Smart Traffic 2008: Active Congestion Management - Infrastructure and Operations: the fifth international conference in the series provided delegates with a comprehensive review of international best practice, current issues and solutions, a workshop environment that stimulated creative thinking and excellent networking opportunities.
Rising traffic congestion is a serious threat to the economy and quality of life. Tackling congestion has been rated a priority by the Australian Government and State Governments.
It was recognised that some congestion is inevitable and that appropriate solutions need to be implemented within an integrated transport framework. Widespread awareness of the threat of climate change will demand new solutions to address congestion including demand management, improved public transport infrastructure and services and new roads infrastructure. But the tightening fiscal environment required enhanced management of the current stock of transport infrastructure and new methods of financing, delivery and operations.
Charging for road use continued to offer potential as a key strategy in an integrated policy response to congestion with electronic tolling as a key technology for delivering it. In Europe, Stockholm and Milan recently deployed congestion charging (or similar) schemes. Together with London’s congestion charging and the few European heavy vehicle charging schemes these can be seen as successful but still somewhat fragmented deployments. In the USA, while the focus has been on facilitation of car use there is increased interest in tolling and advanced network management approaches.
There were no clear signs within Australia that road use charging is being seriously considered. Instead, tolling and advanced traffic management with some consideration of travel demand management appeared to be the main approaches being put forward for dealing with congestion. Australia and New Zealand have the technology and capability to implement very advanced approaches to congestion management but have pressing constraints due to high urbanisation and limited resources.
Smart Traffic 2008: Active Congestion Management - Infrastructure and Operations: the fifth international conference in the series provided delegates with a comprehensive review of international best practice, current issues and solutions, a workshop environment that stimulated creative thinking and excellent networking opportunities.
Key transport experts from Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand provided in-depth viewpoints on what focus should be put on congestion and presented on effective strategies and approaches including:
- Congestion challenge and integrated transport policy context including safety
- Role of demand management including congestion charging
- Active traffic management, incident management and role of real time information
- Development of an “operational and services culture”
- Design of private financing of transport infrastructure and services for the public interest
- New relationships with stakeholders: community, private sector and between different levels of government
- Best practice in telematics/ ITS deployment
- Developing effective strategies
Over 20 invited presentations by international and Australasian speakers were made. Key note speakers from the Europe and Asia-Pacific reported on latest trends.
Conference Format:
2 days of plenary sessions.
Venue:
Brisbane was chosen as the location for Smart Traffic 2008 which was held at a 5 star Brisbane Marriot hotel on 29-30 October 2008.
Further Information:
For more information contact Phil Sayeg by email on: phil.sayeg@transportroundtable.com.au
