Membership has also presented me with opportunities to attend events and training seminars and meet a wide range of transport planners from different backgrounds. All of this has supported development of my career.

I started developing a strong interest in transport planning in 2003 when I prepared an MSc dissertation relating to London’s Congestion Charge - which was a major new scheme at the time. Whilst researching for this dissertation I read widely about traffic management, road user charging and the environmental and economic benefits of reducing road traffic. I learned that transport planners have a very important role to play in place making, improving public health and protecting the environment – which led me towards a career in transport planning.

I followed the Standard Route to become a Transport Planning Professional. I enjoyed preparing the Portfolio of Evidence. I also found this process to be very informative – enabling me to gain insights in to my competence level across the range of technical and management units. The advice I received from my mentor throughout this process was invaluable. The Professional Review was challenging but enjoyable – starting with a short presentation to the reviewers and ending with a wide ranging Q&A session. I am proud to have achieved this important milestone and am now pleased to be mentoring other candidates – offering them advice and support along their journey towards becoming a Transport Planning Professional.

Technology and data will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of the profession - with Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, Intelligent Transport Systems, Mobility as a Service and analysis of ‘big data’ all offering significant benefits. I believe that there will be a greater focus on the application of Travel Demand Management strategies as a cost-effective alternative to increasing the capacity of transport infrastructure. In terms of public transport, demand responsive bus services are likely to become more widespread – especially in areas of low passenger demand where a regular bus service would not be viable. There will need to be a much greater focus on environmental sustainability to address the air quality problems in many towns and cities. I also believe that there will need to be greater collaboration between transport planners, urban planners and public health professionals to design for and promote active travel - as physical inactivity currently represents a major problem causing negative health effects such as obesity and diabetes. There are clearly many challenges and opportunities ahead and I believe that transport planners will play a very important role in shaping the future.

I wasn’t really aware of the transport planning profession at school. However, I’d always had an interest in town planning – I liked the idea of having a job that combined data analysis with an appreciation of why people behave in the way that they do. My interest in Transport Planning wasn’t triggered until a chance conversation with someone in the profession when at university.

Once you put your mind to it, the process of filling in the Portfolio of Evidence is not too demanding – I was also fortunate that I have an accredited degree and therefore did not need to complete the Portfolio of Technical Knowledge. As I have always worked in quite a small team in Newcastle, I have managed to gain breadth of experience across a range of different projects, which really helped to tick off the objectives. I know this is something that some of my peers struggle with when working in bigger teams and therefore specialise quite early on in one particular area.

I do think there could be more support available for people wanting to do TPP who have a bit more experience. There seems to be a lot of emphasis on the Professional Development Scheme, which is not appropriate for a lot of people. These people are therefore struggling to progress the TPP without appropriate guidance.

Transport Planning has always been quite a diverse area and will continue to be so. A lot of discussion is currently centred on changing technology and how we will travel in the future – this obviously has implications for work we are doing now in appraising schemes. For me, and the work that I do, I think there needs to be a review of some of the guidance we work within, to give more flexibility so we can understand the real benefits of some of the transport schemes being considered. Going forward, I think it is important that the industry takes a leading role in influencing transport related courses so emerging graduates are better equipped to deal with changing trends.

Personally, a proactive region with a friendly, approachable local professional network is the most important ongoing benefit of CIHT Membership. This is only useful if you, as fully-fledged Member actively participate.

Fundamentally it was a personal desire to deliver tangible projects benefitting people and place. My Undergraduate Tutor pointed me towards transportation, a related MSc and I submitted a winning bursary application to join the course. Everything that followed stems from these core personal desires and events several years ago. 

Ultimately the process of becoming a chartered Transport Planner is what you make of it. It’s certainly challenging and time consuming, but ultimately it’s designed that way. It’s looking at your skill set and essentially it’s evaluating you. Revising my submission “little and often” and treating each project success and failure as a learning exercise certainly helped.
I also found it important and useful to set myself annual challenges for example- presenting at a conference or volunteering with the CIHT. The former was certainly beyond my comfort zone but they help to develop you as a well-rounded individual and transport professional.
It’s also important to get yourself a Mentor during this process someone who’s achieved TPP and is able to offer assistance when required. If you don’t know something, ask- nobody’s omniscient after all.
You also need to be honest with yourself and more importantly to the Interview Panel but remember: it’s all worth it!

The value of Transport Planning is starting to become more fully understood across all the built environment disciplines. This is a positive step within a challenging period.
In the context of Local Planning and increasing, but unevenly distributed national population growth current cultural practices that accept car use and increasing inactivity levels are a concerning mix that need to be challenged and ultimately addressed.

More emphasis will be placed on information and technological advancements to reduce some trips but it will take a cultural change and alternative transport provision to facilitate significant shift. Transport Planning and delivery, if done well, is key to ensure this occurs.