Austroads: Transport Research and Trends

In this webinar, MACA Chief Executive Helen Lindner and Professor Julie Brown discuss an Austroads project for Australia and New Zealand investigating specialty harnesses and vests. These products are sometimes used by children and young people with disabilities and medical conditions when travelling in motor vehicles. The project aimed to improve knowledge and understanding of why these products are used, how people are accessing them, their compatibility with different vehicle types, and their design and safety. In the webinar, the presenters outline the project aims, methodology, key findings, expert safety recommendations and next steps.

Polymer modified binders (PMBs) are used in road construction to provide better performance than unmodified bitumen. As these materials consist of multiple components (i.e. bitumen, polymer and performance additives) the different components in a PMB can separate out, or segregate, when PMBs are stored hot before use in road construction. The Australian PMB specification (Austroads ATS 3110) currently includes segregation tests (ATM 108) to determine whether the components in a PMB will segregate during hot storage. ATM 108 tests were developed considering current generation PMBs containing a single polymer type, but may provide misleading results if they are used to characterise next generation PMBs containing multiple polymer types. This webinar will summarise the outcomes of an Austroads project which developed a new segregation test (ATM 104) which is suitable for use with both current and next generation PMBs. The webinar covered: Issues with the current ATM 108 test for characterising PMBs containing multiple polymer types The learnings obtained from a literature review of Australian and overseas segregation tests which were used to develop a suitable test to characterise the segregation properties of current and next generation PMBs The results of laboratory studies which investigated the sensitivity of the new test to segregation in current and next generation PMBs. The webinar was presented by Dr Robert Urquhart and Robert Busuttil, who also answered attendee questions during the session.

Pedestrian safety is a critical concern worldwide, and some countries have been particularly successful. Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark have achieved 40-60 per cent reductions in pedestrian deaths over the last 20 years. Australia and New Zealand, however, lag and pedestrian safety is only marginally improving. Achieving Australia and New Zealand's vision for road safety, where no one is killed or seriously injured, will be challenging for pedestrian safety without a shift in our current approach. The Keeping People Safe When Walking: Stream 1 project found that comprehensive implementation of known interventions could reduce pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries in Australia and New Zealand by 70-90 per cent.  The webinar covered: pedestrian safety risk priorities priorities to improve the data needed to support investment in pedestrian safety strategies and interventions to progress Vision Zero for pedestrian safety

The purpose of the update to Guide to Road Design Part 1: Objectives of Road Design is to outline a proposed recommendation of amendments to the design domain and design exception process sections. The need for updating these sections is consistent with increasing industry challenges in designing and constructing road infrastructure in constrained environments or other various contexts, which make it impractical or impossible to adopt design solutions traditionally deemed as acceptable or normal practice. Across Australia and New Zealand, many jurisdictions have their own guidelines in place to assist designers and practitioners in developing context sensitive design solutions, which may require the introduction of elements which depart from the design standards. These guidelines include processes for analysing risk and identifying risk mitigation strategies and are generally similar between jurisdictions. In developing a proposed guideline for inclusion into Part 1, a systematic methodology was developed, planned and implemented which consisted of a literature review and stakeholder engagement.

The National Training Framework for Temporary Traffic Management has been operational since January 2024 and has been implemented by South Australia, Victoria, Northern Territory and Tasmania. The Austroads Guide to Temporary Traffic Management (AGTTM) provides comprehensive guidance for the planning, design, and implementation of safe and efficient temporary traffic management practices in Australia and New Zealand. Substantial revisions have been made within AGTTM Part 8 relating to the national harmonisation of training associated with temporary traffic management. The purpose of updated content within AGTTM Part 8 is to bring the guide in line with National Harmonisation of Temporary Traffic Management, which includes the National Training Framework.   AGTTM Part 8 has been reviewed and updated to reflect Austroads members' agreed operational policy position on the Training Framework, RTO Approval Framework and Prequalification Scheme. These processes comply with a harmonised approach to work, health and safety requirements, and relevant training and educational requirements. Additional changes have been made to reflect industry best practices, clarify content, and address terminology consistently. This webinar was presented by Point8's Rosie Toohey and Peter Bilton.

This webinar introduced the new Austroads Guidance for Cycling and Micromobility Planning, a resource for professionals seeking to deliver safer outcomes for all road users. The project aimed to deliver a consolidated and nationally consistent approach to cycling and micromobility planning and includes recommended changes to the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management. The webinar shared the key themes that emerged from research and consultation. It introduced the three overarching recommendations of the Guidance: providing stronger links to best-practice cycle planning and design principles; recognising that considered terminology can help deliver projects; and updating the AGTM's scope to include wider micromobility options. Recommendations are supported with practical tools and strategies to facilitate better cycling and micromobility planning outcomes. The webinar was presented by Clare Huggins and James Laing, and moderated by Mary Haverland.

Australia's freight industry is at a turning point. The transition to low and zero-emission heavy vehicles (ZEHVs) is critical to achieving net zero targets, but it presents significant challenges for road infrastructure. As these vehicles are often heavier than their diesel counterparts, they place additional strain on pavements and bridges—potentially increasing maintenance costs and accelerating road deterioration. Australia has a long history of engineering cost-effective road networks, enabling an extensive transport system despite the country's vast geography and relatively low population density. However, as transport emissions come under greater scrutiny, government and industry leaders must navigate complex trade-offs between sustainability, infrastructure resilience, and freight efficiency. The report, Zero Emission Heavy Vehicles and Road Pavements: Comparing Australia and New Zealand to Europe and North America, explores these challenges and outlines potential pathways for government and industry to support the decarbonisation of heavy transport while ensuring Australia's road network remains functional and cost-effective. 

Sprayed seals are a widely used, critical component of the road system in Australia and New Zealand, being the predominant type of sealed road surfacing in both countries. Traditional sprayed sealing practice sees a heavy reliance on non-renewable, virgin materials for the two major components, the bituminous binder, which is refined from crude oil, and aggregate, which is extracted from a quarry.   Austroads has recently completed a project to gather knowledge and increase the understandings about sprayed seal technologies and practices that can be used to improve their sustainability in terms of environmental impact. The project report has identified several opportunities that may be pursued to improve the sustainability of sprayed seals.   This webinar discussed the findings of the project and provided an overview of the report, which contains: a literature review, conducted to identify and evaluate new and emerging environmentally friendly, sustainable technologies and practices, and innovative materials and methods for sprayed seals a description of current sprayed seal materials and practice alternative approaches to binders (including additives, emulsions and bio-binders), aggregates and precoating, cutter oils, and construction equipment.   The session also focused on the lifespans of sprayed seals, impacts of climate change and an environmental life cycle analysis to review the impact of different sealing approaches. The webinar was presented by Steve Patrick and Robert Busuttil. There were question and answer opportunities during the session.

Road infrastructure investments are currently planned and prioritised under what could be considered a ‘top-down' process. Road agencies are typically funded through budgetary processes whereby road funding needs are mostly weighed against other budget priorities. However, when a road is a lifeline route – where there are limited transportation alternatives –the external impacts and costs imposed on both users and non-users from this road becoming inaccessible can be very significant. These impacts can be difficult to both measure and value and, because of this, lifeline routes may have been historically underfunded. This is pertinent with climate change meaning that road managers are increasingly encountering problems managing natural hazard events on lifeline routes. In light of this, Austroads has updated their Lifeline Risk Indicator Tool and migrated it to the Austroads website as an online-enabled tool. This tool has two purposes. First is to identify lifeline freight routes and allow road managers to establish a lifeline route network. Second is to rank investments in lifeline routes in terms of economic and social impacts. This webinar, presented by Ben Mason, Dr Stacy Rendall and Valentin Perez, stepped through the process undertaken to update the tool and a practical run through of how the web-based Lifeline Risk Indicator Tool can be used.

Climate change is causing irreversible damage to communities, the economy and the environment, and it is imperative that strong and sustained action is taken to limit its future impacts. Extreme weather events are projected to become more frequent and intense, increasing the vulnerability of transport network assets and the communities they serve. Climate change impacts the ability of transport networks to provide lifeline infrastructure services that are crucial to the distribution and continuous flow of goods and services essential for human livelihoods, the functioning of society and economic prosperity. The physical impacts of climate change are a common threat to Austroads transport agencies, and these will only grow in frequency and intensity as the climate changes, causing wide-spread disruption to transport network's ability to deliver the levels of service expected. Effective and responsible asset management is crucial for agencies to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Such practices balance performance, cost, and risk over time to ensure that transport network needs are met while maximising return on investment and providing the required levels of service. This webinar presented the outcomes of Austroads' recent project that developed practical guidance for asset managers to embed consideration of climate resilience into their asset management processes. The project identified a number of key issues and developed practical recommendations for each of them covering asset management systems and processes, the asset lifecycle, criticality and vulnerability assessments, valuation of climate resilience measures and asset information management. The guidance will equip asset managers with knowledge to improve their processes and achieve their asset management objectives. The webinar was presented by Upeshika Heenetigala, Jesse Sounness and Qindong Li. There were question and answer opportunities during the session.

Are you looking for an opportunity to work with Austroads to help Australian and New Zealand transport agencies deliver efficient, reliable, and safe mobility to their customers? This webinar recording introduces new projects lined up for the 2024-25 financial year. Consultants interested in tendering for Austroads projects will find this session beneficial. The session covers the Austroads tendering process with presentations from Austroads program managers: Ross Guppy, Program Manager Transport Infrastructure Michael Nieuwesteeg, Program Manager Road Safety and Design Amy Naulls, Program Manager Transport Network Operations Joanne Vanselow, Program Manager Future Vehicles and Technology, and Environment and Sustainability. The webinar was moderated by Paul Davies, Austroads General Manager Programs.

Following extensive engagement with industry, representative specialist groups and transport agency stakeholders across Australia and New Zealand, Austroads has developed a guide to digital engineering. The purpose of the guide is to assist transport agencies in Australia and New Zealand to deliver and operate their assets more effectively through obtaining better value and consistency in the application of digital engineering capability. The guide communicates the need for a strategic approach to digital engineering alongside careful consideration and planning, clear engagement and support for its implementation. This webinar, presented by Will Hackney and David Heins, provides an overview of the guide, including why it is needed, the structure of the guide, approaches to developing a strategy, roadmap, implementation planning, learning and development framework, and case studies.

The project aimed to assess and demonstrate the viability of incorporating other-than-truck tyres crumb rubber into asphalt applications from an operational and constructability standpoint. Following the initial part of the project that assessed the readiness of the tyre recycling and asphalt industries to handle crumb rubber from any sources of end-of-life tyres, the demonstration project in Tasmania showed no significant differences among the three asphalt mixes, suggesting that more attention should be directed towards crumb rubber produced from tyres other than trucks – some of which are only minimally recycled despite their significant volume. This webinar, presented by Tony Aloisio from the Australian Flexible Pavement Association, will provide a detailed overview of the demonstration project in Tasmania and its findings.

Transport sector emissions are a significant and growing contributor to both Australia and New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions. Enabled transport sector emissions – those occurring as a result of use of transport systems (e.g. road user emissions) account for the largest portion of transport sector emissions. Beyond road user emissions, there are also significant emissions associated with direct transport agency operations and supply chain embodied emissions from the construction and maintenance of associated infrastructure. The Decarbonisation Decision-Making Guidance (User Guide), and associated multi-criteria analysis (MCA) tool, aims to assist agencies and practitioners in the strategic prioritisation of emission reduction interventions. The User Guide and MCA tool are designed to work alongside (not replace) established decision-making processes such as business cases and cost-benefit analysis. The User Guide and MCA tool provide a systematic approach for assessing and prioritising interventions and facilitating an evidence-based decision-making process to prioritise the most impactful, cost-effective, and technologically viable options. The approach was developed in line with the Infrastructure Australia Guide to multi-criteria analysis – Technical guide of the Assessment Framework. This webinar, presented by Nick Gallaugher and Georgia Harmey, provides an overview of the User Guide and MCA tool outlining the key concepts and process.

Transport infrastructure and systems are typically designed to withstand local weather events based on historical records of climate. However, historical climate data is no longer a reliable predictor of future impacts due to climate change. Extreme weather events are projected to become more frequent and intense, increasing the vulnerability of transport networks and the communities they serve. Austroads has developed Climate Change and Natural Hazard Risk Assessment and Adaptation Planning Guidelines. The guidelines set out a framework for transport agencies to consider when undertaking climate change and natural hazard risk assessments and developing adaptation plans with examples provided throughout. The guidelines are intended to be flexible, guiding the application of both high-level and detailed risk assessments of physical and transition risks. This webinar, presented by Allan Klindworth and Upeshika Heenetigala, will step through the process set out in the guidelines, highlighting key concepts with examples and supporting resources. There will be question and answer opportunities during the session.

Christchurch has developed over 75km of separated cycle facilities retrofitted across the road network. The Major Cycleway Programme has enabled Christchurch to become the leader for cycle infrastructure in New Zealand. The 2011 earthquakes experienced in Canterbury, New Zealand caused significant devastation and destruction across the city. This disaster was a catalyst for change and provided Christchurch an opportunity to rebuild new and create a new identity. This webinar, presented by Emily Cambridge from Activate Urban and Jacob Bradbury from Christchurch City Council, takes you on the Christchurch journey towards becoming a cycle friendly city. This includes discussing The Share an Idea campaign which empowered the Christchurch community to share their dreams for the future of the city. The campaign attracted more than 100,000 ideas. The Major Cycleway network emerged as part of the city rebuild blueprint. This programme planned a network with over 100km of separated cycleways along 13 major routes across the city. In 2016, two consultant led consortia were established to complete the route designs. Now with 11 of the 13 routes nearing completion there has been exponential growth of people riding bikes over the past 5 years. One of the completed routes has seen an average 30% growth in cyclists between 2019 and 2020. Recent surveys with users and residents also show strong support for the facility with 82% of cycle users surveyed stated that the new cycleway has encouraged them to make more trips by bike. The webinar shares how the design team has progressed through route planning, design team consortia collaboration, construction and will touch on some lessons learnt along the journey.

Head-on crashes are a serious issue in Australia and New Zealand. Head-on crashes result in significantly higher trauma than most other crash types. The provision of an appropriate median or centreline treatment is important to mitigate the risk of head-on crashes.   In this webinar, Dr Rod Troutbeck, Jade Hogan and Jamie Robertson described the range of improvements from supportive treatments like pavement markings and audio-tactile line markings through to the use of flexible barriers in narrow medians as a primary treatment. The discussion and guidance centre on rural two-lane roads but also applicable to all roads. The recommended practices are based on both literature and case studies.    The presenters introduced the crash modification factors developed for the hierarchy of approaches to address head-on crashes and the case studies that support these factors. The optimum solution is to provide a median barrier, however other treatments may be appropriate in certain circumstances depending on considerations including road function, space or resource constraints, and access requirements. The designer should start with the option that has the greatest Safe System alignment. It will need to be demonstrated that this option is not feasible before investigating and selecting an option with lower Safe System alignment are prioritised and other alternatives must be given lower emphasis.   The presenters discussed the implications for road designers including the treatment's applicability, effectiveness and dimensions. The maintenance considerations and implications for other road users, including sight distance requirements were also discussed.   

By applying road safety knowledge to road projects throughout their lifecycle, road safety audits provide greater confidence to road authorities that potential and actual road safety risks are identified and can be mitigated.   Road safety auditors are currently managed individually by state and territory road agencies, leading to variability in training, accreditation, registration, and continuing professional development requirements across Australia and New Zealand.   Austroads members are committed to improving the consistency and quality of road safety audit practices across Australia and New Zealand and have agreed to implement a national framework to manage road safety auditors and road safety audit training providers.    This webinar provided an overview of the national harmonisation project, including why it is needed, the anticipated benefits, what the national framework will look like, as well as project deliverables and timelines.   The webinar was presented by Michael Nieuwesteeg, Chris Koniditsiotis, Andrew Lee and Kellie Houlahan. There were question and answer opportunities during the session.    

The implementation of the National Roadmap on Driver Distraction is a commitment under Australia's National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. Austroads has released a guide for this work and is preparing two research and development projects for delivery over the next financial year. The webinar presents the guide, the first projects being prepared, and encourage further discussion and ongoing engagement about this important road safety issue. This webinar is presented by Matin Nabavi, Mike Regan and Martin Small.

The webinar provides an overview of an Austroads project which provided expert technical input into the revision of three Australian Standard test methods (AS 2341.4, AS 2341.15 and AS 2341.27) and three national specification documents (AS 2008, AS 2157, AS 1160) during the period between September 2022 and August 2024. It also includes the results of a laboratory study which investigated whether consistency at 25 °C tests (AS 2341.25) could be replaced by rotational viscosity at 25 °C tests (AS 2341.4) in the bituminous emulsion specification (AS 1160).

As a longstanding authority in verifying drivers' licences, Austroads is leading Australia's development of world class solutions that safely and securely support driver licence verification. As part of the transformative initiative to harmonise Mobile Drivers Licences (mDL) across all jurisdictions, Austroads is establishing a National Digital Trust Service (DTS) enabling mDLs to be securely verified anywhere, at any time. The first stage of the project, a pre-production version of the DTS, will be powered by MATTR and deliver DTS capabilities that will have the ability to support multiple types of digital credentials. Based on the MATTR VII platform, the DTS will act as the root of trust for the mDL ecosystem across Australia, ensuring that mDLs can be verified regardless of the issuing jurisdiction or location by relying parties anywhere in the world. This webinar gave an overview of mDLs and the Austroads DTS, presented by Christopher Goh, Austroads' National Harmonisation Lead – Digital Identity, and representatives from MATTR – Luke McIntyre, Chief Product Officer, and Tobias Looker, Chief Technical Officer.

This is the final webinar in the three-part webinar series to present the outcomes of the Austroads project “Prioritising Active Transport”. Presenters Dr Elliot Fishman and Andrew Somers focus on various policies and other non-infrastructure interventions that can be used to increase levels of active travel. These interventions include measures such as speed reduction, policies to integrate public transport with walking and cycling, pricing measures for motor vehicle use and parking and shared micromobility programs. The session also covers how policy and other non-infrastructure interventions perform in terms of their impact on growing active transport mode share, in comparison to the cost and complexity of implementing these initiatives.

This is the second session in a three-part webinar series to present the outcomes of the Austroads project “Prioritising Active Transport”. This webinar builds on the first webinar by focusing on the types of infrastructure interventions that can be used to increase active transport mode share. Participants will gain an understanding of the effectiveness of these interventions and their suitability, depending on the geographical context (e.g. inner city, suburban, regional). The webinar is presented by Dr Elliot Fishman and moderated by Andrew Somers.

This webinar was part one of a three-part webinar series to present the outcomes of the Austroads project 'Prioritising Active Transport'. A wide range of Australian government agencies have a goal to increase the mode share for walking and cycling. Yet much of the data shows that active transport levels have stagnated over the last 15 years. This webinar presented data on Australian and overseas best-practice measures that can be implemented to grow the contribution of walking and cycling to transport systems across Australasia. Participants learnt about the different categories of interventions that can be used to increase active transport mode share. They also learnt how a prioritisation framework can be used to select interventions that are the most impactful in boosting walking and cycling mode share, while also considering the cost and complexity of different interventions. The webinar was presented by Dr Elliot Fishman and moderated by Andrew Somers.

Cities throughout the world are recognising many public spaces are not welcoming or inclusive, particularly for women, girls, gender diverse groups and vulnerable people. This webinar, presented by Anna Chauvel and Richmond Henty, focuses on Canberra's first Gender Sensitive Urban Design Guidelines. The guidelines will help planners, engineers, architects, landscape designers and developers create urban spaces that reflect the needs, interests, and routines of the city's diverse community, enriching people's daily lives. Developed following over two years of community and stakeholder engagement, the guidelines will aid with the design and delivery of public urban spaces as well as transport and infrastructure projects, including wayfinding. The guidelines are one of the actions to come out of the Second Action Plan 2020-22 of the ACT Women's Plan. The guidelines will deliver practical outcomes to the daily lives of women, girls, gender diverse and vulnerable people in Canberra improving their safety, access, mobility, health, and enjoyment in public spaces.

Safety is often the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about transport and city planning from a gender perspective, but feeling safe should be the baseline, not the benchmark when it comes to inclusive cities. From Barcelona's Superblocks to women's cycling rates in Copenhagen, through to building women's autonomy into the business case, this webinar's presenter Estelle Grech shares key insights from her Churchill Fellowship where she travelled to 14 cities around the globe to research how to design cities for women in girls.

The Austroads Guide to Road Safety Part 2: Safe Roads (AGRS Part 2) and Guide to Road Safety Part 7: Road Safety Strategy and Management (AGRS Part 7) have recently been updated. AGRS Part 2 is designed to provide all levels of government across Australia and New Zealand with information on the role infrastructure plays in the Safe System. AGRS Part 2 presents guidance on the selection and implementation of infrastructure treatments to reduce road trauma and deliver a zero-harm future. These guidelines cover network risk assessment techniques and present a suite of infrastructure interventions (proven and emerging) that can be implemented to address the key road safety issues on our road networks: high-speed lane departures, intersections, and vulnerable road users. Interventions are categorised using a treatment hierarchy approach aligned with Safe System principles. The Guide contains practical, hands-on advice to help practitioners identify, prioritise, and deliver infrastructure interventions that are aligned with Safe System principles and the contemporary Zero Planning approach to road safety. The AGRS Part 7 was expanded to include other network-wide concepts and processes, such as Network Safety Planning, Future State Modelling (backcasting) and Movement and Place Frameworks. It also identifies how the different parts/pillars of the Austroads Guide to Road Safety can be used to develop solutions that work towards network aspirations and significantly reduce serious road trauma. This webinar, presented by Hafez Alavi and Paul Durdin, outlines the key changes to AGRS Part 2 and AGRS Part 7. The content includes examples from both guides that demonstrate how the updated guidance would be practically interpreted by practitioners to deliver treatment outcomes that are more aligned with the Safe System approach.

A large proportion of the road networks in Australia and New Zealand consist of flexible granular pavements protected by sprayed sealing surfacings. An Austroads sprayed seal trial site was established in Coober Pedy in South Australia during 2011 to evaluate the relative performance of seals constructed with different grades of binders from their placement through to long‑term service. The site was constructed to predominantly compare the performance of different Austroads Technical Specification ATS 3110 polymer modified binder (PMB) grades when they were used in strain alleviating membrane (SAM) applications. This webinar, presented by Steve Patrick and Dr Robert Urquhart, describes the findings obtained from an inspection of the trial site conducted 11 years after construction. The inspection included detailed visual assessments of the condition of each trial section by an expert team. Seal samples were also obtained from the trial sections so that binders could be extracted for rheological and chemical analysis tests. The test results obtained for the extracted binder samples have been used to gain insights into how the properties of the trial binders have changed over time. The results of the visual assessment work indicated that all sections of the trial site were generally performing well after 11 years of service. Extracted binder sample tests indicated that all binders have become progressively harder over time. The control C170 bitumen section of the trial site has hardened more over time than the sections containing PMBs.

This webinar is aimed at helping local governments (LGs) across Australia and New Zealand navigate the evolving landscape of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). As managers of a large portion of the road network, LGs play a pivotal role in shaping the future of transport. This webinar provides an overview of an Austroads project that developed guidance to enhance LGs' preparedness for CAV integration. The webinar explores ten critical areas essential for LGs seeking to prepare effectively, spanning legal considerations and infrastructure readiness as well as financial impacts and stakeholder engagement. The session will also outline the proposed actions to support current and near-term vehicles with human operators and longer-term, fully automated vehicles. The webinar also covers a proposed LG CAV Preparedness Framework and an Inflection Point Monitoring tool developed to assist LGs with decision making amidst the evolving landscape of CAV adoption. The webinar starts by presenting the results of the initial consultation exercise, giving context to the understanding of what LGs considered to be most useful and relevant for their needs. It will then run through an overview of the developed tools and resources. The webinar is presented by David Yee and Andrew Somers.

For decades, Austroads Guide to Road Design (AGRD) has served as a critical resource for practitioners involved in road planning, design and engineering. Austroads recently completed a strategic review of road design guidance, identifying strategies to sustainably maintain the AGRD as the pre-eminent road design guide in Australia and New Zealand. Through an online survey and face-to-face interviews, the project team identified opinions and possible strategic actions from users of the AGRD, stakeholders in road design practice and international experts. This webinar describes what the review learned, and the nature of actions proposed to realise identified opportunities. Webinar presenters, Andrew Somers and Dr Rod Troutbeck, report on the findings of the engagement with the AGRD's users and non-users. Provided feedback identified that road design must be context-sensitive and Austroads' road design guidance needs to cover the range of contexts and the application of judgement is a critical part of context-sensitive designs and solutions. The presenters also explore how changes to structure and content might allow the AGRD to: better cover urban environments integrate guidance for planning and design more effectively promote context-sensitive design practices establish clearer links to supporting evidence.

The Department of Transport Western Australia has been working with Western Australian local governments to develop, trial and evaluate ‘safe active streets' to encourage more people to walk, wheel and ride in their communities. The pilot program trialled and adapted common local area traffic management treatments to create 30 km/h environments with unique designs created that reflect local community needs and context. This webinar explores the origins of the program, how and why it started, it will share high-level insights from the evaluation, including what worked, what didn't and what was learnt along the way. It also shares ‘where to next' for the program and how this work will be used to inform guidelines to support the delivery of safe active street infrastructure by local government into the future. The webinar is presented by Caroline Elliott and Helen Ginbey, moderated by Sam Bolton. This webinar is part of the Cycling and Walking Australia and New Zealand (CWANZ) webinar series. CWANZ is the Australasian lead reference group for walking and bike riding on transport and recreation networks. For further information please visit www.cwanz.com.au

Moisture damage in asphalt (also known as stripping) can significantly reduce the durability and strength of asphalt pavements, often resulting in expensive repairs. Hydrated lime is widely used in Australia to reduce the moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixes in service; however, potentially more sustainable additives (such as liquid anti-stripping agents) are also widely used internationally to reduce the risk of moisture damage in asphalt pavements. Austroads has completed a project that investigated the use of alternative anti-stripping additives (other than hydrated lime) to reduce the moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixes in service. An interim laboratory assessment protocol was developed to assess the effectiveness of different anti-stripping additives. This webinar with Joe Grobler, Dr Chrysoula Pandelidi and Sean Dorahy presents: important factors affecting the moisture susceptibility of asphalt mixes commonly used moisture susceptibility test methods the main benefits and disadvantages of using hydrated lime or liquid anti-stripping agents an interim Austroads laboratory assessment protocol to evaluate the effectiveness of different anti-stripping additives.

The National Walking and Cycling Participation Survey is a survey of the Australian community to understand their participation in walking and cycling. The survey has been run every two years since 2011. Until 2019 the survey was managed by Austroads. 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, CWANZ presented the 2023 National Walking and Cycling Participation Survey, covered its methodology and provided a high-level overview of the results. Presenters also spoke about how the data is used in different states. Speakers were Cameron Munro, CDM Research, Fiona Goodbody, Department of Transport, Western Australia and Dr Tepi Mclaughlin from University of Western Australia.

Austroads has completed a project to replace the obsolete gyratory compactors used in design and quality control testing of asphalt mixes and update its Guide to Pavement Technology Part 4B: Asphalt. Austroads asphalt mix design procedure currently relies on Gyropac compaction for volumetric mix design. The discontinuation of the Gyropac compactor has resulted in a significant gap in the Austroads asphalt mix design procedure and created a need for a replacement. The Austroads Asphalt Research Technical Group has identified the Superpave™ gyratory compactor as the most likely replacement for this gap. The project team undertook a comprehensive literature review and testing of asphalt mixes to understand the relationship between compaction in Gyropac, Servopac (setup to AS/NZS) and Superpave™ gyratory compactors to allow the adoption of the Superpave™ standard gyratory settings in the Austroads mix design procedure. This webinar, presented by Dr Bevan Sullivan and Sean Dorahy, provided a detailed overview of the project, including the findings of the literature review and test data. There were question and answer opportunities during the session.

Austroads has completed its update of Section 3: Inspection, Testing, Monitoring and Reporting of the Guide to Bridge Technology Part 7: Maintenance and Management of Existing Bridges. The project involved taking a fresh look at the inspection process to provide a flexible framework from which users of the Guide can develop and improve their own inspection processes. The project team undertook an assessment of Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions, as well as some international organisations. The assessment included reviewing the processes and practices and the uses of inspection data collected at each inspection level. This was followed up with a workshop with each individual jurisdiction. Practices varied across the jurisdictions from basic to advanced levels in terms of programming, data collection, and inspection processes. Similar observations were also made of the international practices assessed. The current practices were also assessed against the existing documentation to quantify gaps within the existing documentation. With the current range of complexities in systems, data requirements and processes, coupled with the intention of some jurisdictions to change existing practices, it was concluded that a flexible approach is needed within the revised inspection framework to enable varying jurisdictional needs to be accommodated. The fundamentals such as defining inspection types, components and component numbering are documented as a single approach, whilst for other sections, a risk-based framework will be adopted to allow flexibility, such as in assigning inspection timings. Key updates to the Guide include: Condition rating vs defect mapping, allowing flexibility to adopt positions between the two processes. Standardisation of bridge and culvert definition. A ‘Rosetta stone' of bridge componentisation, describing the nuances of the different jurisdictions. Standardisation of component rating descriptors. Reaffirming and refining inspection levels and inspection frequencies. Audit, quality control and inspector training. The webinar will be presented by Andy Ng and Paul Cannons.

This webinar presents the work involved in developing a standardised comparative risk assessment method for assessing life safety risk of dangerous goods being routed through the tunnel or via an alternative surface route. The project was conceived to focus on new road tunnel projects, but the methodology developed could also be used for comparative assessment of alternative surface routes. Dangerous goods are a wide variety of substances and objects that pose acute risks to people, property, and the environment due to their chemical or physical characteristics. The transport by road of such goods is necessary to achieve broad societal benefits, yet such transport has inherent risk of significant events adversely affecting people (road users, adjacent populations, and responders) and the environment. The webinar describes the proposed methodology as well as providing a case study application of the methodology to aid practitioners. The session provides a summary of the legal context for undertaking such assessments and the responsibilities that lie with the various stakeholder parties. The authors also present the broader context in which the life safety assessment results should be considered and the other decision-making factors that should be applied. The webinar is presented by Dr Conrad Stacey and Nigel Casey.

This webinar is hosted with the Digital Atlas of Australia Team and Geoscience Australia. In this session we explore how the Digital Atlas is transforming the way we access and use location data. The team discusses the National Roads dataset – a comprehensive dataset on Australia's roads, now freely accessible to the public. The team also talks about the value and insights driven by integrating a national, reliable view of Australia's road networks with other trusted location data.

Over the last decade there has been a trend by a number of governments to invest more heavily in transport infrastructure and systems, and to accelerate programs of work. This has been a response to various ‘burning platforms' including transport congestion in our major urban areas, fast growing populations, extreme events like flooding, bushfires and earthquakes, and job creation to support economic growth. While there is an extensive range of advice on project management, there is little written up on how to successfully set-up and accelerate programs of work using the best of project management and governance techniques, particularly in the context of Australian and New Zealand. The Austroads recently complete project aimed to fill this gap by highlighting key things to consider for programs generally up to $500 million from the experience of over 50 experts. A number of case studies are presented to illustrate best practice. This also includes how best practice can be amplified and a culture of continuous improvement can be best established and maintained. Not surprisingly, the report outlines how successful delivery of accelerated programs is underpinned by sound initial planning, strong governance and leadership, role clarity and an understanding across the team of the importance of the work. Particularly in pressure situations to make ‘things happen', these things can be forgotten about or not given enough thought and resource. The case studies demonstrate how programs can be accelerated and robust prioritisation, approval and procurement process can still be followed. It just takes a clear focus on the desired outcomes and a strong mandate. This webinar is presented by Duminda Wijayasinghe, David Silvester and Ray Paterson.

This webinar presents the results of the Austroads project that developed guidelines for incident response vehicles and truck-mounted attenuators. The project was a collaboration between Austroads, iMOVE, Queensland University of Technology and Deakin University. Two sets of guidelines have been developed as part of the project. The first set provides information on models/types and design specifications of incident response vehicles. The guidance focuses on three vehicle types: tow trucks, truck-mounted attenuators (TMAs) and utility vehicles. In general, the design considerations are separated into three stages: determining models and general specifications, determining additional features and equipment, and determining markings, signs and other identification measures to ensure visibility and identifiability of the incident response vehicles. The second set provides guidance on when and how TMAs and other attenuator vehicles should be used in incident response scenarios. The use of TMAs for incident response often requires departures from the established guidelines for TMA use, which are generally developed around planned operations (i.e. roadworks and maintenance activities). These issues are addressed alongside related considerations around broader temporary traffic management pertaining to incident response specifically. In the webinar, presenters Narelle Haworth, Ashim Debnath and Drew Gaynor, provide an overview of the project, including the findings of the literature review, results of the stakeholder consultations and guideline development.

The United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 has set the ambitious global target to halve road traffic fatalities and injuries by 2030. Some jurisdictions have set even more ambitious targets by setting a date for achieving zero road trauma, such as by 2050. While there is a growing body of evidence around what initiatives are effective in reducing road crashes and injuries, what is missing is how to prioritise these measures and a lack of tangible planning frameworks to assist countries to link near- and long-term targets with day-to-day operations. This webinar explores how to use backcasting, a vision-based planning approach, to determine what the metrics of a safe road system should look like in order to achieve zero road trauma and how the current road system is tracking towards this desired state and how jurisdictions can utilise this approach to develop strategies to achieve their near- and long-term targets. The webinar is presented by Jessica Truong, the winner of the Women in Road Safety Award presented by Austroads at the 2023 Australasian Road Safety Conference.

Driver licensing legislation and regulation is the responsibility of each of Australia's 8 states and territories. However, there is a commitment by all jurisdictional regulators to harmonised practices with minimum licensing standards. Under the Austroads registration and licensing taskforce, states and territories agree periodic programs of work to improve licensing practice which recognises emerging research and trends and supports movement towards increasing road safety. To guide the development of licensing practice in Australia all states and territories have agreed to the five principles of aspirational intent to guide and inform their licensing policy and work programs. This webinar outlines these five principles and describes some of the work currently underway in support of these principles. The webinar is presented by Judy Oswin who has worked on driver licensing policy as both a state regulator and consultant for over 20 years.

Australia's Transport Ministers have agreed in-principle to an improved, nationally‑consistent approach to the training and licence progression of heavy vehicle drivers, that improves road safety and productivity. The in-principle changes were approved by infrastructure and transport ministers in December 2023 through the agreement by the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers Meeting (ITMM) to endorse the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework Decision Regulation Impact Statement (Decision RIS). The changes are designed to increase the safety and job‑readiness of heavy vehicle drivers. Austroads will develop best-practice standards and training material to support consistent delivery of the enhanced heavy vehicle competencies and assessments. Austroads will work with each state and territory government and the different industries to fully scope the implementation program, identify policy, service and stakeholder issues and options, and seek to collaboratively develop a coordinated plan to deliver the anticipated safety and productivity benefits of the reform. In this webinar, Paul Davies, Austroads General Manager Programs, explains the changes in detail.

How do drivers respond to the iconic tunnel design features included in the NorthConnex road tunnel project? What were the objectives of the designs and have the designs achieved these objectives? How do the designs affect driver behaviour? The webinar explains the two key elements of this work – the validation of the UNSW driving simulator as a means of assessing road tunnel design features, and the use of that simulator to test driver response to the design features included in NorthConnex. The presenters explains the logic of the trial methodology, whereby the driving behaviour of trial participants was assessed in the actual tunnel as well as in the simulated tunnel – the latter both with the design features included and with the features excluded. The work sought to determine whether the design features enhanced the driver experience without an adverse effect on safety. The work demonstrates that the driving simulator is a valid tool for assessing tunnel design features and therefore provides a platform to inform design features in new tunnels but also a tool to assess how such designs may help to mitigate operational issues in existing tunnels. The webinar is presented by Prof Michael (Mike) Regan, Dr Prasannah Prabhakharan, Julius Secadiningrat, Jack Mazaraki, Nicholas Rozenauers, Nigel Casey and Richard Merrett.

The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics held a webinar on the 16 November 2023 to update industry on the Northern Territory's transition to the National Training Framework Temporary Traffic Management (NTFTTM). Industry and individuals currently working in Temporary Traffic Management roles, or associated with the Temporary Traffic Management industry were encouraged to attend to understand the changes being implemented in February 2024. Transitional arrangements being implemented by the Department with the intention of minimising the impact to industry, were explained for existing Northern Territory Work Zone Traffic Management qualifications transitioning to the national training. The webinar was presented by Bob Pemble, Patsy Thomas and Sean Stieber. There were question and answer opportunities during the session.

Austroads has developed an extended vehicle classification scheme (EVCS) to enable improved understanding and monitoring of the evolving vehicle mix on Australian and New Zealand roads in traffic and transport surveys. This builds upon the existing 1994 vehicle classification scheme. The EVCS provides greater granularity for each of the existing 12 classes of vehicles and adds a new class for active transport to address the need to count a variety of active transport users such as pedestrians, skateboards and e-scooters. The EVCS will allow transport agencies to better manage transport demand within and between modes, survey active transport and understand how demands integrate with other modes. The scheme will help identify changes in transport operational performance and optimise plans for effective access management and asset maintenance. This webinar is the third session in a three-webinar series, and it will focus on measuring active transport. The first webinar covered heavy vehicles and the third session discussed the changes to light vehicles. This webinar, presented by Drew Gaynor and David Johnston, focuses on active transport and discusses: the creation of level 3 class 20 the greater granularity in level 4 subclasses emerging challenges in categorising class 20 elements the use of alternative counting technologies.

Austroads has developed an extended vehicle classification scheme (EVCS) to enable improved understanding and monitoring of the evolving vehicle mix on Australian and New Zealand roads in traffic and transport surveys. This builds upon the existing 1994 vehicle classification scheme. The EVCS provides greater granularity for each of the existing 12 classes of vehicles and adds a new class for active transport to address the need to count a variety of active transport users such as pedestrians, skateboards and e-scooters. The EVCS will allow transport agencies to better manage transport demand within and between modes, survey active transport and understand how demands integrate with other modes. The scheme will help identify changes in transport operational performance and optimise plans for effective access management and asset maintenance. This webinar, presented by Drew Gaynor and David Johnston, is the second session in a three-webinar series, and it focuses on the changes to light vehicles. The first webinar covered heavy vehicles and the third session will provide information on measuring active transport. This webinar discusses: level 3 classes 1 and 2 the greater granularity in level 4 subclasses thresholds between classes 2 and 3 the use of alternative counting technologies.

Austroads has developed an extended vehicle classification scheme (EVCS) to enable improved understanding and monitoring of the evolving vehicle mix on Australian and New Zealand roads in traffic and transport surveys. This builds upon the existing 1994 vehicle classification scheme. The EVCS provides greater granularity for each of the existing 12 classes of vehicles and adds a new class for active transport to address the need to count a variety of active transport users such as pedestrians, skateboards and e-scooters. The EVCS will allow transport agencies to better manage transport demand within and between modes, survey active transport and understand how demands integrate with other modes. The scheme will help identify changes in transport operational performance and optimise plans for effective access management and asset maintenance. This webinar, presented by Drew Gaynor and David Johnston, is the first session in a three-webinar series, and it focuses on the changes to heavy vehicles. The second webinar will cover light vehicles and the third session will provide information on measuring active transport. This webinar discusses: level 3 classes 3 to 12 the greater granularity in level 4 subclasses better description of axle groupings the creation of a new class 19 for heavy vehicles that do not fit readily into the prescribed classifications backward compatibility with existing heavy vehicles counting further validation of some sections.

In this session, we will present a comprehensive report that identifies and explores those physical infrastructure practices that matter most to CAVs. Just like human drivers, CAVs need to understand line and pavement markings, electronic and non-electronic signs, and traffic signals. Computer sensing and computer processing, however, differ to humans, and differ between different and evolving systems used in Active Safety Systems (ASS), Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and Automated Driving Systems (ADS). Drawing insights from a review of Austroads publications and latest research, this webinar uncovers the latest industry knowledge and physical infrastructure requirements. Discover the latest practices and standards, and where clear agreements have emerged, recommendations for effective changes will be unveiled. Furthermore, we examine areas where further study, monitoring, and industry engagement are needed, ensuring a holistic approach to accommodating future developments. This webinar helps agency decision-makers preparing for future physical infrastructure CAV support practices. The knowledge presented in this report is based on robust evidence and expert opinions, providing a snapshot of the current landscape while remaining adaptable to the evolving CAV industry and its technological advancements.

Supplements have provided important additional guidance to the Austroads Guide to Road Design (Guide). But there are questions about their use. Are these supplements needed? What should they contain? Should the information in the agency supplements be included in the Guide? These questions were addressed in a recently completed Austroads project that undertook a detailed review of jurisdictional supplements to the Guide. This webinar describes the classification of material in the jurisdictional supplements to establish guidance that could be moved into the Guide. The sessions focuses on a cross-jurisdictional platform for managing supplements within a jurisdiction and moving information from supplements to the Guide. The platform was developed with the input from the Project Control Group and the Road Design Task Force represented by Australian and New Zealand road agencies, and the Australian Local Government Association. The platform uses a ‘push-pull” approach where Austroads looks to ‘pull' information from the supplements, and the road agencies look for a means to ‘push' information into the Guide. This approach aims to assist in minimising supplement content and harmonising material in the Guide. The webinar was presented by Dr Rod Troutbeck, Dr Hafez Alavi, Mark Lenske and Phil Rosser.  

Following previous workforce capability studies undertaken in 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2017, Austroads engaged Oxford Economics Australia to undertake a new workforce capability analysis for member authorities based on planned and forecasted infrastructure development and service objective requirements in Australia and New Zealand over the next 10 years to 2032. Through stakeholder and industry engagement – as well as gap analysis including extensive data analytics – this analysis seeks to explain how skills demand will form for road agencies over the coming decade, what will be the key threats to workforce capability in the roads sector, and what road agencies can do to respond to the challenges ahead. The study identifies which jurisdictions are expected to experience capability gaps in the next five years and stresses the importance of implementing measures to attract and retain skills, particularly given competitive threats from rising activity in other sectors over the coming decade. New to this iteration of the study is the provision of quantitative data through interactive dashboards which allow users to focus on specific skills and occupation profiles in each jurisdiction. These dashboards will be updated with new workforce data and forecasts through 2024 and 2025. This webinar, presented by Adrian Hart and Thomas Creevey from Oxford Economics Australia, provides a summary of the results and findings of this research. The session covers the following: current breakdowns of the roads skilled workforce in Australia and New Zealand state of play and outlook for roads activities and skills demand insights from industry survey and interviews on existing capability concerns how the roads industry can respond positively to the workforce skills challenge what information the new dashboards contain and how they work.

For over a decade, the National Telematics Framework has been setting a benchmark as an effective regulatory framework for optimised vehicle movements, making Australia a world-leader in intelligent access management. The National Telematics Framework (Framework) was established following a series of decisions made by ministers between 2003 and 2008 and was globally recognised as an International Standard (ISO 15638) in 2012. Supporting an open marketplace of telematics and related intelligent technology providers, the Framework consists of a common set of infrastructure and rules administered by the Transport Certification Australia (TCA) on behalf of the Australian Government. The Framework provides an ecosystem to manage relationships and interactions between producers, providers, and consumers. Encouraging innovation and competition, it enables a market of certified services and type-approved hardware from multiple telematics providers. This provides assurance to the road managers and regulators as they manage vehicle access on the road network for improved efficiency, safety and protection of critical infrastructure. The Framework is recognised as world's best practice and has been referenced by other countries as they navigate similar complexities around compliance, asset protection and community benefits. This webinar is beneficial to practitioners and policy makers within the transport industry. It provides useful insights for the development of future vehicle management programs and shares practical lessons around the implementation of complex regulatory frameworks.