Transport planner

Chris

  • Name:

    Chris Harte

  • Gender:

    Male

  • Location:

    London, England

  • Occupation:

    Senior planner, Atkins Transport Planning

  • Hobbies:

    Squash, badminton, hiking and jogging

  • School/College:
"I really enjoy the variety of transport planning, from understanding new policy developments and scheme proposals, to working with local authorities to get new transport schemes on the ground."
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Should we blame you for ‘leaves on the line’?
No! My line of work concentrates on transport policy. We get involved with funding – we work with councils to get local schemes on the ground. I’m involved in developing freight strategies, extending bus routes and so on. We give local authorities the evidence they need to support a decision, like feasibility and cost. There are so many aspects to the job.

What’s the best thing about your job?
Working in London, the best thing is being at the forefront of all the big projects. Things like Crossrail and the Olympics. It’s where the action is. I’m not necessarily working on these projects specifically but the work I do in policy terms has an impact. I need to be aware of the wider policy issues.

It’s also really satisfying when you can help a local authority get funding for a transport scheme, whether it’s a new bus route or something bigger. My job stretches me intellectually too: in terms of strategy, I enjoy doing the research and understanding the implications of different solutions. There’s always something new.

But it can be frustrating. There are so many improvements we could make if the money was available. And the length of time it takes for a big proposal to get implemented can be pretty annoying too. You have to be patient.

What if there were no transport planners?
No-one would be able to get anywhere. Transport is such a key part of sustainability because it gives people access to education, jobs, housing… It’s easy to take your transport infrastructure for granted and view it as a right. People don’t understand what a huge problem transport planning is today. Funding is tight so we can’t fix everything, but even if we can make a small difference, it helps.

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