Darren Capes
ITS Policy Lead , Department for TransportDarren Capes has over 30 years’ experience working in local and central Government. A qualified civil engineer and Fellow of the IET and IHE, Darren’s career has encompassed most areas of municipal engineering with particular emphasis on design, construction and evaluation, transport planning, and technology development and implementation.
Darren has a particular interest in emerging transport technologies and the readiness of local highway authorities for the challenges that new vehicle and data technologies will bring. His previous role as Transport Systems Manager for City of York Council focussed on this area as does his current role, leading local authority ITS policy at the UK Department for Transport.
Darren is Vice President of the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE), and Chair of the Transport Policy Panel of the Institution of Engineering and technology (IET). He manages the Transport Technology Forum for the DfT and speaks regularly on the challenges of emerging transport technology in the UK and internationally, including to the House of Commons Transport Select Committee and House of Lords Science Select Committee.
My Speaker Sessions
Tuesday 06 June 2023
Introducing the Manual for Smart Streets
- The DfT has recently produced guidance on the procurement and use of technology by road authorities. Working with the Connected Places Catapult, it has released the frst issue of the Manual for Smart Streets, an interactive web resource hosted by the Transport Technology Forum (www.ttf.uk.net).
- It provides local authorities and others working the sector clear guidance for the use of technology to meet the coming challenges faced by local road operators.
- Darren will outline the aims of the project and the ways in which MfSS and the wider support from TTF can assist in the use of new and emerging technologies to meet the operational and policy challenges the sector faces.
Wednesday 07 June 2023
Traffic signal maintenance
- In 2021, the DfT issued a challenge to local authorities to bid for funding to upgrade traffic signals. This funding allocation, of £15m was innovative in the way it challenged authorities to think not only about the immediate needs maintaining their assets but also the longer term aims of technology.
- The 39 successful authorities who each received grants of £500,000 or £250,000 were the ones that demonstrated a clear technology vision and an understanding of the role of traffic signalling and control in a modern road network.
- Now the programme has completed, Darren will offer an assessment of it’s success and the degree it has achieved it’s aims of improving traffic signal equipment in England and help local authorities to prepare for the future. He will also discuss the DfT’s view of this programme and it’s likely impact on future funding opportunities.