Transport Simulator

Why transport authorities use Simulator for priority setting

Make infrastructure trade-offs visible

The public sees congestion, poor bus services, and inadequate cycling infrastructure but not the choices behind them. Why does a new tram line cost more than twenty years of bus improvements? Why can't every road have protected cycle lanes? Why do some transport projects take decades to deliver?

Simulator lets people allocate your actual budget or investment capacity across competing priorities—public transport, cycling infrastructure, road improvements, electrification, pedestrian safety—and see what happens when they prioritise one over another. When people try to fund everything adequately, they understand why these decisions take time and require difficult choices.

Turn wish lists into informed priorities

Traditional transport consultations often produce wish lists where people want everything improved simultaneously. Simulator forces actual choices with real consequences. Do they want a tram system or improved bus services? Protected cycle lanes or better road maintenance? Fast delivery or lower costs?

When Bristol City Council used Simulator to explore major transport infrastructure changes—trams, underground metro, improved rail routes—residents had to balance their preferences against budgetary considerations and wider city impacts. The council's Transport Policy Manager noted:

"I have received a number of comments on how easy it is to use and I am convinced that having the Simulator tool has encouraged more people to take part in the consultation than using traditional consultation methods."

Build understanding through the process itself

Simulator makes people more informed by participating. When residents balance transport priorities themselves—adjusting sliders and seeing real-time consequences—they gain appreciation for the complexities you navigate every day.

Glasgow City Council divided their 10-year transport plan into 15 categories and gave respondents 30 points to allocate. Each time someone adjusted a slider, they saw the likely impact of their decision. As Glasgow explained:

"This embedded information informs at the point of response, meaning that there is absolutely no prior knowledge required on the part of the respondent. What results is rich, insightful, informed feedback."

Reach people who care about transport, not just activists

Traditional transport consultations often hear from committed cycling campaigners or organised opposition to specific schemes. Simulator's interactive format appeals to everyday transport users—people commuting to work, parents doing school runs, residents concerned about air quality—who wouldn't normally respond to a consultation but are affected by your decisions every day.

Over 100 organisations globally have used Simulator to engage communities on transport priorities, getting broader participation than traditional consultation methods.

How to use Transport Simulator

1. Define your metrics: Choose how to display choices to the public using metrics like the transport budget, spatial trade-offs, or policy choice.

2. Citizens respond & define priorities: The public move sliders and rank options, seeing the consequences of specific choices and their trade-offs. 

3. Easy monitoring: Track responses in a centralised dashboard with easy-to-read headline stats.

4. Receive detailed analysis: Get detailed breakdowns of participants responses and use it to inform transport planning.