Transport Assessment Guidance Underpins the use of TRICS®
Recently published Department for Transport guidance has underpinned the importance of systems such as TRICS® in the Transport Assessment process.

This important guidance arrives at a time when major TRICS® system development is underway. For 20 years TRICS® has played a major role in Transport Assessments. It remains a key ingredient in the new guidance and will continue to be used for planning applications and audits. 27 organisations joined the TRICS® Community in the last year alone. TRICS® continues to develop to meet modern requirements through its annual User Questionnaire, which has now been forwarded to all member organisations. We value user input and comment, so we ask that all organisations receiving the questionnaire spend a few minutes to ensure that they have their say in the future of TRICS®.

The Department for Transport’s TA Guidance can be found at www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/transportassessments/guidanceonta.

TRICS® Version 2007(b) to be released in June
An updated version of TRICS®, version 2007(b), will be available as a download from www.trics.org in June 2007. This update will contain new survey data obtained during 2006, and will also include a number of significant system enhancements, including the following.

• Option to calculate “peak hour” rank order lists.
• “Total Bedrooms” introduced as a method for calculating residential trip rates.
• New land use categories for Factory Shop, Market, Quarry, Library, and Theatre.
• “Hover” description notes for buttons throughout system.

As with the current version 2007(a), all users will be notified of the update’s availability, and will require existing usernames and passwords to log into the website and download the software.

TRICS® Multi-Modal Survey Methodology published
The methodology by which TRICS® undertakes its multi-modal transport surveys has been published, and will be presented at this year’s TRICS® User Meetings in London and Manchester (see below). The guidance explains how transport modes are defined in TRICS®, and how organisations can undertake surveys to meet TRICS® requirements.

This information will be particularly helpful to organisations as they incorporate the Standard Assessment Methodology (SAM) for monitoring Travel Plans currently being promoted by TRICS®. For further information on the SAM project please visit www.trics.org.

Web system development update
Work continues on developing a web-based version of TRICS®, which will allow all users to access the system on-line with usernames and passwords. The date for the release of the new system is December 2007.

The Windows version of TRICS® will continue to be supported for a further 6 months, up until June 2008, from when it is intended that the web version will replace it.

The new system is being designed so that users will be able to easily handle the transition between the Windows and web versions. The fundamental “front end” of the software will remain familiar to users, and a “webmaster” will be available to handle any queries that users may have with the new system.

Advantages of the new system include the addition of new survey data on a more regular basis than the current six-monthly cycle and the facility for making on-line payments for TRICS® services through a secure server. The new system will be located within the existing TRICS® website at www.trics.org.

Bookings being taken for User Meetings in London and Manchester
Bookings are currently being taken for delegates at the 2007 TRICS® User Meetings, this year to be held in London and Manchester.

The venues and dates of the meetings are as follows:

Monday 18th June 2007
The Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum, London

Thursday 21st June 2007
The Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester

Both venues offer excellent facilities for what is an important annual event for the TRICS® Community. Updates on system developments and good practice in the use of TRICS® will be presented, as well as an update of the TRICS® Standard Assessment Methodology (SAM) for Travel Plans. Users will also be able to present their own system development ideas during the popular interactive user workshop.

Non-TRICS® users are also welcome to attend this event. As it is popular, early bookings are recommended to avoid disappointment. Please contact the TRICS® team at JMP Consultants Limited with enquiries.

Click here for a booking form.

2007 TRICS® Conference dates announced
The 2007 TRICS® Conference will be taking place at the Regents Park Marriott Hotel, London, on 20th and 21st November. The popular annual event, in its 19th year, attracts leading speakers in the planning and transport industry, and covers a wide range of contemporary transport issues. The 2006 event saw record numbers in attendance. Information on previous conferences, including details of user feedback following the 2006 event, can be found at www.trics.org. Booking forms for the 2007 conference will be available soon.

TRICS® invites speakers to present their papers on topical subjects. Anyone interested in presenting at this year’s Conference should contact Colin Black at JMP Consultants Limited.

The second research project is an analysis of construction traffic levels for new developments. At the moment there is little effective data relating to levels of construction traffic. This research aims to identify such levels and the implications for local transport generation in a broader context.

Both projects are in their preliminary stages, but final reports will be made available to TRICS® users via the Library module of the software.

Free 1 month trial of TRICS® available
A free 1-month trial of the latest full version of the TRICS® software is available to all organisations upon request. Throughout the free trial period full technical support is available at no cost, and there is no obligation once the period has expired.

Many organisations have already found this trial useful, as there is no restriction on the number of PC’s on which the software can be installed. Anyone interested in the free trial should contact the TRICS® team at JMP Consultants Limited.