I write detailed, factual reports that make an argument.
Reports
The sector produces plenty of documents already, but not many make a clear, powerful case. Consultancies write reports full of graphs but daren’t make an argument in case it frightens a potential client. Think tanks make arguments but the author generally hasn’t spent decades embedded in the sector. A deeply sourced, readable report by a named practitioner who takes a position and defends it remains rare, and that is the gap these reports fill.
I only write reports I believe in
I take these commissions on only when the argument is one I’d make anyway, which is why I enjoy writing them and why people enjoy reading them.
If you want to know what I think before you ask, read the blog. My views on most of the live questions in transport are already public, so you can establish in advance whether my honest conclusion is one you would want published.
The reports so far
Mini Switzerland
Funded by the Foundation for Integrated Transport. The case for creating a national demonstrator of Swiss-style integrated transport in one British rural area. The report made the argument descriptively, showing what the Swiss approach would mean on the ground in the Hope Valley. Mini Switzerland is now funded with £6m from the Department for Transport and £6m from the East Midlands Combined County Authority.
Trams and Towns
Funded by the RAC Foundation. This made the case for using trams as a catalyst for housebuilding. The report was deliberately built from stakeholders’ experiences rather than from modelling, exploring the starting positions of politicians and civil servants, then taking them to France to see actual housing schemes unlocked by trams – and interviewing them about their perceptions as they changed.
Digital PAYG
Commissioned by FAIRTIQ This makes the case that towns and regions are making a mistake seeking “London-style” ticketing, because the world has moved on. Instead of contactless, I argue that Digital Pay As You Go is the right ticketing architecture for Britain’s cities and regions, built on interviews with practitioners across the industry.
Commission a report
If there is a question in your part of the sector that deserves the definitive treatment, we should talk. The deal is the same for every funder: a report I believe in, or no report.