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Data
Data
Empowering local transport authorities with actionable data & insights
Our data team has developed a catalogue of tools to support our regional evidence base and Local Transport Authority (LTA) partners as they develop their Local Transport Plans and subsequent business cases. Each of our tools supports LTAs in strategic transport planning and can help ensure more joined up thinking across the Midlands region.
Our current catalogue is listed below – if you are interested in learning more on the tools please email MCDigital@MidlandsConnect.uk
MiView
MiView pulls together all of Midlands Connect’s high value evidence base in one place, supporting LTAs in completing their Local Transport Plans. The tool integrates many different layers of intelligence across the region alongside with detailed local information, giving insight into current and future:
- Population
- Transport infrastructure
- Traveller markets
The tool is a ‘one stop shop’ for strategy development, supporting local decision making and ensuring collaboration across the Midlands.
MiOutcomes
Midlands outcomes associated with travel
The MiOutcomes dashboard helps LTAs test how transport policy and infrastructure investment can influence outcomes within their area. The first version of the dashboard forecasts carbon emissions. It ‘slices and dices’ emissions up to 2050, including different transport modes, vehicle fleet assumptions, road networks and journey types and genesis.
The tool is interactive, allowing the user to test scenarios through different policy levers and drivers of change, for example, the level of uptake in electric vehicles.
In summary, the dashboard provides:
- Local data: A breakdown of emissions by location across the local authority area
- Forecast emissions: An estimate of current/future surface transport emissions within the Local Authority selected.
- Emission sources: A breakdown of emissions by mode, vehicle type, road type, trip length, journey purpose, and trip genesis (inbound, outbound, internal, through the LTA area).
- Emissions scenarios: An interactive tool to test the impact of different transport policy settings on future emissions.
- Scenario summaries: A summary of the policy lever decisions.
CAP
Carbon assessment playbook, a national initiative
The Carbon Assessment Playbook has been developed by England’s Subnational Transport Bodies to provide an evidence-informed, quantifiable approach to carbon reduction in the development of local transport strategies and plans.
ALFFI
Alternative fuels for freight infrastructure, a national initiative
Decarbonisation presents a clear challenge to the UK freight industry. A network of charging and refuelling hubs is necessary to give freight operators confidence to run green goods vehicle fleets on the road network.
The ALFFI tool helps LTAs identify potential areas to place publicly accessible goods vehicle charging and refuelling hubs, including alternatives like hydrogen and biomethane.
The tool takes the wider infrastructure network into consideration, enabling LTAs to work together in coordinating plans for regional and national hub networks, which is key for longer distances and heavier loads. Hubs can be planned as ‘super hubs’ of national importance; ‘local hubs’ for last and first mile delivery and ‘regional hubs’ to provide the complete network. Additional intelligence on ports is also available.
Current improvements underway include adding driver facilities data, likely future energy demand zones (considers charging back at base) and linking pass-by traffic and fleets to regional forecasts.
EVCI
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a national initiative
A robust public network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers is needed for the public to encourage confidence in the purchase of EVs and reduce battery anxiety.
The EVCI tool helps LTAs develop EV strategies for their region by recommending potential EV charge point areas within each local authority, ensuring that charge points are the right option, at the right time, in the right location. This is built upon our work with LEVI funding, which you can read more about here.
The tool has been built in collaboration with Transport for the North.
MiRROR
Midlands Rail & Road Operational Resilience
The MiRROR tool helps LTAs score resilience ‘pinch-points’ across their own transport network that could be vulnerable to challenges like operational issues and external shock events such as climate change and pandemics. It allows the user to test the impact of events on the network and understand those routes associated with higher risks.
By identifying these pinch-points, LTAs can develop more integrated transport network that is resilient to change; meaning that journeys are reliable across all modes.
MiRROR therefore helps LTAs identify opportunities and prioritise investment across their geography, also empowering them to collaborate with other LTAs to ensure region-wide network resilience.