Dr Simon Norton
“People without access to private motor vehicles have just as much right as anyone else to get around.”
Dr Simon Norton was a world-class mathematician and renowned transport campaigner.
By the age of 17, Simon had competed in the International Mathematical Olympiad three times and gained his first first-class degree. At Cambridge University, he continued his research, collaborating on the ATLAS of Finite Groups, which became known as the bible of group theory.
In 1985, aged 33, Simon shifted his focus to concentrate on his other passion: transport campaigning.
This happened to be the year before the UK government deregulated bus services, leading to their demise in many areas. Simon spent the rest of his life travelling the country by bus and train and becoming deeply involved in local and national groups including Bus Users UK and Campaign for Better Transport to highlight areas of best practice and campaigning for improvements where services were lacking and of poor quality.
Among Simon’s core beliefs was that good public transport is a human right, that transport networks should be joined up in a logical way and have minimal impact on the environment.
Simon died suddenly in February 2019, leaving some of his estate to FIT, which serves as a legacy to his radical, principled and meticulous ideas.
Simon’s obituary in The Guardian
Simon’s obituary in SmarterTransport.uk
The Genius in My Basement
A portrait of Simon by Alexander Masters