Embedding Individual Destination Maps
At the end of March a total of 2190 maps will have been disseminated to businesses identified on the 20 individual destination maps. A covering letter with AECOM’s contact details has been included to explain the purpose of the maps, where they can be found on the Tyne and Wear website and to ask for feedback.
There have been a number of responses, some to amend the name of the business, others to ask where to find PDFs of the maps, the following are a sample of comments:
“We have received a copy of your map today. I can confirm that we will be using it from now on. However the only comment I would have is that it does not photocopy / fax very well. A pdf copy for use via email would also be quite useful”.
Andrew Dean DJN Ltd.
Tim Hooton, General Manager, Holiday Inn Washington.
Interactive Destination maps
The 10 maps identified in year 5 business plan have now been successfully converted from the individual maps into the new interactive style map. Using the Google maps engine the maps provide the option to select a business, and find its location and contact details. The maps also allow route planning by displaying preferred routes from origin to destination.
An original PDF copy of the Individual map can be printed using the tab ‘Download PDF’. The maps will be launched and posted on the Tyne and Wear Partnership website in March. To coincide with the launch a press release will be sent to industry representatives, industry media and local press.
Highway Restriction Mapping
Following the excellent work carried out in developing the restrictions map, the local authority engineers were invited to take part in a one month trial to identify potential errors in the plotting of the restrictions. Comments were invited from the engineers, which, when received, were collated and relevant issues addressed on the map database. The map is now fully functional and will be posted onto the Tyne and Wear LTP website in March. To coincide with the launch a press release will be sent to the industry representatives, industry media and local press
The Urban Goods Transport project for the CIVITAS CATALIST funding has now been agreed to the negotiation stage. The funding requires the Partnership to carry out a Port Study to identify the most common nationality of drivers arriving into the Port of Tyne and Teesport. Representatives from the LTP Team and AECOM attended a CIVITAS CATILIST workshop in Brussels on February 11th 2010 where contact was made with potential partners.
The funding also allows the Partnership to organise an international Freight Conference, inviting delegates from not only the UK but from the CIVITAS partners in Europe. A keynote speaker from Europe will be invited to present and other speakers from the CIVITAS partners will be there to share information on their innovative best practice initiatives.
Award Submissions
The Partnership submitted an application to the Transport Times on February 12th for the National Transport Awards in the category of Most Innovative Transport Project. A short list is to be announced in April, with the award ceremony held on July 15th at the Palace Hotel, Manchester.
The Partnership is continually striving to keep the website fresh, interesting and up to date. A new layout for the website has been designed by AECOM and accepted by the stakeholders. The new design will be launched in April to start year 6 with a new image.
Other updates include minutes of last meeting, newsletter and a review of the website. We have been asked to include Cumbria’s new mapping system on the website which includes the Cumbria regional map and several individual maps. They can be found under Area Freight Maps.
The website continues to be very popular with 45,551 hits in the previous three months. The most popular pages viewed are Traffic Info, Destination Maps, Freight Map, Lorry Parking, Common Questions, News, Contacts and Links and Meeting Minutes.
The Truck Information Point (TIP) is proving successful with 903 hits in the previous three months. The most popular pages viewed were found to be Traffic Info and Lorry Parking. The replenishment of the maps at the Durham Services is still ongoing with 1,277 taken in three months. The most popular maps taken have been Northumberland Street, Metro Centre, Eldon Square, East Gateshead and Port of Tyne.
The overall programme is on target for completion.
The Silverlink Junction was the focus of a consultation on the Interim scheme for Silverlink Junction at the Travelodge, Wallsend on the 25th and 26th February. The funds have now been agreed and allocated by the Highways Agency, however, there is no information as to when this upgrade is planned.
The Grade II listed pedestrian tunnels are coming up to 60 years old and are showing their age with frequent breakdowns of the lifts and escalators. A campaign has now begun to collect funds for the renovation scheme.
The annual leaflet of the Tyne and Wear freight Partnership for 2009/10 has been produced. It outlines the work carried out in year 5 with respect to mapping, signage, lorry parking and rail freight. The communication strategy, including application of the website, and consultation with operators, is also explained.
The leaflet has been re-designed to include the new logo, colour scheme and style that the Partnership has recently adopted.
The Partnership has received favourable feedback from CIVITAS euro funding. This funding will allow extra work to be carried by the partnership helping the partnership to make its services applicable and available to European operators and drivers. Some further detail is required by the partnership to fulfil comments received. A meeting is to be held early January to address these comments.
The draft of the rail freight Report entitled ‘Why Shift Modes’ is now completed. Conclusions from the report highlight an expected upturn in the level of coal from Port of Tyne, higher volumes of container traffic from Teesport (following completion of the Northern Gateway scheme) and it also suggests that gauge enhancement will be key to encouraging future container traffic.
In year 6 of the Partnership a consultation workshop is to be organised with stakeholders to progress the initiatives to improve connectivity. A working group will be set up to plan the workshop to identify and involve the main stakeholders. Any new initiatives will be linked in with the national DaSTS programmes, the National Freight Modal Shift DaSTS, Region City Strategic Connections, Access to Tyne and Wear and Tees Valley.
The trial has been successfully implemented with four operators participating in December and a further operator joining in January. In the short period of the trial we have been informed that one operator has reduced empty running by 800 miles with a substantial profit. One operator has reduced empty running by posting 30 loads on the system reducing empty backload mileage of 90 miles per trip, another profit making success. Another operator has reduced empty running by 1400 miles by picking up 6 loads and posting 8-9 loads per week.
As with all trials it is not beneficial to everyone involved, one operator said that the types of loads available did not suit his type of business. In general feedback was that the system was easy to use , the freight exchange was attentive and responsive to technical issues, that it is easier to sell loads than pick up them up and some felt that there was limited opportunity for getting back loads to the North East. Some of the participants have also developed some ongoing business relationships through use of the system.Newcastle City Council has adopted the Loading and Unloading scheme for Chillingham Road, designed by the Partnership in 2008. They have introduced minor changes to the prescribed design scheme by reducing the number of loading bays suggested from four to three.
A strong foundation has clearly been established for taking the Partnership forward in the coming years. However, it is important for new ideas and initiatives to be brought forward in order to maintain and build momentum. The business plan has now been agreed for Year 6, which includes further developments to the mapping work, redesign of the website, further signage improvements, facilitation of lorry parking opportunities, development of rail freight working group, a fleet recognition scheme and some European focussed best practice sharing tasks facilitated through the CIVITAS funding awarded.
The tasks for Year 6 are categorised into three sections; Core Maintenance Tasks, Development Tasks and Innovative Tasks. The details of the 21 tasks are posted into the Action Plan page on the Partnership’s website www.tyneandwearfreight.info
Get Involved
You are welcome to attend the meetings planned for Year 6, which are as follows:
- Wednesday June 9th 2010;
- Wednesday September 8th 2010;
- Wednesday December 8th 2010; and
- Wednesday March 9th 2011.
The partnership is still actively seeking venues for these meetings, once agreed, the location details will be sent with an agenda.
For more information please contact Michael Page by email on michael.page@aecom.com. Alternatively call Mike on 0191 2246512.