The Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland Transport Planning Society organise a regular programme of events and activities in the nation. Barry Colleary, as Lead Republic of Ireland Representative, is supported by a team of representatives who plan and organise events and activities, including:

  • Andrew Archer (Events)
  • Shane Dunny and John Desmond (Policy)
  • Rachel Ivers (Memberships)
  • Tara O'Leary (Transport Planning Professional)
  • Tiago Oliveira
  • Elaine Brick
  • Ciaran McKeon  

If you would like to contact the Republic of Ireland branch or are interested in joining please submit your enquiry using the form on the Enquiries/Join Us page. Alternatively email Barry or Rachel (Membership) at:

roi@tps.org.uk

Please note that all our TPS Regional Branches are run entirely by volunteers and we appreciate your patience whilst you await a response.  If your enquiry is urgent please contact the TPS national offices using either the ‘contact’ tab on the main menu or by clicking here.

 

Past TPS Events

Mobilising Major Transport Projects - 24th January 2018

TPS Ireland opened up the 2018 with a very topical event dedicated to an intricate process of mobilising major transport and infrastructure projects. David King, the Head of Public Transport Investment in National Transport Authority Ireland, shared NTA experience on planning and implementing such major public transport projects as Luas Cross City Link and Metro North. Derval Cummins, European Advisory Leader in Transportation AECOM, provided an overview of the full project lifecycle with a particular focus on project management and funding mechanisms and shared many lessons learned from planning Crossrail project that is currently being implemented in London, UK. Whilst it may be uneasy to develop a universal approach for various projects, we learned again that proactive planning and early engagement with stakeholders are key to success of any major transport project. Many thanks to all attendants and NTA for hosting this amazing event.

Transport Investment Guideline Documents
https://www.nationaltransport.ie/publications/transport-investment/

 


 

Project Appraisal Guidelines And Tools For Transport Planners - 22nd November 2017

In November 2017 TPS Ireland organised the event on the Project Appraisal Guidelines and Tools for Transport Planners. Being a critical aspect of transport project delivery and a key decision-making tool for transport planners and policy makers, project appraisal is always a topic of a big interest in the industry and in recent years generates a lot of questions with regards to the established processes. Kevin Threadgold, the Economist from Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, and Eoin Gillard, the Head of Strategic and Transport Planning from Transport Infrastructure Ireland presented on essential elements of the project appraisal process, common mistakes and planned enhancements to the process. Eilleen O’Connell, the Managing Director of Interactions Research Company, shared the findings of their EVIDENCE project that aimed to create a database of the proven benefits of sustainable transport measures and initiatives successfully applied in different countries and thus assist politicians and transport practitioners to understand the economic return on investment that can be achieved through these measures. It was great to see active interaction amongst the attendees and many interesting questions raised. Many thanks to all who made it and to Arup for hosting this event.

Project Appraisal Guidelines
http://www.tiipublications.ie/downloads/

Common Appraisal Framework (CAF)
http://www.dttas.ie/corporate/english/appraisal

Public Spending Code
http://publicspendingcode.per.gov.ie

Evidence - economic benefits of sustainable transport
http://www.evidence-project.eu

Presentations:

 


 

Transport Planning: Data Driven Decision Making - 12th September 2017

In September 2017 TPS and CIHT jointly hosted a thought provoking event in Trinity College Dublin on the importance of data in the decision-making process for Transport Planners. Cormac Halpin, Senior Statistician from the Central Statistics Office, presented on the latest key findings from Census 2016 as well as on the recent changes in the process for accessing the micro data. Dr Edgar Morgenroth, Associate Research Professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), shared his research and interesting insights on regional development trends in Ireland and their impact on transport development as well as on the wider economy. We would like to thank everyone for their participation!

CSO - Census 2016 Summary Results - Part 1
http://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/presspages/2017/census2016summaryresults-part1/

CSO Census 2016 Profile 6 - Commuting in Ireland
http://www.cso.ie/en/csolatestnews/presspages/2017/census2016profile6-commutinginireland/

AIRO - Drive time Accessibility
http://airo.maynoothuniversity.ie/mapping-resources/airo-census-mapping/national-viewers/drive-time-accessibility-mapping

AIRO - POWCAR 2011 Commuting Catchments
http://airo.maynoothuniversity.ie/mapping-resources/airo-census-mapping/national-viewers/powcar-travel-work

 


 

Reimagining Dublin's Bus Network - a deep dive into the choices faced - 6th June 2017

In June 2017 CIHT, CILT, IPI and EI hosted this important event. As part of the consultation process Mr Jarrett Walker, international urban transport expert and author of the book “Human Transit”, gave a talk on the major redesign of the bus network in the Dublin region which the National Transport Authority which started in 2017. In his 25 years in the field, Jarrett has led projects to redesign transport networks for cities across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Jarrett Walker & Associates are assisting the National Transport Authority in the network redesign process.

Mr Walker outlined the key concerns in the redesign of Dublin's bus network, and the policy and design choices that could be made to address those concerns.

Over a 100 people attended and there was a lively debate on the issues raised. This was followed by more informal discussion and networking in the Engineers Ireland bar.

Watch the event here:
http://www.engineersireland.ie/Communications/Engineer-TV-Archive/webcasts/2017/Reimagining-Dublins-Bus-Network.aspx

Bus Connects
https://www.busconnects.ie

 


Airport Planning Masterclass - 26th April 2017

In April 2017 TPS hosted a master class on the planning and design of airports which is a complex and continuously evolving area of transport planning. This Masterclass provided an overview of the principles and priorities of airport planning, landside and airside from flight scheduling through to surface access. This was a unique opportunity to learn about the intricacies of airport planning from a leading aviation planner, Justin Thomason, Director, Ricondo and Associates.

 


 

Smart Cities of the Future - 7th February 2017

In February 2017 TPS hosted a debate on the Future of Smart Cities – cities in which technologies start playing an increasing role, in the remarkable Wood Quay venue in Dublin City Council. The Transport sector is the one where smart solutions rapidly develop nowadays and it is important to ensure transport planners take advantage of them, but also align them with current needs and policies. Brendan O’Brien, Head of Technical Services for Traffic in DCC, presented on how critical smart tools are to the daily operation of transport in Dublin. Dr Vivek Nallur, Researcher from UCD School of Computer Science, demonstrated how we could use sensors to collect open and participatory data to improve our journey planning. Finally, John Holland, CxO of Threefold, hit the floor with the most awaited subject of the night on autonomous vehicles and their impact. All topics brought lively interaction and discussions between attendees, and while not all the questions could be answered there was agreement on the growing need to embrace technologies and find the most right application for them in transportation.

 


 

Transport Planning Professional (TPP) Qualification Launch -  12th January 2017

The launch of Transport Planning Professional (TPP) qualification in Ireland took place in the NTA’s offices in January 2017. The launch of the TPP qualification represents a big step forward on the way to professional recognition of the Transport Planning profession in the Republic of Ireland and it was great to see transport planners from many organisations attending the launch and expressing their interest.

The launch event was really bolstered by the support of our speakers who shared their valuable insights on the importance of the TPP qualification. Kate Morris, Head of Strategic Planning & Advisory at AECOM, explained how employers can benefit from supporting the TPP qualification and adopting a Professional Development Scheme (PDS) with their organisations. Stephen Wood, Head of Transport Planning & Modelling at Department for Infrastructure Northern Ireland, shared the absorbing story of his broad career to date and the role of TPP within it. Finally, Keith Buchan, Skills Director for the Transport Planning Society, kindly shared his suggestions on how to begin the TPP qualification process and answered many questions about the TPP process.

We were delighted with the start and it is now important we keep the momentum up and continue to move forward in the right direction. TPS Ireland will provide you with regular updates on TPP progress and if you have any questions and/or feedback, please do not hesitate to contact us. Let’s walk the talk together!

 


 

Transport Futures - The challenges ahead - 8th December 2016

Futures

‘How should our transport system evolve to support society’s future needs?’

Professor Glenn Lyons of University of West England challenges traditional assumptions on population, prosperity and traffic growth by looking at how social, technological, political and environmental factors may shape our travel habits in the future drawing on his experiences during the CIHT Futures and theNew Zealand Ministry of Transport Futures projects. Professor Lyons presentation was followed by panel discussion of key stakeholders including;

  • Anne Graham of the National Transport Authority
  • Helen Hughes - of Transport Infrastructure Ireland
  • Liam Daly of the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport
  • Paul Hogan - Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

This event was hosted by the Transport planning Society and the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation

 


 

Achieving Walkable Urban Areas - Challenges and Opportunities - 8th November 2016

walking

Walking, as a transport mode, deserves greater attention from transport practioners not just because of the transport sustainability benefits it presents but also it’s role in place making and liveability. This Transport Planning Society event looked at our recent experience of pedestrian planning in Ireland, and internationally, both on a city and project specific scale. Presenters included:

  • Susan Claris, Associate Director, Arup
  • Edith Roberts, Senior Executive Engineer, Cork City Council
  • Tiago Oliveira, Arup

The event attracted large numbers from the transport sector and was chaired by Frank McDonald, Irish Arts Review and Irish Times.

 


 

Inaugural Meeting of the Transport Planning Society in Ireland

The recently formed Irish branch of the Transport Planning Society held its inaugural meeting in Dublin on 23rd June 2016. A large turnout of 70-80 transport planners demonstrated both the strength of transport planning in Ireland and the support for the establishment of a transport planning focussed society. The meeting was chaired by the Regional Representative for Ireland, Elaine Brick, together with the committee comprising of Andrew Archer, Barry Colleary, Shane Dunny, John Fahey, Jonathan Hennessy, Sara Monsoor and Philip Shiels.

 The launch of TPS in Ireland reflects the importance of this profession here and the need to support transport planners through structured professional development. Board member, Tim Morton, opened the meeting by introducing TPS, explaining what TPS offered transport planners, and setting out the aims in Ireland. He was followed by seven leading members of the transport planning profession in Ireland including Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Authority. The speakers represented both the public and private sectors with backgrounds in engineering, urban design, planning, economics, behaviour change etc. The speakers outlined the key challenges they felt were facing transport planners in Ireland today as summarised below;

  • Congestion and the need for behaviour change to support investment;
  • Lack of Funding;
  • Need for targeted investment and improved efficiencies;
  • Improved integration between land use and transport planning; and
  • Climate Change.

 The enthusiasm and energy of the audience made it clear that transport planning is flourishing in Ireland. There was widespread interest in the training offer from TPS – PDS and (jointly with CIHT) TPP - and it is intended that the leader of our Skills Team, Keith Buchan, will visit shortly to launch PDS and TPP here. By bringing the profession together and giving it a professional home of its own, TPS has the potential to provide considerable support to Irish practitioners.

 Elaine and the Committee are lining up a further programme of meetings throughout the year and if the inaugural meeting is anything to go by, the Society is assured of a vibrant and successful future in the RoI.

 To enquire about membership or sign up for information on TPS news and events in Ireland please contact roi@tps.org.uk

IMG 5834 ROI 2IMG 5832 ROI 1

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

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