Integrating transport planning with road network optimisation

The Framework to connect planning and real-time traffic management project, conducted by the University of Queensland and the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has been completed with the project’s final report now available for download.

Integrating transport planning with road network optimisation and real-time traffic management is essential, and part of this balancing act requires consideration and inclusion of movement and place (M&P) principles.

The outcomes from this work will assist TMR’s strategic goals and help further optimise road traffic operations.

Objectives and scope of work

Researchers sought to develop a performance based, multi-modal network management framework to translate high-level directions and planning ambitions into network operating plans with a user-friendly prototype interface.

Broadly, there were two main objectives for this work:

1. Develop a framework to guide TMR operations staff by developing multi-modal operational strategies that are appropriate for road classification, including M&P principles.
2. Develop a conceptual solution to operationalise this framework by enabling creation and management of network operating plans, highlighting network performance gaps and benefits, and detailing how the control systems take direction from operational planning and performance data.

The full scope for the project included developing a framework, developing a conceptual solution, establishing requirements for framework implementation, and creating a concept of operations to illustrate how this framework works conceptually.

Literature review

With a view to fresh perspectives for a new direction for frameworks, researchers first undertook a thorough review of similar existing local and international frameworks and best practices.

This critical review allowed researchers to evaluate key components such as network operating principles, strategies and more in order to establish the benefits and operational gaps in existing frameworks.

From this review, researchers identified several elements that proved challenging for framework comparison and evaluation. For example, some frameworks did not have M&P considerations factored in while others lacked practical information about application.

Conceptual framework

The framework created from this work consists of six main components:

1. Explaining relevant vision, function, and objectives;
2. Understanding network hierarchy;
3. Agreeing operating targets;
4. Evaluating performance gaps;
5. Selecting strategies to reduce gaps; and
6. Day-to-day operations.

These six components, designed to work together to give a detailed, easy to understand practitioner framework, are outlined in detail in the report.

Outcomes

This work successfully achieved expected outcomes. Evaluating the gaps found in other frameworks fostered innovation. As an example, the inclusion of Operational Database (OpsDB) functionality will perform a valuable role by enhancing operations and providing a centralised decision-making and monitoring resource that connects KPI’s to relevant strategies.

Similarly, this framework integrated M&P classification operating targets for all travel modes, at different times of the day, for a more complete picture that will help provide more nuanced strategies for operations.

The researchers’ successes included the below advances for their framework:

• Incorporation of a conceptual M&P solution;
• Visualisation of a ‘priority matrix’;
• Comprehensive list of well-defined KPIs;
• Creation of an OpsDB; and
• Prototype visualisation interface.

Full detail on project outcomes is available within the report.

Conclusions and further research

Through critical evaluation, researchers reviewed existing frameworks and identified the benefits and limitations from current models. By building on existing beneficial contributions and addressing knowledge gaps, the researchers were able to overcome most of the limitations identified through their initial framework reviews.

Work is still required in this evolving area, amongst recommendations for further research.

The authors state that identifying M&P classification affects the desired or target performance of each mode at different times of the day. In this work, researchers established that M&P categories have slight differences, which results in those factors not always providing enough detail to select distinct link categories.

For future investigation, the authors assert the importance of establishing rules and/or procedures around the link classification process. This is deemed necessary in order to provide uniformity for distinct classifications and in order to help reduce confusion. They also recommend a follow up phase be introduced that focuses on the evaluation and validation of framework priorities.

The researchers also recommend checking data availability to ensure it covers most scenarios and provides enough information about available strategies as a crucial first step ahead of implementing frameworks. Further, they recommend testing this approach against other methods (for example simulation-based approaches).

The scope of this project was hypothetical, and researchers recommend feasibility and applicability testing using additional approaches (e.g. microscopic simulation) or real-world testing be used to test efficacy. Employing these additional techniques could help gain insight into additional potential improvements.

Download the final report

Download your copy of the final report, Framework and Conceptual Solution for Integrating Road Network Operations Planning into Real-time Traffic Management, by clicking the button below.