AP-G84/04 Best practice in road use data collection, analysis ... - WIM

Accessed by AR - ARRB TRANSPORT RESEARCH on 04 Feb 2005
Austroads 2004
— 64 —
Best Practices in Road Use Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting
APPENDIX D – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF CURRENT AND FUTURE
ROAD USE REPORT (RC2050-3)
Scope:
This Report documents a review of current and future needs for road use data covering the
following:
identification of current road use data related to traffic volume and flow, traffic composition,
weigh-in-motion and other road use characteristics;
a discussion of the limitations of the current road use data;
identification of future needs for road use data related to traffic volume and flow, traffic
composition and other derived traffic parameters; and,
a discussion of the issues arising from the capture of future road use data.
This Report forms the next logical step in the process of developing the best practice in road use
data collection, analysis and its reporting.
Outcomes:
Current Road Use Data
Current road use data collection practices relating to traffic volume, flow, composition, weigh-inmotion
and other road characteristics across the States are inconsistent because of differences in
the standards adopted, the budget allocations available, level of network coverage, specific State
requirements and the technology used.
Future Road Use Data
Traffic volume and flow are likely to remain the basic indicators of road use in the foreseeable
future and it is expected that further advances in the technology available to measure volume and
flow will continue to evolve. Emphasis will be on improving measurement accuracy and vehicle
classification across the network and gaining the benefits from new technology for road use data
collection applications.
The use of new technologies is likely to be initially targeted towards heavily trafficked routes, major
freight routes and other strategic routes of commercial or community value where the greatest
potential exists to gain additional value from the increased knowledge of traffic flows.
A road use data collection framework needs to be developed for the long-term, including storage
and reporting standards and systems, implementation plans, audit and review mechanisms and
long-term strategies.
Improved definition of traffic composition through new technology will allow for greater detailed
information about the characteristics of individual vehicles travelling on the road network. This
additional information could allow an expanded vehicle classification system to be developed. This
detailed information could be used for enforcement and regulatory purposes, if it is acceptable.
Issues of privacy and access to this form of detailed data are likely to restrict this use of the data.