PATREC Research

Project Completed

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Australian Transport Research Cloud (ATRC)

By providing transport researchers with streamlined access to the key datasets and open source analysis and modelling tools necessary to address complex transport issues facing our cities, the new Australian Transport Research Cloud (ATRC) will deliver the requisite knowledge base to inform smarter transport management, planning and policy making.

A collaboration between Australian transport researchers, planners and policy makers (from government, industry and private sector), the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) and the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN). This project will provide a common platform comprising data, tools, storage, compute to support the needs of the Australian transport research community, by extending the existing AURIN platform.

Find more information on ARDC website:

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A Smart Transport Technology Roadmap for Perth

This project aims to identify promising technologies that can best address key transport and mobility challenges in Perth, Western Australia (WA) and outline a Smart Transport Technology Roadmap for the next three to five years.

Reduced traffic throughput, higher crash rates, reduced public transport reliability, reduced walkability and increased fuel consumption and emissions are features of WA’s increasingly congested roads. The timely development and implementation of technology solutions (or Intelligent Transport Systems, ITS) to enable a safe, efficient and seamless transport system is essential to supporting the State’s future productivity and liveability.

For several years, RAC has been calling on the Federal and State Governments to commit funding for the planning and deployment of smart transport technologies to improve safety, efficiency and reliability for all road users.

This project will support RAC’s social impact activities by recommending the most beneficial Roadmap option for Perth through Strategic Analysis (Stage 1), and Options Identification (Stage 2).

Find more information on iMOVE website:

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Working from home: Changes in transport demand in Perth

Focusing on Perth, WA, this project aims to ascertain the extent to which Working from Home (WFH) has been undertaken and will continue to be. Digging deeper, the project will look at aspects such as:

  • the productivity impact when WFH is compared to the workplace, from the perspectives of individuals, employers, and the economy at large
  • the proportion of reduced travel demand that is attributable to WFH
  • the utility of WFH as a future demand management tool for the mitigation of congestion on all transport networks
  • the potential for higher levels of WFH to enable expansions of the transport network to be deferred or avoided; and the facilitation steps that would be required if it became desirable to expand the level of WFH in the longer term

Find more information on iMOVE website:

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Modelling perimeter controls: Detailed simulation

In our previous project (Improved network performance prediction through data-driven analytics and simulation), we have numerically simulated perimeter control (gating) based on macroscopic fundamental diagrams (MFDs). The results demonstrated the benefit of gating and how the Perth road network could be optimally divided into multiple zones for this purpose.
As the next step towards operationalising it in Perth, this proposed project aims to extend the work by more detailed simulation of traffic behaviour and gating strategies. It will produce better estimates of the potential benefits and effectiveness of the MFD-based controllers and enable Main Roads to make informed decisions. It will pave the way for an actual trial if the estimated benefits are significant.

Find more information on iMOVE website:

Perth Freight Route Priority System Trial Evaluation

MRWA have a well-managed road network, handling high freight vehicle volume on some routes, such as Fremantle to Kewdale. Freight vehicles are slow to start when stopped at traffic signals, thus leading to slow moving traffic following it. A Freight Route Priority (FRP) system will be trialled with the aim of reducing the number of stopping and starting events for freight and improve the overall travel time of freight vehicles on the route. The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the trial, analysing data from the various systems involved as well as conducting a survey of road users to answer questions regarding the effectiveness of FRP solution in improving traffic performance along freight routes, as well as assessing the impacts of FRP on all road users, inclusive of heavy freight vehicle operators. Enabling FRP across key intersections is expected to yield significant benefits to both the Freight Industry and MRWA, including reduced congestion, stop/start noise, vehicle emissions, fuel consumption and improved safety for all road users. The research will provide an objective and analytical outcome to assist MRWA with their future planning and decision making with regards to FRP.