Ahead of this month’s CiTTi Awards 2024 ceremony, City Transport & Traffic Innovation Magazine is profiling each of this year’s finalists – continuing with those shortlisted for The City or Town of the Year Award!
This award celebrates innovative solutions in last-mile logistics that address operational efficiency, environmental sustainability, and safety enhancements for both the community and logistics personnel.
Entries highlighted cities and towns that have successfully combined – in a number of schemes – policy, technology and innovative practices to offer seamless, multimodal urban mobility solutions that are efficient, inclusive, and environmentally friendly.
What’s more, submissions showcased the importance of cohesive urban transport networks and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies to enhance the overall quality of life for all residents while addressing the challenges of modern urban living.
This year’s finalists are:
Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership
Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership is nominated for its work to expand travel options throughout Cambridge and improve access sustainably along Milton Road. Cambridge, one of the UK’s fastest-growing cities, has a population of 145,700, up 29% since 2001. Milton Road’s transformation, completing in 2024, features new crossings, floating bus stops, and over 200 trees to support active travel and better links to Cambridge North station and the Chisholm Trail. The Greater Cambridge Greenways, a network of walking and cycling routes, will connect villages to the city by 2026, with safer crossings, widened paths, and upgraded infrastructure already in place on key routes. Four new busways and a fleet of electric buses funded by a £4.295m ZEBRA grant are cutting emissions and improving air quality. Autonomous vehicle trials are also underway, with further routes planned for 2025. The Chisholm Trail and award-winning Histon Road projects have created safer, greener, and more accessible travel options, improving links to employment and community hubs.Highland Council with HITRANS & Stagecoach North Scotland
Highland Council with HITRANS & Stagecoach North Scotland is nominated for its transportation upgrades to Inverness. Efforts include introducing the UK’s first fully electric bus network, launched in February 2023 with 25 zero-emission buses funded by a £10.8m investment, supported by ScotZEB. Additional measures include bus priority signals at key junctions and the Raigmore Bus Gate to improve service reliability and reduce congestion. Active travel infrastructure continues to expand, with the Inverness City Active Travel Network delivering safe, inclusive routes like the Raigmore Active Travel Link and Riverside Way. Improvements at the Raigmore Interchange and Millburn Road are underway, alongside projects to enhance public spaces and reduce car trips. HITRANS’ HI-BIKE eBike share scheme, mobility hubs like Torvean, and expanded EV car clubs further support sustainable choices. Inverness Airport Station, opened in 2023, enhances regional connectivity with active travel links and a £42m investment in rail infrastructure. The GO-HI platform integrates multi-modal travel options, incentivising sustainable travel through rewards and offering free connections between the airport and rail station. Additionally, reduced 20mph speed limits across the city align with Scotland’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate road fatalities by 2050.Medway Council & Project Centre
Medway Council & Project Centre are nominated for the Healthier Streets Programme. Launched in 2023, the programme aims to enhance road safety, reduce congestion and idling traffic, improve connectivity, promote sustainable transport, and improve air quality, particularly near schools. It supports broader goals outlined in the Council Strategy 2023–2024 and prioritises technology and community engagement to encourage behaviour change. A specialised team combining expertise in parking, climate, engagement, and sustainable transport led the programme’s delivery. Within one fiscal year, the team implemented five strategic red routes, seven school streets, and moving traffic enforcement at eight locations. These initiatives reflect the Council’s commitment to serving the region’s diverse transport needs while promoting safety, sustainability, and reliability across its network.London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden is nominated for the Camden Transport Strategy (CTS), adopted in 2019, which outlines a vision to transform transport and mobility in Camden. It aligns with broader policies addressing the climate emergency, air quality, and public realm improvements. Key targets include achieving “Vision Zero” (no deaths or serious injuries from traffic) by 2041, quadrupling the cycling mode share, ensuring 50% of trips are on foot, reducing motor traffic by 25%, and cutting CO₂ and NOx emissions by 80% and 95%, respectively, by 2041. Over 30 modal filters have been implemented to restrict through-traffic in residential streets, moving towards a target of 33% street coverage. The number of Healthy School Streets has expanded from 3 to over 30, with plans to roll out these schemes borough-wide by 2025. Camden has established London’s largest network of dockless bike and e-scooter parking bays, increasing from 200 bays to a planned 280 by 2025, supporting over 300,000 trips in June 2024 alone. EV charging points and cycle hangars have increased by 300% since 2019, reaching 563 and 313 units, respectively. These measures have produced measurable impacts. Mode share for cycling and walking has increased from 4% (2017 baseline) to 6.5% (2022) and from 42% to 49% (2023), respectively. Road safety has improved significantly, with annual deaths and serious injuries falling by over 35% since 2014. Emissions reductions have also been substantial, with NOx emissions halved since 2013, CO₂ levels reduced by 15%, and PM10 levels down by 27%. Motor traffic volumes dropped by 15% between 2019 and 2023, and car ownership in the borough declined by 22% between 2016 and 2022, the largest such reduction in London.
Acclaimed Irish stand-up comedian Andrew Ryan has been announced as the special guest host of CiTTi Awards 2024. He will reveal all the winners on Tuesday November 26 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in central London.
The ceremony will be attended by 200 of the UK’s leading transport professionals from local, regional and central government and other place stakeholders – including landowners, developers, and business improvement districts – and their project partners, such as architects, planners, contractors, and technology companies.
Guests will be greeted with a drinks reception held in the Balmoral Suite ahead of the winners being announced within the impressive surrounds of the Grand Hall, which features arched ornate ceilings, beautiful wood-panelling and dramatic chandeliers.
November’s trophy-giving ceremony and public announcement of the winners follows a thorough and exacting shortlisting and judging process, which saw more than 20 transport industry experts evaluate written entries and Zoom-based presentations from nearly 90 organisations across 20 categories.
Tables of 10 and individual tickets can be purchased here. Each seat booked includes a ticket that grants each guest access to the pre-ceremony drinks reception, a three-course dinner, the trophy-giving presentation and invaluable networking opportunities.
Anyone is welcome to attend CiTTi Awards 2024. You do not need to be an finalist to book, so secure your place now for this year’s most exciting social event in the UK transportation sector’s calendar!
The third annual CiTTi Awards will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector – and to book your table!
