
Supporting the Commonwealth Games
The City of Birmingham hosted the 2022 Commonwealth Games between July 28 and August 2. Various road closures were implemented to manage the surge in visitors and tourism, while Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) also aimed to promote the use of public transport to move 1.5 million spectators to each venue. Ground teams were organised and deployed by TfWM to manage traffic and implement mitigations at specific locations.
4way Consulting provided a team of on-site engineers to manage traffic at three traffic signal locations: Old Walsall Road/Hamstead Road and Old Walsall Road/Rocky Lane in Perry Barr during both the opening and closing ceremonies, and; Winding House Lane/Wheelwright Lane junction for events at Coventry Stadium. We implemented dynamic interventions at the traffic signal sites in response to increased traffic due to the Games. These interventions included the creation of traffic signal cableless linking facility (CLF) plans, validation of traffic signal control strategies, and manual control at the traffic signals if necessary.
Following the completion of the Games, TfWM claimed success in providing seamless and easy to use transport and achieving their aim to deliver a Public Transport of Games. The legacy of the Games leaves the West Midlands with an integrated and well managed transport system that delivers better environmental outcomes for residents. This is the second time that 4way Consulting has supported TfWM in managing major events or construction projects on their network, and we look forward to assisting them in the future.