Austroads has published traffic modelling and technical performance assessment guidance for project managers.
Richard Delplace, Austroads Network Program Manager, said traffic and transport model assessments are becoming more popular to address increasing congestion in our rapidly growing cities.
“The environment for model assessments is becoming more complex as the industry becomes more innovative, so project managers will need to determine how well certain models are suited to particular tasks,” Mr Delplace said.
“As there is no comprehensive national guidance on this topic at present, we have developed this guide to help project managers make informed decisions when commissioning simulation and intersection modelling services, as well as managing or communicating the associated processes.
“We also aim to promote more consistency in Australia and New Zealand regarding common definitions and terminology, and provide clear explanations to support best practice in modelling.”
The report author, Bryan Li, said models can be a great tool as they can be tailored to different transport environments and conditions, which increases the efficiency of outcomes.
“These guidelines aim to ensure project managers have the necessary information and knowledge when managing investigations involving modelling work,” Mr Li said.
The guidelines are not intended to replace jurisdictional guidelines but complement them.
Benefits will include more reliable modelling design and outputs, improved business case metrics, greater staff capability and more efficient expenditure on modelling projects.
This guidance will be incorporated into the next update Austroads Guide to Traffic Management Part 3: Traffic Studies and Analysis.
Download the full report here.
