1. TRANSPORT RESEARCH
LABORATORY
UNITED KINGDOM
• RHIYA SINGH
• SUVANKAR HALDER

2. WHAT IS TRL?
 TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) is
one of the largest and most
comprehensive independent centres for
the study of land transport in the world.
 For more than 70 years TRL has
developed research-based technical
knowledge that enables clients to obtain
a better understanding of transport
problems and to improve the value for
money.

3.  Transport Research Laboratory is an
internationally recognised centre for
transport research, providing
consultancy, advice and solutions
across a wide range of transport
related issues
 TRL was originally established in
1933 by the UK Government as the
Road Research Laboratory (RRL), it
was privatised in 1996.

4. HEADQUATERS
 TRL is based in Crowthorne,
Berkshire, with additional offices in
Scotland and Wales.

5. KEY AREAS OF WORK
 TRL's key areas of work include road,
network and vehicle safety; traffic
management; planning and control;
investigations and risk management;
transport infrastructure; and
environmental assessment including
work on climate change, noise and air
pollution.

6. AIM OF TRL
 One of TRL's primary objectives is to
conduct commissioned research,
investigations, studies and tests to the
highest levels of quality, reliability and
impartiality. We carry out our work in a
way that ensures our customers
receive results that not only meet the
project specification but are also
geared to rapid and effective
implementation.

7. Improving Sustainabilit Journey Time Managing Intelligent
Safety y Sustainab Reliability Infrastructure Transport
Sustainable Managed
le Cities Tackling
Constructio Motorways
Vehicle Congestion
n
Safety Asset
Sustainable Road User
Network Manageme
Transport Charging
User Performanc nt
Safety e
Environment Travel Reliability & Human
al Behavior Materials Factors
Accident
Investigatio Assessment
n

8. Their expert research
covers how vehicles
react during an impact
with other vehicles or
objects at varying
speeds, conditions and
locations including
frontal, side, pole and
rear impacts

9. It understand that safety
is just one of the issues
facing governments,
transport providers and
operators. From walking
to aviation, it working
towards significant
improvements in how we
travel safely.

10. TRL provides expert teams
of scientists and consultants
across a broad spectrum of
technical specialism in
incident investigation and
reconstruction. They're
backed up by a range of
advanced examination
techniques, sophisticated
technology and computer
modeling facilities.

11. Sustainable development is of key
importance in the urban
environment. Urban planning must
address the housing, employment,
health, education and transportation
needs of inhabitants, whilst ensuring
access to services such as shopping
and leisure facilities and providing for
waste management. TRL is helping its
clients in the drive to develop sustainable cities through
sustainable urban planning and management.

12. Transport has an important role
in sustainable development,
helping to create communities
which are socially inclusive,
improving access to key
services and contributing to
emission reductions to address
climate change. TRL is a world
leader in travel behavior, the
social impacts of transport and
the links between the physical
environment and travel choice.

13. Environmental assessment
is vital to understanding the
changing quality of our
environment and to
ensuring that future
planning and policy have
minimal adverse impact.
TRL has expertise in
environmental assessment
at all scales, from individual
projects to national and
international policy.

14. TRL has been researching
congestion problems for
over 30 years and has seen
many solutions
implemented, such as
Controlled Motorways, ramp
metering, driver information
and junction re-design.
Without these solutions,
congestion would be
significantly worse than it is
now. However, continuing
traffic growth means
congestion continues to

15. The Network Performance
Group has supported road
network operations and
conducted research involving:
Controlled Motorways; active
traffic management; network
management tools; operation
of abnormal loads; and
development and calculation
of the Public Service
Agreement Journey Time
Reliability Targets.

16. Understanding individuals'
attitudes and travel
behavior is key to
developing sustainable
transport schemes that
meet user needs and
encourage modal shift.
Their team includes staff
with specialist experience
in demand management,
smarter choices, promoting
more sustainable travel
modes and understanding
travel choices.

17. The construction industry is
subject to various legislative
duties connected with waste
and natural resource
management. For many
years TRL has been working
with the construction
industry and its suppliers to
maximize resource efficiency
and improve waste
management.

18. TRL offers a strategic
approach that identifies the
optimal allocation of
resources for the
management, operation,
preservation and
enhancement of the highway
infrastructure that meets the
needs of current and future
customers.

19. TRL has been undertaking
research into the assessment
of road condition for over 75
years. We're responsible for
much of the research that's
developed the UK standard
devices used for measuring
surface and structural
condition, as well as the
standards and advice
associated with the
interpretation of their
measurements.

20. TRL has worked with the
Highways Agency on three
options for managed
motorways, from their initial
conception and
development to
implementation. The options
are Controlled Motorways,
Active Traffic Management
and, more recently, Basic
Controlled Motorways.

21. Engineering measures
have helped to reduce
road accident injury and
fatality rates dramatically.
However, further gains
may be achieved by
understanding the way
people behave and their
underlying attitudes.
TRL’s human factors team
researches all types of
road users, including
motorcyclists,
pedestrians, cyclists,

22. TRL has a long history of
involvement in road pricing
schemes dating back to
early work on the first
London proposal in the
1970s. Our involvement
with road pricing research
and consultancy has
brought TRL experts into
regular contact with the
main UK stakeholders for
road pricing programmer.

23. VISIONS AND VALUES
 TRL's desire is to create the future of
transport and under-pinned by their
vision to be a world leader in
evidence-based transport solutions
that are efficient, accessible, clean
and safe.
 All of these core values come
together to inspire confidence in the
customers and partners that TRL is
able to meet their requirements in
every way.

25. ORGANISATION AND
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
TRL employs around 400 technical
professionals, including engineers,
mathematicians, physicists, psychologists,
geologists, computer experts and
statisticians.
Dr Susan Sharland Chief Executive of
TRL and its parent
company the
Transport Research
Foundation (TRF)
sinceOctober 2001.
Tim Andrews Finance Director

26. Ian Graham General Manager
Tim Strong Director,
Transportation
Bob Collis Director,
Infrastructure
Tracy Savill Director, Safety
Steve Anderson Director,
Product Testing
Neil Paulley Director, TRL
Academy

27. TRL ACADEMY
 For over 75 years TRL has operated
at the forefront of technical excellence,
developing transport solutions around
the world. The TRL Academy was
created in 2006 to act as an
overarching framework for managing
TRL’s existing science, engineering
and research activities, as well as
providing a focus for driving future
excellence.

28.  The Academy delivers long-term
research programmes and projects that
develop major IPR, increasing our
intellectual capital, knowledge and
understanding.
 The Academy is a body of learning and
enquiry, operating in close co-operation
with other leading establishments and
generating work of high impact
throughout the transport and research
community. The Academy provides a
focus for staff from across TRL to
investigate technical issues and provide
innovative solutions capable of opening
up, significant new options for policy
development, operations and products.

29.  The Academy's aims include:
 promoting TRL’s commitment to technical expertise and
scientific development, providing a base from which to
grow programmes of research of high intellectual quality
with significant impact in terms of solving today’s and
tomorrow’s transport challenges
 developing the scientific expertise of TRL staff
 providing the focus for TRL academic activities,
including links with universities and the professional
institutions, training and professional development,
studentships, university teaching and knowledge
sharing
 enabling joint working with the academic sector so as to
strengthen research and its applications; promoting and
co-ordinating other academic activities; encouraging
exchange relationships for staff; and utilising cross-
institutional expertise to help influence new directions in
transport thinking
 administrating an internally funded longer-term research
programme, which is designed to develop the capability
and knowledge that our customers will need in the
longer term.

30. TRL WORKING WITH
ENVIRONMENT
 TRL has dedicated environmental
teams set up across the business
working on a range of projects. It
continue to be at the forefront of
sustainable development through the
Centre for Sustainability and Strategic
Environmental Assessment initiatives.

31.  We're heavily involved in projects for
customers based upon fuel economy and
reducing CO2 emissions as well as topical
issues including climate change. We continue
to undertake environmental projects that
explore the use of recycled materials for
roads and sustainable construction.
 TRL operates a green travel scheme at our
head office in Crowthorne. Staff are
encouraged to car-share, cycle, walk, take
public transport or motorcycle to work. Those
who choose these modes of transport are
recognised and rewarded internally. In
addition we use recycled materials where
possible and continually look to improve our
green activities year on year.

32. FUNDING
 As a national transport research
laboratory, TRL operates worldwide
and has developed close working links
with many other international transport
centres. It is a non-profit distributing
company whose customers include
central government, local and regional
authorities, foreign governments,
consultants and international aid
agencies.

33.  To maintain its commercial
independence and impartiality, TRL is
owned by the Transport Research
Foundation, a non-profit distributing
foundation overseen by 80 sector
members from the transport industry.

34. 2011 RESEARCH REVIEW
In its recently published 2011 Annual Research
Review, TRL shares its research highlights for the
year, as well as focussing on selected topics which
include:
 Carbon aware travel choice for sustainable
mobility
 Managing motorways from the roadside:
investigating the feasibility of using verge-
mounted variable message signs to implement
Managed Motorways
 The influence of car registration year on driver
casualty rates in Great Britain
 Durability of thin surfacing systems after nine
years' monitoring
 The effects of increased police enforcement
along a route in London

35.  The Annual Research Review also describes
our main scientific achievements and
highlights key papers and presentations,
awards and citations. It also notes some of
the prominent and influential technical
committees that our staff have been engaged
with.
 As the development of knowledge and
expertise is crucial to their business, they
have also provided descriptions of the more
fundamental research work that they are
undertaking, some of which is funded by TRL
themselves and the parent body, the
Transport Research Foundation (TRF), but
also by UK Research Councils, the European
Commission and other European
organisations.

36. IMPACT OF TRL
TRL’s advice:
 has led to the setting of national casualty
reduction targets
 allows road authorities and businesses to
better target resources to manage risk
 contributes to the design, test, manufacture,
sale and even the racing of safer vehicles.
TRL’s capabilities are broad, reflecting the
many factors that contribute to accidents and
their mitigation. For instance, the scientists are
improving understanding of people and
are advising on safer road, network and vehicle
designs for road and rail.

37. THANK YOU 