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Abstract

Traditional fuel taxes as an instrument for transportation funding has been steadily undermined by the widespread adoption of fuel efficient and electric vehicles. When combined with long-standing issues around infrastructure maintenance and investment, there is growing i...Lead moreTraditional fuel taxes as an instrument for transportation funding has been steadily undermined by the widespread adoption of fuel efficient and electric vehicles. When combined with long-standing issues around infrastructure maintenance and investment, there is growing interest in the adoption of electronic road user charges as an alternative funding mechanism to meet future revenue demands. In America, President Obama signed the Fixing America’s Surface and Transportation (FAST) Act into law on December 4, 2015. The FAST Act establishes a US$ 95 million grants program for States to demonstrate the feasibility of a user-based alternative revenue mechanisms. The grant funds shall be used to test the design, acceptance and implementation of those alternative revenue mechanism that are user-based. This paper describes the key aspects of pilot initiatives and the successful commercial deployment of an electronic road user charges system undertaken by EROAD, a New Zealand technology company, which represented the first of its kind in America. It outlines the underlying technology, regulatory environment, the unique business model and approval framework that supported the successful implementation.

Abstract

This study investigates the development of autonomous vehicles. It reaches the conclusion that there will be two stages in this development. First the uncrashable car will arrive within the next few years and then the fully autonomous vehicle somewhat later. Both stages w...Lead moreThis study investigates the development of autonomous vehicles. It reaches the conclusion that there will be two stages in this development. First the uncrashable car will arrive within the next few years and then the fully autonomous vehicle somewhat later. Both stages will provide huge economic benefits and the uncrashable car will finally achieve the Towards Zero or Vision Zero objectives. Major savings in freight transport and infrastructure provision costs will be realised. Eventually, when the fully autonomous vehicle arrives there will be no need for speed limits as we know them, traffic police, physical traffic lights, booze/drug buses or driving licences. People will be able to “race” each other legally on the streets and driving will be fun for those who want that type of excitement. Motorcycle riding will also be deregulated and become much more exciting for those who wish to partake. The ethical dilemmas that many writers suggest, are in fact false dilemmas and will be easily dealt with by autonomous vehicles. System failures and crashes due to hacking may occur but will be very rare events. Autonomous vehicles will handle adverse conditions (eg fog, snow etc) much better than humans.

Abstract

The pace of breakthroughs in autonomous driving technologies is relentless and continues to unfold on many fronts. As the technology matures, there will be socio-economic impacts, good and bad. Representing over 2.1 million members, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV...Lead moreThe pace of breakthroughs in autonomous driving technologies is relentless and continues to unfold on many fronts. As the technology matures, there will be socio-economic impacts, good and bad. Representing over 2.1 million members, Royal Automobile Club of Victoria (RACV) has an imperative to develop a well-researched strategy on autonomous vehicles to inform its policy and advocacy positions. This project aims to better understand the likely impacts of autonomous vehicles, and how policy directions can be shaped to enable their adoption for a safer and more sustainable mobility future. This research will provide a best practice review of their current state of development, timelines for technology maturity and deployment, and identify their role in delivering new mobility solutions, improved road safety and promote lowering environmental impact.

Abstract

The potential impacts of the widespread adoption of driverless vehicles on the operational models of regulators are examined. These include changes to in-service vehicle roadworthiness assessment, identity management, traffic regulation principles and revenue collection.The potential impacts of the widespread adoption of driverless vehicles on the operational models of regulators are examined. These include changes to in-service vehicle roadworthiness assessment, identity management, traffic regulation principles and revenue collection.

Abstract

Road users would benefit from arrangements which charge for the use of roads for each trip and increase with distance travelled. This would encourage transport users to consider whether the trip should be by public transport or by private vehicle. Additional charges for t...Lead moreRoad users would benefit from arrangements which charge for the use of roads for each trip and increase with distance travelled. This would encourage transport users to consider whether the trip should be by public transport or by private vehicle. Additional charges for travel in congested areas would offer a means of control of congestion. There are many considerations related to an effective road pricing scheme. Road agencies find themselves in a difficult position in trying to work their way through the planning of an effective road pricing scheme without the opportunity to test ideas on the general public. Congestion management on Australian urban roads cannot be achieved without the support of the community of road users. There are many obstacles currently in place which mitigate against achieving these outcomes and a piecemeal approach to removing obstacles is unlikely to be successful. Australia’s experiments with Public Private Partnerships add complexity to the design of an effective road pricing scheme. This paper would explore the options available to State and Federal governments and ways in which the difficulties may be addressed. It will also focus on customer needs and how road pricing solutions can be effective in addressing those needs.

Abstract

Efficient evacuation route planning plays a critical part in any emergency management system for smart cities in response to emergency events. However, existing algorithms for finding shortest paths in road networks are insufficient for evacuation purposes for two reasons...Lead moreEfficient evacuation route planning plays a critical part in any emergency management system for smart cities in response to emergency events. However, existing algorithms for finding shortest paths in road networks are insufficient for evacuation purposes for two reasons: 1) they are only able to suggest static routes, while in emergency events the context changes dynamically and the originally recommended routes could quickly become impracticable, and 2) they usually recommend shortest routes, while in emergencies the shortest route could quickly become unsafe to evacuate due to changing conditions (e.g., approaching fires). In this work, we present a dynamic evacuation route planner that leverages real-time traffic and weather data, as well as changing situations during an emergency event (e.g., blocked roads) in order to recommend routes that are adapted to traffic and emergency conditions. Furthermore, the suggested routes are updated dynamically based on multiple optimisation criteria including the evacuation time and the risk of being in danger while along the path.

Abstract

The progressive introduction of ITS systems onto New Zealand’s roading network over the past 15-20 years has resulted in gradual improvements in information provided to customers in a reliable and timely fashion. However, there have been a number of organisational, legal ...Lead moreThe progressive introduction of ITS systems onto New Zealand’s roading network over the past 15-20 years has resulted in gradual improvements in information provided to customers in a reliable and timely fashion. However, there have been a number of organisational, legal and jurisdictional challenges to overcome, apart from the technical issues. The New Zealand Transport Agency is working towards integrating its systems and standards at a number of levels including strategic, tactical and operational. By using a customised framework, the Transport Agency is already experiencing significant changes in the way ITS projects are procured, resulting in savings and better project outcomes. This paper provides some insight into the considerations in developing this framework and how it works in practice.

Abstract

This paper will describe and present results and lessons learnt from the marketing / communications campaign of New Zealand’s first smart motorway which was built in New Zealand’s smart capital – Wellington. As part of the NZ Transport Agency’s Roads of National Significa...Lead moreThis paper will describe and present results and lessons learnt from the marketing / communications campaign of New Zealand’s first smart motorway which was built in New Zealand’s smart capital – Wellington. As part of the NZ Transport Agency’s Roads of National Significance programme, the smart motorway was introduced to reduce congestion and improve customer journey experience on the region’s busiest section of road. A vital part of the 18 month project included educating regular commuters and the wider public about smart motorways and the driver’s role on it. And because, due to policy issues, automated variable speed enforcement was not in place when the smart motorway began operating, it was even more important that we had the right strategy and mix of marketing and communications tactics to influence compliance with variable speed limits. This meant the driver education programme was the primary tool we had to influence behaviour and create smart drivers. Our challenge was to deliver an informative and creative campaign which engaged audiences enough to keep them on our side during the long, disruptive build but also to develop them as smart drivers who’d do the right thing once the smart motorway began operating.

Abstract

Electric vehicles are rapidly increasing in number, especially in Europe and parts of the USA. These vehicles will be a significant load or source of electricity, depending on their aggregate state of charge, expected usage and location, which may compromise and potential...Lead moreElectric vehicles are rapidly increasing in number, especially in Europe and parts of the USA. These vehicles will be a significant load or source of electricity, depending on their aggregate state of charge, expected usage and location, which may compromise and potentially disrupt the electricity distribution grid. Therefore, tracking and management of these vehicles are important. Here we describe a machine-to-machine (M2M) logging system which operates over a commercial 4G wireless network for automated monitoring of the state of charge and location of electric vehicles (EVs), and its operation within an EV energy management system. We also show that a 5G network will be required for managing the large number of vehicles expected in future.

Abstract

In light of rapid pace of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) developments, in this study we explore the challenges and opportunities that come by the AV technology emphasizing on the transportation policies. Based on the consensus across the literature, we pinpointed outstanding iss...Lead moreIn light of rapid pace of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) developments, in this study we explore the challenges and opportunities that come by the AV technology emphasizing on the transportation policies. Based on the consensus across the literature, we pinpointed outstanding issues related to AV over a wide spectrum from safety concerns to machine ethics. In one estimate AV can greatly decrease the transport cost up to USD 4000 annually per car. In addition, connected-vehicle (communications over cars and infrastructure) and Big Data are indispensable parts of any prosperous AV development. One of primary knowledge gap in AVs is their routing behaviors. In this sense connected-vehicle provides a great opportunity to implement an efficient and intelligent routing paradigm. To this end, we proposed a conceptual navigation model based on which a fleet of AVs are centrally dispatched over the network seeking system optimal. This study contributes to the literature in two fronts: (i) it sheds light over the future hurdles as well as opportunities associated with the AV, (ii) for the first time a conceptual navigation model for the AV is proposed based on which a highly efficient traffic circulation up to 2.15 times is achieved

Abstract

Mobility as a Service or MaaS represents a potential new way for users to think about and access mobility. This paper explores a number of the questions relevant to Australia’s readiness for future mobility options such as MaaS. a) Is there a critical mass of population w...Lead moreMobility as a Service or MaaS represents a potential new way for users to think about and access mobility. This paper explores a number of the questions relevant to Australia’s readiness for future mobility options such as MaaS. a) Is there a critical mass of population with characteristics that support future mobility options? b) How successful are current implementations of shared mobility in Australia? c) Are enough Australians likely to change their thinking about mobility?

Abstract

This technical paper presents the findings of research commissioned by NZ Transport Agency and undertaken by Abley Transportation Consultants Limited investigating the role of crowdsourcing in New Zealand as a source of real-time traveller information for supporting trans...Lead moreThis technical paper presents the findings of research commissioned by NZ Transport Agency and undertaken by Abley Transportation Consultants Limited investigating the role of crowdsourcing in New Zealand as a source of real-time traveller information for supporting transport network efficiency outcomes. The research included identifying the strategic, legal and policy considerations necessary to enable agencies to lead or support crowdsourced data initiatives. The research also included undertaking a real-world trial of a web application for incident reporting in the Queenstown-Lakes District. The outputs of the research include practical recommendations regarding potential applications of crowdsourcing in the transport sector, the role of NZ Transport Agency and other road controlling authorities in supporting a crowdsourcing initiatives and the technical requirements regarding the appropriate use of crowdsourced data in traveller information systems.

Abstract

The Waterview Connection Tunnel is the biggest Project undertaken by NZ Transport Agency, worth AU$1.4 billion. It is a key component of the Western Ring Route around Auckland. The Project involves construction of open motorway and Australasia’s largest road tunnel, as we...Lead moreThe Waterview Connection Tunnel is the biggest Project undertaken by NZ Transport Agency, worth AU$1.4 billion. It is a key component of the Western Ring Route around Auckland. The Project involves construction of open motorway and Australasia’s largest road tunnel, as well as changes to the existing network. The project is being delivered by an Alliance through a DCMO contract (i.e. design, construct, maintain and operate). Following physical completion of the infrastructure, the Alliance will be operating and maintaining the Waterview Connection for a period of ten years in collaboration with Auckland Transport Operations Centre and Auckland Motorway Alliance. With this new Network Operator coming on board, it is crucial to clearly define the responsibilities of the various stakeholders and how they will collaborate during normal, incident and maintenance scenarios. As the operational requirements and responsibilities are further defined, some of the original assumptions and system functionalities have required updating which intern has affected the overarching system architecture, subsystems and system interfacility. This paper outlines the challenges and solutions in getting operation ready, as well as the approach used to gain alignment between the different stakeholders.

Abstract

Many facilities need to measure travel or turnaround times of individual vehicles for various reasons such as to monitor freight efficiency to monitor vehicle congestion at wharfs/port and to monitor last mile traffic congestion issues etc. In order to measure this more a...Lead moreMany facilities need to measure travel or turnaround times of individual vehicles for various reasons such as to monitor freight efficiency to monitor vehicle congestion at wharfs/port and to monitor last mile traffic congestion issues etc. In order to measure this more accurately, a time stamp measurement of when a vehicle passes one location must be compared with a time stamp measurement of when the same vehicle passes another location. This technical paper explores some of the available and emerging technologies that may be used to do this but does not discuss the algorithms used to estimate and/or predict travel times.

Abstract

This paper analyses the effectiveness of a wet weather advisory Intelligent Transport System on the M1 (formerly F3). Data on road crashes and road volumes before and after the system was installed in April 2006 has been used for analysis. The M1 is reported to have one o...Lead moreThis paper analyses the effectiveness of a wet weather advisory Intelligent Transport System on the M1 (formerly F3). Data on road crashes and road volumes before and after the system was installed in April 2006 has been used for analysis. The M1 is reported to have one of the highest numbers of crashes for this type and capacity of the road mainly due to its curvilinear alignment, filled batters and deep cuttings. The Hawkesbury River to Mount White Heavy Vehicle Checking Station (HVCS) is particularly prone to a higher rate of crashes as the curvilinear road is in addition subject to steep grades. Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are being increasingly used for Traffic Management and Road Safety purposes. This study is being conducted as part of a doctoral research on the subject ‘Intelligent Transport Systems Provide Sustainable Mobility Solutions’. The M1 Wet Weather Pilot ITS system (WWP Scheme) is a speed advisory and regulatory system that mandates a lower speed for the motorists in case of rain or wet pavement conditions. The effectiveness of this ITS system has been analyzed.

Abstract

The world is becoming increasingly urbanised, and freight operations in urban areas are becoming a greater proportion of road traffic in these areas. The impacts of freight operations on communities and costs to transport companies, their customers and freight despatchers...Lead moreThe world is becoming increasingly urbanised, and freight operations in urban areas are becoming a greater proportion of road traffic in these areas. The impacts of freight operations on communities and costs to transport companies, their customers and freight despatchers and receivers are increasing. This paper reports on an analysis of initiatives which could be undertaken or promoted by governments and other groups to improve the productivity, safety and environmental impact of freight operations in urban areas, undertaken under the Austroads freight work program. Contributions were received from all road management jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand, and assessed in terms of potential effectiveness (considering the three dimensions of productivity, safety and environmental impact); extent of potential application, and challenges or ease of implementation. A number of these initiatives draw on ITS applications and developments, or could involve ITS principles or technologies for implementation and cost effectiveness.

Abstract

The purpose of the New Zealand Transport Agency is about “creating solutions for a thriving New Zealand” by providing effective, efficient, safe and responsible transport solutions. A key long-term goal for the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is to integrate the “one ...Lead moreThe purpose of the New Zealand Transport Agency is about “creating solutions for a thriving New Zealand” by providing effective, efficient, safe and responsible transport solutions. A key long-term goal for the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is to integrate the “one network for customers”. This will be achieved in the shorter term by maximising the benefits customers receive from travelling, by making better operational decisions, operating the network more efficiently and having confidence in where we are heading. The purpose of the paper is to outline how this will be delivered over the next three years including: outlining key actions and concentrating on the ability to enhance whole of network solutions by a joined up approach to optimisation and planning; a “one system approach” for ITS implementation; and delivering a collaborative approach for transport operations centres’ activities.

Abstract

Abnormal driving manoeuvres such as sudden braking, harsh acceleration or swerving can impose serious risks for people participating in the traffic. This study focuses on the detection of passenger discomfort by inferring the underlying abnormal driving events that cause ...Lead moreAbnormal driving manoeuvres such as sudden braking, harsh acceleration or swerving can impose serious risks for people participating in the traffic. This study focuses on the detection of passenger discomfort by inferring the underlying abnormal driving events that cause such experiences. Experiments for threshold-based techniques are conducted on real world data collected from smartphones on heterogeneous cars and drivers, where the passengers provided discomfort annotations. Accurate detection is found on sudden acceleration events at 82% and hard braking events at 96%. By detecting these abnormal driving manoeuvres, drivers can be alarmed when their driving behaviours cause passenger discomfort.

Abstract

Demand for vehicles with low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has led automakers to develop various types of electric vehicles, which have low or no tailpipe emissions. The use of these cars in countries like Australia, where electricity generation is GHG intensive, results...Lead moreDemand for vehicles with low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has led automakers to develop various types of electric vehicles, which have low or no tailpipe emissions. The use of these cars in countries like Australia, where electricity generation is GHG intensive, results in relatively high emissions at power plants. To explore this trade-off, the present study compares the life-cycle GHG emissions of two functionally-similar cars, an electric vehicle (EV) and a conventional vehicle (CV), that are produced in Japan and used in Australia. The study methods are based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique, which estimates the environmental impact of a product-system throughout the life cycle. The results suggest that EVs and CVs have similar life-cycle GHG emissions. Compared with CVs, EVs generate more emissions during production, mainly due to the battery, and slightly fewer emissions during use. The life-cycle emissions of both vehicles are dominated by the use stage, suggesting that future work could focus on exploring the expected variation in the relevant parameters.

Abstract

Pedestrians are vulnerable road users that require special attention from intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Robustly estimating the position and behaviour of nearby pedestrians is essential for safety applications, and is a critical component of any automated or s...Lead morePedestrians are vulnerable road users that require special attention from intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Robustly estimating the position and behaviour of nearby pedestrians is essential for safety applications, and is a critical component of any automated or semi-automated vehicle. There has been considerable research into methods and sensors for solving this problem, each with associated advantages and limitations. To increase the integrity of the detection process it is likely that a multi-sensor approach is necessary, particularly due to the complex nature of pedestrian activity in an urban environment. This paper examines three different approaches to this problem, with a comparison of the information available from each. Details of the implementation of each method are presented along with preliminary results obtained from collected data.

Abstract

Unlicensed driving is a serious problem in many Australian states, with unlicensed driving-related crashes (UDC) costing up to $300 million per year in Queensland, and $171 million in Victoria. In this paper, we present a Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) analysis of ITS technolog...Lead moreUnlicensed driving is a serious problem in many Australian states, with unlicensed driving-related crashes (UDC) costing up to $300 million per year in Queensland, and $171 million in Victoria. In this paper, we present a Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) analysis of ITS technologies aimed at preventing unlicensed driving by verifying the driver’s identity through biometric technology, as well as the validity of their licence; essentially a form of licence interlock. The goal is to provide preliminary recommendations as to which technology is the most beneficial and should be implemented as part of a government-led program increasing the functionalities of Queensland electronic driving licenses (EDL). Fingerprints and finger vascular patterns recognition technologies are found to systematically have the best BCRs. The most beneficial implementation scenarios involve a mandatory system for all banned drivers (suspensions & disqualifications), and a mandatory system for banned drivers under the age of 21 only. This latter scenario performs extremely well, with returns up to 16 times the investment with a simple fingerprints-based interlock. Although often more modest, all systems are found to have BCRs above 1 in all our scenarios expect one.

Abstract

It is the dawn of an area where Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) are gradually enhanced to provide fully automated systems, ADAS have huge potential for improving road safety and travel times. However their take-up in the market is very slow. Assistive systems s...Lead moreIt is the dawn of an area where Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) are gradually enhanced to provide fully automated systems, ADAS have huge potential for improving road safety and travel times. However their take-up in the market is very slow. Assistive systems should take into account driver’s preferences in terms of driving style in order to increase adoption rates. The aim of this paper is to compute online optimal trajectories given a traffic condition on a highway while considering the motorist’s driving style. Travel duration and safety are the main parameters used to find the optimal trajectory. A simulation framework to determine the optimal trajectory was developed in which the ego car travels in a highway environment scenario. An agent-oriented algorithm - using time and safety as optimality criteria – was defined for real-time feedback. The performance of the algorithm was compared against optimal trajectories computed offline with the hybrid A* algorithm. The new framework provides trajectories close to the optimal trajectory and is computationally achievable. The agents were shown to follow safe and fast trajectories in three tests scenarios: emergency braking, overtaking, and a complex situation with multiple vehicles around the ego vehicle.

Abstract

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is an inexpensive and readily available tool for the high precision timing and positioning data worldwide. It is also widely used technology for the use of synchronization in many applications. In case of Vehicular Ad hoc network ...Lead moreGlobal Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is an inexpensive and readily available tool for the high precision timing and positioning data worldwide. It is also widely used technology for the use of synchronization in many applications. In case of Vehicular Ad hoc network (VANET), GNSS enable time synchronization can also be an effective method for data consistency and coordination. Therefore, knowledge of the error inherent in the timing accuracy of GNSS receivers can be important while using them in highly sensitive vehicular networks. In this paper, we investigated the timing accuracy of consumer grade low cost GNSS receivers to understand the capacity of GNSS time synchronization in VANET. We conducted hardware level experiments to examine 1PPS output pulse of GNSS receivers to find out their relative time offsets in order to fit with the applications in VANET. Our result shows that, for the same type of receivers the relative time offset is considerably low compared to the different type of receivers.

Abstract

Continuous growth in traffic demand has led to a decrease in the air quality in various urban areas. Local authorities in environmental protection and urban planners are therefore interested in performing traffic and air pollution simulations for testing various urban sce...Lead moreContinuous growth in traffic demand has led to a decrease in the air quality in various urban areas. Local authorities in environmental protection and urban planners are therefore interested in performing traffic and air pollution simulations for testing various urban scenarios and raising citizen awareness where necessary. This article is focused on the traffic and air pollution in the eco-neighbourhood “Nancy Grand Cœur”, located in a medium-size city from north-eastern France. The main objective of this work is to build an integrated simulation model which would help predicting and visualizing various environmental changes inside the neighbourhood, such as air pollution, traffic flow or meteorological data. Firstly, we build the 3D mesoscopic traffic simulation model around the central train station of the eco-neighbourhood, using real data sets from the local traffic management centre. Secondly, by using reliable data sets form the local air-quality management centre, we build a regression model for predicting the evolution of NO2 concentrations, as a function of the simulated traffic flow and meteorological data. Lastly, we validate the estimated results by comparisons with the real data sets, with the purpose to support the traffic engineering decision making and the smart city sustainability.

Abstract

Pedestrian activities play an important role in the dynamics of cities. Their involvement in the operation of the city, such as infrastructure, transportation and traffic has made understanding their distribution an essential task for architects, city planners or event sc...Lead morePedestrian activities play an important role in the dynamics of cities. Their involvement in the operation of the city, such as infrastructure, transportation and traffic has made understanding their distribution an essential task for architects, city planners or event schedulers. In this study we model the pedestrian activities over the central business district of the City of Melbourne, Australia. We develop a novel approach to cluster high dimensional data to construct a model from the pedestrian counts data in the city. Our approach reveals different patterns of the pedestrian activities throughout the day in the city. The evaluation demonstrates that our algorithm is capable of clustering complex and noisy high dimensional data with high accuracy.

Abstract

Fatigue-related crashes are a persistent road safety problem. Advances in technology have permitted the development and fitment of continuous driver fatigue monitoring systems in vehicles. Using driver monitoring system data, this paper presents an evaluation of the impac...Lead moreFatigue-related crashes are a persistent road safety problem. Advances in technology have permitted the development and fitment of continuous driver fatigue monitoring systems in vehicles. Using driver monitoring system data, this paper presents an evaluation of the impact of real-time feedback on the incidence of fatigue events in three long-haul trucking companies in South Africa. Fatigue events were defined as micro sleeps or prolonged eyelid closure events and verified in real-time by a dedicated monitoring centre. Forty-nine trucks were observed over a five month period. The observation period included a ‘baseline’ where data were logged but no alerts were provided to the driver, and an ‘intervention’ period where alarms were provided to both the driver and the employer in real-time. Poisson regression analysis was used to examine the difference in the incidence of fatigue events in the intervention period relative to the baseline period. Analysis demonstrates that the rate at which fatigue events occurred during the intervention period was significantly lower than in the baseline period, adjusted for number of operating days, time spent in vehicle moving and distance travelled. The implications and feedback mechanisms in the context of broader safety management are discussed.

Abstract

Abstract Road traffic congestion poses a challenge with growth in traffic volumes in many cities around the world as populations continue to rise. The trend puts pressure on the road authorities to tackle the problem of congestion via building more roads, widening the exi...Lead moreAbstract Road traffic congestion poses a challenge with growth in traffic volumes in many cities around the world as populations continue to rise. The trend puts pressure on the road authorities to tackle the problem of congestion via building more roads, widening the existing roads, trying to change land use patterns, applying congestion pricing and encouraging people to make greater use of public transport. Despite all efforts the level of congestion is on the rise worldwide and the prospect of falling seemed to be very slim unless some radical changes in the current pattern of transport are applied. This paper provides a conceptual framework as a guide to reduce congestion on freeways and arterial roads by carrying more freight by rail. Some experimental results are presented to support the concept set forth. Keywords: Road congestion, freight movement, ICT

Abstract

Renewal of an over-height detection and warning system designed to protect the Penrose Road overpass on the Auckland Southern Motorway provided an opportunity to investigate ways to improve the system to increase compliance of vehicles. A literature review and human facto...Lead moreRenewal of an over-height detection and warning system designed to protect the Penrose Road overpass on the Auckland Southern Motorway provided an opportunity to investigate ways to improve the system to increase compliance of vehicles. A literature review and human factors approach was taken to determine the causal factors for the crash incidents at the site which despite having had an over-height detection/warning system implemented had 15 incidents over a five year period. This paper provides human factors based design recommendations for the new over-height detection and warning system.

Abstract

The Victorian government has embarked on an eight year program to grade separate 50 level crossings around metropolitan Melbourne at an estimated cost of $AUD 5 to 6 B. A primary motivation of this program is to reduce delays to private motorists, freight vehicles and pub...Lead moreThe Victorian government has embarked on an eight year program to grade separate 50 level crossings around metropolitan Melbourne at an estimated cost of $AUD 5 to 6 B. A primary motivation of this program is to reduce delays to private motorists, freight vehicles and public transport services. As is common in an urban context, the existing level crossings are protected by boom barriers that control road traffic movements to ensure safe rail operation. Some of those crossings are effectively closed to traffic for up to tow thirds of the peak hour. While this extensive capital works program will reduce delays at those locations, around 125 level crossings will be left untreated by the current grade separation project. This research examines the potential for Intelligent Transport Systems to estimate delays at urban railway level crossings. The characteristics of the current control system are examined to identify factors that contribute to delays to road users and a simulation model is used to model how ITS technology could be used reduce crossing closure times. The model highlights the value of train speed data, headway and on whether a particular train is to stop at a station adjacent to the crossing

Abstract

As part of urban expansion, road maintenance, and almost all fields requiring decisions to be made about roads - vehicle classification is an often required step to ensure that new or renewed roads are fit for not only the expected number of vehicles that will be using th...Lead moreAs part of urban expansion, road maintenance, and almost all fields requiring decisions to be made about roads - vehicle classification is an often required step to ensure that new or renewed roads are fit for not only the expected number of vehicles that will be using them, but also for the expected types of vehicles. Traditionally, vehicle classification has been performed manually, however, products have become available which aid in the process of vehicle counting and classification – yet these are often costly, open to vandalism, or too naïve. This paper presents a novel approach to vehicle classification which utilises Dynamic Time Warping, a time-dependent plot matching algorithm, to classify a data stream from magnetic inductance loops. This allows for the automatic counting and classification of vehicles, and when paired with remote accessibility functionality – can be used to monitor traffic usage continuously. This paper presents a case-study involving the detection of bicycles using current infrastructure.

Abstract

Traffic flow fundamental diagrams are of primary importance to dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) simulations, which thus need accurate calibration to ensure reliable outputs. Previous theoretical and practical efforts in this regard were simply based on link physical attri...Lead moreTraffic flow fundamental diagrams are of primary importance to dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) simulations, which thus need accurate calibration to ensure reliable outputs. Previous theoretical and practical efforts in this regard were simply based on link physical attributes. Hence a bi-level clustering framework is proposed in this paper for the calibration and applications of speed-density relationships. In the upper level, the standard k-means algorithm in conjunction with hierarchical clustering is proposed to capture day-to-day variations in traffic flow characteristics; while in the lower level, the method of averaged curve incorporating the standard k-means algorithm is put forward to aggregate links with similar traffic dynamics. Archived freeway loop detector data from the Melbourne metropolitan area are used, and the obtained calibrated and clustered results highlight the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Abstract

Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) is widely used in Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) and Advanced Traveller Information Systems (ATIS). DTA models are capable of replicating traffic network conditions and providing accurate forecasts. These models involve a numbe...Lead moreDynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) is widely used in Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) and Advanced Traveller Information Systems (ATIS). DTA models are capable of replicating traffic network conditions and providing accurate forecasts. These models involve a number of parameters that need to be calibrated based on available archived traffic data. Time-Dependent Origin-Destination (TDOD) demand is a crucial input for DTA applications. The reliability of these applications is highly dependent on the accuracy of TDOD demand. Since the accurate demand data cannot be observed directly, a common approach to achieve TDOD demand is to use a priori demand matrix and traffic count data in some parts of the network. The broad aim of this study is to develop a bi-level optimization model to estimate TDOD demand using SCATS traffic data. In this approach, the upper-level is the travel demand matrix estimation problem and the lower-level represents a mesoscopic simulation based on the dynamic user equilibrium to model detailed dynamic traffic patterns. Owing to the high efficacy of the exact descent approach for analysing urban networks, this approach is employed as an appropriate solution to the problem.

Abstract

During daily work at a Transport Management Centre (TMC), the operators have to record and process a large volume of traffic information especially incident records. Their tasks involve manual classification of the data and then decide appropriate operations to clear the ...Lead moreDuring daily work at a Transport Management Centre (TMC), the operators have to record and process a large volume of traffic information especially incident records. Their tasks involve manual classification of the data and then decide appropriate operations to clear the incidents on time. A real-time automatic decision support system can minimize an operator’s responded time and hence reduce congestion. Besides standard descriptions (e.g. incident location, date, time, lanes affected), severity is an important criteria that operators have to evaluate based on all available information before any control commands can be issued. The NSW TMC and the research organisation NICTA in Sydney have collaborated to discover and visualize frequent patterns in historical incident response records, leading to the automatic classification of severity levels among past incidents using advanced machine learning techniques. The experiments were executed using 4 years TMC’s incident logs from 2011 to 2014 which includes more than 40,000 records. The classification model achieved over 86% accuracy in 5-fold cross validation and is expected to help the TMC to improve its procedures, response plans, and resource allocations.

Abstract

This paper makes aggregate estimates of the negative impacts of the tram (street-car) network in Melbourne, Australia on vehicular traffic and congestion. These impacts are assessed by comparing the travel demand in two scenarios “without tram” and “with tram”. To investi...Lead moreThis paper makes aggregate estimates of the negative impacts of the tram (street-car) network in Melbourne, Australia on vehicular traffic and congestion. These impacts are assessed by comparing the travel demand in two scenarios “without tram” and “with tram”. To investigate the effect of on-street running, a new method was developed which incorporates results from micro-simulation of a link with a non-exclusive tram right-of-way into a conventional four step model to make an aggregate estimate of impacts on all traffic. The effect of semi-exclusive tram rights-of-way is also assessed by considering the reallocation of tram lanes from traffic lanes which reduces road capacity. Overall, Melbourne’s tram network results in an average increase in travel time of 20.5% for vehicle traffic in areas with tram operations. On average, a tramway acts to reduce the volume of vehicles on links by 19.6 %. The aggregate impact of Melbourne’s tram network on traffic in areas with tram operations is an increase in average travel time from 2.06 to 2.16 minutes/km (an increase of around 4.6%). This is associated with an increase of 14.7% in the numbers of severely congested road links.

Abstract

Reductions in bus delay are an essential input to objective evaluation of the performance of public transport priority (PTP) measures. This paper describes delay functions to analytically estimate bus delay impacts of a range of PTP measures, including dedicated bus lanes...Lead moreReductions in bus delay are an essential input to objective evaluation of the performance of public transport priority (PTP) measures. This paper describes delay functions to analytically estimate bus delay impacts of a range of PTP measures, including dedicated bus lanes (DBLs), queue jump lanes (QJLs), transit signal priority (TSP), TSP with QJLs, and TSP with DBLs. Kinematic wave theory is used to assess queuing delays at traffic signals. Delays associated with bus deceleration and acceleration are also analytically considered. The proposed bus delay functions are validated using traffic micro-simulation, which indicates that the proposed functions accurately estimate bus delay impacts of considered PTP measures with small errors. Directions for future works are discussed.

Abstract

The paper presents initial findings from a recent TMR-ARRB project which aims to produce a methodology for estimating congestion costs associated with a range of road users and confirm this methodology through pilot case studies. The paper starts from a literature review,...Lead moreThe paper presents initial findings from a recent TMR-ARRB project which aims to produce a methodology for estimating congestion costs associated with a range of road users and confirm this methodology through pilot case studies. The paper starts from a literature review, then proposes a methodology for estimating multi-modal congestion cost by considering excessive congestion delay and travel time reliability cost. It also provides main findings from a pilot case study using data from an automatic bus ticketing system (Go Card system). The average excessive congestion cost for bus passengers per day was $44,013 for weekdays and $14,111 for weekends in March 2015 for the study site (Gympie Road). The travel delay cost was the largest contributor to total congestion cost, followed by passenger waiting time cost and travel time reliability cost. TMR and ARRB are also planning to conduct another case study to test the suitability of the methodology by using empirical freeway data with multiple heavy vehicle classes. It is expected that the findings from the freeway case study will be reported in the final version of the paper in mid-2016.

Abstract

Past field studies show clear positive safety benefits of the introduction of variable speed limits on motorways. Traffic performance benefits are mixed. Understanding the reasons for uneven performance is vital to maximise and target future investment in infrastructure. ...Lead morePast field studies show clear positive safety benefits of the introduction of variable speed limits on motorways. Traffic performance benefits are mixed. Understanding the reasons for uneven performance is vital to maximise and target future investment in infrastructure. This paper analyses variable speed limit strategies and control algorithms used in past studies. It exploits the lessons learned and proposes a novel algorithm for managing variable speed limits in coordination with ramp metering that delivers consistent and reliable results in a calibrated microsimulation model.

Abstract

Intelligent transport systems (ITS) assets are being installed throughout the road network to manage and control the road traffic. There is a need to evaluate performance of the safety-critical ITS assets and quantify the possible impact on the community of asset faults, ...Lead moreIntelligent transport systems (ITS) assets are being installed throughout the road network to manage and control the road traffic. There is a need to evaluate performance of the safety-critical ITS assets and quantify the possible impact on the community of asset faults, and then jurisdictions would be able to prioritise and initiate action to reduce the occurrence of these faults. In Australia and New Zealand, majority of the signalised intersections are operated by the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS). This paper reviews the current practice and describes a consistent methodology for measuring SCATS signal performance from a road user perspective. Signal availability was used as the key performance indicator (KPI) for the performance measurement. The SCATS signal availability based on four major alarms in calendar year 2013 from seven state road agencies (SRAs) in Australia and New Zealand was evaluated and reported. The congestion and safety impact on community during signal failure for the seven reported jurisdictions was estimated to be AU$268 m in 2013. The signal availability benchmarks, including the lowest performance threshold and optimal performance levels were also identified for the reference of road agencies.

Abstract

This paper will analyse the dynamic development of SICE’s proprietary SIDERA software as the main control suite of multiple Operational Management Control Systems (OMCS) as installed all over the world. As a System Integrator SICE has performed many installations globally...Lead moreThis paper will analyse the dynamic development of SICE’s proprietary SIDERA software as the main control suite of multiple Operational Management Control Systems (OMCS) as installed all over the world. As a System Integrator SICE has performed many installations globally that require the integration of third party software and hardware into the Control Suite. As the number of installations grows, and consequently the number of third parties integrated with expands, the SIDERA software must be dynamically improved and developed constantly to incorporate the new traffic monitoring devices and software. This paper will analyse the technicalities involved in working with multiple third parties, both private and government, as well as the complications that arise around working in congested urban environments, including traffic management, incident management and improving the customer journey experience that have contributed to the ongoing evolution of the SIDERA software. As this paper is intended to be presented for the ITS world congress 2016 to be held in Melbourne, Australia, the installation of the SIDERA software suite in Sydney, Australia as a part of the M5 West Widening Project, completed in late 2014, will be the principal case study.

Abstract

Urbanisation is accelerating across the globe. By 2050, two-thirds of the Australian population will live in cities. Large Australian cities are at the forefront of the challenges posed by urbanisation: congestion, social isolation and housing affordability. High quality ...Lead moreUrbanisation is accelerating across the globe. By 2050, two-thirds of the Australian population will live in cities. Large Australian cities are at the forefront of the challenges posed by urbanisation: congestion, social isolation and housing affordability. High quality public transport systems that support modern lifestyles will be key to addressing these challenges and ensuring liveable cities. Smart cities will require a new model of public transport services in smart cities that would become the first choice of dwellers. A smart transport network will maximise the contribution of each transport mode and provide customers with the choice to tailor services to their personal needs. The essence of this customer-centric network is multimodality. A truly integrated multimodal network focuses on providing efficient door-to-door journeys involving a flexible mix of transport modes. This requires a combination of quality infrastructure and rolling stock, integrated network design and timetabling, mode agnostic design, a seamless customer experience and governance arrangements that favour partnerships. This approach will be facilitated by ITS technologies like mobile applications and automatic vehicle location (AVL) which allow real-time journey tailoring and personalisation. Big data will enhance investment prioritisation and new service design.