Microsimulation as a Planning, Operations and Training Aid for Incident Management

The methodology for this study includes a literature review and a modelling case study of the West Gate Freeway in Melbourne. A microsimulation model was set up using AIMSUN NG for the study area. It is concluded that significant resources are required in setting up a microsimulation model for incident analysis. Once set up and … Read more

Improving Traffic Incident Management: Evaluation Framework

The third report of Austroads Project Improving Traffic Incident Management published in January 2007 provides an evaluation framework to assess priorities for new alternatives in traffic incident management (TIM). It involves a literature review of relevant evaluation approaches followed by application to three case studies.It was found that benefit costs analysis (BCA) provides for a … Read more

Review of Current Traffic Incident Management Practices

Austroads released the second report from its Improving Traffic Incident Management project. The project involves a review of traffic incident management in major urban regions across Australia and New Zealand and is designed to identify innovative practices that may be suitable for wider application, as well as provide a benchmark for ongoing improvement. This report … Read more

Reducing transport carbon emissions

Stern in his 2006 report concluded that the economic, social and environmental cost of doing nothing is much higher than reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide is a hot topic for transport policy professionals.

Australia’s transport contributes about 14% of all greenhouse gas and can be expected to grow in line with travel growth predictions.

Read more

The Role of Transport Models in Evaluation

The use of transport models to estimate demand for travel in urban transport networks is well established.

Models simulate travel demand between each each origin and destination zone (the study area is divided into analysis zones) and assigns those trips to the road and transit transport networks.

Urban transport models used to predict changes in travel demand resulting from transport system and demographic changes are based on the concept of perceived generalised travel costs.

Read more

Why is traffic congestion a problem?

Problems associated with the predicted levels of future traffic congestion and their proposed solutions have been extensively debated.

Political parties at State and Local levels, be they in government or in opposition, have laid out their ‘fix it’ proposals. So too have other interested groups such as the motorist associations.

Most transport professionals can agree on what is needed. We need to achieve long-term outcomes in terms of economically efficient and safe transport networks, which will provide access and mobility, equitably and which will cause minimum damage to the environment.

Read more