Austroads: Transport Research and Trends

Zebras and Wombats: Factchecking “False Sense of Security”

Decisions on how transport agencies provide for people walking to safely cross the roads has been greatly influenced by historical research, that has in the past failed to examine the infrastructure design and lacked behavioural data.

This webinar, presented by Mark McDonald, Principal Technologist (Bicycles, Pedestrians and Motorcycles) at the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, looks at the different types of pedestrian crossing controls, behavioural responses of both drivers and people crossing and analyse the road safety implications. The presentation goes through the crash characteristics involved, including control of crash forces, analysis of crash braking patterns, the impact of uniform pavement marking on reaction times, speed and yield rates and crash reduction factors.

The webinar gives a review of safe system and evidence-based research relating to unsignalised crossings for people walking or riding bikes. It answers the questions: Who are we relying on? What is the safety evidence? Is “false sense of security” supported by evidence?

NSW Movement and Place Framework

Movement and Place is a multi-disciplinary, place-based approach to the planning, design, delivery and operation of transport networks. It broadens our thinking about our roads and streets beyond their functional role in supporting movement - they are also places for people to live, work and spend time.

It is part of an international shift towards embracing the importance of people, and place when designing, planning or operating streets and roads. It recognises the complementary relationships between place and movement and matching the road or street to its desired function within the wider network.

This webinar, presented by Arjan Rensen, Ben Cebuliak and Gareth Collins, provides an overview of the whole-of-government NSW Movement and Place Framework and how it supports Austroads Guidance, Australian Standards and the Global Street Design Guidelines as they apply in different contexts across NSW. The Framework invites practitioners to take collaborative, spatial and vision-led approaches and offers a common language and process of collaboration to support meaningful discussions across all levels of government, industry, and communities.

Austroads Project Pipeline 2022-23

This webinar introduces Austroads new projects lined up for the 2022-23 financial year.

The session is most beneficial to consultants who may be interested in tendering for Austroads projects.

Upcoming projects focus on road network resilience, pavement design, movement and place, cycling and micromobility, future freight vehicles, road design, driver licensing, climate change risk assessment, automated and electric vehicle data exchange and provision.

National Walking and Cycling Participation Survey 2021

Launched in 2011, the National Cycling Participation Survey (NCPS) has been run every two years. Its original aim was to establish a baseline and measure performance against the National Cycling Strategy 2011-2016. Until 2019 the NCPS was managed by Austroads, to maintain a continuous dataset. In 2021, Cycling and Walking Australia and New Zealand (CWANZ) took over the coordination of the survey, adding walking to get a baseline on the level of participation for walking across Australia.

In this webinar, the 2021 National Walking and Cycling Participation Survey (NWCPS) is presented by CWANZ, as coordinators of the 2021 survey, in conjunction with Austroads.

The webinar covers the methodology and provides a brief review of the results. Presenters also talk about how the data is used in different states and some interpretations that can be made.

Speakers include Cameron Munro, CDM Research, Robyn Davies from the Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland, and Dr Zarin Salter from the Department of Transport, Western Australia.

Cycling for Sustainable Cities

Cycling is a sustainable means of urban travel. It has the potential to serve many short- and medium-distance trips – for commuting to and from work and school, shopping, and visiting friends – as well as providing recreation and exercise. Cycling promotes physical, social, and mental health, helps reduce car use, enhances mobility and independence, and is economical for both public and personal budgets.

This webinar is based on the book “Cycling for Sustainable Cities” written by Ralph Buehler and John Pucher. In the session, the authors explore how to make city cycling safe, practical, and convenient for a broad spectrum of ages, genders and abilities. They also discuss the latest cycling trends and policies around the world and consider specific aspects of cycling.

Based on data from 2019-2020 from cities around the world, they review the impacts of COVID-19 on cycling levels and government policies to promote cycling.

Taken together, the presentation demonstrates that successful promotion of cycling depends on a coordinated package of mutually supportive infrastructure, programs and policies. Cycling should be made feasible for as many people as possible and not limited to especially fit, daring, well-trained cyclists riding expensive bicycles.

Pedestrian Planning and Design for Residential Areas

This webinar, presented by Ann-Marie Head and Jeanette Ward, focuses on the planning and design considerations for walkable residential neighbourhoods, both new and existing, and where to find that guidance in Austroads’ guides.

The webinar covers the following key topics:

• what data to collect
• planning/network considerations
• design considerations
• examples of applying walkable characteristics
• best practice examples.

This is a final session in the series of webinars held by Austroads to step practitioners through the updated pedestrian planning and design information.

Austroads’ review of the pedestrian planning and design guidance in the Guide to Traffic Management (AGTM) and Guide to Road Design (AGRD) identified a total of 120 planning and design gaps. Recommended changes to the AGTM were published in April 2020 followed by a series of exceptionally popular webinars.

Recommended changes to the AGRD have been reviewed and approved by the Road Design Task Force and will find their way into the AGRD as part of its update and restructure planned by the Road Safety & Design program in FY20-21.

Innovation and Best Practice in Performance Measurement and Transport Outcomes

‘What gets measured gets managed’ (Drucker, 1954). Performance metrics, indicators and benchmarks describe how our road assets (and transport systems) are functioning and operating within the context of the road users’ (and societal) expectations. This enables agencies and authorities to manage investment and resources to address the areas of greatest need.

Austroads first developed National Performance Indicators (NPIs) in 1993 to promote consistency in reporting of road performance across state transport agencies. Over time, however, the uptake of NPIs has diminished due to a misalignment with state agencies’ own performance reporting needs, concurrently with the advent of new datasets and the increased value that these datasets provide.

This webinar, presented by Simon Latham, Scott Benjamin and Robert Kane, explores the current performance reporting practices used nationally and internationally including the type and application of urban road network performance indicators and metrics. The webinar highlights challenges and opportunities related to existing performance indicators and reporting and discusses the recommendations which look to support consistent and commonly agreed performance indicators (revised NPIs) for urban road-based transport performance measurement.

Pedestrian Planning and Design for Activity Centres

This webinar, presented by Ann-Marie Head and Jeanette Ward,  focuses on the planning and design considerations that contribute to walkable activity centres - vibrant places where people shop, work, meet, relax and often live. The session also explains where this information can be found in Austroads’ guides.

The webinar covers the following key topics:

• what data to collect
• planning/network considerations
• examples of applying walkable characteristics
• design considerations
• types of shared space streets
• best practice examples.

This session is the fourth in the series of webinars held by Austroads to step practitioners through the updated pedestrian planning and design information.

Austroads’ review of the pedestrian planning and design guidance in the Guide to Traffic Management (AGTM) and Guide to Road Design (AGRD) identified a total of 120 planning and design gaps. Recommended changes to the AGTM were published in April 2020 followed by a series of exceptionally popular webinars.

Recommended changes to the AGRD have been reviewed and approved by the Road Design Task Force and will find their way into the AGRD as part of its update and restructure planned by the Road Safety & Design program in FY20-21.

Pedestrian Planning and Design at Intersections

This webinar presents how to ensure intersections are planned and designed appropriately for pedestrians, and where to find that guidance in Austroads’ guides.

The webinar covers the following key topics:

• what data to collect
• types and how they impact pedestrians
• selection process
• design of each type to improve walking outcomes
• best practice examples.

Presented by Ann-Marie Head and Jeanette Ward.

This session is the third in the series of webinars held by Austroads to step practitioners through the updated pedestrian planning and design information.

Austroads’ review of the pedestrian planning and design guidance in the Guide to Traffic Management (AGTM) and Guide to Road Design (AGRD) identified a total of 120 planning and design gaps. Recommended changes to the AGTM were published in April 2020 followed by a series of exceptionally popular webinars.

Recommended changes to the AGRD have been reviewed and approved by the Road Design Task Force and will find their way into the AGRD as part of its update and restructure planned by the Road Safety & Design program in FY20-21.

Road Space Allocation for Pedestrians

Austroads’ review of the pedestrian planning and design guidance in the Guide to Traffic Management (AGTM) and Guide to Road Design (AGRD) identified a total of 120 planning and design gaps. Recommended changes to the AGTM were published in April 2020 followed by a series of exceptionally popular webinars.

Recommended changes to the AGRD have been reviewed and approved by the Road Design Task Force and will find their way into the AGRD as part of its update and restructure planned by the Road Safety & Design program in FY20-21.

This is the first session in the series of webinars to step practitioners through the updated pedestrian planning and design information. It presents how to ensure pedestrians are catered for appropriately in road cross sections, and where to find that information in the Austroads guides.

The webinar is presented by Ann-Marie Head and Jeanette Ward on 9 February 2021.