news

A consortium including FEHRL has been awarded a contract by the EC’s DG Transport to assess the likely effects if a number of different amendments to EC regulations on truck masses and dimensions were to be permitted.  This consortium led by the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) brings together a number of key national experts including FEHRL members TRL (UK), LCPC (France), BASt (Germany), VTI (Sweden) and RWS DVS (Netherlands). Together with our partners (NEA, NL and Setra, France), one of the project objectives will be to review the implications if longer and/or heavier trucks were to be permitted in the different member states of Europe. 

The FEHRL Secretariat is pleased to announce the appointment of Laurie Ferrier to the post of Finance Officer. Ms. Laurie Ferrier is based at FEHRL's office in Brussels where she is in charge of the follow-up of the accounts,  as well as being responsible for the financial part of FEHRL’s projects, which often involves FEHRL’s members & the European Commission. Laurie will be replacing Ester Escoda who will be moving abroad at the end of the month. We thank Ester for all of her hard work and welcome Laurie to the team.

 The International Transport Forum (ITF)  and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP),  have partnered to offer an award for "Outstanding Innovation in Public Transport". The award will recognise innovative projects or initiatives that improve or have improved the quality, sustainability, and inter-modality of public transport services. The award will be presented at the 2010 International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany, on 27 May 2010.

The International Transport Forum is offering a “Young Researcher Award” (under 35) to recognise a young researcher, or researchers. Participants are asked to submit a paper based on the 2010 Forum theme: “Transport and Innovation”.

The 2010 TRB 89th Annual Meeting will be held in Washington, D.C., on January 10th-14th, 2010. FEHRL will exhibit its many projects at booth number 3608. TRB will cover all transportation modes, with more than 3,000 presentations in nearly 600 sessions addressing topics of interest to all attendees—policy makers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, and representatives of government, industry, and academic institutions. The spotlight theme for 2010 is Investing in Our Transportation Future – Bold Ideas to Meet Big Challenges. The expected attendance is more than 10,000 transportation professionals. Please click here to see the FEHRL programme.

OPEN CALL FOR PROJECT TEAM EXPERTS for the execution of the work called for in the grant agreement SA/CEN/ENTR/000/2007-22 European Standardisation in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems. The deadline is January 7th  and applications should be submitted via national standards bodies. For further information, please consult this document (.pdf).

The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has called for a minimum standardisation of markings, traffic lights and traffic signs for pedestrian crossings where it is claimed that one quarter of 8,000 pedestrians deaths occur in Europe.

Applicants are invited for 10 PhD researcher positions as part of a Marie Curie Initial Training Network into infrastructure management. TEAM have positions available in Dublin, Paris, Nottingham, Graz, Copenhagen and Lausanne. The positions are organised into 3 research themes, Pavement Service Life Optimisation, Enhancing Structural Capacity, and Bridge Loading Impacts. Interested cendidates should apply no later than January 29th, 2010. Application forms and further information is available at www.ucd.ie/team.

FEHRL's South African institute has published a special edition on climate change focusing on the needs of their country.  The eNews includes a report on their researchers presentation to Parliament and an audit report that research should focus more on adaptation to climate change. 

LCPC, the French Research Laboratory for Public Works, celebrated its 60th anniversary on the 30th of November 2009 in Paris, France. Claude Van Rooten, President of FEHRL was in attendence. His speech can be downloaded here (only in French).