The Travelling Fellowship

Travel information is fundamental to promoting the use of alternative transport solutions and encouraging the use of public transport in particular.

It has long been accepted that the U.S.A. and parts of Europe are approximately 2 years ahead of the U.K. in their use of new technologies for transport and information systems.

By visiting leading transport information experts in the U.S.A. and public transport information experts in Sweden, it should be possible to compare and contrast a variety of solutions to a global problem. The knowledge gained could then be used in Nottingham, and the rest of the U.K., to develop and implement more effective transport information systems.

The two proposed countries have different emphases on transport: The U.S.A. supporting an automobile based transport system and Sweden's cities implementing effective and well supported public transport solutions.

Within the U.K. car users are currently reluctant to consider fundamental changes in their travel behaviour. By understanding how other countries have overcome these barriers to change, it will be possible to develop strategies to reduce car dependence.

As well as this report a series of presentations will be developed for Nottingham City Council and key national conferences. The report will eventually be published on the Internet.

Another aim of the project is to develop an idealised model for traveller information systems, certainly for Nottingham and hopefully one that will be adopted across the U.K.

In addition, it is intended that the valuable connections made as part of the research project will be maintained and even strengthened to allow an ongoing exchange of information.

By researching the Internet an itinerary was developed to include key cities in the U.S.A. and Sweden that had existing traveller information systems that were further developed than Nottingham's.

The main body of this report focuses on the visits made to various experts in the field of traveller information. It is important to note, however, that the fellowship gave me the opportunity to visit places for the first time, and allowed the time to sample the sights and cultures of these places whilst always keeping a keen eye on transportation.

Whilst most of the report comes directly from the kind people who agreed to be interviewed, or from the many visits to operational centres, I also gained valuable knowledge through experiencing transport systems and transport information systems for myself.