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James Laird

James has more than thirty years experience within both an academic and consultancy environment.  For research work he is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Leeds and for consultancy work works part-time for Peak Economics. His primary research and consultancy interest lies in the economic appraisal of transport infrastructure.  More specifically he has a strong interest in cost benefit analysis, economic impacts of transport projects, value of travel time savings, rural transport economic appraisal and  wider economic benefits.  He teaches transport investment appraisal including the valuation of travel time savings and has also developed a CPD course on transport and the economy. He is both a capable leader and member of a project team.

James is and has been involved in the development of economic appraisal guidance.  He is an author of the appraisal guidance used by the World Bank, the Scottish Government and the European Commission.  James has more than a theoretical interest in economic appraisal and has been active practitioner throughout his career.  He is both a capable leader and member of a project team – able to both manage and undertake the technical aspects of a project.  He has a wide range of experience ranging from project management of large projects to focussed expert technical input to a project both from an economic appraisal perspective and travel demand perspective.