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Beyond the Awards with Heathrow colleague travel strategy and personas

Beyond the Awards: Lessons from the Shortlist distils sharp, real-world insight from projects recognised in the CIHT Awards 2026. We ask shortlisted entrants four focused questions on legacy, skills, key learning, and future trends to discover what’s working now and what’s coming next. It’s essential reading for sector professionals looking to benchmark their work, apply lessons learnt now and stay ahead of change.

In this edition we speak to Sarah Turner, Sustainable Travel and Policy Lead, Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL), Sarah Cherry, Project Principal Transport Planning, Mott MacDonald and Damian Price, Global Practice Leader Transport Planning, Mott MacDonald on the lessons learnt from the project "Heathrow colleague travel strategy and personas" shortlisted for the 2026 CIHT Sustainability Award.

   

How did you ensure that the project has long term use and a positive legacy?

The Heathrow colleague travel strategy has long term value as it is embedded within the wider airport Surface Access Strategy and broader sustainability goals. The strategy is built on robust evidence, including the 2024 staff travel survey, engagement with businesses on the airport, colleague personas and behavioural analysis, which provides a strong foundation for future refinement. Its legacy is also being strengthened through knowledge sharing with other airports and industry conferences.

   

What kind of skills are critical now for projects such as yours to succeed and why?

Projects like this need strong skills in behavioural insight, data analysis, stakeholder engagement and partnership working. These are critical because achieving mode shift depends on understanding user needs, identifying barriers and designing targeted interventions that work in practice. Collaboration is especially important in complex environments like Heathrow, where success depends on working across many businesses and partners.

   

What did you learn that you will take into the next project?

A key lesson was that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for a large, diverse and shift-based workforce. The project showed the value of using data and behavioural insight to tailor interventions to different groups. This learning will shape future projects by encouraging earlier, more targeted and evidence-led design.

     

What trends should the sector be paying attention to and why?

The sector should pay close attention to taking more adaptable approaches to transport planning initiatives and marketing tailored to suit people’s diverse needs. It should also focus on designing transport solutions for diverse and shift-based workforces, which are common at major employment sites. These trends matter because they will be essential to delivering sustained carbon reduction and long-term travel behaviour change.

   

Next steps

If you work in highways and transportation, keep an eye out for Beyond the Awards: Lessons from the Shortlist overview (Coming soon) — your single go-to source for sharp, practical insight drawn from standout projects and the people behind them. By bringing together key takeaways from award entries and candid interviews with leading contributors, this feature turns real-world experience into real-world learning that you can apply today to your projects while helping you stay prepared for what’s coming next.

2026 CIHT Award Winners

The results for the 2026 CIHT Awards will be announced at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on 17 June 2026.  To find out more about the Awards Ceremony visit here.

  

CIHT Statement

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the CIHT or its members. Neither the CIHT nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein

  

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