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Projects

This section contains summaries of projects we have undertaken. To view a list of projects by topic area, please see the Services section.

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Current and Recent Projects

2011

UK Travel Time Maps and Data (2011) - DHC has pioneered accessibility modelling and mapping and now offers off the shelf indicators and maps to suit every budget. Loop Connections retails products for travel planning, development planning and local transport planning.
Smart Ticketing for the Mobile Generation (2011) - DHC has developed a pioneering approach to make connections between information, payment and sustainable travel choices.
Road Congestion impacts on accessibility (2011) - The 2010 core accessibility indicators are published as part of national statistics to show the travel time to key services from each part of England. 2010 Accessibility Indicators are published by here. DHC also now publishes indicators in a variety of other formats to support development and transport planning. Contact us for further details.
The Value of Community Transport in the Highlands and Islands - Our analysis for the Highlands and Islands Councils and Hitrans shows that community transport can be part of the solution to better value rural transport.The report Value of Community Transport (2011) (PDF, 1388 KB) defines a new approach for appraising communitu and social benefits in transport appraisal
Accessibility Planning Practice in the EU - DHC is contributing to a two year EC funded project looking at best practice in accessibility planning.

2010

Lower Cost Rural Accessibility (2010) - DHC and the TAS Partnership developed guidance for the Local Government Improvement and Development Agency on how to maintain rural accessibility with falling public budgets.
Calculation of 2009 Core National Accessibility Indicators (2010) - The 2009 indicators seek to link local and national practice more closely to build on the progress already made supporting in delivering Local Area Agreements across England.2009 Indicators
State of the Countryside Accessibility Analysis 2010 - The 2010 State of the Countryside report uses analysis by DHC to show how for some services accessibility by road and public transport has been improving, but for others there has been a decline. The Changing Face of Rural Services
Congestion Matters in Wales (2010) - Analysis using GPS tracking of vehicles shows that congestion affects access to services for different house addresses in different ways. Journey times were calculated to the nearest 10 destinations for nine service types for 23 time periods throughout the day.

2009

Action Learning and Guidance on Rural Accessibility (2009) - This analysis for I&DEA the Local Government Improvement Agency and for DfT is working with English Local Authorities to help them tackle accessibility problems in their areas. The action learning will demonstrate how to overcome barriers.
Review of Passenger Transport in County Louth (2009) - This project is being undertaken with Fitzpatrick Associates and is reviewing accessibility for residents of County Louth in Ireland. The work is analysing accessibility opportunities, surveing the local community and developing proposals to improve the management of services in the area.
Rural Employability (2009) - This analysis for Loughborough University and the Commission for Rural Communities is looking at the relationship between transport provision and employment opportunities in different types of rural areas.
Travel times to airports (2009) - This analysis for the DfT looked at the choices available to residents of the UK when accessing airports by public transport and various times of day and night. The largest airports do not always have the best public transport services.
Swestrans Equalities (2009) – To support the regional transport strategy in south west Scotland survey work was undertaken on behalf of the regional transport partnership, Swestrans. This work is helping to understand the travel needs of diversity groups to ensure equality of travel opportunities in the area.
Smarter Choices Smarter Places (2009) - Jointly with the University of Aberdeen and ITP, this study assesses where, where, why and how the Government's Smarter Choices Smarter Places initiative is making an impact on travel choices and opportunities. The project will run until June 2012, and interim findings in 2009 and 2010 will be used to refine the programme delivery to ensure better value.
Smartcards and Customer Loyalty (2009) - This project is using smartmedia to manage a personalised travel marketing and customer loyalty scheme in the North of England.
Rail Station Choice (2009) - To assist DfT, Atkins, Mott MacDonald and Jacobs with their PLANET modelling of rail network capacity, travel times to rail stations across central and northern England were calculated by car, cycle, bus and walking. This showed the choices that customers face when deciding which station to use when accessing the national rail network. The work ensures that access to the rail network is included more accurately resulting in more robust modelling of rail travel demand.
Calculation of 2008 Core National Accessibility Indicators (2009) - The 2008 indicators introduce a wider range of indicator types to add flexibility to the use of the national indicators and build on the progress already made supporting in delivering Local Area Agreements across England.

2008

Calculation of 2005 and 2007 Core National Accessibility Indicators (2008) - This work builds upon the previous National Indicator calculations using updated and revised information and datasets. DHC continues to co-ordinate the consultancy team consisting of Catalyst Framework consultant, Dotted Eyes, and IT, software and data specialists, Automatica.
Wales Indicators of Multiple Deprivation (2008) - DHC developed previous work conducted for the Welsh Assembly Government, calculating new accessibility indicators which will be used as part of the Welsh 2008 Index of Multiple Deprivation.
TACTRAN Regional Transport Strategy (2008) - Together with SDG, DHC are advising TACTRAN on developments to their Regional Transport Strategy. DHC are identifying how Community Transport (CT) and Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services can be developed to fill gaps in conventional Public Transport networks.
Dundee Community Transport (2008) - This project for Dundee Accessible Transport Forum assessed how to deliver affordable door to door transport for older and disabled people in Dundee. By reviewing the gaps in Dundee's Public Transport networks and the potential demand for trips, DHC identified a new delivery model working closely with the City Council.
Personalised Journey Plans to Glasgow Hospitals (2008) - This project for SPT designed a practical approach to offer personalised Public Transport Information to help people get to health appointments.
Safe Routes to Public Transport (2008) - In this work for SPT, DHC looked at how a partnership approach can be developed to improve access to bus stops and railway stations.
Edinburgh West End Traffic Surveys (2008) - This work has been commissioned by a West End residents' association to monitor changes in traffic flows as part of the Edinburgh Tram developments. DHC are currently undertaking a series of traffic surveys before, during and after the Shandwick Place road closure, to identify whether there has been a change in local traffic patterns.

2007

Transport with Care (2007) - This project for NHS Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Executive Efficient Government Unit, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and Dumfries and Galloway Council is managing the delivery of integrated high care needs transport in Dumfries and Galloway.
Review of Invernet Rail Services (2007) - This project for the Highland Rail Partnership is reviewing the impacts of the Invernet commuter rail services to Inverness, and suggesting how further changes could help to grow the market for rail travel.
Recommendations for Improving Local Transport Policy and Delivery (2007) (PDF, 206 KB) - This work for the British Council of Shopping Centres involved formulating and drafting their response to the 2007 UK White Paper.
Accessibility Modelling in New Zealand (2007) (PDF, 361 KB) – Together with Steve Abley transport Consultancy, DHC is identifying how accessibility planning and modelling can best be taken forward in New Zealand.
Consumer Needs for Access to Market Based Services (2007) – This project for the National Consumer Council investigated how current accessibility planning frameworks might be revised to better improve access to privately provided services.
Appraisal of Economic and Location Impacts of Dualling the A9 Perth to Inverness Trunk Road (2007) – This project for HITRANS in being undertaken jointly with Scott Wilson and is considering the ways in which the A9 trunk road affects business viability and growth.
Highlands and Islands Air Discount Scheme (2007) - DHC assessed the impact of the introduction of discounted air fares for residents of the Highlands and Islands.
Rural and Community Transport Project in Northumberland (2007) – This project is being undertaken with the TAS Partnership and Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy. The work is seeking to foster a viable and sustainable approach to rural transport by growing the Community Transport sector in the area.
Developing Community Transport in Glasgow (2007) (PDF, 563 KB) – This work was undertaken for Glasgow City Council to identify how the Community Transport sector could become more successful at closing gaps in transport provision in Glasgow.
Calculation of Core National Accessibility Indicators (2007) - DHC co-ordinated the consultancy team consisting of Catalyst Framework consultant, Dotted Eyes, and IT, software and data specialists, Automatica. The work combines many data sets including public transport, OS Mastermap, education, health, shopping and jobs data. The initial set of results for this Department of Transport commisson are now being used by the Department of Health and the Scottish Executive to calculate indicators of accessibility relevant to their policy needs.
Future of Retail Transport : Access, Information and Flexibility (2007) - DHC conducted research into how changes to the UK transport system over the next 10 years will impact on travel to and from retail centres. This work was conducted on behalf of the British Council of Shopping Centres as part of their wider project on the Future of Retail Property.

2006

Alternative Methods for Assessing Eligibility for Concessionary Travel (2006) The Mobility and Accessibility Committee for Scotland commissioned DHC to identify areas, or other services, which could demonstrate where social models of disability were being used to assess a disabled person's eligibility for access to free/assisted services.
Evaluation of the Economic and Social Impacts of the Skye Bridge (2006) - This work for Highlands and Islands Enterprise and HITRANS is reviewing how ferry, bridge and price changes have affected travel patterns in the ten years since the Skye bridge opened.
Investigation into the Travel Behaviour of Visitors to Scotland (2006) - This project with Strathclyde University for the Scottish Executive examined travel behaviour data, policies and theory to understand the factors affecting tourist travel.

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Last updated September 2011 by Peter.