The JCT Symposium is the annual go to industry event for traffic signal engineers in which they to unite and address the pressing challenges of our ever-expanding cities and push-forward advancements in traffic management solutions.

Our Smart Cities team took to the Symposium stage twice to shine a light on recent work and showcase their expertise and innovation in adapting to urban challenges and creating solutions to overcome them.

Shane Collins and Dave Manning presented their innovative work on the “Edgbaston Tram Extension: Hagley Road Terminus” project. This site was full of varied and unique road and traffic management challenges that required the team to think creatively in their approach to resolve them. Tom Siddall presented insights from “A Traffic Signal Compendium of Interesting Things from Three Recent Projects.”

The MOVA User Group took place the day before JCT and is a forum for MOVA users of all levels of experience to learn how peers have been using MOVA in the last year, as well as what the latest supplier developments are. To make it a ‘hattrick’ of presentations, Rebecca Bollen presented on her own experience of using MOVA which sparked some interesting debate and conversations.

As our Smart Cities Team shone brightly at the Symposium, we want to extend our congratulations to Rebecca, Shane, Dave, and Tom for their remarkable contributions. Their work and expertise remind us that we don’t just keep pace with progress; we help set the pace for a smarter, more efficient urban future.

4way is delighted to celebrate Ali Mahdmina’s co-authored paper that was the winning submission for the Road Safety Category of the PIARC UK Prize Competition 2023. Ali collected the prize in person on September 18^th on behalf of all four co-authors. Ali will also be presenting a summary of the paper at the PIARC World Road Congress 2023 in Prague, early October. 4way are proud of the recognition Ali has achieved for this work and look forward to supporting him at Prague and beyond.

The paper considers the optimisation of Connected Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) platoons to manage risks specifically associated to tunnel operational environments. While platooning offers benefits like fuel efficiency and improved road space utilisation, it is also considered to present new operational risks and specific challenges for tunnels. Ali presents a review of these risks and explores a proposed solution which could reduce them to a tolerable level. The proposed solution leverages advancements in tunnel connectivity to support safe platooning through enhanced speed and headway controls. It involves use of an automated response framework that is based on dynamic risk assessments and information exchange between technology infrastructure and the approaching platoon, enabling it to reorganise itself into a ‘tunnel-friendly’ configuration sufficiently upstream of the tunnel portal.

More information about the PIARC World Road Congress can be found here.

Operational Safety Considerations for HGV Platooning in Tunnels; A. Mahdmina (4way Consulting, UK), H. Mongeot (Centre d’Etudes des Tunnels, France), A. Mos (Centre d’Etudes des Tunnels, France), F. Schmidt (Laboratoire MAST-EMGCU, Université Gustave Eiffel, France).

The ITS UK Annual Review is the leading publication, magazine and directory for the industry, covering topics across the intelligent transport sector. The 2023 edition explores the future of transport, examining the views of industry commentators, policy makers and leaders on how transport technology will transform the way we travel.

4way has been fortunate to contribute two articles to the 2023 Review.

• Coauthored with the Women in ITS (WITS) Forum Chair and Co-Vice Chair, Rebecca Bollen (4way Urban ITS Discipline Lead and WITS UK Co-Vice Chair) reviews the year-to-date and the Annual WITS UK Webinar held on International Women’s Day (8 March 2023). They share highlights from WITS Forum members and reflect on the excellent speakers, connections, and relationships shared that raise the profile of women in the industry.
• Jason Loader (4way Future Mobility Discipline Lead) utilises his chemistry background to consider the role of hydrogen in decarbonising transport. It is argued that green hydrogen is necessary for true decarbonisation, but that its production consumes a huge amount of electricity. Jason then compares the typical milage efficiency (per kWh) of Battery EVs with Hydrogen Fuel Cell EVs and considers in which use-cases hydrogen may be most beneficial

We’re proud of both these contributions, which can be read in the ITS UK Review online, here.

4way attended the 2023 Elex Show in Bolton to keep up to date with all things electrical. Of particular interest was the opportunity to:

• See live demonstrations
• See the latest innovations
• Speak to manufacturers
• Network and meet other trades
• Gain industry knowledge
• Attend CPD accredited seminars

Highlights of the day were:

• Attending a seminar on SPDs by Surge Protection Devices Ltd and getting to see their variety of SPD offerings.
• Discussing O-PEN devices and street furniture earthing with the IET.
• Looking inside the Hydra Genesys EV charge point.
• Viewing Hager‘s distribution boards.
• Discussing issues with SparkyNinja and viewing the condudisks he had on display.

… and of course, the free bacon butty!

4way is delighted to announce that we have been appointed by Ringway to deliver LED designs for 53,000 road lighting assets owned and operated by Milton Keynes City Council.

Services to be delivered include:

• BS compliant street lighting and CMS design
• Development of a city wide dimming strategy
• GIS integrated design
• Lighting level calculations
• Visual surveys
• Procurement support
• Stakeholder liaison

This appointment marks a further phase of a long standing supply chain relationship with Ringway which follows on from projects in Hounslow, the Isle of White and Hertfordshire. It is 4way’s first project for Milton Keynes City Council and we’re excited to be able to support the delivery of optimised street lighting services for local residents which reduce carbon emissions and generate energy cost savings.

4way Consulting is delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Pengelly as our Technical Director for Digital.

Ian brings more than 20 years’ experience of ITS, technology and digital consultancy projects for both domestic and international roads and transport network operators. He is an active member of the transport technology community, including ITS UK for whom Ian is the Chair for the Connected Vehicles Forum. Ian is also the Chair for BSI’s EPL/278 Committee for ITS Standards.

By continuing to build on our excellent track record for shaping and delivery of complex ITS and technology projects, 4way is continuously expanding and enhancing its service offering. Ian’s appointment is further demonstration of 4way’s commitment to delivering high quality digital advisory services that enable our clients to deliver great services for their customers.

On his appointment Ian said “I am really excited to be joining a dynamic and enthusiastic business who genuinely want to make a difference to their clients and their clients’ customers. Being entrusted to shape and grow 4way’s digital capability is an incredible opportunity for me professionally and I will enjoy working with the team to make it a success.”

On Ian’s appointment, 4way’s Business Growth Director John Westwood said “We’re delighted that Ian has agreed to join 4way to lead the development and growth of our digital services offering. He brings exactly the right blend of technical understanding and personality to enhance 4way’s reputation as a trusted digital advisor in the highways and transportation sectors.”

If you’d like to speak to Ian or John about 4way and how we can help, please contact us by emailing info@4wayconsulting.com.

Following an annual external re-certification audit undertaken on February 14, 4way are pleased to confirm that the outcome of the audit was that ‘The organisation has demonstrated it is delivering projects to meet with the requirements of ISO:19650-2, and their clients requirements.’ And an excellent audit outcome that reported ‘No non-conformities to review from previous assessments and no new non-conformities were identified during the assessment.’

4way are certified as an Appointed Party – Specialist Designer and Principal Designer of highways intelligent transport systems and lighting within civil infrastructure projects, complying with BIM in accordance with BS EN ISO:19650-2:2018 incorporating the UK National Annex.

For further information or if you would like to enquire about 4way supporting in your projects please contact Craig Clift.