ACT TravelWise Awards 2009 - closing date 19th October

Send your entry to us now in order to grab a chance for recognition of your and your organisation's travel planning and work within the sustainable transport sector.

The awards will be presented at the gala dinner at the National autumn conference on 23rd November at the Assembly rooms in Newcastle.

To enter the ACT TravelWise Awards download the entry form and guidance notes below or call Rhiân on 01273 272 936 or email rhian@actravelwise.org to have one sent to you.

The judges this year are:-

 This year we are pleased to announce our judges are:-

- Stephen Joseph - Campaign for Better Transport

- Neil Scales - Chief Executive & Director General of Merseytravel Chief Executive and Director General since 1999, Neil has full responsibility for the operation of Merseytravel, which incorporates the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive and Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority (PTA),

Under Neil, Merseytravel has been transformed into one of the best transport authorities in the UK, being recognised as PTA of the Year in 2004 and 2005. Merseytravel and its Local Authority partners were awarded a double ‘excellent’ from the Department for Transport for the Merseyside Local Transport Plan (LTP) for 2006-2011 and for the implementation of the LTP for 2001-2006. The PTA and its district partners also achieved Centre of Excellence status for Local Transport Delivery and Integrated Public Transport Planning, and Merseytravel is also only the second PTA in history to have been awarded ‘Beacon’ status.

Before joining Merseytravel, Neil was an independent transport and engineering consultant, carrying out work for the World Bank on various projects across Europe.

Neil is a member of the Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT) advising government on transport policy and is a board member of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership. Amongst his other responsibilities, he chairs ACT TravelWise which promotes sustainable travel, and until recently, after nine years ITSO, the Integrated Smartcard Organisation. Neil is Chair of pteg, the organisation that represents PTEs in England to government. In addition Neil was recently elected President of European Platform on Mobility Management (EPOMM) which are a network of governments in European countries that are engaged in mobility management.

- Lynn founded specialist consultancy Transport for Quality of Life in 2002. She works on travel behaviour change, and is currently leading the 'Smarter Choices Follow On Study', an evaluation of the three English Sustainable Travel Towns for DfT. She is also Vice Chair of the Commission for Integrated Transport, and a board member of Cycling England, the body set up by the Department for Transport to increase levels of cycling. She is an honorary senior research associate with the Centre for Transport Studies at University College London. She was formerly Assistant Director of Transport 2000, now Campaign for Better Transport, and Special Adviser to the Board of Transport for London. She has 16 years experience in the transport field.

Graham Riley - Highways Agency - Regional Programme Manager

- Graham has worked in the travel behaviour change sector for 27 years, and, as well as his mainstream career in the puublic sector is a past national Chair of trhe Institute of Road Safety Officers, was Technical Director of the Eurocities 'Access' Mobility Management group and was Regional School Travel Adviser for Yorkshire and the Humber for 2 years.

- Joanne Rainbow - Travel Plan Coordinator Coventry City Council

Joanne Rainbow was originally born in Bedfordshire, but came to Coventry to study European Business and Technology at Coventry University. She has remained in Coventry since then, working for a variety of organisations including Coventry City Football Club and the local Chamber of Commerce, specialising in marketing to the business sector. Now working for Coventry City Council, Joanne has been a Workplace Travel Plan Co-ordinator since 2001, except for a year's secondment to co-ordinate the International Children's Games, which took place in Coventry in 2005. This event was an International Olympic Committee sanctioned event in which 1500 12-15 year olds competed in a variety of sporting events. Her current role includes working with organisations and developers creating travel plans, mentoring new travel plan co-ordinators in the area and co-ordinating both local and regional events to promote sustainable transport. She also has the tricky task of co-ordinating the Council's own travel plan.

Heather McInroy - Programme Director NBTN