Building a subway or metro system is no easy feat. It can involve huge distances tunneling beneath intricate infrastructure — often below some of the world’s most expensive real estate. High costs of tunneling and risks of cost over-runs abound.

Yet, surprisingly, it’s often not the most complex or riskiest aspect of metro projects. Instead, systems and their integration have increasingly become some of the most complicated aspects of delivering urban railways.

Delivering a metro is always greater than the sum of its parts. It requires massive coordination across construction, rail systems (signalling, communications), station systems, operations and maintenance systems, all adhering to safety, sustainability, building, and environmental standards.

Moreover, the local community and local authorities demand seamless integration and community advantages spanning multiple decades. ��In summary, it’s the effective intersection of all the systems and elements that determine a true project’s cost and timeline.

As the complexity and cost of metros and, indeed, nearly all rail megaprojects continue to increase, a systems approach has become more critical than ever. By considering a whole rail project and its many relationships — rather than just its component parts — systems thinking enables more cost-effective, timely and sustainable delivery. But what does it take to implement?

Starting with relationships

Successful infrastructure projects depend on successful relationships. With dozens of contractors (and even more subcontractors) operating on behalf of the infrastructure owner and operator, it’s essential for these many parties to create a culture of collaboration.

But while effective collaboration arises from a project’s culture, it’s also a consequence of something far more fundamental: contract structures. ��Traditional contract models, based on tried and trusted norms for building generic infrastructure, slice and dice scope into manageable construction chunks.�� Fixed price Design and Build contracts and their variants can work quite well for most infrastructure, but these contracts tend to create siloed thinking around just the part of the whole being delivered.

To deliver an entire railway, however, a much stronger culture of collaboration and delivering “the whole” is needed.�� The intelligent consolidation of contracts among partners is essential to strong collaboration, while keeping contact and communication streamlined for a safe, effective delivery. ��And yet, it’s still common to see contracting arrangements that silo responsibilities, incorrectly apportion risk, and overlook the systems nature of a rail project.

Such a siloed approach has become unworkable: contracting structures — and the collaboration they foster — have never been more important.

On Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project (MTP), for instance, �����Ƶ’s teams are helping accomplish two objectives at once: delivering a brand-new metro rail tunnel through the city centre while integrating that tunnel into brownfield metropolitan rail routes. While the Metro Tunnel will be state of the art, the railways that feed into it date back to the 19th century.

Despite the MTP’s integration demands, its — so successful that it’s a year ahead of schedule. A key enabler for success has been the systems-focused, alliancing contract model, used by our teams with our project partners and client — facilitating integration of the MTP’s many components for rapid delivery.

An alliancing model isn’t the only way to support strong contract structures. Other Progressive Delivery Models, including an Integration Delivery Partner approach and Progressive Design-Build can prove just as effective — chiefly because they embed systems perspectives and cross-team collaboration into the heart of the project.

Digital integration

While the nature and scale of new transit projects have necessitated a systems approach to contracting structures and collaborative mechanisms, technology has only accelerated this trend.

The introduction of automated transit services and digital signaling systems such as communications-based train control (CBTC) has increasingly digitized transit — even as considerable portions of existing signaling and communications infrastructure remain ‘analog.’

This poses a fundamental systems integration problem. While most metros run CBTC and are segregated from the rest of the rail network, it is not always the case, for example London’s Crossrail and Metro Tunnel Melbourne. As transit operators mesh state-of-the-art CBTC with the century-old, fixed block signaling, what once required purely steel and concrete infrastructure now involves software-centric products to be safely integrated and deployed in a robust environment where they must cope with the huge demands of on-time performance, at all times.

During the delivery phase of a railway, measuring progress on software integration can pose challenges — and generate considerable cost risks — as projects are frequently surprised to find themselves spending far longer on systems integration than they thought they’d need to.

As complex inter-operable rail systems undergo technological advances, user experience demands have also increased.

Today, riders expect ever-greater access to transit data for smartphone applications to navigate rail networks and plan trips.�� Riders also want to know where to stand on the platform to get an uncrowded carriage. As a result, data management of live feeds during operation as well as software integration during project delivery have now fallen within the domain of transit delivery.

Looking ahead, as project stakeholders embrace new technologies such as AI, we must remember that new technologies and the systems integration challenges they bring mustn’t remain siloed.

Outcome Oriented Systems Thinking

Perhaps the most dramatic — and long overdue — shift in transit delivery relates to environmental, sustainability and social benefits, where systems approaches can prove critical.

With U.S. infrastructure funding like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act increasingly tied to sustainability, resiliency and social value outcomes, transit projects must deliver far more than just transportation. Community and environmental benefits now directly determine a project’s selection — changing the nature of project delivery.

Transit, by its nature, provides community and societal benefits by providing access through enhanced mobility. As such a new array of equity objectives, such the in the U.S., now factor social outcomes into project selection. The participation of minority- and women-owned enterprises, local employment opportunities, workforce development and social infrastructure today stand alongside technical innovation when weighing project excellence. As a result, whole communities now fall within a project’s scope, presenting project teams with even broader systems thinking aspects to manage.

Another example of systems thinking is Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG). For decades, designers and builders have focused on minimizing construction impacts on the local environment. But today, they must also minimize climate impacts by reducing emissions and carbon footprint via innovations in low-carbon materials and deliver net biodiversity gains. This has required teams to investigate supply chains and lifecycle impacts, vastly extending a project’s system.

To understand what such ESG outcomes look like in action, we can again turn to Metro Tunnel Melbourne.

In partnership with the client and alliance partners, we helped reduce carbon across the project thanks to several innovations. We cut the emissions from concrete by around 40% through a reduction in Portland cement; saved 988 tCO2-e of embodied emissions through smart design and sustainable materials; and cut water usage by 27% by optimizing dust suppression, reusing water for construction activities, and installing rainwater tanks and sediment ponds.

Social considerations also played a central role in the project. The team actively engaged the community for input on urban design as well as enhancing local cultural, historical and social heritage. The results of this engagement have led to the prioritization of active travel options and f0r public safety measures to be incorporated.

These achievements speak not just to growing interest in driving positive local outcomes on megaprojects — but to the new array of skills needed to simultaneously innovate across both infrastructural, societal and environmental systems.

From part to whole

Today’s urban rail projects have become increasingly holistic: What was once a collection of component parts has become a complex physical, social and environmental system. Delivery teams therefore must solve more technical integration challenges, incorporate digital advances, and deliver a wide array of equity and sustainability benefits.

As we meet this challenge with our clients and partners, our approach is to integrate a systems thinking, outcome oriented mindset from the outset with the aim of delivering positive impacts from day one. With a focus on foresight, agility and predictability, our teams have the scale and expertise to deliver on each key systems integration challenge — from collaboration and digital transformation to sustainability and social value.

Through our partnerships with clients, we’ve witnessed — and shaped — the rise of this new era in infrastructure delivery. It’s one in which a tunnel is no longer the paramount focus of a subway or metro project. Instead, it’s people, partners, and the planet, that must take equal priority.

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Over the last three years, what was once a robust pipeline of large active projects has encountered disruptions, delays, and cancellations. Intensified competition for public funding has seen governments redirect infrastructure investment, diverting resources towards critical areas such as energy transition, affordable housing, and healthcare.

�����Ƶ works with clients around the world to deliver complex transit and intercity��rail��projects, including light��rail, fast��rail��and metro and��underground rail. Cost control is front of mind for all, and in this article, we explore four common challenges and potential ways to address cost escalation on rail mega projects.

1/ Early Government commitment: setting up for success

Early concept and project development work, including the initial budget, requires more than excellent knowledge in estimating the actual cost to deliver the project scope – it also means looking at the broader landscape.

Transit projects can be inherently political and are impacted by many factors. When forecasting, it’s important to understand the funding models at play and which projects are fully and partially funded. In the heat of the Australian and New Zealand marketplace, we need to consider the pipeline of projects and how that will impact resource availability and cost. The industry needs to be able to focus on projects with definitive delivery timelines, such as the 2032 Olympics and Paralympic Games-related transit infrastructure, which helps us map and forecast the pressure on resources and materials that may change project risk and cost profiles. With more definitive timelines and clearer funding models, the Games projects generate more cost certainty because of the greater industry focus and commitment through the procurement phase.

John Barker, Global Major Project and High-Speed Senior Director at �����Ƶ, emphasises that a robust strategic business case is essential to secure political and wider stakeholder support.

“Cost estimates should be based on well-developed solutions to drive certainty into funding estimates. This requires a credible operating model with clear scope definition and a strong funding envelope aligned to both direct revenue and wider economic benefits. Clear definition of service requirements and infrastructure scope enables credible revenue, capital, and operating cost estimates.”

At the concept stage, it’s also important to articulate the project delivery model as clearly as possible. At one end of the spectrum, we have an alliancing framework, which creates more equitable risk sharing, and at the other is a design and construct framework, which can offer lower prices upfront but little flexibility with design variation and a higher risk of cost blowout.

2/ Value for money and price certainty – choosing the right competitive selection process

Competitive tendering is important for creating value for money by having the industry respond to client project documentation. The industry’s ability to respond effectively is a function of the market documentation quality, the amount and quality of stakeholder engagement, and the contractual framework. Industry-led innovation can sometimes inadvertently result in a different or lower quality product than the client expects if it is not prevented by the competitive tendering framework.

Increasingly, some client agencies are developing very high-level reference designs to better define the final product’s outcomes. This approach can leave more targeted elements of innovation for the private sector to explore. A well-defined reference scope typically means clients spend more money on the reference design and less on a tender design. A good reference design should lead to more cost and product certainty. A clear and well-developed reference design, with scope certainty, also opens the possibility to collaborative frameworks, allowing clients to consider competitive alliance and even single alliance selection processes.

Where clients select a single proponent (‘pre-tender’) through an alliance selection process, the project scope, cost, and risk can be developed in a more direct engagement process with the client and any key stakeholder. This process offers the additional client-side benefit of putting much less pressure on the stakeholders in terms of personnel to support the development and delivery of the project. With this model, the smarts are often in constructability and targeted design innovation, leading to project delivery and cost certainty.

Cost escalation is common in rail��megaprojects in��brownfield environments as��the project must manage the impact of construction on the community, integrate with existing��infrastructure and��utility services,��and consider potential��environmental or contamination issues.

3/ Increasing flexibility with the right framework

Systems assurance plays a key role in successful delivery, and effective systems assurance should streamline processes to ensure unnecessary design activities to get packages approved don’t impact a project’s design and delivery. The delivery team should focus on activities that support getting the project built and commissioned. In the rail sector, onerous systems assurance processes can take a lot of design effort and divert efforts from mainstream activities that are core to the project.

We’ve seen a shift towards alliancing in Australia, and this framework gives the ability to add or adjust project scope and still achieve value for money. Typically, when the cost of a project increases, it’s very hard to say it’s a value-for-money proposition. With an alliancing framework, you can have an open dialogue on risks and costs and make proactive investment decisions to enhance project outcomes. These decisions are fully client-endorsed progressively throughout the project.

Alliances are the only contract framework that allows contract merging under extenuating delivery circumstances. On rail megaprojects, contract interfaces between various major contract packages are potential sources of risk and program and cost growth. Projects around Australia and New Zealand manage these interfaces through different contract packaging and model strategies. In Melbourne, using an alliance contract to deliver one mega project has allowed two major contracts merging that would not have been possible under any other framework. This is providing more certainty of delivery and out-turn cost.

Systems assurance and early system and project requirements alignment are critical to successful project delivery. Collaborative frameworks can better manage the rationalisation and certainty of all requirements at the front end of the project to maximise the likelihood of successful delivery. The delivery teams can then focus on activities that maximise the ability to get the rail system built and commissioned.

4/ Rationalisation of standards

Addressing complexity early is one of the most valuable lessons to take into projects. As projects adapt to our society, the scope of megaprojects has started to extend beyond traditional standards, creating gaps between traditional standards, new situations, and rapid changes in the technology we’re applying or customer’s expectations.

Derogations to rail authority standards, which are situations where you can’t meet the strict requirement of the standard, add complexity to an already intricate project. Derogations often add cost and require compromise across the project to find a solution. However, addressing derogations earlier in the delivery lifecycle enables the most effective and affordable outcome.

Ultimately, we want to understand the implications of any conflict in requirements as early as possible so that we can find a solution that will work for the maintainer and operator of that system for 100 years.

Rail projects are complex operating systems with many moving parts. Cost certainty is a combination of many things, but government commitment, interactive procurement processes, high-quality documentation and clear assurance processes are critical to ensure success.

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The emergence of federal funding opportunities that prioritize decarbonization and EV adoption, such as , has created an unprecedented opportunity for cities to incorporate decarbonization into their master plans. For this to happen effectively, cities should prioritize early coordination with partners, integrate data-driven approaches, ensure approaches account for equity, and leverage available funding mechanisms.

Incorporate decarbonization goals

Master planning has long been used to guide a community’s growth, focusing on ways to ensure that how communities use and benefit from spaces is at the forefront of design and planning. Master planners have often focused on clear goals such as diversity, inclusive design, attracting economic investment, promoting desired change, and enhancing livability.��In terms of decarbonization planning, this can mean revisiting how people interact with infrastructure and developing goals accordingly. ��

For example, rather than focusing solely on how many vehicles can be transitioned from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric, a plan should consider how to shift patterns of movement to not only reduce emissions but also to change modes of travel and reduce overall vehicle miles traveled. Resulting planning efforts should include goals around convenient journeys, multi-modal transportation options, making spaces more livable, and encouraging alternative modes of transportation such as public transit or cycling.����

Prioritize coordination

Achieving decarbonization goals requires early coordination between different city departments and broader stakeholders. In an example of broad regional collaboration, �����Ƶ worked with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and a core team of broader regional stakeholders, including the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, and the San Diego Association of Governments on their Accelerate 2 Zero (A2Z) Strategy, a regional collaborative aimed at reducing air pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through zero-emission transportation initiatives. The initiative includes a focus on making charging infrastructure accessible for fleets, schools, workplaces, and community members through a region-wide set of strategies that address areas of equity and increasing adoption.

The resulting Strategy demonstrates how collaboration introduces opportunities to support streamlining processes, such as zoning and permitting, often associated with lengthy implementation timeframes.

Utilize data and optimization modeling

Data and optimization should also shape effective decarbonization master planning to support measurable and trackable impact. In the United Kingdom (UK), the siting of charging hubs is driven by a combination of forecast demand on the strategic road network, proximity to power grid connections with capacity, and locations of truck and service rest stops. This requires coordination between National Highways, National Grid, local authorities, and other key stakeholders, further reinforcing the need for collaborative approaches to decarbonization planning.

The �����Ƶ team in the UK has applied this best practice by conducting extensive survey work around truck stops and facilities to improve understanding of drivers’ behavior, resulting in more predictive planning based on expected demand of where vehicles will be and ultimately linking to the power grid network capacity. Moreover, it is crucial in cities and urban areas to identify the optimum locations requiring the least amount of additional charging infrastructure, but which would also be efficient in terms of the vehicles using that infrastructure.

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Incorporate equity into investment approaches

Incorporating equity into decarbonization approaches should include opportunities for creating training and learning programs – representing a meaningful opportunity to support local economic development and empower the next-generation workforce with ‘green jobs.’ Estimates have shown that an investment of US$188.4 billion in green infrastructure spread equally over the next five years could generate US$265.6 billion in economic activity and create close to 1.9 million jobs. It is worth noting that the ‘green economy’ has seen its most significant jump in urban centers, providing communities with diverse, career-level employment options, with particular emphasis on the underemployed and unemployed.

To measure the impacts of transportation decarbonization on equity within communities, �����Ƶ is supporting the City of Sacramento’s Department of Public Works, an award recipient of the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Blueprint Grant. The work includes developing key metrics with City departments that track equity impacts and align them with e-mobility pilots that the city is launching. The metrics and corresponding data are included in a digital dashboard to track and measure progress toward goals.

Leverage financial opportunities to support implementation

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law in November 2021, allocated US$7.5 billion as part of the National EV Infrastructure (NEVI) Program to build a nationwide charging network. The funding has initially focused on installing fast chargers along the interstate highway system, which would help mitigate battery range fears and enable long-distance travel, but also has funding for community-based chargers. The legislation also included large investments to upgrade the nation’s power grid and to expand domestic battery production and recycling capacity.

Cities can apply for and leverage these federal funds to improve charging infrastructure within their communities as part of a comprehensive EV Master Plan. Aside from NEVI, IIJA also expanded other decarbonization programs, such as the Low or No-Emission Grant Program for transit agencies, to accelerate the advancement of zero- or low-emission vehicles and associated facilities. �����Ƶ has supported various agencies in the US to apply for and be awarded these grants.

State government policies also offer incentives, such as rebates, to encourage EV ownership by helping offset the high upfront costs of EVs. Several states have also implemented a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) program, which requires auto manufacturers to sell a set quota of battery-electric or plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles. In the UK, the Government has amended the deadline for phasing out the sale of ICE-only cars and vans to 2035, with only ZEVs on sale from that date onwards. This is being supported by funding for delivering charging points and providing more than £250 million in funding for bus infrastructure via the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.

There is a considerable focus on funding from the federal government trickling down to the states to local governments, and most of these policies are tied in with supporting disadvantaged communities and other vulnerable populations. Most government agencies prioritize shaping how these funds will be deployed to serve their communities rather than owning or operating fueling stations. These funding sources are created to accelerate private industry participation and deployment.

A brighter future in the making

Through the right master planning lens, decarbonized transportation represents an opportunity for a meaningful transition to healthier communities. Prioritizing transportation decarbonization with equal opportunity for all can act as a catalyst to improve overall master plans, develop clear pathways to decarbonization, and enhance community livability equitably.��

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Just 40 feet below the streets of Chicago lies a long-abandoned tunnel system that could soon become part of the transformation of the modern urban environment.

In the early 20th century, the Chicago Tunnel Company built a narrow-gauge railway initially intended to carry excavated material from the installation of telephone lines. The system then moved mail and freight across the city for several decades until bankruptcy forced its abandonment in 1959.

During its brief life, the tunnel also carried debris from the construction of the subway system that now carries Chicagoans around their city. Underground is an under-used resource for urban areas, however, with . But that number is now growing fast.

As municipalities seek solutions to the challenges of congestion, pollution and building attractive environments, a new era for tunnels is dawning. It carries the promise of a safer, healthier environment allied to new technologies both in infrastructure construction and the vehicles that use them.

Going underground – safer, quicker and finally cheaper

The appeal of tunnels as alternative transit routes in densely populated areas is clear. Road construction is disruptive and difficult in areas where space is at a premium. Taking road traffic away from citizens makes everyone safer, while less surface disruption can smooth arduous planning processes.

Key to all this is the increased uptake of electric and automated vehicles. With their zero to low emissions, they require less space and infrastructure. Lower emissions mean far less need in tunnels for costly ventilation. And a reduction in lane width and following distance for��autonomous vehicles, enabled by automated control and communication between vehicles and the infrastructure, leads to smaller tunnels and lower costs while throughput is increased.

There are significant environmental gains to be made. The transportation sector was responsible for , according to the Environmental Protection Agency, with road traffic accounting for 81% of that. While many initial tunnel use cases involve passengers, moving freight underground will also be important. The 3% of road traffic made up by medium and heavy-duty trucks accounts for 28% of road emissions.

High-profile tunneling projects have been subject to delays and cost overruns in the past, such as Boston’s Big Dig, and that has left the industry with a reputation problem to manage. But new use cases are bringing tunnels within easier financial reach and turning that around. , which completed the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop and is currently expanding the system into the Vegas Loop, estimates its projects have reduced typical costs tenfold, from between $100 million and $1 billion per mile to “approximately $10 million per mile.” The Vegas Loop, meanwhile, aims to cut dramatically transit times and emission in the city.

New technologies and new business models

With many technology companies spying new opportunities in transit, it is not surprising that Silicon Valley is one of the areas set to benefit from burgeoning innovation in the sector.

The City of San José launched a tender for the development of The City is looking at partnerships with private operators that can build, own and operate infrastructure. In April, it gave initial authorization for a plan to develop a network of autonomous cars operating between the airport and the Diridon rail terminal downtown.

The plan is being developed by Glydways, a California start-up that intends to use autonomous podcars to carry up to four passengers at a fraction of the time and cost of conventional transportation. The podcars run on paths 5.5 feet wide, occupying less than half the space required for regular vehicles, and can operate on purpose-built routes at street or elevated level, and underground.

Another Californian county implementing a similar project is San Bernadino, where �����Ƶ is providing environmental services for a project seeking to alleviate the pressure brought about by one of the fastest-growing airports in the U.S. The solution is a tunnel linking the airport to the cities in which passengers will be conveyed in

On the east coast, the , which aims to revitalize the transit infrastructure between New York and New Jersey, underscores as in Chicago another major benefit in tunnel investment: the long life of infrastructure that outlasts the initial mode of transportation it was designed for. The project will build two new tunnels and rehabilitate existing tunnels opened in 1910 at the end of the age of steam.

Reclaiming the landscape up above

The Big Dig might have been problematic, but it has left Boston as one of a number of global cities benefiting hugely from highways moving underground. Besides cutting journey times through the city, more than 45 parks and public plazas have been created.

As the urban population and land values continue to grow, tunneling creates underground spaces for utilitarian functions and leaves above-ground space for human and green landscapes free of vehicular noise and air pollution. now underground, has given way to commercial, residential and open space. “This is not just about replacing a road. This is about building a 21st-century city,” said Christine Gregoire, then governor of Washington state, during the campaign to take Seattle’s Alaska Way underground in 2009.

Seattle dreamed of a better future and used an overhaul of its transportation system to help deliver. At �����Ƶ, we share that dream of better cities that people can visit and live, and where nature and business can thrive together. The next time you take a car journey through your city, look at the sheer amount of space occupied by asphalt, traffic lights and street furniture. And then imagine what could be done with the space if a great deal of that was out of sight, underground.

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Across the world, cities are aiming to build advanced road transportation systems that can achieve a faster, safer and greener mobility experience for all citizens. City planners and developers are ramping up efforts to reduce traffic congestion and road accidents by utilizing data-driven solutions for enhanced traffic and incident management.

Hong Kong is no exception, and �����Ƶ works closely with various government departments to apply technology and data analytics to monitor traffic conditions and help minimize congestion, while also detecting traffic incidents and improving conditions for pedestrians.

At the same time, we are also seeing the huge potential the city has to future proof its road networks and create a safer, more efficient and smoother road transportation experience.
In particular, the development of the Northern Metropolis and other large-scale new town developments provide Hong Kong with an ideal opportunity to build a flexible, smart and sustainable road network, driven by Big Data and working for the benefit of both drivers and pedestrians.

Using data to monitor and manage road incidents

Hong Kong’s road network is among the most dense and heavily used in the world. According to the Highways Department, there are currently over 810,000 registered vehicles making use of just 2,238 kilometers of public roads. Complementing this network are 20 major road tunnels, 1,459 flyovers and bridges, and 1,599 footbridges and subways — all to support the smooth flow of people and goods.

Accommodating this small but densely packed road system is a challenge that cannot be solved simply by building new roads. Alongside new infrastructure, we also need the adoption of state-of-the-art traffic management systems, such as electronic toll collection and real-time traffic monitoring, that will play a key role in alleviating road traffic congestion and reducing traffic incidents in the city.

Great progress has already been made over the past two decades. In 2000, the Emergency Transport Coordination Centre (ETCC) was established by the Transport Department (TD) to monitor and handle traffic and transport incidents on public roads. However, due to the manual operation of incident management procedures, a lack of integration to the existing Traffic Control and Surveillance Systems (TCSSs) and the absence of a data sharing platform, ETCC’s capability in incident management and the dissemination of real-time traffic and transport information was greatly restricted.

In response, �����Ƶ was commissioned by TD in 2011 to plan, design and develop a Traffic Incident and Management System (TIMS). Our response was a multi-functional digital system, capable of fusing all available real-time traffic information to perform automatic incident detection and to assess and recommend contingency plans to provide a better and faster response to incidents.

Data from the system can be shared with relevant stakeholders such as the Hong Kong Police Force, Fire Services Department, Highways Department and public transport operators, as well as with the media and general public.

Enhancing real-time traffic management through video technology

In 2016, �����Ƶ again partnered with TD to further enhance traffic efficiency, this time through the installation of technologically advanced traffic detectors for real-time traffic detection.

Our teams installed video detectors that automatically detect traffic incidents and obtain data such as traffic speed and volume. Automatic License Plate Recognition detectors enable the identification of vehicle license plates which match with TD’s licensing system to collect traffic flow data of various vehicle classes. The resulting data is integrated in a single platform that processes information from many different sources, including TIMS, supplementary traffic data from all Traffic Control and Surveillance Systems, weather data and public transport arrival times.

At the time of the commission, only about 45 percent of strategic routes in Hong Kong were equipped with traffic detectors, which meant a complete picture of traffic conditions was not available. Working closely with TD, �����Ƶ increased the total road coverage on strategic routes and major roads to 90 percent.

The city-wide coverage has enabled Hong Kong to establish a more comprehensive and effective traffic monitoring system, capable of managing the intensive traffic volume across its road network. It has also led to improved accuracy and efficiency of incident detection, whether these are traffic accidents, roadside loading and unloading, illegal parking and more.

Creating smart transport systems for new cities

Looking to the future and the aforementioned opportunity presented by the Northern Metropolis and other developments, we are excited to envisage how the application of similar technology across traffic surveillance, incident detection and transport management can be implemented directly into new city planning.

The Northern Metropolis, with its adjacency to Shenzhen, makes it an ideal place to pioneer these smart, data-driven traffic solutions not just for Hong Kong but also for the fast-emerging Greater Bay Area (GBA). Indeed, the adoption of these and other mobility innovations such as AV-ready roads and roadside infrastructure, on-demand transit services, automated parking systems and more, will go a long way to accelerate the transformation of the GBA by enhancing territory-wide transport efficiency and travel experiences.

As Hong Kong continues to grow, so will its road networks, necessitating the need for more efficient and sustainable traffic systems, powered by technology and data. �����Ƶ’s local area knowledge and our experience in designing and operating integrated smart transport solutions across the globe will benefit the Hong Kong SAR Government’s transport roadmap for the Northern Metropolis and beyond.

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One of the unintended consequences of America’s huge road building program in the 1950s and 1960s was a mass of freeways running through the middle of urban areas. The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 modernized the country’s road network, but by prioritizing traffic over people it also divided communities, brought air and noise pollution, and removed amenities from neighborhoods that the roads passed through or over.

As that mid-20th century infrastructure reaches the end of its natural life, urban planners and politicians are embracing a more people-centric vision as they seek replacement options. Cities are increasingly planning for a greener and more resilient future: one in which trees replace concrete and economic regeneration benefits people, businesses and the environment.

Tunneling advances liberate space above ground

Huge advances in tunneling technology offer cities the opportunity to regenerate their environments and improve the lives of residents by taking transportation underground and greening former urban highways.

The advent of larger, more powerful and sophisticated Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) during the 21^st century has made underground infrastructure more feasible and practical. The large diameters of TBMs combined with computerized control and monitoring systems has helped to make tunnelling safer and more cost efficient as well as reducing disruption and environmental impact above ground.

�����Ƶ deployed the world’s largest ever TBM, with a diameter of 17.6m (57.7 ft), in the construction of 5 km (3.1 mile) undersea tunnel that formed part of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link project in Hong Kong. The tunnel, a critical element of a project that has enhanced transportation around Hong Kong’s port and international airport, was a major engineering and construction feat that drew in �����Ƶ expertise from Asia, the US and Europe.

Thanks to the latest generation of TBMs, tunnelling is gaining acceptance in the US as an important option for urban transport design.

Regenerating communities

The city of Seattle replaced the Alaskan Way Viaduct, an elevated stretch of State Route that carried 110,000 vehicles daily through the downtown and waterfront area, with a 3.2km bore tunnel that was built while the freeway remained open. The vacated land has been reclaimed for a that includes parks, walkways and commercial and cultural spaces.

A similar regeneration is underway in the state of New York where the Kensington Expressway, which divided communities in East Buffalo in the 1960s, is set to undergo a complete renovation. The state has revealed plans to send the six-lane highway underground and cover it with green space and improved facilities for residents.

Governor Kathy Hochul of New York, said that reconnecting neighborhoods was a cornerstone of the infrastructure vision to improve life in the state, and helped to promote equity in communities impacted by freeways.

she said.

We are also seeing highways reimagined in other parts of New York, like in the Bronx where �����Ƶ has helped reconnect the community to the waterfront, parklands and greenspaces that had been greatly restricted since the Bronx expressway was completed in 1963.

A full toolkit for urban renewal

Building tunneling in a city is a huge and complex operation. It requires a vast range of integrated services including planning and design, environmental assessments, extensive consultation with stakeholders and financing even before ground has been broken.

Once the TBM moves in, the heavy engineering can begin. This is when construction and project management is critical for bringing projects in on time and on budget. �����Ƶ’s expertise encompasses all these disciplines, and we have extensive experience delivering successful tunneling projects in the US from New York’s Second Avenue Subway to the LA Metro Rail System.

A tunnel is only the beginning of the urban regeneration story. Making the best use of the land vacated by freeways is equally critical. Cities that want to optimize the return on their infrastructure investment can also benefit from the services we provide which include urban design, climate change adaption, integrated transport planning and resilience strategies.

We are passionate about building beautiful, sustainable urban environments that benefit people and the planet, and excited about bringing our expertise to America’s cities.

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In July of 2023, the people of the South Korean city of Cheongju learned just how vulnerable urban landscapes have become to the dangers of extreme weather. Heavier than usual rain during the country’s monsoon season caused a river in the city to burst its banks, flooding a 685-meter tunnel and lives were lost. Last year flooding hit the capital, Seoul, following the highest rainfall in 80 years. .

U.S. cities have witnessed similar damage. In 2012 Superstorm Sandy flooded nine subway stations and two interborough tunnels in New York City, causing blackouts, huge disruption and billions of dollars in damage. Climate change is increasing the likelihood of such events. while more ��threatens flooding in all urban areas.

Tunnels are highly susceptible to flooding, but they also can be adapted to protect the infrastructure that uses them, such as roads and rail systems. With innovative design and bold planning, they can be designed effectively in a city’s broader flood resilience system.

Protecting portals

Given that many tunnels are below ground, they have long been designed and built to be watertight and with features that provide flood defence. Anti flooding measures include drainage systems, pumps, waterproofing of walls and ceilings, and increasingly sophisticated flood warning systems.

As both Cheongju and Sandy showed, however, the points of vulnerability are increasingly the portals to infrastructure, and as risk intensifies finding solutions to that issue has become a priority.

Some of the most striking images of Sandy show water pouring through elevator shafts following the storm surge, while the low-lying Brooklyn-Battery road tunnel also filled with storm water. New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority spent , building more climate resilience into its system after the flood. The subway system is now protected by Kevlar flex gates installed over stairwells, manhole covers and marine doors. In all 3,000 mitigation devices were added in the subway system. The Brooklyn-Battery bridge now has 22-ton portal doors added to its entrance.

�����Ƶ was one of several firms recently selected by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) “to provide design services for the City’s cloudburst management program, alleviating nuisance flooding events in at-risk areas.” Cloudburst management involves the deployment of multiple elements to store, absorb or transfer excess stormwater.

Other cities have taken a similar approach to flood management. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, which operates Bangkok’s metro system has designed stations on its network so that their entrances are constructed higher than any flood level recorded in the city in two centuries.

These examples illustrate the need for integrated planning bringing together climate adaptation, resilience planning and transportation engineering to design solutions that can be installed in new construction projects or retrofit into existing infrastructure.

Combining storm management with transportation design

Tunnel systems have long been used to handle storm water in cities including Chicago, which is implementing its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan to mitigate the impact of severe weather and reduce flooding.

A project aimed at keeping the center of Kuala Lumpur free from flood water could signal the future of storm management, with tunnels an innovative part of the solution rather than simply a point of weakness.

The Malaysian capital has gone one step further with a Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel��(SMART) – a dual project to carry road traffic and store storm water until it can be safely moved. The tunnel has four modes determined by severity of the rainfall, with mode one being normal operation with low rainfall and no flooding. In mode two water is diverted into a lower channel while traffic flows above. In modes three and four the tunnel is closed to traffic completely. Additional capacity is provided by other storage facilities.

The six-mile structure is the world’s longest multi-purpose tunnel. Because it is in constant use, rather than just during floods, the structure is more affordable. During the peak of storm season of December 2021,

Rising risk must be met with mitigation activities

There is little doubt that climate change will bring increased risk of extreme weather events that threaten urban environments, particularly in coastal communities.

indicated that the cost of flood damage in the US could rise from $32.1bn in 2020 to $43bn in 2050. It noted that, “the future increase in risk will disproportionately impact Black communities, while remaining concentrated on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts,” and that the projections, “make clear the need for adaptation to flood and emergent climate risks in the United States.”

Cities seeking solutions to current and future problems can deploy increasingly sophisticated mitigation planning and design that incorporates water management and transportation infrastructure needs. Our practices across the U.S. and the world incorporate both expertise and deep experience in these disciplines, as well as climate mitigation and urban design. We are committed to working with municipalities to build resilient and sustainable urban environments that will help deliver a better world.

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High-speed rail in Australia has been frequently promised through different election cycles and faced many false starts. However, the broad case for high-speed rail in Australia remains compelling if it progresses with a clear definition and purpose for investment.

Since the deregulation of commercial aviation in Australia in 1990, the east coast golden triangle of Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane has been the holy grail of long-distance travel, driving airline travel demand and profitability. The Melbourne to Sydney corridor, one of the world’s top 5^[1] busiest air travel corridors, has logically been the focus of several previous efforts to establish high-speed rail in Australia. Still, despite a strong domestic travel market on this corridor, key challenges remain: the cost of land, complex land ownership and stakeholders, challenging topography, existing road and rail infrastructure, natural environmental features like mountains, rivers, wetlands, and protected environments, mean a high-speed rail corridor has proven too great a challenge.

So, is there any case for high-speed rail? And can it play an effective role in Australia’s transport network?

The benefits

1/ Economic and social vitality
High-speed rail creates broad economic benefits for regional centres. High-speed rail construction, operation and maintenance require significant investment, creating skilled job opportunities in engineering, construction, and manufacturing. Unlike airports and major motorways, which often become a blot on a landscape, high-speed rail corridors require less land acquisition and can enhance urban environments. The permanent infrastructure assures private and public investors, can spur development in regional areas, and the increased connectivity provides better access to employment, education, healthcare, and recreational facilities. With greater access to amenities, we could reduce the concentration of population and economic activity in major cities, leading to more balanced regional development and addressing urban sprawl.

2/ Adjusting to our changing work habits

The significant shift to hybrid work-from-home models, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, means more people are moving to regional areas. High-speed rail offers comfortable, affordable, and productive regional commuter travel, and the ability to viably work while travelling on a high-speed rail service means transit time can be used as valuable work time. Unlike air travel, with the right technology solutions, commuters can experience minimal downtime while travelling, making longer-distance commuting more attractive and improving work-life balance.

3/ Sustainability and resilience
Globally, the transport sector is responsible for approximately one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions^[2]. High-speed rail can be powered by renewable energy and offers an efficient alternative to carbon-intensive transportation options for travellers. It provides a more sustainable travel option that can alleviate increasing congestion on highways and airports and help reduce reliance on fossil fuel-powered vehicles. Rail offers significant value for energy expended. The International Energy Agency reports that rail carries 8% of the world’s passengers and 7% of freight, yet accounts for just 2% of transport energy use^[3].

Effective mass transit, high-speed rail networks also support decarbonisation efforts and, in some cases, form the basis of ambitious climate policy. To cut carbon emissions, the French parliament is leveraging the established high-speed rail network, passing a bill to ban short-haul flights where a train alternative of 2.5 hours or less exists.

Shifting perception – where does high-speed rail have a role?

International high-speed rail network development case studies demonstrate how a broader program of high-speed rail networks could be developed in Australia in jurisdictions with similar planning, environmental, and socio-political systems.

Many systems have been developed using building blocks and staged implementation, leveraging existing connections between towns and cities, both intra- and inter-regionally, including existing rail networks. They build upon existing land use, travel demand patterns, and infrastructure to create high-speed rail networks for the future.

Recent global high-speed rail developments such as Brightline Florida, Stage 1 (115 kilometres) and California High-Speed Rail, Stage 1, Section 1: Bakersfield to Fresno (175 kilometres) have followed this exact path. Doing so creates an implementable, cost-effective staged plan for delivery, with significant potential for further development of the rail system and land use at key nodes. These projects follow a similar pathway to many European high-speed rail systems in operation or development, such as:

• Paris to Lille in France (LGV Nord, one of the earliest European examples, opening in 1993, at 220 kilometres)
• Seville to Cordoba in Spain (140 kilometres, one section of the longer Madrid – Cadiz high-speed rail corridor)
• High Speed 1 in the UK (110 kilometres, the UK section of the longer London to Paris high-speed rail)
• High Speed 2 in the UK (180 kilometres).

In the Australian context, these case studies present parallels to corridors in consideration such as Sydney to Central Coast (60 kilometres) and Newcastle (120 kilometres total), Sunshine Coast to Logan (120 kilometres) or Melbourne to Geelong (80 kilometres).�� We must shift our perception of what high-speed rail should be and consider where it is both achievable and logical. In Australia, this means reconsidering high-speed rail in a regional context rather than long-distance inter-city rail between state capital cities. Instead, inter-regional rail would connect our growing regional centres to cities.

With more achievable distances compared to inter-city rail, inter-regional rail could be delivered using a program of works approach and, where possible and practical, utilising and upgrading existing rail corridors and infrastructure to significantly higher speeds to form part of a high-speed rail network. ��

Ultimately, inter-regional rail does not need to preclude any major intercity connections but can catalyse these longer connections when we are ready. Globally, many successful high-speed rail projects are designed to connect urban centres that are modest distances apart, around 150 kilometres. Continually, cost is the key barrier to delivering high-speed rail and focusing on shorter distances makes these projects attainable.

¹ According to:

² According to:

³ According to:

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The demand for new buildings by floor area is expected to double or increase by 240 billion square meters by 2060. This entails a significant demand for new building materials and construction activities in the coming years. Currently operational carbon emissions account for 72 percent of emissions from the built environment sector; embodied carbon which comes from the energy put in to produce and transport materials makes up the rest. By 2060, this ratio will change with embodied carbon dominating the emissions related to the built environment sector at 57 percent and operational carbon (from heating, cooling, lighting and other activities) at 43 percent. With better energy efficiency and automation, operational emissions may well come down further — but because of the new building demand, embodied carbon is only going to go up as raw material usage is predicted to double compared to today.

What does this mean for the built environment sector?

In rapidly urbanizing cities like Hong Kong, we must strive to design out carbon before the project gets to site. While the pressing demand for new housing and infrastructure threatens to overshadow climate considerations, we, as carbon practitioners, must look at the life-cycle of a project to identify the opportunities for carbon reduction — and savings — at the different stages.

The updated PAS 2080 standard for whole life carbon assessment (LCA) provides a framework which covers not just operational and embodied carbon but also upfront, use stage and end of life carbon, thereby enabling followers of the standard to identify the relevant stages for reduction interventions.

PAS 2080 places great emphasis on data and evidence, particularly with reference to BS EN 15804, the standard for sustainability of construction works and services. This standard harmonizes the structure for environmental product declarations (EPD) in the construction sector, making the information transparent and comparable.

Case studies

1. Easing Sydney’s Congestion – Pavement design guide
   �����Ƶ was designer for the Easing Sydney’s Congestion (ESC) project — a A$16 billion program to ease congestion across Sydney, addressing pinch points and public transport upgrades. Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) requested a design guide providing an overview of pavement technologies utilized on ESC and recommendations for successful implementation. This included comparisons of environmental impacts (including carbon) between the selected designs against alternate and available business-as-usual technologies in like-for-like applications, quantified using LCA.
   

   

   Among other key findings, �����Ƶ’s research shows that substitution of hot mix asphalt with warm mix, together with use of recycled concrete, can reduce embodied carbon by 30 percent. Further findings showed that in-situ stabilization has poor carbon performance and binder impacts (lime, bitumen) dominate over aggregate impacts. The ESC pavement design guide is a leading example for the implementation of sustainable pavement technologies.

2. Tackling Carbon on HS2
   High Speed 2 (HS2) is a new high speed rail line being built to better connect people across Britain. It is the largest infrastructure project in Europe and the most important economic and social regeneration project in decades.

   

   �����Ƶ is assisting HS2 across various work packages, including whole-life carbon assessments of early-stage optioneering, quantitative and qualitative carbon assessments, whole-life impacts of design, and broader sustainability and environmental management.

   HS2 has committed and been certified against PAS 2080 (Carbon Management in Buildings and Infrastructure), and with this, within their Net Zero Carbon Plan, have several targets for cutting carbon emissions from construction, maintenance and operation, much of which are driven by design through “build nothing, build less, build clever and building efficiently.”

   

   HS2’s Net Zero Plan not only underlines the progress of the project thus far but presents the project’s carbon mitigation ambitions in areas like concrete and steel (reduced by 50 percent), HGV transport (reduced by 11 percent), and the elimination of diesel on HS2 construction sites. Collaboration with HS2 on these and others are key in enabling HS2 to reach its net zero goals.

3. Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis
   �����Ƶ is working on the Northern Metropolis development, a 300 km2 designated space where 2.5 million people will find homes, work and living facilities, serving as a strategic link to the Greater Bay Area on the mainland. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a city from the ground up while prioritizing its decarbonization.

   

   Implementing better design planning and integrating sustainable solutions from the very beginning are key in ensuring that we future proof our cities. �����Ƶ is playing a key role to be part of this ambitious goal. The �����Ƶ Hong Kong team is transforming the Northern Metropolis into an eco-conscious development through planning, engineering and design works with sustainability, resilience and environmental, social, and governance as pillars in the development areas of the New Territories North New Town and Man Kam To, San Tin/Lok Ma Chau Development Node, and the widening of the Yuen Long Highway.

   The array of smart, green and resilient initiatives developed by �����Ƶ aligns with Hong Kong’s avowed target of carbon neutrality by 2050.

What have we learned from these lessons?

• The path to net zero is essential for future proofing the built environment. As engineers and planners, we must take ownership for not taking “no” for an answer when it comes to embedding both operational and whole life cycle.
• There are tools and frameworks like PAS 2080 to guide us towards making the right choices for decarbonization at different stages of a project.
• Carbon management planning is important for creating a clear roadmap towards net zero projects and prioritizing opportunities with realistic carbon savings. Incremental action is crucial, rather than waiting for a perfect solution.
• Collaboration is vital across the spectrum of stakeholders involved in the built environment because it will take everyone across the entire supply chain, working in tandem, to solve the net zero challenge.

Read related content

We’re committed to accelerating decarbonization efforts for both ourselves and our clients. Discover more about our ScopeX approach and the global journey to net zero in our article:

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The latest edition of our Freight Matters report explores these plans alongside providing insight and commentary on some of today’s most important freight topics including the future of freight, new and emerging technologies, and decarbonisation.

The route to zero emissions

Decarbonisation is high on everybody’s agenda. A popular approach is to prioritise the quick wins and transition car and van fleets to battery electric vehicles, giving the heavy goods vehicle market time to develop more options.

For heavier vehicles there has been a lot of focus on alternative fuel options as an interim measure to reduce or move away from diesel to the likes of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG). This will reduce carbon emissions but potentially means that additional infrastructure will be required for what may be an interim solution.

The reality is that companies may require different combinations of fuelling solutions depending on the types of operation being undertaken. It is therefore important that organisations start to educate themselves on the many solutions that are available and how they could be applied to their own transport fleet.

Embracing new technology: advanced air mobility

New and emerging technology, such as drones, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft) are not just on their way, they are here. In many ways freight and logistics is ahead of passenger mobility in terms of embracing and adopting technology and new ways of working. From an environmental, social and corporate governance perspective, goods movement using these expanding and disruptive technologies has clear environmental and social benefits.

As the framework for how this technology is governed and integrated into the airspace is established, and certified operations and aircraft are developed, the most significant remaining barriers to widespread use will be infrastructure-related, and whether their perceived safety can allow for public acceptance and utilisation.

Freight challenges

The freight and logistics industry is experiencing systemic and long-term challenges. Brexit, the pandemic, driver shortages, supply chain failures and decarbonisation have all meant freight has risen quickly up the political agenda.

The DfT’s Future of Freight plan outlines the government and sector’s joint response to these challenges. These interventions, whilst arguably long overdue, are a welcome approach to addressing key areas where there have been difficulties, namely around retention of skills, delivering logistics facilities in the right locations, and challenges associated with decarbonisation of the sector. As ever, it seems we have lots to look forward to but also lots to fix as well.

Click to download our Freight Matters 2023 report.

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Last year, Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, made clear his expectations of the UK rail industry. Accelerated delivery by more efficient means is top of the agenda to deliver for the public purse, passengers and the planet.

The private sector supply chain has a critical role to play in helping Network Rail meet these objectives. So, how can we work collaboratively to overcome blockers that are currently impacting the drive towards ever more efficient delivery?

We put that question to colleagues and peers in a LinkedIn poll ahead of two major rail conferences in 2022. The results showed a clear direction of travel.

Above: A graph illustrating the results from the LinkedIn poll ‘How can the rail industry overcome blockers to efficiency and collaboration?’

An overwhelming 63 per cent agreed that a focus on scope and requirements is where we can have the most impact.

But how do we do that? As trusted partners to the UK rail industry, here’s what effective requirements management looks like to us.

Interrogate and challenge

The governance change from GRIP to PACE is mandating the drive for scope clarity, and the private sector supply chain must step up, challenge the norm and focus on outcomes that benefit customers of the railway, both passengers and freight.

Here at �����Ƶ, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is our guiding principle. However, you can’t successfully design for MVP unless you relentlessly interrogate the brief and scope.

The earlier this is done in the project lifecycle the better. There are times when it’s hard to resist the urge to move straight into construction (especially when there is pressure to deliver), but the benefits for passengers (in the form of less disruption) and for the planet (less resources used) are strong drivers for change. These include reduced disruption for passengers, and a decrease in resources used. Naturally, money goes further, too – another important incentive in the context of a finite funding envelope.

Put simply, an empowered supply chain has the confidence to step back, interrogate the requirements and be vocal in driving ever more efficient approaches to project delivery.

Outcome-driven requirements are the future

To be empowered to generate lean and value-driven solutions, we would like to see a move away from over-prescriptive requirements. If the brief is over-subscribed, then opportunities for efficiency become limited and innovation stalls. In addition, there is a real risk to project budgets if requirements are over-prescriptive.

That’s why we think that outcome-driven requirements are the future. Instead of designing to budget, we need to be delivering outcomes to budget.

Considering the abovementioned point, it is much easier to interrogate the brief and scope if the outcomes — and budgets — are clearly defined.

Collaboration and trust drive value

As my colleague Conor Linnell demonstrates here, collaboration and efficiency go hand-in-hand. That relationship certainly extends to effective requirements management.

Collaborative models and frameworks that contractually embed a one-team approach like the Southern Rail Systems Alliance provide a non-competitive environment and ‘safe space’ for all parties to interrogate the requirements to generate value-driven, innovative solutions that meet the wider outcomes.

Trust can, of course, be fostered outside of an alliancing model. We are working with Scotland’s Railway Supply Chain partners such as BAM Nuttall and Siemens on a range of projects — including the recently-opened Inverness Airport Station — where a great working relationship and collaborative mindset are empowering us to de-risk, simplify and streamline the design and construction of schemes such as East Linton station (see case study below).

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Doing things differently

Ultimately, we must do things differently if we are to embed a culture of productivity and efficiency within the UK rail industry.

Change is not easy — and we must challenge ourselves not to revert to type, especially in pressured situations. It’s important as a collective that we build on the lessons learned from Control Period 6 and acknowledge that there will be bumps in the road to more efficient delivery. Ultimately, delivering the best for the planet as well as customers — both passengers and freight — is what drives us.

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Americans drive. In fact, they covered more than 3.2 trillion miles — on more than four million miles worth of roads in one year alone. In addition to people, over 70 percent of the nation’s goods journey across the United States’ road network every year. This transportation system is foundational to the livelihoods of millions of citizens and the broader economy.

Today, roads are largely paid for through the gas tax. These revenues, taken by federal, state and local government at the pump, are redistributed nationally to support the maintenance and operation of roads and mass-transit systems.

Gas tax receipts have fallen in recent years as some turn to hybrid and electric vehicles that consume less gas or none at all. In a country where more than 43 percent of public roadways are in “poor or mediocre” condition, revenue generated from the gas tax can no longer keep pace with the investment needed to maintain the nation’s transportation system. A recent study forecasts that by 2031 less than half of transportation will continue to be funded by the gas tax, compared to what is available in the Highway Trust Fund today.

With growing imperatives to cut congestion and greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation, a new approach to funding our transportation system is required.

Charging drivers per mile

Advanced technology, coupled with the urgency of securing long-term funding models and incentives to bring the trillion-dollar Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to action, have come together to create fertile ground for rapid growth. The IIJA has provisions for research, technology and innovation. It also includes funding for a national pilot on user fees per mile driven.

Oregon, recognizing the future solvency issues of relying on the gas tax, launched the nation’s first road usage charge system in 2015, Oregon Department of Transportation stated: “This new funding model weans us off fossil fuels using a modern, technology-based solution that combats climate change while assessing drivers fairly for their road use.”

Several states nationwide, from California to Utah and Virginia, have also developed road usage charge pilots that count the miles traveled and assess a driver’s fee per mile utilizing a variety of technologies. Drivers upload their data through a selection of systems, from pay-as-you-go using GPS, to quarterly post-pay facilitated by information uploaded from the car. There are also non-automated approaches such as submitting a photo of an odometer reading.

Adoption challenges and benefits

Technology alone will not be sufficient to drive a widespread adoption of new funding models. Setting up programs nationwide takes cooperation and planning in the deployment of infrastructure and technology, as well as support from drivers and other influential groups.

The first significant challenge is consumer acceptance. The gas tax is currently hidden from sight as drivers pay at the pump. For most, its existence is either unknown or long forgotten and broadly uncontentious. A per-mile charge brings the cost of road use into plain sight in the form of an expense linked directly to miles driven. Few new user charges are instantly popular and, in some cases, require legislation to effectively implement. That said, where such alternatives have been introduced, like in Oregon, they have drawn understanding and interest from road users.

Benefits need to be clearly communicated to encourage acceptance of the new system. In many instances, road usage charges can be more equitable than a gas tax, which by its nature collects more revenue from people driving older, less fuel-efficient vehicles than those in newer hybrid models.

Technology’s role

Today, more than 91 percent of vehicles sold are connected. LTE/5G connectivity enables data collection around distances traveled, locations, driving behavior and other information. Using this embedded connectivity to participate in a road user charge program will necessitate answers to many questions, including who the data belongs to and what they are able to do with it. Does the data in the car belong to the driver? Or to the car manufacturer or software companies who might then be able to extract further value from it?

Data distribution to third parties is the subject of some commercial sensitivity and drivers need to be convinced that it is a worthwhile trade-off to provide their information in return for better service. Oregon Department of Transportation is again leading the way by piloting a process to evaluate how connected vehicles can participate in the road usage charge program.

Given that tolling enterprises are equipped with new technologies to detect vehicles, infrastructure capable of interacting with vehicle telematics systems, and a significant history and business structure to manage financial transactions and customer services, they could also be a significant participant in the deployment of a road usage charge program. At present, several studies and pilots are looking to integrate tolling and road usage charging to enable standards that support data sharing between systems. In fact, the Society of Automotive Engineers has developed a standard “that identifies the communications interface between road user, connected vehicle and tolling service provider to support road-user charging.”

Policy and incentives can drive behavior change

Utilizing technology that interacts directly with drivers, several states are also engaging road usage charge programs to encourage change. Congestion and air pollution, for example, can be remedied by dynamic charging which can help manage demand and encourage travel during non-congested periods or carpooling. Road usage charge program technologies could build on a model deployed in Tennessee where an app-based program pays people per mile traveled in carpools or on transit. An additional benefit of these programs could be more equitably delivering mobility-related assistance, such as reduced fees for qualified individuals.

Today, both Utah and Oregon provide incentives in their programs, in some cases highlighting environmental benefits, and in both emphasizing the fair and equitable approach that road usage charging brings to funding the transportation system. In Oregon participants using combustion engines earn fuel-tax credits. In Utah, where the program is only for electric vehicles at present, a 1 cent per-mile charge replaces a flat vehicle registration, with the state promising: “You’ll never pay more in the program, but you may pay less.”

Global expertise

Keeping America moving encompasses challenges from climate justice to social equity, feasibility to public outreach and so much in between. Our extensive global experience in tolling and user-fee practice, policy development and implementation, as well as our physical and digital design integration, enable us to accompany our public authorities and partners on this essential innovation journey.

We’re working with transportation authorities and other key partners around the world to stimulate action. We’ve helped facilitate cordon pricing in London, visitor toll tags in Florida, and recently helped to deploy express lanes and user fee infrastructure on the vital route between San Francisco Airport and Silicon Valley. Today, we’re working with California to deploy its latest road charging pilot, facilitating actual payments between road users and the state. As designers and deployers of world-class user payment systems, we’re using technology to build and fund the smarter, safer and more efficient transportation systems of the future enabling a climate-friendly tomorrow.

[1] https://www.oregon.gov/odot/programs/pages/orego.aspx

[2] https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j3217/r/

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Railways have a key part to play in the UK government’s plan for long-term economic growth. That was the core message in the publication of the Statement of Funds Available (SoFA) and the (HLOS) statement, in which Mark Harper, Secretary of State for Transport committed 44 billion pounds to fund operational development and maintenance across railways in England and Wales between 2024-29 – otherwise known as Control Period 7 (CP7).��������

In the statement, the transport secretary makes it clear that he expects Network Rail to achieve greater value for money during CP7 through “a strong, sustained, and effective approach to the delivery of greater cost efficiency”. It comes as no surprise that Harper refers to the efficiency drive as a “crucial underpinning” of the statement, given the challenge of building and maintaining a resilient, safe, and sustainable rail network in the current constrained fiscal environment.��

Keen readers will have noticed the phrase “ambitious yet realistic” which is used multiple times to describe the approach that the government wants the rail industry to take to do more under difficult circumstances. The transport secretary also expects “clear evidence of the use of broader initiatives to ensure accelerated delivery and more efficiency [sic] delivery, to drive improvement, as well as close, effective collaboration with the supply chain to drive efficiencies.”������

to Conor Linnell’s insights in a panel discussion with industry leaders at the 2022 TransCityRail North event in Manchester.

Clear evidence that collaboration drives efficiency

Our experience shows that collaborative working is key to meeting the efficiency challenge. As a recognised trusted partner to the UK rail industry, we are collaborating on some of the first rail projects and programmes to be delivered through “ambitious but realistic” industry initiatives that are challenging traditional methods and processes such as Project SPEED (Swift, Pragmatic and Efficient Enhancement Delivery) and PACE (Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment), as well as through alliancing models.��

While implementation is not yet standard practice, these initiatives and alliancing models are showing positive results, examples of which can be seen below. All clearly demonstrate that collaboration and efficiency go hand-in-hand.��

Paving the way for a more efficient rail future

While implementation challenges remain, these projects show a positive way forward. As the transport secretary rightly pointed out, the industry made good progress in Control Period 6. Now however, we must take these lessons forward into CP7, embracing collaborative ways of working to deliver on the government’s long-term vision for rail.����

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With a full pipeline of projects promising industrial renewal and a clean energy future, America is on the cusp of an offshore wind energy revolution. The Biden Administration has set targets of 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind (OSW) in United States waters by 2030 –enough to power 10 million homes with clean energy. They are also targeting 15GW of floating OSW by 2035, to complement the modest 0.042GW of installations that exist today. The Administration is supporting the plan with financial measures and environmental stewardship to underpin the vast investment required to unlock OSW’s full potential.

Thanks to pioneering OSW development across the globe, in particular northern and western Europe, harnessing the powerful gusts that blow over the oceans is now an efficient and increasingly affordable technology to decarbonize energy supplies and minimize further climate change impact.

For a vibrant offshore wind industry to take off in the United States, one critical element cannot be overlooked: the need for port infrastructure that can handle the enormous scale of the project components. Recent years have seen staggering growth in this technology, with turbine sizes increasing rapidly to reduce the levelized cost of energy. These are massive machines: , currently under construction in China, sweeps 10 football fields with every spin. In the United States, GE is constructing manufacturing facilities for the Haliade X’s blade that is longer than a football field with a rotor that sweeps seven football fields every spin.

Ports are essential to the development of offshore wind.��They are where offshore wind turbine generator (WTG) components, foundations and other equipment get transported, stored and assembled. Ports are where floating substructures are assembled and turbines are erected prior to delivery to the offshore project site, where OSW equipment manufacturers setup their fabrication and storage yards, and where operation and maintenance activities are led. Ports are a hub for the industry, as the massive equipment involved makes marine transport essential. With the rapid development of new technologies in the green energy sector, the role of ports is also becoming increasingly prominent in the generation and distribution of renewable hydrogen.

The OSW industry in the United States is complicated by the Jones Act , also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. Designed to protect the American shipping industry from foreign competition, the law limits trade between two ports within the United States to American flagged ships. In short, the Jones Act protects the shipping industry from foreign competition. While similar laws are found in other countries and often apply to intra-national shipping by sea, air, or truck, for the emerging United States offshore wind industry, the Jones act adds significant complexity as there are currently no United States flagged vessels in the existing global fleet of offshore wind installation vessels.

Under the accepted interpretation of the Jones Act, the offshore wind farm or project site is considered a United States port, and as such, only United States flagged vessels can transport materials between the marshalling port and the project site. Many developers appear to have addressed this challenge by engaging local tugs and barges to transport the equipment from the marshalling yard to the foreign flagged installation vessel which stays within the project site – avoiding violation of the Jones Act. This generally adds cost due to the need for supplemental vessels and increases risk due to the added number of vessel interfaces and additional materials handling.

There are several alternate strategies being considered in the industry. Ports need to be designed to accommodate today’s ocean-going barges, while also preparing to accommodate tomorrow’s United States flagged wind turbine installation vessels (WTIV) – the first of which is scheduled for delivery in early 2024. Solutions will look different across geographies based on water depths, installation equipment and turbine characteristics, so careful consideration of all factors is critical.

A technical challenge and a financial conundrum

While the OSW opportunity for ports is sizable, so are the challenges. Current OSW ports are being built or adapted to handle turbines that are rated up to 12-14 megawatts (MW), with nacelles ­– the component which houses all the generating elements of a wind turbine – weighing nearly 700 tons, the blades are more than 330 feet in length (approximately 100 meters) and the towers taller still. In the future, it is projected that ports will have to make room for even larger machines with rated generating capacities of 22MW or more.

OSW farms require several types of ports: for storage, marshalling and assembly of WTG components, foundation, cable, anchors, substations during the construction phase, installation and then ports for operation and maintenance during the asset life. While technical requirements vary depending on the planned usage, most are rigorous relative to standard port requirements. For the current generation of WTGs, an installation port requires up to 70 acres, with a minimum of two heavy lift berths of 650 feet (200 meters) each with a depth at berth, turning basin, and along the access channel of at least 36 feet (11 meters).

While early mover construction activity in the United States has been limited to ports in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey, as many as thirteen coastal states are actively developing prospective ports for OSW. To date, port construction has been concentrated along the United States’ Eastern seaboard, which is shallower than the West Coast and therefore more suitable for fixed-bottom turbine installations. The floating technologies planned for the West Coast will drive unique port requirements and substantial investment due to port space, load capacity and lifting equipment required for floater assembly and storage prior to transport for offshore installation.

A recent report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory describes current OSW port capacity as “inadequate” and states that “half of the existing pipeline is at risk of not being installed by 2030 because of limited port and vessel availability.” �� It estimates that achieving President Biden’s goal of 30GW by 2030 will require a roughly $6 billion investment in ports and vessels.

This is where the economics of OSW become increasingly challenging. Advances in technology have made OSW competitive with other energy sources, but significant upfront investment is still required to develop a supply chain that can support the sector’s growth. It can take more than a decade for an offshore wind farm to advance from conception to operation, leaving a significant gap between investment and revenue generation, and limited capacity for project developers to fund port infrastructure development.

For port developers considering OSW, there is a further complication in the form of necessary return on investment. To recover the significant investment in port development, installation ports will need upwards of 10 to 20+ year revenue streams associated with leasing and terminal operation. However, OSW developers are typically interested in short-term (2-5 year) lease periods that are commensurate with the offshore wind farm construction or installation window. This leaves a big financial gap for port owners unless they can line up a series of developers that will commit to use the port’s facilities over a cumulative span of a decade or more. Right now, few developers are willing to commit resources that far ahead, particularly given the limited insight into leasing rounds beyond 2025.

Leveraging global expertise for United States development

In November 2022, after more than a decade of infrastructure development that transformed the country, the sporting world watched a successful soccer World Cup play out in Qatar. A crucial element of this was a $5 billion project to build Hamad Port in Mesaieed, Qatar. This was the world’s largest greenfield port development, for which we acted as program management consultant ^[3].

Relocating the port from central Doha, Qatar was key to unlocking the logistical challenge of building the infrastructure for the World Cup, including roads, bridges, a mass transit system, and stadiums. Bringing the port project together in time to support other infrastructure development necessary for a successful tournament required expertise in planning, procurement, risk / schedule management, cost control, safety, quality assurance and more. The lessons we learned in Qatar are relevant to the challenges of building OSW ports in the United States as these ports are catalyzing OSW development.

This significant global expertise is being utilized to develop the necessary OSW port infrastructure already underway in the United States, where �����Ƶ Tishman is managing the construction of the New Jersey Wind Port in Salem County. New Jersey has plans to become a hub for the OSW industry and the New Jersey Wind Port together with the Port of Paulsboro are central to those plans. The New Jersey Wind Port will support the manufacturing, fabrication, marshalling and assembly of WTGs, whereas the Port of Paulsboro will continue supporting the fabrication of fixed bottom monopile^* foundations. While the Port of Paulsboro is undergoing Phase 2 development, ground was broken in 2021 for the New Jersey Wind Port’s 220-acre parcel, which was previously a dredge material placement.

Both the New Jersey Wind Port and Port of Paulsboro are public-private partnerships (PPP) – a model for financing and developing infrastructure that could unlock the financial resources necessary for OSW infrastructure development elsewhere in the United States. The state of New Jersey has invested more than $500 million to kick-start development at Paulsboro and the New Jersey Wind Port and hopes the combined facilities will support 11GW of OSW projects by 2040.

That level of commitment, along with development funding, will help give the private sector the confidence to invest. Paulsboro has had success already by attracting leading manufacturers within the OSW industry supply chain. Specifically, EEW, a German manufacturer, is investing in the construction of a 70-acre monopile fabrication facility at the site, which creates approximately 260 local jobs.

Finding the right funding support

At the federal level, the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) signed into law in November 2021 by President Biden also recognizes the potential of OSW to stimulate economic activity. Three specific provisions impact OSW: 1) increased funding for vessels, of which there is a shortage; 2) among other OSW impacting provisions, the IIJA program includes over $600 million in port grants through the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program; 3) the regulatory authority to permit energy storage on the Outer Continental Shelf, which could allow the development of hydrogen production from OSW and is regarded as an important mechanism for extending the potential of wind power beyond electrification.

Growing pains

��Political commitment, climate change and technological advancement have created a rich opportunity for OSW in the United States. The installation and maintenance of 45GW of fixed and floating wind projects over the next two decades offers an enormous opportunity for economic growth in coastal communities across the entire continent. The Biden Administration targets the creation of 77,000 new jobs, the revitalization of old, underachieving ports as hubs for the OSW industry, and a cleaner, more affordable energy transition in the long run.

As discussed, to achieve these targets the United States OSW industry will need to overcome substantial legal, logistical, technical, financial, and environmental challenges. Overcoming these barriers requires expertise that is both broad and deep, covering disciplines from port design and construction to environmental management and brokering alternative delivery models like PPPs, as well as expert grant writers helping in the application process. We have developed expertise over decades of working in the maritime market planning, designing, and delivering ports across the world, as well as enabling the energy transition through commitment to the OSW market. We believe in the sustainable, decarbonized future that renewable energy promises, and we are committed to working with all those helping to bring it closer.

* Monopiles are mega scale steel pipe piles (i.e. 40-feet in diameter) that are driven into the seabed and act as foundations for the tower sections of offshore wind turbines to sit upon.

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Looking back at 2022, we saw the wrap of several organizations focused on the deployment of automated vehicles (AVs) with the closing of Argo.ai being the most recent. The combined forces of inflation and potential recession have driven up the cost of investment funding, and the United States is facing intense global pressure related to the development of automation. Vehicle automation also has the additional burden of being a safety-forward technology and safety solutions have traditionally shown a lower return on investment. This economic environment is leaving a strain on start-ups entering the market as well as organizations currently operating in the AV market.

Where does this leave automation? How can AVs prove their safety reputation while delivering on their promising investment to market? More importantly how do we continue to advance a technology and strategy that can help us tackle the significant loss of life caused by our existing modes of transportation that connectivity and automation could help solve.

Continued investments from global giants like Google’s Waymo which recently launched full-fledged robotaxi services in Phoenix, GM and Cruise which launched commercial services this last fall, or Baidu and Pony.ai which have won the right to deploy automated taxis in Beijing point towards a continued growth in a tightening global market.

Infrastructure owners and operators (IOOs) could equally have a significant investment in how to accelerate automation. Over the past few years, IOOs have worked to find their role in the deployment of automated vehicles. For the past decade, AV manufacturers have consistently messaged to IOOs that their vehicles are able to function in environments built for human drivers; however, minor adjustments to the infrastructure, particularly in the form of extra-vehicle situational awareness provided via communications, would allow for AVs to function more optimally. AV operators have explained that infrastructure consistency is important providing an environment that minimizes conflict with other road users. Until now, IOOs have not had a significant role in the deployment of AVs.

What if IOO’s and the AV industry could invest together to identify a set of minimal functional requirements for automation, better accelerating the safety frameworks for deployments, and thereby support automation developers and operators during a time when their funding is tight?

There are a handful of AV operational needs that are common across most platforms and approaches. If IOOs could develop some of these common factors, AV developers may be able to use their limited funding for other automation development. Equally IOOs would be playing an investment role in accelerating the deployment of safety benefits brought by the automation technology.

Some of the key areas of cooperation and support from the IOOs may include:

• Localization support
• Object detection and classification
• Common elements of path planning – such as sparse high-precision GPS waypoints, and high definition (HD) mapping.

If the AV industry can harmonize on these attributes across operational design domains (ODDs), AV developers may use investments to support more specific automation capabilities required for that developer’s specific business needs.

Localization and mapping

Many IOOs are considering creating high-definition maps of their geographies and several are considering integrating these with digital twins that also allow the IOO’s to convene digital policy, rules of the road and insights. As part of their efforts to improve safety in Utah, Utah Department of Transportation has already created HD maps of the entire state. Not all AV operators or designers use mapping the same way, and most AV OEMs create their own maps.�� If IOOs were to undertake an effort to understand the minimal set of data attributes needed for these maps, there may be opportunity to provide some harmonized basic mapping protocols that could be used by AV operators.�� If IOOs can increase safety with an investment in mapping, that may also allow AV operators to invest in other areas of operation, thereby proliferating safety and mobility improvements and improving automation technology.

IOOs should also work with the AV industry to determine what information can be shared from the industry back to IOOs if, for example, minimal map data is generated and shared with the AV industry, perhaps the industry could reciprocate with high-precision GPS corrections to the position of map elements. A thorough understanding of potential shared data needed to support automation could also be a part of an IOO effort to create digital twins of infrastructure.�� If an IOO can work with AV operators to understand data needs, digital twin design can be harmonized to accept and use data from vehicles.

Harmonized asset data

Roadway assets, specifically lane markings, signage, and traffic control devices, are not the same throughout the world.�� If IOOs can work together on developing and approving a harmonized dictionary for roadway assets and create a data exchange for this information, this could enable safety capabilities of AVs. This concept is already being pursued in the Department of Transportation Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx), and for other infrastructure-based information such as signal phase and timing (SPaT) through the USDOT Joint Program Office (JPO) Operational Data Environment (ODE). Expanding on the WZDx idea, AV truck operators have also requested a Weigh Station Data Exchange (WSDx), which is another area where IOOs could add a spark.

Likewise, precise localization is a challenge for both automated and connected vehicles, specifically in “urban canyon” areas where tall buildings inhibit direct line of sight to GPS satellites and the GPS signals are reflected.�� Tunnels also provide a specific challenge for automated and connected vehicles for blocking GPS entirely, and due to the extreme lighting contrast for machine vision systems when entering or exiting a tunnel. Even in the complete absence of GPS information, AVs have the benefit of numerous onboard sensors, which are used to provide precise localization data to AV systems, such as the path planner. However, the effectiveness of this is tightly coupled to the algorithms used within the AV software stack. The USDOT-sponsored connected vehicle deployments have shown significant challenges in urban areas with tall buildings, specifically in New York City.�� In that pilot, the noisy GPS data was addressed using a novel method of measuring time-of-flight from Roadside Unit (RSU) to offset GPS signal error and verified using a vehicle mounted laser pointer. This would be possible by precisely measuring the GPS position of the RSU, which can be transmitted to On-Board Unit (OBUs) or stored in an onboard map of the AV or CV system. This is another example for how automated and connected vehicle systems can inherently improve each other, and how IOOs may be able to better support automation.

Like the RSU solution NYC used, GPS corrections can also be provided using a technology called real time kinematics (RTK), which uses a precisely positioned base station and broadcasts a correction that devices can use to overcome the error in the GPS signal. IOOs could provide something similar as a service to augment GPS precision equipment, which may include any kind of roadside equipment that is able to be precisely located and transmit a simple message with its location and a timestamp; however, regardless of the information an IOO is able to provide, the automated or connected vehicle devices will still need a minimum level of capability to process the data available effectively.

Path planning

Path planning is one of the fundamental components of an AV. In essence, this function is responsible for evaluating all available paths the vehicle could take in both the short-term and long-term planning horizons, and then selecting the “best” path.�� This occurs many times each second for short-term planning, which allows a vehicle to correct for small deviations in the vehicle’s position versus its previously planned position, and to react to immediate or predicted hazards that have been detected by the AV’s perception pipeline. Long-term path planning is akin to route planning and may never be revaluated once a route is set; however, a flexible path planning architecture will have the ability to replan a route based on unforeseen circumstances.�� To the extent an IOO can support fundamental path-planning which is something AV developers could potentially share.

One of the limitations of today’s AV systems is their inability to drive on roadways that have not been previously mapped by the AV developer using proprietary methods and data structures.�� This limits scalability and operational flexibility, but according to the previous mention on minimal map data requirements, IOOs could provide a sparse GPS waypoint data layer, accessible through a permissioned API for example, that would provide the AV developer with an idea of the contours of the roadways that a new route could be created within their system.�� The first time a vehicle travels on a new roadway using only the sparse GPS waypoints, it could proceed more cautiously relying more on its onboard sensors to navigate the environment, but as its traversing this new route, it can be recording all the data needed for the AV developer to create its own version of a map.�� The AV industry could then contribute back to the IOO information such as corrections to the sparse waypoints, further improving the accuracy of these, and expediting the use of the roadway for others in the future.

Together IOOs and the AV industry have an opportunity to use ingenuity and transferable solutions-thinking to integrate data, systems and mapping that can improve the safety ROI needed to ensure the livelihood of the AV market. Investors, developers, public and private organizations all should be working together to enable the future of automated transportation.

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Below are just a few of the highlights from the report which shows how we are providing truly sustainable solutions for our clients informed by decades of experience, industry-leading ESG expertise and, above all, a drive to do good and be good.

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Progressed toward our goal of science-based net zero by 2040, a target validated by the Science Based��Targets initiative (SBTi)

We reached operational net zero in fiscal 2021, while reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions which cover fleet and office energy, respectively, by 47 percent from our full year 2018 baseline year, using key travel and real estate initiatives. In accordance with the new and even more rigorous SBTi net zero standard, we have also s which emphasizes decarbonization over offsets. This ambitious target places us among the forefront of companies globally.

Launched our ESG Advisory Services, supported by decades of expertise

One of our signature milestones this year has been the launch of our ESG Advisory practice, which deploys our depth of expertise to navigate our clients through this rapidly evolving space and realize their ambitious visions. Working with organizations at the forefront of the green transition globally, including the United Kingdom’s and , our Advisory Services are mitigating risk, building trust and improving long-term outcomes worldwide.

Advanced��ScopeX initiatives to accelerate our ESG offering for��clients and cut carbon in our work

is a core offering of our ESG services and will be one of our greatest contributions to tackling the climate crisis. By accounting for materials, site locations, logistics and construction methods, it will help reduce and eliminate the impact of projects on the natural environment. With ScopeX, we aim to reduce the carbon impact of major projects by at least 50 percent.

Acted on equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) by addressing equity challenges globally and regionally

We continue to make progress . We’re nearing our target for women to compose 35 percent of our workforce, with women in 18 percent of leadership roles and making up 33 percent of our overall workforce. We have also fostered a culture of inclusivity that has been recognized by organizations like the Human Rights Campaign— which has named us a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality in the United States. Our ED&I commitments efforts extend to the communities we serve, where we’ve implemented locally relevant workplace diversity and pay equity goals.

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Beyond a commitment

In just one year, we’ve made objective progress on our targets and have set even more stringent ones so that we can lead for our clients and our people. But what can’t be quantified is our sense of purpose.

For us, ESG is so much more than a commitment—it’s something we see every day in our work, where its impact is truly felt. I invite you to see that impact for yourself in this year’s report and explore each of our accomplishments as we continue to deliver Sustainable Legacies worldwide.

Read the report

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Despite clear public interest in speeding the delivery of infrastructure improvements in the United States, it can take as many as 4½ years on average to receive environmental approvals that clear the way for major federal projects.

The Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) establishes an approach to reduce these delays, and other permitting reform efforts are being pursued by government to deliver needed highway, rail, water, new energy and utility projects more quickly. At the same time, new cloud-based, interactive digital platforms like �����Ƶ’s PlanEngage can be influential ��to help reduce by half the cumulative review time and improve transparency and public engagement. In fact, lawmakers in Congress are considering policies to encourage the use of digital tools in the review process.

Making regulatory documents more accessible

While the review requirements set out in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are critical to protect communities and habitat, a combination of factors over time has combined to extend the environmental review process – leading to costly delays and even dooming worthy projects. Environmental Impact Statements that were as once as short as 10 pages now average 600 pages, plus appendices that typically exceed 1,000 pages. Understaffed regulatory agencies often working across multiple jurisdictions and juggling input from the public, consultants and other stakeholders can bog down under the sheer weight of the review process.

Online digital platforms like PlanEngage essentially make NEPA documents more accessible, expanding stakeholder engagement and transparency, while enabling interactivity and edits in real time between regulatory agencies and the public that can speed up reviews.

How PlanEngage made collaboration easier in Arizona

This was the case in Arizona where PlanEngage was first used by the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) during review of a 280-mile interstate highway segment between Nogales and Wickenburg. Instead of navigating dense, static, two-dimensional PDF documents, the platform allowed users to search headings and subheadings through a navigation bar and provide input. Readers could pop out graphics, see photos and visualizations in a separate window on their devices, and provide input.

In addition to promoting more efficient reviews, online digital platforms allow for better collaboration between agencies that can identify and resolve conflicts earlier in the process, which also reduces the number of formal comments on the draft EIS. In the case of Arizona’s I-11 expansion, it also unlocked new opportunities.

Arizona officials said the results achieved through the interactive process will guide their efforts on future studies.

With as much as $1.2 trillion in new federal infrastructure spending hitting the market, and greater demand by the public for input and more equitable ways to deliver it, the timing is right for increased uptake of online digital platforms. In a process where debate is limited to formal written submissions or public hearings, interactive, mobile-phone friendly documents and engagement, can draw higher levels of interest, reach a broader audience and allow for a wider diversity of voices in real time.

What’s more, officials say, is that better public understanding of projects leads to more substantive comments, less ambiguity and fewer delays or challenges related to not being able to find information in a timely way.

Reducing costs, speeding up delivery

The core goals of environmental review and public participation remain as important as ever in the review process. Delivering an ambitious infrastructure program requires a new approach that aligns with the original intent of NEPA requirements and helps get projects off the drawing board.

A 2015 analysis prepared by Common Good, a nonpartisan reform coalition, found that a six-year delay in starting construction on public projects cost the nation nearly $4 trillion, a sum far in excess of the amount needed to modernize America’s infrastructure. Today’s inflationary economy has already begun eating into the spending power created by IIJA and client project decision-making.

Regulators and clients alike can play a role in encouraging innovation and moving from the approach of previous generations for environmental reviews to an interactive, cloud-based platform approach appropriate for 21st century infrastructure. The outcomes can lead to better projects delivered faster and more economically, while ensuring the environmental protections that keep our communities safe and thriving.

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As the Elizabeth Line prepares to open, the benefits it will bring are not only a mark of the journey the Crossrail project team and its supply chain has been on, but they demonstrate just how far civil engineering has evolved since those initial designs were produced.

Back then, I started what would come to be one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever worked on: Farringdon’s Elizabeth Line Station. We would be involved in elements of the scheme including architecture with Aedas, civil and structural engineering and project management, which was led by Crossrail.

But when the ink was drying on the original contracts, phrases such as net zero, social value or even the concept of equity were barely on the edges civil engineering’s lexicon, let alone a standard procurement requirement. That’s why, at the time, the thinking of both Crossrail and Farringdon Station’s design was so bold.

Take accessibility and equity of journey. Farringdon Station has been designed so that someone who can’t use escalators will have the same user journey as someone who can, thanks to the installation of inclined lifts adjacent to the escalators.

Farringdon Station is a hub, connecting airports, Thameslink and the wider London Underground and rail routes, improving transportation for millions across London and the capital region. Back in 2008, the design was all about improving connectivity, with the West Ticket Hall integrated with the new Thameslink station entrance. It was already clear the benefit this would have on the outlying communities who would use this station to reach places faster, bringing them closer to the economic opportunities and cultural possibilities offered by London.

Decarbonisation and air quality are fundamental to London transportation schemes today, but back in 2008, the scale of the climate emergency was not as fully understood. Crossrail has always had a strong sustainability vision and the completed Farringdon station will incorporate a number of environmental features such as LEDs, ground source heat pumps, and strict materials sourcing and will have a BREEAM excellent rating. But again, in today’s context, the scheme brings further important environmental benefits. Infrastructure designed for smoother, faster journeys is critical to increasing public transport use and thereby bringing down carbon emissions and improving air quality: a critical part of a green recovery.

Without doubt, the big thinking behind Crossrail will pay off and in ways that we couldn’t have predicted back in 2008. This tells me two things: first, investment in big public transportation projects is still needed and the transformational impact will be felt for years. Second, engineers need to be ambitious and push boundaries if their designs are going to meet what will become fundamental requirements of generations to come.

So, where are the next boundaries that engineers and architects need to push in terms of station design? What should we incorporate into designs now, which will become standard by 2035?

We already know new stations need to be designed be built and operate at net zero. In addition, they will need to cope with longer, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters. Management and use of water, including surface water, will be critical. It may also be that we can incorporate regenerative design into stations and finding future ways they could make a net contribution to the environment, through, for example, water collection and reuse or air filtering.

Part of future thinking will be informed by how we expect our cities to evolve. As Aecom’s London 2070 vision identified, urban areas will increasingly become polycentric and this will be reflected in a network of stations rather than transportation centred around a terminus. Cities may see clusters with specific offerings such as civic centres, innovation centres or areas focusing on leisure and cultural activities. These new stations will be digitally hyper-connected, as flexibility of work location increases – could we see bookable meeting spaces in stations as they increasingly become focal points for businesses with a geographically disparate workforces, perhaps with immersive technology?

We’re already seeing the use of stations change because more companies are adopting a hybrid working model post pandemic. In the future we expect to see more people using stations, but those people commuting less frequently. We also expect their destinations to become more varied and a ‘mesh’ of routes, rather than the same linear suburb to city routes used on a repetitive basis. Engineers will increasingly need to factor in mobility on demand and connected and autonomous vehicles.

Major infrastructure projects take decades to come to fruition, which is why those engineers who have the privilege to work on them need to be so forward looking when it comes to design – as the Elizabeth Line now proudly demonstrates.

This is reproduction of an article which originally appeared in New Civil Engineer

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In just over 100 years, we’ve made great advances in aviation — from flying people around the world to sending astronauts to the moon. However, those advances come at a cost: aviation is responsible for introducing an average of 7.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere each year and contributing to climate change. Fully electric aircraft known as electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOLs) is the next great aviation leap and could help blunt this impact. These new aircraft take off vertically like helicopters and fly horizontally like traditional airplanes and hold the potential to transform the aviation industry.

What makes eVTOLs different from airplanes and helicopters?

Initially known as tiltrotors in the military, eVTOLs are a cross between an airplane and a helicopter. Constructed using the latest aviation technology including highly sophisticated single-pilot avionics and advanced lithium battery technology and in some instances tiltrotor type powerplants, there are major differences between eVTOLs and traditional aircraft.

Most notably eVTOLs are battery powered and can be charged from clean energy sources, providing the potential to reduce carbon emissions resulting from flight. While eVTOL have a shorter range than traditional aircraft, they can effectively provide intercity and intracity transportation — recently, an eVTOL flew 150 miles on a single battery charge.

Nimbler than an aircraft, eVTOLs are cheaper than a helicopter and are being designed for widespread public use. At operational maturity, eVOTLs could cut a typical one-hour train or car commute to a 10-minute “hop” for around the same price as an UberXL or Lyft, while reducing roadway congestion. The aircraft will also improve connections for rural communities making it a faster and easier commute to larger cities for work opportunities, shopping or to have goods delivered.

eVTOLs and traditional aircraft are similar in one key aspect: adherence to safety. Before going into service eVTOLs must pass the same rigorous aircraft certification process as every other public transport aircraft. While this process can take years, it ensures each aircraft component meets or exceeds the safety standards needed for safe flight and that the thorough certification process is in place for the pilots and mechanics that fly and maintain the aircraft.

Are new air terminals required?

In short, yes. Two passenger transportation models are currently under consideration: one based on so-called vertistops, designed for short trips in urban locations; another designed for longer, intracity trips with vertiports.

Some manufacturers and infrastructure developers are considering developing freestanding terminals, while others would place these facilities atop existing infrastructure like parking garages, where structures allow. Developing standardized vertistop and vertiport models for multiple eVTOLs aircraft would reduce costs and enable rapid market development. Standardization would also enable state-specific adaptation, for example, seismic retrofitting in California or hurricane fortification in Florida.

Our team has created a prototype that is lightweight and replicable, delivered as a kit of parts that can be enlarged are needed by simply adding another bay.

What demands will eVTOLs place on our energy grid?

With each charging eVTOL’s airframe potentially consuming more power in 20 minutes than 10 homes on a summer day, these aircraft require substantial power draws from the energy grid. Similar to the broader electric vehicle sector, with the introduction of the International Electrotechnical Commission 61851 standard for electric vehicle conductive charging systems, the advanced air mobility industry must consider measures that allow the utility companies and potential hosts to plan for evolving market needs, including battery type and proprietary charging methods on the energy grid.

For long-term economic viability, we should also plan for new energy sources such as fuel cells, which could reduce peak demand on utilities. The system could also be designed to support wider communities’ energy needs. For example, making use of the onsite energy system as a grid asset when eVTOL demand is low.

How will we integrate eVTOLs into our existing transportation regulatory network?

Like all modes of transport, the eVTOL network must connect into the wider transportation system. While the regulatory process is multi-layered and complex, the first step toward integration is establishing national flight and safety standards.

NASA is taking the lead on this process, developing harmonization guidelines that will be administered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Cities and states are also considering their own eVTOL flight standards and regulations. Our specialists are currently helping to develop national standards, and this combined with our experience serving local markets will help municipalities, manufacturers and developers understand and incorporate the unfolding national, state and city regulations.

Vertistops and vertiports will require their own permits, with reference to FAA regulations as well as state and local rezoning and permitting requirements. Recognizing this, we’ve developed a unique tool to concurrently track permits across all sites, expediting the approval process and enabling infrastructure to be completed when the eVTOLs are ready to fly.

Seizing the potential

Advancing this new means of flight and ensuring the process unfolds in a safe, strategic and sustainable manner will require collective work from the industry — manufacturers, developers and designers, partnering with all levels of government. Done correctly, eVTOLs will connect rural communities, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and democratize fast and efficient air travel, transforming how we travel and move goods and potentially even how our economy grows.

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When the producers of one of the BBC’s biggest shows called and asked whether they could feature autonomous pods from a project we’ve been recently working on, along with our colleagues at , we were initially hesitant. It’s not that we didn’t want to raise the profile of future mobility, but when we say that profile would be in the hands of nine candidates vying to be Lord Sugar’s apprentice, you’ll understand why.

Nevertheless, we decided to go for it, with the candidates being tasked to brand their own autonomous pods and much of the filming undertaken at �����Ƶ’s London Aldgate offices. Like most viewers, I cringed my way through the episode as the candidates pitched their branded pods to a range of potential clients – and very good sports – including �����Ƶ clients High Speed 2 (HS2) and Network Rail, with some success.

But what happens on The Apprentice stays on The Apprentice. While the pods pitched by candidates will, of course, never see the light of day at HS2 and Network Rail, it does raise the question of whether autonomous pods will soon become a common part of our transport infrastructure?

The episode came about after the show’s producers spotted the �����Ƶ-led project on the news, which was a research project looking at how autonomous vehicles could work as part of a wider transport system.

Autonomous vehicle technology is already here and well developed, but there are a range of social, legal, and technical issues that will make their wider deployment more challenging to achieve. So, what did we learn from the candidates and how far off the mark were their brands?

One of the most important barriers to consider is public perception. Industry will need to understand their fears, concerns, ideas and aspirations to ensure future services are designed to meet their needs and make them feel safe. What the show demonstrated was that the perception of how pods could potentially be deployed was diverse – from a green transport solution to an experiential activity.

A hugely important discussion about how autonomous transport interfaces with society and technology is currently unfolding and ongoing. The research we’re undertaking in this area has been crucial, as it helps us understand what we need to do, as an industry, to make this technology applicable to real life. These decisions about real life application have to grapple with answers to questions such as what are the right priorities for which types of roads, considering how best to balance the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, autonomous vehicles such as pods, and freight?

These answers will, in turn, raise the question of where investment in autonomous pods is best placed. For example, if its focus is in taking carbon out of the ‘last mile’ of journeys, should we, as a society, pursue in preference current policy to promote active travel modes increasing walking and cycling? As we evaluate the viability of investment returns, we may start to see the focus shift towards other challenges such as the potential to aide freight decarbonisation, or improve the customer experience of mass transit.

Societal reactions are often shaped by the media response and decisions will feed into government policy around the roll out of this technology. Mapping the algorithms that control the vehicles with a clear and consistent policy approach will be crucial to enable these systems to realise their potential. Last night’s episode was a tiny part of that discussion, but it will certainly help raise awareness of the debate around how we’ll get around in the future. In the same way those of us of the Tomorrow’s World generation recall the technology introduced to us by Maggie Philbin, it will be interesting to look back on this episode in a decade’s time and see how much it has dated.

In the episode the candidates were tasked with the fun element in the evolution of our deployment of autonomous vehicles, exploring the potential markets. At �����Ƶ we’re working at a wider and deeper level, considering the societal and technological challenges and researching the interface of this technology with the market and regulation. We’re playing a pivotal role in developing our understanding of what we need to do to put autonomous vehicles into operation.

But we’ve got more in common with those on The Apprentice than you might think. Just like Lord Sugar, we’re looking for a diverse range of the brightest and most innovative minds to join us and help society navigate what the future might look like. And just like the candidates, there’s still so much to learn about the part autonomous vehicles will play in our mobility future, that it’s fair to say we’re all still apprentices.

This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in New Civil Engineer’s .

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