The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund is inviting extended abstracts on one or both topics before 9 February, and will provide funding to shortlisted entries to produce position papers.

 

This latest study will consider not just major roads, but the entire highway network. It follows the success of a recent Rees Jeffreys backed report ‘A Major Road Network for England’ which has since been introduced into Government policy.

 

David Hutchinson, the chairman of the Roads Fund, said: “We are looking to see if we can commission pieces of work from highly talented people to provide ideas that could feed into the Department for Transport, which might prove helpful or open a debate.”

 

The focus on user experience will try to investigate what expectations people may have from roads in future and what the network could or should look like in 2050.

 

Areas of focus which authors may want to consider include the development of in-vehicle or highway control systems, the congestion challenges of an automated network, how roads might change for the benefit of those with special mobility needs and what mix of vehicle types might share future carriageway space.

 

In terms of governance, the trustees of the Road Fund are keen to see how any changes to planning or funding arrangements might lead to better services and what new revenue streams might be available to increase investment and improve services.

 

Trustees welcome abstracts of up to a maximum of 1000 words from individuals or groups. Authors invited to prepare a full position paper of between 7000 and 10,000 words will be asked to complete their work by the end of May. An award of £6000 will be made to authors asked to develop their ideas.

 

For full details about the call for abstracts, click here. Queries can be directed to brianmurrell@reesjeffreys.org
 
Photo: Highways England