Thursday, 22 October 2020
Our roads play an essential role in the movement of people and goods. They connect us to places, and friends and family, and are key to our economic prosperity. The Austroads Guide to Traffic Management (AGTM) is the primary source of guidance for Australian and New Zealand road transport agencies on best practices used in traffic engineering, planning and management.
Austroads is undertaking a strategic review of the Guide to reflect changes in priorities in road network management and operations.
“The Guide was first released in 2007 and since then has gone through a number of revisions. We are now reviewing the purpose, objectives and structure of the AGTM to define the next generation guide to support transport practitioners in the detailed planning, implementation and operation of the road network in the years to come,” said Richard Delplace, Transport Network Operations Program Manager.
“The review will set a clear plan for the update of the Guide so that it provides leadership and national consistency and ensures the AGTM continues to be a relevant and critical resource for the Austroads member agencies and the industry,” said Richard.
The intent of the review is for the future Guide to respond to the following demands:
A broader set of desired outcomes:
- An increased focus on how transport in cities and towns can support and enable liveability and place.
- Considerations of the economic function of transport extending to accessibility and renewed interest in reliability or predictability.
- Widespread adoption of safety goals such as Vision Zero.
- A customer-centric approach that considers end-to-end journeys (as well as any considerations for individual modes of transport and journey stages).
- An emerging focus on sustainability and GHG emissions reduction and a potential interest in air quality.
Evolving agency strategies and activities:
- The application of a Safe Systems approach to all aspects of transport planning, management and operations.
- The management of disruptions and changes to the transport network and the use of and impacts on the road network from non-transport activities.
- Renewed interest in travel demand management and further considerations for network resilience, particularly in light of evolving customer expectations and societal changes driven by COVID-19 and other events.
- Integration of all transport modes in planning through to real-time operations and the integration of many Austroads member road agencies into broader departments of transport.
Emerging transport options and technology:
- The growing role of advanced technology and data solutions for operational planning and real-time operational decision making.
- The emergence or renewed focus on active and alternative mobility solutions (e.g. walking, cycling, scooters) and shared-use business models (e.g. ridesharing, car sharing, Mobility as a Service etc.).
- Readiness for smarter vehicles including Connected and Automated Vehicles along with corresponding demands.
As part of the review, we invite practitioners to complete a survey to help Austroads understand how users interact with the Guide, and how emerging practice areas might influence current and future guidance needs.
Complete the survey by Friday 6 November 2020.