Austroads: Transport Research and Trends

Austroads

Austroads latest webinars. Sharing transport research and trends.

  1. 5d ago ·  Video

    Austroads Guide to Pavement Technology Part 4K: Selection and Design of Sprayed Seals

    This webinar presents the outcomes from a series of workshops with industry and users aimed at identifying future research needs and required changes to the Austroads Guide to Pavement Technology Part 4K: Selection and Design of Sprayed Seals. The aim of this projects was to continue refining the Austroads sprayed seal design method and its related guidance to better suit evolving traffic loads, pavement structures, and material technologies. The Austroads sprayed seal design method, widely used in Australia, provides guidance on materials, treatment selection, and methods for calculating binder application rates and aggregate spread rates. In New Zealand, the chipsealing design method is detailed in Chipsealing in New Zealand. Ongoing changes in traffic loadings, pavement structures and materials have prompted updates to the Guide that have been immediately implemented into a newly published version. To ensure the design methods remain reliable and that sprayed seals can perform under increased traffic volumes, updates were based on input from seal designers, transport agencies, consultants, and contractors as part of the workshops held in Australia and New Zealand. These changes, and the future research plan generated as part of this project will be described in this webinar.

    59 min

  2. Jun 9 ·  Video

    Design Principles for Adapting Roads and Infrastructure for Emerging Mobility Technologies

    As automated, connected and electric vehicle technologies continue to develop, road agencies across Australia and New Zealand need to prepare infrastructure for new operating conditions. Technologies such as Automated Vehicles (AVs), Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs), Electric Vehicles (EVs), Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) place new demands on both physical and digital infrastructure. Many of these demands extend beyond the scope of current design standards. This webinar presents the findings of Austroads Project CAV6428, which defines a set of high-level design principles to support infrastructure readiness for future mobility. The project reviewed international and local research, analysed existing Austroads and jurisdictional guidance, and engaged with Austroads member agencies to understand current challenges and priorities. The project outputs provide a structured foundation to support agencies through this transition, identifying key gaps and mapping how infrastructure capability can evolve over time. The project identified 24 topic areas - 11 physical and 13 digital - where agencies require clearer direction to support emerging vehicle technologies. Across these topics, the report identifies 135 design principles covering areas such as managing transitions of control between automated and manual driving, ensuring readability of lane markings and signage, managing mixed traffic interactions, kerbside management for automated vehicles and EVs, ensuring reliable CAV communications, protecting data from cybersecurity threats, and supporting digital resilience. The principles give agencies practical direction for planning and adapting infrastructure in an evolving technology environment. They support informed decision-making that reflects local context, operational needs and technology readiness. The principles are a flexible toolkit that agencies can apply selectively to suit different project types and stages of deployment, while supporting consistency across jurisdictions. The project also developed an online mapping tool to help visualise and navigate the principles. This interactive matrices allow users to filter by topic area and explore how physical and digital considerations for vehicle technologies impact infrastructure. In this session, presenters David Yee and Megan Sharkey explain the purpose and structure of the design principles, summarise the key physical and digital topic areas, outline how agencies can apply the principles in practice. The session will also demonstrate how the mapping tool can support practical application. This webinar is relevant to professionals across road and transport agencies, including planners, designers, asset managers, ITS specialists and policy leads involved in preparing infrastructure for emerging mobility technologies.

    1h 3m

  3. May 29 ·  Video

    Implementation of the National Driver Distraction Roadmap: Incorporating Human Factors in Transport Systems

    Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) is the discipline that focuses on understanding and optimising interactions between humans and system components to enhance performance, safety, health and wellbeing. Human Factors Integration (HFI) is the process by which HFE knowledge, principles and methods are utilised throughout the system lifecycle to support the design of safe, usable and effective components. In this presentation, we outline the new Austroads Guidelined for Human Factors Integration in Road Transport (HFI-RT). The HFI-RT guideline provides road transport system stakeholders with information to support the consideration and application of HFE knowledge, principles and methods during the design, implementation and operation of road transport system components (e.g. vehicles and in-vehicle technologies, traffic control devices, signage, roads and roadsides, advertising, training and education programs, policies and procedures). During the presentation, we will provide an overview of the HFI-RT guideline and demonstrate it via a case study focused on driver distraction.

    57 min

  4. May 14 ·  Video

    Keeping People Safe When Walking Stream 2 – Economic Assessment of Safer Speeds

    This webinar provided an overview of the Austroads’ report, Keeping People Safe When Walking – Stream 2: Economic Assessment of Safer Speeds, completed as part of the Keeping People Safe When Walking program. The assessment applies a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) approach, which estimates and compares the costs and benefits for society from 12 different hypothetical speed limit reductions in a variety of (mostly urban) contexts. Emerging economic techniques were applied to value, in dollar terms, the benefits of reduced speed limits for society from reduced road trauma and improved pedestrian mobility. This was weighed against productivity-related costs from increased travel time. The assessment builds a framework and evidence to support road managers looking to assess speed limit changes. In this webinar, attendees heard about: how speed limit reductions can be assessed using a cost-benefit analysis framework why it appears there is a strong case for safer speed limits as a key pedestrian safety intervention the key drivers of this result and areas where further evidence would add value for future policy reform assessments. This webinar was presented by Anna Wilson. The Q+A was moderated by Phil Harbutt.

    1h 2m

  5. May 1 ·  Video

    Travel to School Guidelines

    This webinar introduces the Travel to School Guideline, developed to support the planning and delivery  of safe, active travel for students.  The guideline promotes integrated, evidence-based approaches that prioritise children’s mobility, health,  and safety within transport and land-use planning. It provides a practical framework for planning both new and existing schools, drawing on best-practice principles, policy guidance, and implementation tools suitable for a range of school environments. During the webinar, we explore key elements of the guideline, including: * Integrated planning – coordinating land use, school siting, and transport infrastructure to reduce reliance on car travel. * Collaboration – working across government, schools, and communities to achieve successful outcomes. * Integrated solutions – combining infrastructure improvements with travel behaviour change initiatives. * Community-informed planning– a model to ensure local knowledge shapes context-appropriate solutions. * Case studies, tools, and resources to support implementation and evaluation. The guideline is supported by two research reports covering the principles and best-practice evidence behind the guidance

    1h 2m

  6. Apr 23 ·  Video

    Carbon Reduction and the Use of Low-Carbon Concrete

    Concrete is the most widely used material in transport infrastructure, and one of the largest sources of embodied carbon in road and rail projects. Because these emissions are locked in at the point of construction, reducing emissions from concrete represents one of the most immediate and significant opportunities for transport agencies working toward net zero across Australia and New Zealand. In this webinar, presenters discussed the new national guidance from Austroads, outlining practical, evidence-based pathways to lower embodied carbon while maintaining safety, durability and long-term performance. Drawing on case studies from across both countries, the session demonstrated how lower-carbon concrete is already being delivered, often in the industry. The webinar also explored the staged roadmap for action, opportunities within existing standards and the proposed coordinated national approach to support consistent adoption and innovation across the transport sector. The webinar was presented by Philip Vimpani, Sachinthani Karunarathna and Miles Dacre, with the Q+A moderated by Ben van Zanten.

    1h 2m

  7. Apr 1 ·  Video

    Environment and Sustainability Initiatives Stocktake 2025-27: Year 1

    The Austroads 2025 Environment and Sustainability Initiatives Stocktake examines how member agencies are developing and embedding sustainable practices across their organisations. The Stocktake included reviews of environment and sustainability strategies, policies, and practices related to transport assets, systems, and services, focusing on three key themes: overarching sustainability, biodiversity, and heritage. Building on the 2023 and 2024 Stocktakes, the 2025 analysis offers deeper insights into the progress member organisations are making in integrating sustainability into their operations. Data was collected through a comprehensive survey and validated through focus group sessions. Agencies also completed a maturity self-assessment to reflect on their sustainability integration journey, helping inform the development of case studies showcasing best practice across Australia and New Zealand. Maturity indicators were created for each theme to support organisations in evaluating their current position and identifying opportunities for improvement. The Stocktake also includes an international scan, reviewing policies and strategies from global counterparts, along with a detailed assessment of the policy, regulatory, and procedural landscape in Australia and New Zealand. This provides a clearer understanding of the complex environment influencing agencies’ ability to shape and implement sustainable outcomes. During the webinar, we share the key findings from the 2025 Stocktake, highlight major trends and challenges, and explore the initiatives member organisations are undertaking to advance sustainability across the transport sector.

    1h 3m

  8. Mar 6 ·  Video

    Incident Response for Low and Zero Emission Vehicles

    As electric vehicle (EV) uptake increases across Australia and New Zealand, there are new risks and operational impacts of EV incidents, and amended incident response practices are needed. This webinar presents the Austroads framework from the project NEG6523 on EV incident response. Watch to gain the evidence, tools and coordination insights to support forward planning and implementation for EV incident response, to reduce risk and improve safety and network resilience, including: A clear view of how EV fires differ from combustion engine vehicle fires, including thermal runaway and hazards, including off-gassing and secondary ignition. Practical steps in a 5-stage incident response process, from planning to recovery, aligned with Austroads’ traffic incident management guidance. Lessons from international case studies showing effective on-road responses and their local relevance. 17 practical recommendations to reduce risk and improve safety and network resilience from consistent EV incident management across jurisdictions. This webinar is presented by Dr Eleanor Short, Emma Sutcliffe and Will Fooks.

    1h 1m
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