Engineers Excellence Awards Shortlist - IRELAND

SYSTRA with Jacobs have been nominated for the Engineers Ireland Excellence Award 2016 under the Technical Innovation category for the work undertaken in developing the National Transport Authority’s (NTA) Regional Modelling System (RMS).

The RMS comprises five large-scale, technically complex, detailed and multi-modal regional transport models covering the entire national transport network. The first project of its kind in Ireland, its development has been led by the NTA through the use of a collaborative approach with consultants Jacobs and SYSTRA. The innovative project delivery has ensured that the finalised model now ranks amongst the most advanced of its kind anywhere in the world.

The level of detail within each model is such that land-use and transportation development assessments and planning can be accurately undertaken at a level not heretofore possible.

The models are used in the assessment of transport policies and schemes that have a local, regional and national impact. The RMS underpinned the development of the NTA’s Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2016 – 2035, the first strategy of its kind to be granted statutory approval.

They facilitate the assessment of proposed transport schemes at both macro and micro level and are a pre-requisite to creating effective transport strategies.

This improved certainty facilitates more informed decision-making in relation to strategic land use and transportation, thus optimising future growth and infrastructure development across the country.

The multi-modal element of the RMS firmly puts sustainable transport at the forefront of strategic decision-making.

With some €10bn earmarked for investment in transport infrastructure over the next seven years, a conservative 1% improvement as a result of RMS assessment equates to savings of €100m, disregarding the numerous other social and economic benefits that will also arise.