The unifying theme of this issue of the Journal of Integrated Movement is the next generation of researchers and problem solvers. The more experienced echelons of our cohort – or any cohort – often fret about who will keep the flame alight once they have retired. The overarching message of this issue to them is “Have no fear, the future is in good hands”. Each paper presented has as its first author a researcher of 15 years or less experience, some of whom were finalists in NTRO’s Research Rising Star award 2025.
The scope of these papers ranges from the infrastructure fundamentals to some of the new and emerging issues of our times.
Dr Thanh Vinh Le’s paper presents some pavement engineering and performance research. Dr Qiqin Yu takes a timeless topic (pavement roughness) and puts a modern twist on it by evaluating mobile phones as a means of assessing it. Those who use light rail regularly will have some appreciation for the work that Dr Daniel Ainalis and his co-authors did on the need to mitigate the vibrations and noise associated with light rail transit.
Materials engineering is also a timeless topic, but imperatives surrounding their use are changing. Jaimi Harrison presents a dashboard for recycled materials providers, while Dr Chrysoula Pandelidi presents some thinking around an assessment framework which is suited to non-traditional materials.
Evelyn Wen and Stephanie Yue’s papers cover the very real need to think differently about how we travel. Evelyn’s paper proposes a means of thinking about first-mile access to promote public transport patronage, while Stephanie’s looks at the fast-evolving option e-micromobility and the challenges and opportunities it presents.
We return to ‘timeless’ with Dr Sepehr Dekhordi’s paper – safety – but with a modern twist – automation. The specific application for his work is the improvement of the Australian Level-Crossing Assessment Model (ALCAM).
The paper by Georgia O’Connor addresses the most important question of all – Why? As transport professionals, we exist to serve and uplift communities and make humanity thrive, and her paper describes how this has been applied in the Kingdom of Tonga.
