Papers published in Transport are eligible for awards from the Institution of Civil Engineers. Papers from any of the ICE journals can be nominated for several awards. In addition, each journal has awards dedicated to their specific subject area.
On Friday 12 October 2012, ICE president Richard Coackley presented awards to the following papers published in Transport in 2011. The editorial panel nominated their best papers and an awards committee chaired by Barry Clarke allocated the awards.
Rees Jeffreys Award
The Rees Jeffreys Award, presented for the best paper on highway engineering, was awarded to Bowers (2011).
Abstract
Motorways and similar roads have been essential for the dominance of the motor car and lorry for personal and freight transportation. Alongside benefits, this dominance has generated a range of problems including congestion and pollution. However, motorways could play a much greater public transport role if suitable facilities were provided. Critical among these could be interchanges between long-distance and local public transport, located at motorway junctions. A combination of established thinking about public transport and pleasure-based approaches to design provides a framework within with the criteria likely to be required for success can be established. In additional to operational matters these success factors include user comfort and perceived status. A partial case study based on junction 16 of the M1 suggests that provision of such interchanges could be a cost-effective means of mitigating the need for motorway expansion schemes. This, taken with the likely wider social and environmental benefits including reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, suggests that further exploration of their potential role is justified. Although not central to the concept, further improvement in vehicle quality and measures to ensure bus journey time reliability would be valuable supporting measures.
Simon Bowers receiving the Rees Jeffreys Award from ICE President Richard Coackley
Webb Award
The Webb Award, awarded for the best paper on a transport- or rail-related subject, was awarded to Fenwick et al. (2011).
Abstract
This paper introduces and describes the promotion, development and procurement of the New Tyne Crossing; the construction of a new vehicle tunnel followed by refurbishment of the existing Tyne Tunnel. A suite of papers is planned to cover the construction phase and specific issues of interest. The strategy was to award a concession for the financing, design, construction and operation of the new tunnel, refurbishment and operation of the existing tunnel and operation of the Tyne pedestrian and cyclist tunnels, for a period of 30 years. The intention of the Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Authority was to transfer the traffic risk and significant design and construction risk to the concessionaire as part of a public–private partnership (PPP) contract. This was subsequently achieved with the award of the contract to TT2/Bouygues TP in November 2007. The project boasts a number of UK firsts: a PPP for which funding has been secured totally from the revenue generated from the tolls and the first UK vehicle tunnel to have an active fire suppression system.
Nigel Hailey and David Dingwall, winners of the Webb Award, with ICE President Richard Coackley
