Online Technical Conference Wrap
AITPM 2023/2024 Year in Focus
Insights from the AITPM Online Technical Conference Series 2023-2024
In its fourth year, the Online Technical Conference Series (OTCS) saw close to 250 participants engage live and on-demand with 52 expert transport industry speakers, providing a cost-effective way to meet CPD requirements and discuss key industry issues and insights in 2023/2024.
As the most successful OTCS to date, presentations were received from speakers across four streams – Plan, Design, Model and Manage. To date, the conference’s on-demand content, including live Q&A sessions and presenter videos, have recorded 2,200 member views.
The 2023/2024 OTCS provided a platform for less experienced presenters to discuss key issues in transport planning and highlighted the importance of tailored, equitable transport planning – integrating public and active transport, user data-driven approaches, and systems that continually adapt to changing conditions. These include enhancing mobility, safety, and quality of life for all community members while promoting sustainability.
Key themes and outcomes from the 2023/2024 Online Technical Conference Series:
- Context-specific transport planning including avoiding generalizations in transport planning and tailoring context-specific solutions to ensure equitable transport systems.
- Evolving Travel Demand Management (TDM) including the impact of COVID-19 on travel demand management strategies, emphasis on managing space over increasing capacity and speed, and how to consider flexible work arrangements and dynamic or varied pricing to manage demand on transport systems.
- The integration of public and active transport highlighting the importance of designing safe routes and enhancing safety to encourage alternate trip transport including walking and cycling, and the use of data-driven approaches to improve transport integration and safety.
- Measuring benefits of active transport and placemaking focusing on long-term observation and pilot projects to assess benefits such as using AI or data analytics in forecasting.
- Innovative modelling practices focusing on a ‘decide and provide’ or ‘predicts and provide’ approach. This would include the importance of scenario planning and testing.
- Encouraging mode shift including strategies to shift from car dependency to more sustainable transport modes, improving public transport quality and promoting active transport.
- Towards zero emissions focusing on the need to use a holistic approach to achieving zero emissions, beyond just EVs and charging facilities.