastructure costs. With shifts in urban dynamics, such as reduced commuting, cycling, walking, and home deliveries - authorities need tools for more flexible and interconnected traffic management. Simplifai Systems, born out of collaborations with the University of Huddersfield, Kirklees Council, and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) experts, applies AI principles from autonomic computing, crafted for resilient Internet of Things (IoT) tech management. We apply this to road traffic management, including projects with Jaguar Land Rover, English National Highways, and Northern Care Alliance NHS Group. This project scales these achievements to envelop the North of England's major regions. Traditional traffic management relies on basic models with fixed strategies. Simplifai enhances this by using the existing data to employ innovative AI planning, creating advanced network management in a fraction of current timescales. While its efficacy is proven in smaller scales, the project's aim is wider deployment. The innovations let Simplifai integrate with large-scale Smart City systems and cater to a diverse clientele. By elevating current traffic systems, it empowers authorities to optimize existing assets amidst budgetary constraints. This venture also explores new markets and user groups, evaluating their feasibility. The outcome is a nimble, adaptive approach to infrastructure management, mitigating disruptions for efficient transport management. This revamps how networks are overseen, improving traffic flow, minimizing congestion and journey times, enhancing air quality, and propelling economic growth. In essence, Simplifai equips authorities to navigate evolving transport demands. So why does the North of England need connecting? Over the last five years, the North has been in more flux than any other region of the country. The pandemic affected the North of England disproportionately - the changes in work patterns have meant that people who have changed job because of the flux in the labour market have had to change journey patterns. The journeys five years ago and the journeys they are making now are very different across the North. Starting in the North, the idea is to roll out across a region, which by population is equivalent to a top 50 world city, prove efficacy and roll out to equivalent regions and the other top 50 cities.

The UK Government 2019 Clean Air Strategy sets out plans to replace petrol and diesel vehicles over the next 20 years. Until then, the UK needs a transitional approach to reduce the significant health problem (100 premature deaths each day) caused by poor air quality. Air quality varies day-to-day and hour-to-hour due to changes in traffic and weather patterns (amongst other factors); no two days are the same. Fluctuating traffic patterns are the result of both the changing nature of everyday life and disruptions caused by events, incidents and other alterations to the transport network. Operational tools must respond to these continual changes by considering the benefit of intervention at specific points across the regional network, balancing air quality and other transport-related goals such as congestion. At Simplifai Systems Limited, we have developed a goal-centred approach to the operational management of transport networks. For the first time it will be possible to implement operational strategies for road networks that prioritise air quality on the days, times and locations where it is most needed while prioritising other goals (e.g. journey time reliability, incident management, event management, road safety, etc.) when they are a higher priority. The CHARM system in the North East Regional Control Centre (RCC) provides an opportunity to introduce innovative control strategies onto the Highways England network that weren’t previously possible due to the closed nature of the system architecture. Our proposal identifies transport corridors in the North East RCC region with significant movements of people and goods, then integrates with existing detection and control systems (such as CHARM) supplemented as necessary by temporary sensors and connected vehicles, to apply an Integrated Corridor Management approach. It balances traffic flow to provide real-time operational improvements in air quality, taking a holistic approach to transport-related air quality management across a region. The proposal builds on work undertaken in the Leeds City Region, which used an integrated, collaborative approach to managing air quality across corridors, including Highways England and local authority roads. The feasibility study will determine which functions can be provided and in what geographical areas within the nine month demonstration project. The demonstration project will improve the existing control systems using Simplifai’s enhanced capability, connected to the North East RCC CHARM system and urban traffic control centres via a web-based data and control platform.