Professor Peter Bonsall
- Position: Emeritus Professor of Transport Planning
- Areas of expertise: Travel demand forecasting; Travel demand management; Driver route choice; Survey methodologies; Appraisal methods; Car sharing initiatives
- Email: P.W.Bonsall@leeds.ac.uk
Profile
Research Grants and Contracts (as director or project manager unless stated otherwise)
1972-74 Construction of simulation model of air traffic control systems, production of software for freight vehicle routing and scheduling, programming of statistical packages (as Programmer) (Eurocontrol)
1974-76 Transport modelling; assignment algorithms, evaluation, policy testing, sensitivity analysis, graphical display of outputs (as Research Assistant) (SERC)
1976-79 Microsimulation of car sharing schemes, stated intention surveys, Monte Carlo sampling, policy simulations (as Research Officer) (TRRL).
1979-81 Organisation and monitoring of car sharing schemes (SERC)
1981-84 Building a model of car park choice (SERC)
1982-86 Monitoring the impact of video teleconferencing on the demand for travel (British Telecom)
1983-84 Monitoring the interaction between communications and travel (SERC)
1983-84 Organisation of transport functions in metropolitan areas (WYMCC)
1983-84 Drivers' route choice in congested urban networks (SERC)
1983-86 The role of expert systems in transport (SERC)
1983-85 Automatic recognition of spoken data (SERC)
1986‑87 Assessment of hand held data capture devices (SERC)
1986‑88 Variability and unpredictability of journey times in urban areas (SERC)
1987‑88 User response to new road capacity (ESRC)
1987‑90 Community valuation of transport services (ESRC)
1988‑90 Engineering applications of speech recognition technology (SERC)
1988 Comparative evaluation methodologies for Berlin's LISB and London's Autoguide (TRRL)
1988‑90 Travel time variability, route choice and route guidance: research associated with Berlin LISB (SERC)
1988‑91 Project selection ‑ decision aids (ESRC)
1989 Examining the feasibility of measuring responses to new highway capacity (TRRL)
1989-92 Automatic monitoring of vehicle conflicts (SERC)
1989‑91 Integration of dynamic route guidance and traffic control systems (EU DGXIII DRIVE)
1989‑92 Fundamental requirements for full scale dynamic route guidance systems (SERC Rolling Programme I)
1991 Investigation of Dutch drivers' responses to guidance advice (Rijkswaterstaat)
1992 Assessment of the benefits of route guidance in Berlin (TRL)
1992-94 Examining the use of Quick-Response models in policy optimisation (SERC)
1992-94 Modelling and appraisal of route guidance systems (EU DGXIII DRIVE)
1992-95 Monitoring and Evaluating driver response to roadside variable message signs (EU DGXIII DRIVE)
1993-95 Fundamental requirements for full scale dynamic route guidance systems (EPSRC Rolling Programme II)
1993 Analysis of deceleration, accident and driver alertness data (DOT)
1994 Social Impacts of Transport Policy (EU DGVII)
1995-96 Surveys of public transport use in London (London Committee on Accessible Transport)
1996-98 Evaluating driver response to road user charging systems (EPSRC)
1996-98 Appraisal of route guidance systems (EU DGXIII)
1996-99 Evaluation of Parking Guidance and Information Systems (EPSRC)
1997 Further development of PLUTO transport planning software (DOT)
1997 Feasibility of measuring traffic induced by motorways round Manchester (MVA for DOT)
1998 Specification of behavioural models to assess information provision strategies (TRL for UK Highways Agency)
1999 Analysis of data on behavioural response to road user charges and workplace parking levies in Leeds (MVA for Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Metro)
1999-01 Specialist advice on Traffic, Transportation and Economics (Call-off contracts via Halcrow and WS Atkins for the Highways Agency)
2000-03 Equity Implications of Road User Charging (DETR)
2000-04 Misperceptions of Public Transport (EPSRC)
2001-02 Specailist Advice on Monitoring the Ten Year Plan (call-off contract via Oscar Faber for the Commission for Integrated Transport)
2001-03 Car Sharing and Car Clubs (DTLR and the Motorists’ Forum)
2002-04 Enhancing the Road Travel Experience (Rees Jeffreys Road Fund)
2002-05 Prediction of E-economy Impacts on Transport (EU DGVII)
2004 Road user Charging – Pricing Structures (DfT)
2005-07 Consumer Response to Pricing Structures (DfT)
2005-08 Optimal Complexity in User Charges (leader of workpackage within larger project on Infrastructure Pricing) (EU DGTREN)
2006 The potential role of new technologies in the National travel Survey (DfT)
2006-08 User reaction and efficient differentiation of charges and tolls (EU DGTREN)
2008 Acceptability and Effectiveness of Road charging (as contributor) (TfL)
2008 Soft Factors Affecting the demand for buses (as contributor) (DfT)
2009-11 Improving Local and Regional Connectivity of Long Distance trips (“INTERCONNECT”) (EU)
2009 Influencing behaviour (DfT)
2010-11 Economics and Carbon benefits of Plug-in vehicles (ETI)
PERSONAL CONSULTANCY AND COMMISSIONS:
1981‑82 Consultant to Department of Transport (DOT) on the organisation of car sharing and pooling initiatives
1983‑84 Commissioned by WYMCC to contribute to an assessment of the provision of transport planning functions in metropolitan areas
1984‑88 Consultant to NVI (Netherlands) on data capture techniques, surveys and stated preference analyses
1984‑85 Consultant to Jamieson Mackay on traffic generation aspects of Edinburgh Western Relief Road
1984‑85 Commissioned author of the section on parking for the Department of Transports' good practice manual: "Roads and Traffic in Urban Areas"
1984 Subcontracted contributor to EEC review of community transport initiatives
1985 Contracted to analyse safety of pedestrian crossings on the Leeds Ring Road
1986 Contracted to analyse car ownership trends in West Yorkshire
1987 Contracted by West Yorkshire PTE to analyse attitudes to prepayment on public transport in West Yorkshire
1988 Contracted to analyse accident potential at traffic signals in Leeds
1988-91 Advisor to West Yorkshire PTE on survey design and analysis
1989 Subcontracted to assist in the appraisal of the proposed M74 motorway
1989-90 Subcontracted advisor to TRRL project to develop methods of modelling congestion on inter-urban networks
1989-90 Subcontracted advisor to DOT project to develop revised procedures for before-and-after monitoring of major schemes
1990-91 Subcontracted advisor to DOT on errors and uncertainties in urban traffic appraisal models
1990-91 Subcontracted advisor to Dutch Ministry of Transport on car sharing initiatives
1991-92 Subcontracted contributor to TRRL’s research agenda for the study of adaptive response to congestion
1992 Advisor to DOT on appropriate structures for models of road pricing in London
1992 Contracted supplor of training course on transport policy formulation for Hong Kong Polytechnic
1992-93 Subcontracted advisor to Dutch Ministry of Transport on car sharing initiatives and on the structure of car pooling models
1993 Subcontracteed advisor to DoT on behavioural responses to changes in levels of transport service
1993 Advisor to DOT's Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Assessment on appraisal of evidence on the effect that new roads have on traffic flow
1993 Contracted to supply training course on transport policy formulation for Melbourne University
1996 Subcontracted advisor to Western Australia Department of Transport on High Occupancy Vehicle priority measures.
1997 Subcontracted advisor to Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) on driver response to variable message signs.
1997 Advisor to West Yorkshire PTE on passenger survey strategy.
1998 Subcontractor to DETR on the development of a guide to best practice in the reallocation of highway capacity to other purposes
1999-00 Advisor to Highways Agency on Evaluation of Toolkit Measures (Expert Review panel with Professors McDonald and Allsop)
1999-02 Subcontractor to TRL to provide independent assessment of input to the Highways Agency’s research programme on Understanding Travel Behaviour
1999 Special advisor to EPSRC project, at Southampton University, assessing the impacts of the petrol crisis of September 2000
1999 Expert Advisor to consortium led by Halcrow providing advice to SERCO in respect of driver response to messages provided via TCC
2001-04 Subcontracted by Faber-Maunsell to provide Independent Assessment of input to the Highways Agency’s research programme on Understanding Travel Behaviour
2002-03 Expert Advisor to Department for Transport on evidence as to the effectiveness of “soft” methods of managing travel demand
2002-05 Expert Advisor to Mott MacDonald on Highways Agency contract to monitor the effectiveness of Active Traffic Management on the M42 Motorway
2003 Technical Auditor for the Greek National Travel Observatory
2004-05 Expert Advisor to National Centre for Social Research on DfT contract to design a local household survey
2004 Special Advisor to Highways Agency on the specification of the monitoring requirements of the proposed High Occupancy Vehicle Lane on the M1
2005 Assistance to SDG on issues to be included when monitoring the impacts of a westward extension of the London Congestion Charge Zone
2005-06 Subcontracted by Ove Arup to assisst with development of a Transport Vision for West Yorkshire (on behalf of West Yorkshire PTE)
2006 Subcontracted by Atkins to assist in the development on a tool to assist in targeting of public transport marketing effort (on behalf of Greater Manchester PTE)
2006-08 Contracted to assist Leeds City Region Congestion Partnership in preparation of their bids to the Transport Innovation Fund
2006-08 Independent auditor of Individual Travel Marketing programmes in Darlington and Peterborough
2007 Independent reviewer of Liverpool’s City Centre Movement Strategy
2008 Invited member of DfT’s expert panel on sustainable travel initiatives
2008 Advisor to Scottish Government on sustainable travel initiatives
2010 Advisor to Dutch Government’s study of the Value of Time
2011-12 Advisor to EU project “ORIGAMI” on survey issues.
OTHER ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES AND APPOINTMENTS:
1977-12 Referee and occasional book reviewer for various journals and publishers (Transportation, Environment and Planning, Transportation Research, Journal of Economics and Policy, Transportation Research Record, Oxford University Press, VNU Science Press, John Wiley, Transportation Planning and Technology, Control Engineering Practice, Urban Studies, European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research, Transport Policy)
1980 Member International Steering Group for Conference and Travel Behaviour (Oxford 1980)
1980-98 Member, PTRC Transport Planning Methods Committee (Chairman, 1986-89)
1982-83 UK Member of International Steering group for 2nd International Conference on Survey Methods in Transport (Hungerford Hill NSW 1983)
1984-85 Secretary to Universities Transport Study Group
1985 Expert Witness to Department of Transport's Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Appraisal (on treatment of uncertainty in forecasting).
1985-90 Academic Observer to the National Travel Survey
1986-90 Member, Executive Committee of Yorkshire Area Transport Group of the Institution of Civil Engineers.
1986-91 Chairman of judges for award of Neil Mansfield Prize for best paper at the annual PTRC conference.
1988 Member of Delphi panel organised by IASA to predict new technological developments in Transport
1988-89 Member, Scientific Committee of 5th World Conference on Transport Research (Yokohama 1989)
1989 Expert witness to House of Commons Select Committee on Transport - to speak on forecasting, appraisal and treatment of planning gain
1989-90 UK Member of International Steering Group for 3rd International Conference on Survey Methods in Transport (Washington DC 1990).
1989-91 Member, International Steering Group for 6th Conference of the International Association for Travel Behaviour Research (Quebec 1991)
1989-92 Member, Executive Committee of Universities Transport Study Group.
1990-12 Member, Committee on Travel Behaviour and Values, Transportation Research Board, Washington DC
1990-12 Referee on research grant applications for SERC (subsequently EPSRC)
1990-92 Member, Scientific Committee of 6th World Conference on Transport Research (Lyon 1992)
1991-94 Member, Scientific Committee Group for 7th Conference of the International Association for Travel Behaviour Research (Santiago, 1994).
1992 Keynote paper on the impact of new information technologies in transport at the 1992 Umwelttechnic, Vienna
1993 Expert Witness to Department of transport's Standing Advisory Committee on Trunk Road Appraisal (on determination of whether new roads generate traffic).
1993 Keynote speaker on "Route Choice Research" at Australian Universities annual Conference on Transport Research, Melbourne, Dec 1993
1993-12 Member, Editorial Advisory Board - Transport Research C (Intelligent Vehicle and Highway Systems)
1993-95 Member, Scientific Committee and Publications Committee of 7th World Conference on Transport Research (Sydney, 1995)
1995-10 Expert Review for Hong Kong University Grants Committee.
1995 Invited speaker on "Intelligent Transport Systems" in Brisbane, July 1995
1995 Invited speaker on Parking Guidance Systems at ITS Focus Conference in Glasgow, Oct 1995
1995-96 Joint Organiser of 4th International Conference on Survey Methods in Transport (Steeple Aston, 1996).
1996- 98 Member, Manchester Motorway Box Advisory Committee (Department of Transport)
1996-97 Member, Scientific Committee of 8th Conference of the International Association for Travel Behaviour Research (Austin, 1997).
1996-98 Vice Chairman, Scientific Committee of 8th World Conference onTransport Research (Antwerp, 1998).
1997 Chairman, expert round table on the impacts of highway capacity reductions (for DETR and London Transport)
1997 Invited speaker on Road Pricing at the Institute of Economic Affairs (Oct 1997),
1997-99 Member, Transport Taskforce for Leeds City Council’s Vision for Leeds
1998 Invited speaker on Road Pricing at a CIT conference in London (May 1998) and at a CIT meeting in Leeds (Oct 1998)
1998 Invited speaker at Trans Pennine Strategic Environmental Study Public Consultation, Huddersfield, Sept 1998
1998 Invited speaker at DETR/TRF conference on ‘Transport’s New Deal: the research we need to achieve it’ London, Nov 1998
1998 Invited speaker on Highway Capacity Reallocation at The Transport Economists Group meeting in London, Dec 1998
1998-00 Member, Scientific Committee for 9th Conference of the International Association for Travel Behaviour Research (Queensland, 2000)
1998-01 Vice Chairman, Scientific Committee of 9th World Conference on Transport Research (Seoul 2001)
1999 Invited speaker on road pricing at ICE meeting on “Breaking the Logjam” London, Jan 1999
1999 Lecture tour of Japan, lectures for Universities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Ehime and for the VERTIS organisation on ‘The design and validsation of route-choice simulators’, ‘Parking choice modelling’ and ‘Transport telematics evalyuation in the European Union’
1999 Invited speaker on ‘Road pricing:drivers’ dream or nightmare?’ at the Seventh Focus Conference, DERA, Great Malvern
1999 Member, DETR/EPSRC Programme Advisory Group for Future Integrated Transport
1999 Invited keynote speaker on ‘The UK’s’ Transport White Paper – Achieving Modal Shift’ at the Institute for Transport Policy Studies, Tokyo
1999-02 Member Scientific Committee for Second and Third International Conferences on Traffic and Transportation Studies (ICTTS) (Beijing, July 2000 and July 2002)
2001 Invited speaker at workshop on Traveller Behaviour in Networks (Bonn, December 2001)
2001-04 Member, Steering Group of the World Conference on Transport Research Society – responsibility for financial strategy
2002-08 Specialist reviewer for Australian Research Council
2002 Invited Speaker at Anglo-Irish Encounter Group Special Meeting on transport policy (Liverpool, April 2002)
2002 Specialist Reviewer for Irish Higher Education Council
2002 Invited Speaker at EMTA conference on ‘Transport and Land use policies – lessons for Public Authorities’ (Frankfurt, Oct 2002)
2002 Invited Speaker on ‘Long term Transport Planning Objectives for Leeds’ – Leeds Initiative, (Leeds, December 2002)
2002 Invited Speaker at First International Urban Traffic Broadcasting Forum (Beijing, December 2002)
2002-04 Member Scientific Committee for fourth and fifth International Conferences on Traffic and Transportation Studies (ICTTS) (Guelin July 2003, Dalian Aug 2004)
2003 Invited Speaker at Eirass conference on ‘User Response to ITS’, Delft, April 2003
2003 Invited Speaker at conference on ‘Understanding the Transport User’, London July 2003
2004 Invited Speaker on ‘Quality Surveys’ at Seventh International Conference on Survey Methods in Transport, Costa Rica, August 2004
2004 Invited Speaker on “Survey Standards” at a meeting of the Transport Statistics User Group, London, November 2004
2005 Invited presentation at First International Conference on Ethics in Transportation Research, KTH , Stockholm
2006 Invited presentation to World Bank on Transport Research priorities (Washington, January, 2006)
2008 Invited presentation on “Problems to be Overcome when Seeking Data on Sustainable Travel Behaviour” at International Conference on survey methods in Transport, Annecy, France
2008 Invited speaker on “The impact of technology on travel choices” at ESRC-TSB seminar on Mapping the Public policy landscape- Moving People More Intelligently, London October 2008
2008-10 UK representative for COST action TU0804
2009 Invited presentation on “Problems to be Overcome when Seeking Data on Sustainable Travel Behaviour” at US TRB, Washington DC Jan 2009
2009 Invited presentation on “Equity Issues in transport financing in the UK and elsewhere in Europe” at special TRB symposium on Equity issues in Transport Financing, Washington DC Sept 2009
2011 Expert Witness to House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology enquiry on promotion of behavioural change. Feb 2011
2011 Invited presentation to Manchester University’s “researching Mobilities” group, March 2011.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (as transport specialist acting pro-bono)
2013- Advisor to NWLTF (North West Leeds Transport Forum)
2014 NWLTF’s Expert Witness at Public Inquiry into proposed Leeds Trolleybus Scheme (also lead the technical cross-examination of the Applicants’ Expert Witnesses)
2015 Lead the preparation, on behalf of NWLTF, of a discussion document outlining an alternative strategy for investment in transport
2016 Inivited participant in Leeds City Council’s “Transport Summit”
2016 Invited witness giving evidence to Leeds City Council’s Scrutiny Panel Inquiry on “Lessons to be learned from the Trolleybus Inquiry”
2018 Lead the preparation, on behalf of NWLTF, of alternative plans for the alleviation of transport problems in the A660 Corridor and of the NWLTF response to plans for the corridor produced by Leeds City Council.
2018 Invited consultee on West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Connectivity Strategy
Research interests
Analysis of traveller choice (emphasis on modelling techniques and procedures for forecasting demand)
Impact of new technologies in Transport (emphasis on behavioural response)
Innovative methods of data collection
Bias in data collection
New priorities in transport planning
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>