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Awards Partner
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ITS Australia thanks entrants for their participation in the ITS Australia Awards program and acknowledge their contribution of project descriptions and images for this Awards Book. This book contains a selection of submissions received.
Contents Welcome from the Chair
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Judge Panel
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Award Categories
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Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award 2021
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Smart Transport Infrastructure M4 Smart Motorway Project – Simulation-Based Support for Smart Motorway Infrastructure Aimsun 10 HIVE+ Traffic – Multimodal Smart Traffic Felicity Smart Infrastructure
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The Greenwave Cycling Pilot Department of Transport Victoria
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Project Management of the Smart LED Road Lighting Project Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland 15 Smart Freeway Kwinana Northbound – All Lane Running Main Roads Western Australia
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Jenolan Caves Road – ITS Vehicle Priority Solution Transport for NSW 17 Digital Twin to Optimise the Ventilation of the Airport Link Tunnel in Brisbane Transurban 19 Day of Operation Decision Support for Sydney Trains University of Technology Sydney
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Wom-Batt Underground Lithium Power Pods Wom-Batt 21
Intelligent Mobility Road User Charging Digital Solution Department of Transport Victoria
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Australia Post Safe Rider Program Directed Technologies
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On Demand Transport, Future Mobility at its Best Keolis Downer
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FlexiRide Rowville, Victoria’s First DemandResponsive Transport Service Moovit 25 Regulatory Compliance Mobility Solution National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
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Occupancy and Crowd Monitoring Solution, Smart Transit Victoria NTT DATA 27 Orcoda Logistics Management System for Community Transport Solutions Orcoda Limited
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Placie, A One Stop (Mobility) Shop for Consumers Placie 29 arevo, by RACV Royal Automobile Club of Victoria
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MyMobigo On-Demand Service Transdev Australasia
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Opal Digital Card with Opal Connect Transport for NSW
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Lumi Rideshare Via 34
Connected and Automated Vehicle BusBot – Phase 3 Fully Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Busways 35 FordPass Connect Ford Motor Company of Australia
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Intelematics ASURE: Connected Vehicle Safety and Security Service Intelematics Australia 37 Automated Vehicles: A Viable Mobility Option for Regional Communities Keolis Downer 38
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Contents RACQ Smart Shuttle Automated Vehicle Program Royal Automobile Club of Queensland 39 Lexus Australia Vehicle to Infrastructure Communication Testing within AIMES Ecosystem Toyota Motor Corporation Australia 41 Lexus Australia C-ITS Research within Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
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Transport Data National Freight Data Hub Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional 43 Development and Communications Western Australia Supply Chain Data Intelligence Hub Fremantle Ports 44 GEOCOUNTS Open Data Format GEOCOUNTS 45 Intelematics INSIGHT Intelematics Australia
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VICTORIUS: Optimising Rail Disruption Planning with Big Data Level Crossing Removal Project 48 Traffic Intelligence: Cost and Causes of Congestion Analytics Tool netBI 49 Automated Road Asset and Defect Assessment Retina Visions 50 Transport for NSW COVID Safe Digital Response Transport for NSW 51
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Next Station – Multilingual Travel App Transport for NSW
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The Next Generation of Digital Twins University of Technology Sydney
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Research and Development Sydney Victoria Road Intelligent Decision Support System Aimsun 54 Roadside Cable Anti-Theft System Department of Transport Victoria
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Cooperative and Highly Automated Driving – Driving Task Hand Over Study Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety – Queensland, Queensland University of Technology 57 AI for Real-Time and Predictive Traffic Condition Solution PeakHour Urban Technologies 58 Connected and Automated Vehicle Highway Pilot Trial on Victorian Rural Roads Robert Bosch (Australia) 59 Estimating the Impact of Electric Vehicles Across Transport and Energy Systems University of Technology Sydney 60 ITS Australia iMOVE Research Project
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Young Professionals 2021
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Welcome from the Chair such enormous potential for the future within these nominated organisations, for transport technologies that will positively transform our lives in the years ahead.
Now in their 12th year, the ITS Australia Awards recognise the outstanding work accomplished in the Intelligent Transport Systems industry every year. The Awards bring together the individuals and organisations that make up our industry to celebrate the collective pursuit of safer, innovative, and more sustainable transport solutions in Australia. Ordinarily, our industry gathers together in November to hold this celebration. As with so many of the events and activities we’ve planned over the past two years, the pandemic had other plans. However, as we enter into a much more hopeful 2022, I can’t imagine a more joyful way to kick off the year than to come together with all of you to applaud the best that our industry has to offer. 2021 is my first year serving as Chair of the ITS Australia Awards Committee, and it has been a tremendous pleasure to take a role in bringing the Awards together. What is most remarkable to me is the sheer volume of incredible work that has been produced again this year, despite the enormous challenges we’ve all had to overcome these past few years. When I read through the list of finalists and learn’t about the projects and people nominated this year, I am struck by two things. First, there can be no more compelling evidence than this, that ours is a healthy industry. Second, there is
Each year the Judging Panel is tasked with selecting the finalists from all the outstanding submissions received. I learned this year that it is not an easy job. In 2021 we have 36 finalists in the running for six awards. I congratulate all of you. The Awards also support emerging talent, and it is my pleasure to recognise all the finalists for the Young Professional Award. The talent and skills demonstrated by each of these young professionals suggests a very bright future for our industry. Finally, I thank our sponsors for their generous support of the ITS Australia Awards and my colleagues on the judging panel who committed their invaluable time, effort and expertise this year. I look forward to seeing all of you again in 2022. Rob Langridge Chair – ITS Australia Awards Committee Director, Emerging Technologies – Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
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Judge Panel Rob Langridge
Brian Negus
Director, Emerging Technologies – Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
Chairman – CICA Group
Emilie Alexandre
Cross-Domain Computing Solutions, Department Manager: Automated Driving & Connectivity
Chair – ITS Australia Awards Committee
Senior Project Development Manager – iMOVE Australia
Chen Cai
Ambassador – ITS Australia
John Nicolopoulos
Robert Bosch (Australia)
Research Group Leader, Transport Analytics – Data61 | CSIRO
Andrew Paynter
Richard Delplace
Professor Majid Sarvi
Richard Duggan
Bill Thomas
Mario Filipovic
Kim Thomas
Manager Regulatory Market Development – EROAD General Manager Critical Infrastructure, Smart Transport & IoT – NEC Manager, Intelligent Transport Systems & Advanced Vehicle Safety New Business Solutions – Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
Craig Greene
Technical Lead Connected Vehicles – Ford Motor Company
Jeremy Nassau
Senior Manager Strategic Initiatives – Transurban
Chief Technology Officer – Transmax Program Director, Transport Technologies – The University of Melbourne General Manager Corporate Affairs – Hyundai Motor Company Australia Managing Director – Integrate
Dennis Walsh
Chief Engineer – Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland
Michael Watts
Senior Consultant – Transport Management Consulting
Dean Zabrieszach
President – ITS Australia Chief Executive Officer – HMI Technologies / Ohmio Automotion
MANAGING CONFLICT OF INTEREST ITS Australia thanks the Judge Panel for their time and review of submissions. The Judge Panel is comprised of leaders across government, industry and academia. ITS Australia recognise that conflicts of interest may occur, so to protect the integrity and independence of the review process, any judge who has a conflict with a particular entry is excused from reviewing that entire Award category to which the entry/conflict pertains. 6
ITS AUSTRALIA AWARDS 2021
Award Categories Smart Transport Infrastructure Award Recognises an organisation for its technology innovation delivering excellence in transport infrastructure and network management.
Intelligent Mobility Award Recognises an organisation or project that delivers innovative transport solutions offering outstanding mobility services for people and their communities.
Connected & Automated Vehicle Award Awarded to an organisation that has made outstanding contributions towards the deployment of connected and automated vehicles in Australia.
Excellence in Transport Data Award Awarded to an organisation to recognise its outstanding contribution in the use of transport data delivering outstanding outcomes for the community.
Excellence in Research & Development Award Acknowledges and congratulates R&D activity undertaken solely or in collaborative research programs that recognises an organisation for its groundbreaking transport technology, research, development or innovation. This award is sponsored by iMOVE Australia.
Young Professional Award This award continues to recognise and encourage the passion and positive contribution an individual has made and is likely to make to the Australian transport technology industry as demonstrated through their early professional life. This award provides sponsorship for the recipient to attend the following year’s ITS Asia Pacific Forum or the ITS Australia Summit. The option to nominate someone for the Young Professional Award is available to ITS Australia members only. This award is sponsored by Transurban.
Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award Recognises an individual who personifies achievement of the ultimate standard for a leader in the ITS field and in the organisations they have led. The award recognises that they are a champion of the vision of ITS and its fulfilment within the community. The award is named in honour of Dr Maxwell Lay (AM). In 2005, Max was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to engineering, particularly through leadership in the delivery of quality road infrastructure and the development of new contract management processes, and as an educator and historian. Max is an Australian pioneer and ITS researcher, engineer, project implementer and passionate advocate for the advancement of ITS. ITS Australia congratulates Peter Bentley as the recipient of the Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award 2021.
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Max Lay Lifetime Achievement Award 2021
At this year’s ITS Australia Awards we recognise Australian transport industry leader Peter Bentley for his broad and impactful contribution to the nation’s Intelligent Transport Systems industry, receiving ITS Australia’s highest honour, the Max Lay Achievement Award. The award celebrates the achievements of leaders in the transport industry and ITS and is recognised globally. Before his retirement in June 2021, Peter was the Managing Director of Collaborative ITS Consultancy Australia Pty Ltd (Cica Group). Throughout his more than 45-year career, Mr Bentley has meaningfully contributed to the success of a diverse range of companies in the transportation, infrastructure and defence sectors. Peter is a specialist in the management of large operational businesses and has been a long-time leader in Australian road tolling. Mr Bentley served as President of ITS Australia from 2004–2008, sat on the board of directors from 2001–2010, and has been involved in ITS Australia activities for more than 30 years. Peter was a key participant in conceiving and delivering the inaugural NeTC (National Electronic Tolling Committee) Industry Forum,
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held in 2006. The Forum emerged from the tolling industry’s engagement and collaboration to achieve a nationally uniform approach to interoperable Free-Flow Electronic Tolling in the 1990s. Peter was a long-time participant in NeTC and served as Chairman of the Australian National Toll Road Operators Association, which represents all of the operating toll roads in Australia and ensures national interoperability in tolling across Australia. Mr Bentley’s career spans an expansive list of Australia’s most respected and innovative transport organisations. His most recent position is as Managing Director of Collaborative ITS Consultancy Australia Pty Ltd (Cica Group). A long-time member of ITS Australia, Cica Group is a leading Australian transport consultancy. At Cica Group, Mr Bentley was engaged as the Strategic Tolling and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) Specialist for the development of the tolling and O&M strategy for the specification and procurement of the $16B North-East Link Project. At Cica Group, Mr Bentley also served as Principal Consultant to NSW Roads & Maritime Services as Project Director of its $54m Tolling Systems Upgrade Program. He later served as a member of the Program Steering Committee.
SM A R T TR A N SP OR T INFR AS TRUC T URE
M4 Smart Motorway Project – Simulation-Based Support for Smart Motorway Infrastructure Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation Aimsun
Collaborating Partners Johnson Controls International Transport for NSW Transport for NSW Traffic Management Centre This real-time transport management support system fuses live traffic data, analytics and transport modelling. The system guides control room operators to apply the best response plan to proactively minimise congestion using the ITS tools already at their disposal. It predicts detailed lane-based traffic conditions for the upcoming 60 minutes, and, if congestion looks likely, simulates the most appropriate mitigation strategy to clear traffic queues, potentially before they form. Existing ITS management is reactive, limited to ‘putting out fires’ and offering minimal improvements in safety and performance. In contrast, simulation-based support is proactive, forecasting future traffic conditions and helping traffic managers to intervene and avert congestion before it builds up. In parallel, the system assesses the mitigation options provided by Meridian ITS, such as variable speed limits, lane closures, variable message signs or radio alerts. Air quality can also be monitored, and responses proposed to reduce traffic build-up in sensitive areas.
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The modelling-based solution is independent of the ITS platform and data feed infrastructure. Therefore, it can be maintained when legacy ITS systems are upgraded or replaced, thus continuing to deliver support for the M4SM beyond the life of the current configuration. As the solution is data-agnostic, the model forecasts and responses can be enhanced when new data sources become available. Using machine learning techniques, the system progressively learns from the real-time data inputs to continually calibrate the model and validate its predictions, which improves the predictive capability as the solution matures. The solution can integrate into any ITS system where real-time traffic data feeds are available. Once set up, the model operates 24/7, predicting traffic 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes into the future, refreshing every five minutes. Because the system can use existing data feeds, no bespoke roadside sensors are required, making the solution easily transferrable to other locations. The solution is the first of its kind in Australia; however, the Aimsun team has already deployed similar solutions in some 15 other locations: Oxfordshire (UK), for example, has reduced emissions by up to 14%. As the simulation-based support system matures the benefits to users, the economy and the environment will increase.
HIVE+ Traffic – Multimodal Smart Traffic Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation Felicity Smart Infrastructure HIVE+ Traffic provides multi-modal traffic data that optimises decision making at the Operational, Tactical and Strategic Level within Roads Authorities, Councils and Transport Management Organisations. HIVE + Traffic is an integrated ‘plug and play’ device, easily attached to existing streetlight poles or other infrastructure assets, that monitors real-time movement; counting pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, cars, buses and trucks; generating alerts, graphs and charts according to Clients’ requirements. Operational decision making is enhanced through data outputs that increase road safety, creating (for example) incident alerts, near miss and congestion alerts and allowing traffic signal integration; all assisting with realtime journey time management and passenger wellbeing.
Strategic decision making is enhanced through data outputs that justify Capex Infrastructure upgrades, provide AI virtual Traffic Cordons around cities or precincts, promote consideration as to bicycle paths, pollution and green space and provide quantitative feedback that drives future Municipal marketing. HIVE+ Traffic uses a camera to ‘see’ traffic, collecting data that is then processed at the edge using AI technology, wirelessly sending cellular data to a local client instance of our user-friendly Data Management platform, configurable to show graphs, generate alerts and prompt potential actions. Edge-processing ensures complete privacy at the same time allowing real-time analytics within an open protocol framework that can also be streamed as ‘raw’ data to a clients’ own Intelligent Traffic System Platform. Powered by either mains or an optional solar kit, HIVE+ Traffic is designed in Denmark, manufactured in Australia or Europe and provides a sleek albeit ruggedized addition to an uncluttered Streetscape design.
Tactical decision making is enhanced through data outputs improving day-to-day traffic flow, generating alerts around Heavy vehicle movements, Bus Stop optimisation, Pedestrian crossing management and a variety of other commuter management issues.
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The Greenwave Cycling Pilot Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation Department of Transport Victoria
Collaborating Partners The University of Melbourne Cubic Transportation Systems The Greenwave Cycling Pilot uses AI cameras with road-side edge processing to improve safety and reliability. A key feature of the pilot is to detect groups of cyclists as they approach an intersection. Once a pre-defined threshold of cyclists has been detected, a priority signal is requested, that either extends the green signal or requests a green signal to allow the cyclists to pass through safely with minimal delays. Cycling is a healthy, sustainable and cheap form of transport, yet it makes up only 2% of all trips in Melbourne. This can be partially attributed to congested roads which are slow and unsafe, especially at intersections where 60% of cycling related crashes occur. Using an ITS solution, the Department of Transport will measure efficiency through journey times, safety through crash statistics, cycling uptake through counting and working with cycling advocacy groups and layer it with qualitative research with a cohort of regular route users.
On-road space in inner Melbourne is at a premium. Bike lanes can be constructed, but backlash to the reallocation of car parks and road space for sometimes empty bike lanes is always front of mind for government. An ITS solution with proven outcomes offers governments a tool to deploy and increase the efficiency and safety of existing routes, increasing utilisation, effectiveness and acceptance of the infrastructure while guiding better future road allocation to cyclists that adds to overall network efficiency and sustainability. Previous cycling priority trials in Australia have used static changes to signal timing, leaving other road users with frustrating meaningless red lights. This system provides a more dynamic and situationally aware alternative to traditional detection methods such as inductive loops. This information is being included in digital channels to further enhance utilisation and customer experience. 13
Project Management of the Smart LED Road Lighting Project Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland
Collaborating Partner Integrate The Smart LED Road Lighting project is replacing approximately 35,000 Rate 3 high-intensity discharge luminaires with LED luminaires, fitted with Smart Lighting Controllers across Queensland. The CMS Software is being delivered as a Service (SaaS) through until 2026. The Smart Lighting Controllers communicate, over a dedicated Telstra Narrowband Internet of Things network, with cloud-based CMS. Design packages have been installed across multiple sites within Queensland. This is the largest deployment of digitally connected road lighting of its kind in Australia, the Smart LED Road Lighting project allows streetlights to be remotely monitored and will reduce energy usage by up to 40%. In 2020-21, 11 design packages were delivered across Queensland, resulting in the design of luminaires. This will result in power savings of approximately 8,760 MWh annually—which is the equivalent of the energy used by 1,300 four-person households each year.
The operational status and electrical performance characteristics of each luminaire can be monitored in real time and historically logged. This will enable TMR to assess the in-situ performance of lighting products. Periodic night-time lamp runs will no longer be required to determine the locations of failed lamps, fault detection is not possible. As more Smart Lighting Controllers are installed, it will be proposed that reports will be available periodically in each district. This project is responsible for the upgrade of Rate 3 lighting for State owned roads. There is the potential for this to be rolled out for all road lighting across Queensland and the rest of Australia. The SLRL Project has already received interest from local government authorities and Maritime Safety Queensland. The project may possibly be considered as a provider to remediate and retrofit marine sites throughout Queensland.
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Smart Freeway Kwinana Northbound – All Lane Running Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation Main Roads Western Australia
Collaborating Partners Smartways Alliance BMD Construction Ventia Arup The Smart Freeway Kwinana Northbound project is the first of its kind in Western Australia. This project has built upon established ITS Smart Freeway initiatives from around the world to enable the most advanced deployment in the nation to date. Over 800 ITS devices now work in unison to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety and save up to ten minutes from the average driver’s journey. Along this space-constrained section of the freeway, with the Swan River and the railway line on either sides, the ITS allows Main Roads to safely operate an All Lane Running environment; adding capacity whilst making best use of existing infrastructure and is now significantly more productive, achieving up to 10 minutes and an average of five minutes travel time saving while accommodating a 13% increase in traffic during the morning peak. The new technology, including automatic incident detection radar on the main line and thermal imaging cameras in emergency stopping bays has enabled Main Roads to
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identify and respond to around 80 incidents on the Smart Freeway each month, improving safety and reducing clearance times, returning traffic back to normal operations sooner, resulting in less stop/start traffic and subsequent vehicle emissions. The future-proofed Smart Freeway system has also allowed Main Roads to further enhance the effectiveness of the technology by providing new and innovative ways to display information and improve safety, by introducing: Flashing overhead displays when speed limits are lowered to alert drivers of the change in conditions; Colour-coded travel times and digital symbols on the dynamic message signs to provide clear and simple messaging. The Smartways Alliance has future-proofed the entire project site by provisioning ITS and power infrastructure to allow for the installation of potential future technologies without the need for expensive construction work / further disruption to traffic.
Jenolan Caves Road – ITS Vehicle Priority Solution Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation Transport for NSW Jenolan Caves Road is colonial, narrow, is difficult for vehicles to pass, especially buses and medium to heavy goods vehicles and with the advent of covid, it was extremely important to maintain regional tourism. The system allows governing oneway traffic by alternating the direction of traffic flow during peak traffic times and improves safety by providing a priority shuttle flow system to manage traffic flow. Measurable effectiveness is identified as less traffic congestion/incidents, safer transit for heavy vehicles and a proactive scheduling of peak hour traffic. Without this system, historical traffic issues/incidents would persist. As it was not necessary for the system to intrude into the Grand Arch, the project/ system delivered no disruptions nor damage to heritage roadways, pedestrian walkways and surrounds. All modules/equipment; VMS, boom-gate, loops, TCS and control cabinets are mature, safe and proven assets, and all modules/equipment are certified environmentally safe and the system’s impact on the immediate environment is negligible. Negative environmental and social impacts have delivered a sustainable system into the longer term.
This system is designed for and capable of being ported and adapted to constrained, limited or restricted access thoroughfares. The use of proven equipment ensures the system’s portability can exist in all of Australia’s climate and environments. Additionally as the system is modular and has the ability to modify the traffic control light phasings within the system to reflect the specific environment or traffic flow, it has the potential to be adapted to a myriad of traffic solutions. The system is currently installed, is operational and effective, however the rugged terrain together with heritage issues and narrow road widths resulted in challenges for device placement and installation. Design and development included in-pavement vehicle detectors and traffic signals at either ‘end’ of the scheme and necessitated modifying the TCS phasing to accommodate equitable vehicle demand inbound and outbound. The very dense woodland environment precluded solar/ wireless radio and/or 4G so non-invasive cables were installed for power/communications. For safety, extra low voltage (24VAC) is used to minimise any potential electrical hazards.
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Digital Twin to Optimise the Ventilation of the Airport Link Tunnel in Brisbane Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation Transurban
Collaborating Partner Howden Fans Transurban are continually looking to identify ways to reduce energy usage and a recent initiative looked at reducing the amount of energy required to power tunnel ventilation systems. A “digital twin” simulating the Airport Link Ventilation Control System was developed. Leveraging insights from the ‘digital twin’, these learnings were successfully applied into the real world, with analysis confirming the trial is on track to achieve significant energy savings.
The digital twin will be an ongoing ‘model’ that Transurban will leverage to test future optimisations, leverage to support ‘what if’ scenarios and the impact of changes to traffic profiles such as the increase in electric vehicles on our roads, and is currently planning to rollout this technology onto other tunnels in Queensland and NSW. Transurban leveraged technology provided by Howden Fans for the mining industry. This software has been adapted from simulating the ventilation for underground mines to road tunnels.
The efficiency of the ventilation system has been significantly improved, with measurable energy reductions of over 10%.
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Day of Operation Decision Support for Sydney Trains Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation University of Technology Sydney
Collaborating Partner Sydney Trains University of Technology Sydney Data Science Institute and Sydney Trains are collaboratively working on customer impact analysis. The objective of this project is to develop a passenger flow prediction model with advanced machine learning techniques. The model can predict the accurate real-time passenger flow for all platforms in the Sydney railway network on minute-level. A smart information tool is developed to identify the service gaps and quantification of customer impacts under various disruptions. With the purpose of providing a safe and comfortable environment to passengers, it is critical to provide future passenger flow prediction to railway mangers and controllers, which can help make response plans to avoid congestion. The outcome of this innovative application of the passenger prediction technology significantly reduces customer dissatisfaction level and increases the operation efficiency, enables the train operating system to meet performance metrics and timely recover from incidents. Based on the statistics, improving the ontime running rate by 1% can potentially save customer lost minute value by $5M.
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This work shows that train operating companies can develop targeted timetable design and scheduling strategies based on the real-time platform crowdedness. This translates to improved railway network reliability and service to customers, and a reduced cost to serve, which are the long-standing challenges for urban railway transit. The proposed model is a generic model that can be easily applied to other traffic scenes with subtle refinements. The application of big data plays an essential role in enabling train operation corporations to meet performance metrics with sensible timetable, timely response to incidents by accessing potential delay impacts and avoid systematic delays by better understanding the root cause of historical delays. A UI dashboard has been developed to bridge the gap between the complex modelling and daily practice, which allows users to access the results of our prediction intuitively. It can: (1) improve the decision-making capacities of train controllers; (2) provide greater visibility of issues and disruption impacts; (3) minimize the decision-making complexity; and (4) help minimize customer impact tremendously. The UI dashboard has received tens of thousands of hits per day by train controllers all over the Greater Sydney Area.
Wom-Batt Underground Lithium Power Pods Category Smart Transport Infrastructure
Submitting Organisation Wom-Batt Wom-Batt is a smarter, simpler, longer-lasting and theft-proof solar charged power storage solution for off-grid utilities. A truly unique underground power pod featuring a patented cylindrical design that comes ready to install. Wom-Batt power pods use lithium-ironphosphate (LiFePO4) technology to deliver high performance and long-term stability with low toxicity, zero running costs and zero emissions. Operating efficiently at 12V–24V, Wom-Batt can be customised for power requirements between 50Ah–1,000Ah, and has TMR Type Approval (#21-05). Wom-Batt has a design life of 15-20 years underground – far longer than traditional batteries, many of which need replacement every 3 years. It is used in many roadside systems, including solar streetlights, flood monitoring systems, VMS, and road information signage. Other off-grid utilities Wom-Batt can powered include weather stations, sensors, CCTV cameras, vehicle activated systems, proximity sensors, impact sensors, electric fences, remote alarms, Cell-Fi boosters.
controller can also be incorporated into the design. Wom-Batt contains extra internal safety features to make it resistant to temperature changes and flooding – it is certified IP68 at 5m for 100 hours. Wom-Batt is built to reduce energy-related costs and maximise the economic and environmental benefits of off-grid solar energy utility systems. Wom-Batt products are built for longevity and reliability, meaning they last much longer than other off-grid power solutions and rarely need replacement, reducing the amount of waste created in their disposal. The LiFePO4 technology on which Wom-Batt operates has high stability with low toxicity, making Wom-Batt safer than many conventional batteries. Through supporting sustainable solar utilities, Wom-Batt seeks to not only meet the needs of its current customers but also to support future generations in creating healthy, livable communities by proudly supporting the Reef Restoration Foundation and the important work they perform on the Great Barrier Reef.
Wom-Batt was developed in close collaboration with state transport authorities to solve problems associated with traditional roadside batteries. Wom-Batt’s enclosed cylindrical design means faster, cheaper installation – a separate concrete pit is not required. Its underground placement solves the problem of roadside battery theft. An MPPT 21
INTELLIGENT MOB ILIT Y
Road User Charging Digital Solution Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Department of Transport Victoria
Collaborating Partners Department of Treasury and Finance Victoria Amazon Web Services Telstra Deloitte DXC Technology Victorian Department of Transport has implemented a dynamic and innovative online cloud capability supporting Road User Charging. From 1 July 2021, registered owners of Zero and Low Emission Vehicles will pay a road-user charge based on distance travelled during registration periods, based on their vehicle’s odometer reading. These charges apply to light vehicles not predominantly powered by a fuel source subject to Commonwealth Government fuel excise. Road user charging offers the opportunity to manage the network more sustainably and effectively, addressing issues of network congestion, environment and safety. The current policy aims to support investment in infrastructure increasing the utility of electric vehicles and address issues related to reduced revenue from fuel excise. Electric vehicles are expected to dominate the new car sales market. Even conservative estimates indicate that by 2046, at least 60 per cent of new car sales are likely to be electric-powered.
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The technical solution is highly scalable using best of breed technology, connecting registration and licencing databases, smart workflows, automation and cloud technology. Currently, Australian drivers pay Commonwealth fuel excise to purchase petrol, LPG and diesel, which funds the development and maintenance of Australian roads. The lasting impact is the financial viability of the Victorian road network, by ensuring everyone contributes to the cost of building and maintaining the road network – everyone pays their fair share! This technical approach that is applicable to other forms of road use and location based charging that can fundamentally influence future road use management. The Victorian state government is leading the way in establishing a digital solution to support road user charging. As a national approach to road user charging (user pays) systems gradually gather momentum, other jurisdictions are keenly observing the success of the digital solution developed in Victoria. The Road User Charging Digital Solution was established in view of the Victorian government’s desire to roll out infrastructure that accelerates the adoption of zero and low emission vehicles in Victoria.
Australia Post Safe Rider Program Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Directed Technologies
Collaborating Partner Australia Post Carefully weaving between cars and pedestrians across footpaths and roads, Australia Post riders are an essential service that remain a vulnerable road user segment. Recognising this, Australia Post embarked on a world-first program using digital video telemetry to improve safety outcomes for its fleet of 20,000+ delivery riders. This bespoke system, designed by Directed Technologies marks the largest deployment of a video telemetry systems within Australia’s urban landscape. Australia Post delivers to over 12.3 million locations, with the bulk of these deliveries completed using vehicles classified as highrisk; Ebikes/motorbikes/Electric 3 wheelers. By combining safety metrics with event-based video information, incidents are recorded and available for rider coaching purposes. For the first time depot managers can have verifiable discussions with their riders. Patterns of high-risk behaviours are being identified and used to shape driver training and even product design such as vehicle suspension/ loading/selection etc. Panic button and tilt sensors allow for rapid assistance and greater visibility over incident details. The results of the program have shown an overwhelmingly positive trend towards reduced rider safety incidents and is saving lives.
The system is hosted on secure scalable AWS cloud services and can be readily deployed into other territories. This uniquely Australian deployment has had to overcome multiple s/w and h/w engineering challenges. Every element of the solution from kit design, fitment, software development has been locally engineered by Directed Technologies. The move towards increased home delivery ensures ongoing demand for an affordable and proven technology solution for monitoring rider safety and delivery efficiency. In addition, multiple vehicle manufacturers are exploring port fit and/or line-fit installation options. Applications for the video data extend beyond safety use cases into urban planning, road and footpath maintenance assessment, spatial and environmental planning activities. The program has the potential to evolve into the benchmark rider safety program for all urban delivery businesses within Australia.
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On Demand Transport, Future Mobility at its Best Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Keolis Downer
Collaborating Partners Department for Infrastructure and Transport South Australia Via The Mount Barker On Demand Trial surpassed every set patronage target across the first 12 months of operations, and an incredible 150,000 trips in just over 18 months has made it clear that the Keoride On-Demand service is an effective and easy way for residents to get around these Adelaide Hills communities. The On-Demand service is becoming a key part of the local public transport network. The Mount Barker On Demand Public Transport trial provides ongoing benefits to the local community: A direct connection to and from the Mount Barker public transport Park‘n’Rides; A fast and efficient link to the Mount Barker Central precinct for work, travel, and errands, with a stronger link to the broader community, enabling residents to travel more freely to see friends and family. It also provides those with mobility issues a chance to travel and be part of the wider community.
Due to increasing customer demand the service area was expanded to include Littlehampton and Nairne, increasing the service area by 50%. The service has also been integrated with the Adelaide Metro ticketing system which has increased trips to the Park ‘n’ Rides, reducing car use. Also, the integration of Metro bus services in the Keoride app has optimised trip planning and booking, enhancing the customer experience. Through introducing technology into the Mount Barker service area, the community have embraced the technology with over 95% of customers booking rides through the Keoride App enhancing operational performance of our call centre. In extending the service area, the Adelaide Metro Fare structure was integrated with the On Demand services, giving passengers access to full MetroCard benefits. Credit card payments within the On Demand service are also available to mirror image the Adelaide Metro two-hour transfer. Customer survey results show 43% of respondents would have travelled by car if Keoride On Demand wasn’t available.
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FlexiRide Rowville, Victoria’s First DemandResponsive Transport Service Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Moovit
Collaborating Partners Ventura Department of Transport Victoria Introduced in the 60s, Dial-a-Ride was a huge step forward for mobility. But half a century has passed and these services have mostly stuck with the status quo, which no longer works. In 2020, Ventura launched FlexiRide Rowville, a demand-responsive transport service powered by Moovit On-Demand. With no fixed route or timetable, FlexiRide dynamically responds to demand, offering better, more convenient connections, with decreased wait times to major transport hubs. By making transport more convenient and accessible via the demand responsive FlexiRide Rowville service, Moovit On-Demand is helping to shift private car drivers to consumer more public and shared transport. In the long term, this will also help to reduce carbon emissions. The technology, which can be used by governments, cities, transit agencies and even private companies, provides value in reducing congestion, growing ridership, increasing efficiency and asset utilisation. In the long term, this will also help to reduce carbon emissions.
FlexiRide is very durable and adaptable to fast-changing needs. The platform adapts to any transport agency’s needs i.e., number of passengers allowed on board (COVID restrictions) and number of deployed vehicles can be quickly adjusted. FlexiRide is also a welcome addition to the disability community. FlexiRide upgrades underpatroniged fixed route services. Moovit enabled Ventura to ‘upgrade’, modernise, and optimise the Telebus to a successful service that connects to other public transport. The FlexiRide app is powered by Moovit’s White Label App, and includes information about train, train, bus. Users can compare and select the most convenient journey. Moovit On-Demand, which powers FlexiRide, has proven benefits in the marketplace. This can be seen in the significantly higher ridership, decreased wait time and travel time along the route. FlexiRide: Averages 160+ rides a day, while the previous Telebus service averaged 40 riders a day; Has decreased previous wait times of ~40 minutes with the Telebus service to just 6 minutes, on average, with FlexiRide; Has significantly benefited and improved a riders’ travel time by more than half, from ~30 minutes down to ~13 minutes.
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Regulatory Compliance Mobility Solution Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
Collaborating Partner Motorola Solutions Australia The Regulatory Compliance Mobility Solution (RCMS) is a state-of-the-art mobile application used nationally by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) during heavy vehicle intercepts to complete risk profiling and targeted enforcement. It connects to a central database of safety and compliance data in real time to access driver and vehicle information, target high risk offenders, administer digital notices, and send intelligence data back to the database. More than 30,000 intercepts have been completed using RCMS with safety offences and infringements issued on Fatigue, Load & Mass, Road Rules Registration and Road Permits. Compliant heavy vehicles are stopped for 9.9 minutes on average, compared to non-compliant vehicles that can take over 22 minutes. In an industry where time is money, targeted enforcement favours safe operators. RCMS is a robust cloud application within the NHVR’s base level support and maintenance budget. It is reliable and economised through NHVR cloud technology economies of scale. RCMS will soon be the sole handheld application used nationally by the NHVR Safety & Compliance Officers during roadside intercepts.
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RCMS is being enhanced to include capabilities for investigation functions, national safety survey operations and advanced fatigue data collection. It can be licensed to other jurisdictions or agencies through its authentication, security and architecture. It’s scheduled to be expanded for use in WA in 2022, NSW in 2022/23 and QLD in 2023, which more than 500 users will access once fully rolled out. RCMS connects data nationally for a complete single source picture. RCMS will soon receive real time camera sightings from over 115 fixed cameras nationally. The relevant officer in the vicinity will be alerted using RCMS and the NHVR data intelligence risk identification systems. Mobile and in-car cameras will also be explored in the future.
Occupancy and Crowd Monitoring Solution, Smart Transit Victoria Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation NTT DATA
Collaborating Partner Telstra The solution gives the Department of Transport Victoria, and their customers access to a dashboard with real-time data and future predictors of the occupancy levels of every train and platform in the Victorian Metro system. This allows travellers to make more informed decisions to prevent overcrowding, adhere to social distancing guidelines and boost their confidence in utilising the Victorian public transport network. One of the most powerful aspects of the NTT Smart Management Platform is the machine learning enabling predictions. Not only will customers and the DOT be able to see the occupancy levels on trains and at stations in real-time, but the dashboard also features a predictor that outlines the density status up to 24 hours into the future. DOT can respond to overcrowding dynamically and adhere to Government Health Policy - ensuring the safety of their customers. Facilitating customers return to the network, the solution empowers them to make informed decisions based on their personal health standards. The boost in customer confidence can result in less reliance on private transport, decreasing the environmental impact by our transportation ecosystem.
The challenge over the following months is to ensure that transit vehicles have enough capacity for people to stay physically distanced as they travel. Customers can see in advance if there is potential for crowding when planning their travels, including at the origin and destination stations. With the solution’s flexible open architecture, the NTT Smart Management Platform can adapt and expand as required for an increase of customers as well and the rising population. The solution leverages the NTT Smart Management Platform, which achieves datadriven insights through a secure, distributed platform that captures data via sensors and micro data centres in designated areas through video and sound. The platform also integrates historical data such as traffic, weather, and social media to leverage cognitive analytics, including machine learning technologies to learn normal patterns and detect and alert authorities of abnormal patterns.
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Orcoda Logistics Management System for Community Transport Solutions Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Orcoda Limited
Collaborating Partner TransitCare Limited The Orcoda Logistics Management System (OLMS) was implemented into TransitCare’s Community Transport service to optimise the scheduling of trips for clients who have difficulty accessing regular transport. The result was a 40% increase in passengers transported with the same fleet in their Townsville operations. This enabled TransitCare to support far more clients in need with its existing resources, reduced the amount of dead running typical in people transport and, therefore, reduced total emissions for the service. It also provided insight into the correct fleet configuration which resulted in considerable savings in purchasing. Smart aggregation of trips is the key to this optimisation. Shared rides and efficient routes optimised in OLMS take priority over direct 1-2-1 trips and therefore increase the utilisation of assets. In this case, the efficiency gains realised can be further aggregated to enable them to perform additional trips on behalf partner organisations. The true potential of the OLMS aggregation will be seen when more providers and partners can work together to utilise shared technology and assets to deliver the most efficient services to a region.
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The innovation in OLMS with TransitCare is to utilise transport optimisation (aggregation) technology normally applied to point to point and multi-drop transport and re-engineer this to suit community transport. This involved significant R&D to include constraints unique to people like mobility types, assistance requirements and appointments times. In addition the system has been developed to calculate trip costs considering funding sources, payment types and authorisations. Now deployed and tested, the solution has huge impact potential for the aged, disabled and disadvantaged transport recipients (and their funded providers). Innovation in efficiency provided by OLMS has led to more transport services being available to the growing number of people in need of assisted transport.
Placie, A One Stop (Mobility) Shop for Consumers Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Placie Placie is a Mobility-as-a-Service mobile application that integrates and aggregates both private and public modes of transport. Placie users require only one account to enable them to compare, book and pay for transport services such as rideshares, taxis, Black Cars and airport shuttles within the app. Placie is also a trip planner for public transport journeys and can connect mass transit to private modes of transport, allowing users to create personalised multi-modal journeys. With intermodality representing the future of mobility, Placie is a major evolutionary step in mobility technology. With cities expanding and the lifting of pandemic restrictions creating pricing fluctuations in the private transport marketplace, it has become challenging for consumers to navigate the personal mobility maze. Placie has been created to simplify this transport landscape for consumers via one easy-to-use app, saving them time, money, and effort in the process. Placie’s transport partners are all accredited and in the case of an emergency, consumers can raise an emergency alert within the app.
Technology used in the Placie app can easily scale to provide trip planning in many major cities around the world. The integration of companies such as Ola and taxi backend dispatch systems are also scalable and in use in many markets, ensuring that Placie can readily be implemented in other countries. Beyond rideshares, taxis and public transport, Placie also has the ability to aggregate services such as airport shuttles, chauffeured vehicles, car rental, car-share, e-scooter and carparking. Placie was soft launched in January 2021 as a Beta version, and officially launched nationwide in November 2021. Placie has already helped tens of thousands of Australians get from A to B smarter, faster, and cheaper, putting users of the app in the driver’s seat to make informed decisions on various modes they may take to complete their trips.
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arevo, by RACV Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Royal Automobile Club of Victoria
Collaborating Partners Intelematics Australia ARQ Transpire arevo is a one-stop mobile app for a range of transport services, providing users with a convenient way to plan their journey. It provides users with a range of transport options for a journey at any point in time. This includes a dedicated bike map and journey planner which shows available bike route options to get to a destination. The arevo bike map is unique in the market. The dedicated bike map shows the different types of bike paths available such as whether it is an off-road shared path or a protected lane, thereby providing an indication of the level of traffic stress. arevo provides support to the cautious bike rider and enables informed route choice by the more confident rider, thereby encouraging increased bike riding for transport and recreation. A recent survey found that 67% of people were motivated to ride more for transport after using the mapping feature in arevo. arevo continues to work closely with a range of local government councils to bring the bike mapping feature to life. It is constantly updated to include the most up to date bike path information and arevo’s strong relationships with its council partners will
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ensure the durability of the app and its lasting impact on providing convenient ways for people to get around in a way that’s better for the environment. Currently arevo covers both the Melbourne metropolitan area and regional Victoria. arevo’s bike mapping technology can be expanded to any other state in Australia, and indeed has already been adopted by another app in NSW. The arevo team have received positive feedback from users via the ‘Let’s Ride Melbourne’ community engagement program that encouraged Melburnians to get on their bikes at the beginning of 2021. 70% of participants felt their capability to ride safely improved, which suggests the app functionality may be supporting lower-stress route choices and 49% of people consider they are riding more for transport. This suggests some people are adding transport trips to their usual recreational riding.
MyMobigo On-Demand Service Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Transdev Australasia
Collaborating Partners Howick & Eastern Liftango MyMobigo Auckland On-demand is a personalised commuter service for Half Moon Bay and Howick residents that was set up remotely from Australia. MyMobigo connects commuters from their home to the Half Moon Bay Marina and ferries to the city. Customers simply book via the MyMobigo app for their preferred pick-up and drop-off time. By using the service, customers don’t need to use their car nor the carparks at the ferry terminal or Howick village, saving themselves the headache of finding a park at the busiest time of the day. With two hubs, fuel consumption and Co2 emissions are also reduced as customers always travel towards these main destinations. Another benefit is that the service only operates during peak to reduce traffic and congestion at the busiest
times. According to patronage figures we have reduced the number of cars by 315 in the areas which equates to about 390kg CO2 saved (5,760kg projection for year 2022). Customer feedback from regular users indicate it’s helping them not buy a second car for their household. The MyMobigo service has been set up totally remotely from Australia and deployed in Auckland during the COVID pandemic by Transdev, Howick & Eastern and Liftango. This is the first Transdev self-funded Ondemand pilot deployed in the Australasia region. Processes, training material and pre-launch activities have been prepared totally remotely which give us the confidence to establish similar services in Australia and New Zealand in future. This new process deployment will bring more efficiencies for other ANZ implementations. Customers feedbacks are overwhelmingly positive which showcases this transport “living lab” is not only for Transdev but also for customers who change their behaviour and learn to travel differently: “I thought the service was great. Just hope the word gets out and it is used so it’s viable to keep running.”
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The global mobility industry’s transformation has far-reaching implications for how transport users move within neighbourhoods, through cities, and across countries. The effect of this transition touches every part of the transport technology industry. As a new ecosystem of mobility emerges, Mobility 2022 is the must-attend event to understand how our nation’s new mobility industry is evolving and maturing.
FOCUS AREAS: TOPICS: • public transport
• environmental impacts
• open-source platforms
• behavioural change
• incentives
• ticketing payment
• accelerating mobility data
• accessibility
• location technology
• trials, pilots, case studies: Australia Overseas
• active mobility
• parking
• multi-modal
• safety efficiency
• contracts procurement
• infrastructure adaptation
• customers • COVID • first and last mile • government perspectives
• policy framework standards • app design • rural regional
• micro mobility
R TE ! IS Y G DA RE TO
Opal Digital Card with Opal Connect Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Transport for NSW Opal Connect is Transport for NSW’s gateway to Mobility as a Service (MaaS), where users digitally plan, book and pay for multiple types of transport services. With Opal Connect, Transport is transitioning public transport payments to account-based ticketing to help facilitate future MaaS offerings. The Opal digital card, which is currently being trialled, sits on the Opal Connect platform and provides a seamless and convenient digital ticketing experience. Opal Connect is a brilliantly conceived concept of an account-based ticket service that makes it easier for customers to plan, forecast and reconcile transport spending. Customers can link their credit/debit card used for public transport to Opal Connect for improved access to trip and payment information. As a service on Opal Connect, the Opal digital card allows customers to simply tap on and tap off with their phone or smart watch to pay for public transport and access all the benefits of using a physical Opal card. The aim is to make customer journeys as seamless as possible.
The Opal Connect platform has been designed and built in-house bringing together a diverse team to respond to unmet customer transport needs. Partnering with Mastercard, Samsung and Apple, Transport created a virtual team to deliver the cutting-edge technology. The Opal digital card is a highly sophisticated pre-paid debit card, a world-first in the transport sector, and is integrated into Apple and Samsung wallets. As contactless and digital payments become more popular, the way customers choose to pay for transport is evolving. Since its initial launch in June 2019, Opal Connect has received positive customer reaction as a proven one-stop-shop for all transport transactions and information. As well as providing MaaS, Opal digital card technology can help bridge first mile/last mile issues around getting to/from public transport, and financially incentivise positive customer behaviours.
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Lumi Rideshare Category Intelligent Mobility
Submitting Organisation Via In November 2020 Lumi launched a local rideshare service focused on delivering safe, comfortable and timely rides to the wider Melbourne community. The service uses smart aggregation technology to provide great customer service with high level of operational efficiency and low emissions. Lumi provides point to point, business travel and business delivery solutions from a single technology platform benefiting its employee drivers, customers and business partners. Lumi have continued to pave the way in Melbourne by offering both On-Demand and pre-booked rides allowing riders a broad range of choice to efficiently plan their transport options around busy schedules. By encouraging passengers to pre-book their rides Lumi’s model requires significantly fewer vehicles than competitor models. This makes the service operationally effective and reduces emissions. Lumi has responded to customer and community needs by introducing their Concierge Business Partner Portal. With partners such as local restaurants and medical centers, this service allows for greater safety and efficiency for meal deliveries, people traveling to and from dinner reservations or attending medical appointments.
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Encouraging pre-booking allows more efficient delivery of the service which is passed onto the customer without price-surge. Lumi’s partnerships approach with business allows local industry to reduce their own fleet and trust Lumi to deliver their services. This benefits small business who can access transport solutions without bearing significant revenue ticket clipping as currently exists. Lumi has quickly expanded across Melbourne and has plans to further expand around Australia and the world. Their unique approach allows for nimble scaling without over investment in operational costs. Lumi’s multi-revenue model, between traditional rideshare and concierge models, increases the opportunity for expansion. The use of a single technology platform to accommodate different aspects of the business allows for smart fleet and employee utilisation, data generation and analytics. This is a great example of a service embracing On Demand transport and business partnerships, and it has the potential for rollout in towns and cities around Australia.
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BusBot – Phase 3 Fully Autonomous Vehicle Pilot Category Connected and Automated Vehicle
Submitting Organisation Busways
Collaborating Partners Transport for NSW EasyMile Coffs Harbour City Council Telstra In a global first, BusBot took automated transport to the next level, achieving Level 4 autonomy at the North Coast Regional Botanic Gardens in Coffs Harbour to operate with passengers, and no staff on board. Led by Transport for NSW and managed by Busways in partnership with Coffs Harbour City Council, EasyMile and supported by Telstra, the project demonstrated the power of industry partnership to advance technology to augment existing transport services. BusBot demonstrated: Efficiency: AVs well suited to controlled environments, restrictive road networks; Vehicle can operate with, reduced labour costs, allowing transfer investment to plug gaps in the transport network. Safety: Delivered intelligent operational protocols and processes, including a technical method to log malfunctions/safety incidents; Demonstrated safety performance of ITS - zero reportable incidents from 813 trips in Level 4 autonomous mode. Sustainability: Collected data on electric battery use per trip and energy consumed per passenger allowing accurate forecasting for future deployments.
BusBot received the first Ministerial Order in Australia where a vehicle was considered the “Approved Person”, responsible for operating the service in the eyes of the law. Working with TfNSW and SIRA paved the way for future legislation enabling fully autonomous passenger services in Australia. Communication strategies were tested at stops and onboard, helping customers safely and confidently use the automated service with no staff assistance. The final phase carried 3,500 passengers, seeing a 24% positive shift in customer acceptance for unmanned AVs after riding. The trial has shown the potential for AV shuttles to fill transport gaps in multiple use cases, particularly where there is high pedestrian traffic, such as retirement villages or tourism and recreational settings, and for first mile, last mile. The industry partnership model demonstrated effective collaboration delivering excellent outcomes for community services, technology advancement and policy change.
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FordPass Connect Category Connected and Automated Vehicle
Submitting Organisation Ford Motor Company of Australia In 2020, Ford began deploying FordPass Connect embedded modems across every new vehicle, enabling connected vehicle technology for Ford owners in Australia. The FordPass Connect platform is the crucial first step in a connected vehicle journey for owners. By unlocking a new world of connected vehicle services, FordPass Connect makes life easier for owners and establishes engagement for future ITS capability. The benefits of Ford’s deployment will include making the technology accessible to everyone (previously only a luxury vehicle feature); producing a broader societal impact and building familiarity and trust of connectivity – key to acceptance and facilitating widespread use. Enabling future ITS capability through the platform encourages other carmakers to introduce connectivity and, with it, to unlock its benefits as more cars become connected.
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This technology has been developed and tested locally by the Ford Australian engineering team, meaning it meets the needs of Australian drivers. With FordPass Connect embedded modems in all new vehicles, Ford is helping to support the development of transport technology in Australia by introducing connected technology at a lower vehicle price point and greater scale than ever seen in the market. The new vehicle marketplace is increasingly competitive, and with Ford Australia’s lead role in democratising connected vehicle technology, this could have an impact on the Australian consumer’s expectation moving forward. Benefits in the marketplace are being proven by positive dealer and customer feedback. Customers appreciate the features, utilising them in daily tasks and routines. This builds on the customer engagement with the technology, establishing a solid foundation for future connected transport technology. An indirect benefit of delivering connected vehicles into the Australian marketplace is the encouraging level of collaboration between stakeholders from different industries.
Intelematics ASURE: Connected Vehicle Safety and Security Service Category Connected and Automated Vehicle
Submitting Organisation Intelematics Australia Assistance to an injured person in the first hour of an accident can be critical for survival. The first hour after a collision is known as the ‘Golden Hour’. Assistance in the first hour can be critical for survival. The earlier first responders arrive, the better the outcome. eCall is a system that enables a vehicle to automatically place a call for help if involved in an accident, even if the occupants are trapped or unconscious. Using geolocation technology and sensors within the car, trained staff can access critical information, including exact location, speed and direction of travel. The solution also allows the driver to press an ‘SOS’ personal duress button for emergency assistance. The implementation of eCall in Australia has the potential to save 150 to 200 lives and prevent 2,500 profound injuries each year and significantly contribute to achieving the National Road Safety Strategy and Vision Zero. With two thirds of fatalities occurring in regional and remote areas – and involving a single vehicle – eCall’s geolocation capability supports emergency services in these difficult situations, and decreases their time to respond.
The ASURE technology platform is available globally, and is compatible and easily integrated to any vehicle manufacturer platform in any part of the world. The design allows it to be applied to a vast array of vehicle and propulsion types including passenger, light, heavy, EV, hydrogen, petrol, hybrid and diesel. Intelematics is currently investigating retrofit devices to be used in cars as well as other modes of transport such as motorbikes, scooters and bicycles. ASURE’s functionality requires the adept integration of several technologies to deliver actionable data to human users and enable a rapid response. Intelematics works with local call centre partners and provides all the case handling software and workflows necessary to handle any high-pressure and potentially life-threatening scenarios. The product has integrated and intuitive scripts to guide call takers through any number of potential scenarios.
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Automated Vehicles: A Viable Mobility Option for Regional Communities Category Connected and Automated Vehicle
Submitting Organisation Keolis Downer
Collaborating Partners Department for Infrastructure and Transport South Australia EasyMile Flinders University Renmark Paringa Council SAGE Group The Automated Vehicle, known as ‘Murray’, travelled a route of Renmark with the aim of educating the Renmark community on how AV technology can transform regional communities through the delivery of an effective first and last-mile service, while providing the only public transport solution in the area. Phase 2 of the Renmark Automated Vehicle trial operated between 9 February 2021 and 30 June 2021 in the regional town of Renmark, South Australia, 260 km northeast of Adelaide. Keolis Downer’s award winning approach to operating AVs was evident in the research provided by Flinders University, which indicates clear benefits for the Renmark community. 92% of passengers strongly agreed that AVs can potentially provide “more independence for, ageing, and people with mobility challenges”. When asked to rate their experience of the AV ride, 96% of surveyed persons reported to have a positive experience. Passengers reported an increased feeling of safety towards AVs after
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taking a ride on, with the proportion increasing from 58% to 79%. This was the only public transport solution in the area. Keolis Downer identified the potential for such a service to change mobility behaviours, and potentially encourage people to leave their cars at home in exchange for a first and last-mile service delivery with the AV. The use case that Keolis Downer worked on for this trial is applicable to all regional cities in Australia. Operating in a regional location meant the environment was complex; the AV was operating on open roads, interacting with other vehicles, with traffic light signals, and often under extreme temperatures. It gave the opportunity for all project partners to better understand the vehicle’s ability to cope with challenging environments and continue to increase stakeholder knowledge for future AV implementations. The long-term benefits of this mode of transport are evident when the prospect of extended operational hours, on-demand routes, environmental friendliness, and low-cost shared transport are made possible by AV technology.
RACQ Smart Shuttle Automated Vehicle Program Category Connected and Automated Vehicle
Submitting Organisation Royal Automobile Club of Queensland
Collaborating Partners EasyMile Redland City Council RACQ’s Smart Shuttle Automated Research Program aims to understand the capabilities of automated vehicles, and consider how they can integrate into future transport systems to help our transition towards new mobility options. We know automated vehicles can improve the efficiency, safety and sustainability of transport networks, but to realise their full potential this technology must be trialled in live traffic environments, in situations of different complexity and during interactions with other road users.
Our five-year program will operate the RACQ Smart Shuttle in various locations to understand not just its capabilities and limitations, but also to gauge community perceptions and inform the guiding framework of automated vehicles in Queensland and beyond. The RACQ Smart Shuttle has so far completed two successful deployments on the Redlands Coast. Learnings from these trials have already allowed RACQ to support members by providing information and advice toward regulatory and infrastructure forward planning. With human error estimated to be a causal factor in over 90 percent of vehicle crashes in Australia, connected and automated vehicles have the potential to dramatically improve road safety, and greatly improve mobility outcomes for people with a disability or medical condition, the elderly and those experiencing transport disadvantage.
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Lexus Australia Vehicle to Infrastructure Communication Testing within AIMES Ecosystem Category Connected and Automated Vehicle
Submitting Organisation Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
Collaborating Partners Kapsch TrafficCom Australia The University of Melbourne Department of Transport Victoria Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland WSP Cohda Wireless Q-Free Australia Communication between Lexus Australia vehicles and Kapsch TrafficCom roadside infrastructure was successfully tested in the AIMES environment in Carlton. Safety use cases involving traffic signals and vulnerable road users were evaluated in addition to a series of road hazard warnings. Further work includes the communication of vehicles with trams to warn drivers turning in front of a tram and warning vehicles of approaching emergency services with lights flashing. Warning drivers of the presence of vulnerable road users, of the potential to inadvertently drive through red lights and of various upcoming road hazards helps reduce the possibility of fatality and injury. It is over and above existing safety technology built into vehicles. Such technologies are already deployed in Japan by Toyota and Lexus and achieve up to 38% reduction in accidents according to an analysis by the Japanese National Police Agency and by their Ministry
of Land, Infrastructure & Transport. Trials such as this seek to understand if such results can be transferred and realised here. The AIMES ecosystem has been improved through the addition of Queensland TMR Central ITS Facility (C-ITS-F) transfer of V2N messaging of Victorian road hazard in correct C-ITS format. Transport for NSW has agreed to provision SCATS data specific to Lexus Australia’s activity. This coordination between states is a good step towards realising a wider transport eco-system and an Eastern seaboard C-ITS corridor in the future (production implementation of C-ITS is infeasible if confined to small pockets within cities). If the trial technology is more widely implemented, then the 97% of Melbourne CBD tram collisions that are attributed to motorists (including 70% of these caused by those not looking for trams when turning right) could be eliminated. ANCAP will reward OEMs for communication with Emergency Service Vehicles from 2025. Previous trials have revealed the limitations of mapping, and Lexus Australia has undertaken a sub-decimetre-accurate mapping exercise in AIMES to encode road features such as bus lanes, pedestrian crossings, tram stops etc. Because this new mapping data is too large for conventional C-ITS mapping standards, work in codify fragmentation information has been undertaken with AIMES participants. This is an important step towards real-world implementation. Trialling with public transport and emergency vehicles will yield new knowledge.
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Lexus Australia C-ITS Research within Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot Category Connected and Automated Vehicle
Submitting Organisation Toyota Motor Corporation Australia
Collaborating Partners Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland Cohda Wireless In an effort to improve safety, Lexus Australia has been trialling advanced vehicle communication of safety messages within the Ipswich Connected Vehicle Pilot (ICVP) in Queensland. This research examines the capability and benefits of very quick data exchange between vehicles, between vehicles and traffic light equipment and receiving important road network updates. This activity enhanced the ICVP activity by adding V2V use cases to that trial’s V2I/V2N use cases. While there isn’t any production C-ITS in Australia, Toyota/Lexus have been offering C-ITS for 6 years in Japan. Research there has shown a 38% reduction in near-miss events at intersections and 7.7% improvement in Emergency Vehicles response times where cooperation is taking place. Similarly, the trialling of this technology in Australia is to inform the readiness, interoperability and user acceptance to achieve outcomes similar to Japan. While it is difficult to judge the impact on road trauma reduction using several vehicles, real data can be gathered (rather than simulations) and basic conclusions on latency and user reactions can be drawn.
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Lexus Australia sees C-ITS as inevitable not only for passenger vehicles but also for Automated Vehicles (AV). An AV relying on its own sensors cannot anticipate danger outside its sightlines. By participation in trials with governments, OEMs can demonstrate first hand the capability of the technology and input unique needs into infrastructure rollout or standardisation efforts. There were important lessons about roadside unit placement and mapping datums relevant from an OEM perspective. Compared with other trials globally, this activity focused on major improvements in vehicle positional accuracy brought about using Japanese QZSS satellite reception equipment to achieve 2cm – 30cm positional variation much of the time. The introduction of haptic alerts via seat vibration and a prioritisation system for multiple warning display were an enhancement over typical C-ITS trial implementations. Lexus Australia has gained a better understanding of the local problems and readiness issues associated with C-ITS. Some of these will be addressed in a subsequent trial, others will be tackled when potential production preparation takes place.
TR A N SP OR T DATA
National Freight Data Hub Category Excellence in Transport Data
By making high quality and timely freight data more widely available, the Hub will:
Submitting Organisation
• support day-to-day operations; and
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
Collaborating Partner Geoplex The National Freight Data Hub (‘the Hub’) prototype website features interactive insights and uses cutting-edge geospatial visualisation tools for industry and governments to gain a national picture of freight movements. It showcases how to make better use of current data to answer enduring freight questions such as what freight is being moved, when, and where. The website contains time-enabled maps and graphs, and is the first publiclysearchable freight data directory for Australia.
• improve strategic planning; • evaluate how the freight system is performing. Establishing the Hub as a trusted source of national freight data provides a national picture of critical information to keep freight moving during uncertain times. Better access to government data and an efficient and safe data sharing system will enable businesses to share data for mutual benefit and solve real world problems. Our collaborating partner, Geoplex, developed a robust, secure hosting platform using cloud infrastructure (Azure) and controlled security policies.
Every Australian, everywhere, relies on freight and barriers to efficient movement of freight can impact on Australia’s competitiveness. The Hub prototype website demonstrates the value of improved freight data to lift the efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of Australia’s freight and supply chains. This is why the Australian Government is backing the prototype website and investing $16.5 million to provide a new way for industry and governments to share and use freight data.
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Western Australia Supply Chain Data Intelligence Hub Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation Fremantle Ports
Collaborating Partner Sector Insight The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need for real time information to ensure supply chain continuity. Fremantle Ports’ WA Supply Chain Data Intelligence Hub (Data Hub) integrates and analyses large government and industry stakeholder datasets to deliver unprecedented insights and intelligence. The Data Hub is a living model that drives community and business value and outcomes through enhanced decision-making capability based on increased supply chain visibility and data access. The Data Hub creates a centre of intelligence that strengthens understanding and predictive capability to improve port and supply chain efficiency, safety, and sustainability. Benefits include: 1. Enhanced understanding of market peaks and troughs - improved asset maintenance, planning and safety of personnel; 2. Supply chain Intelligence - enhanced business sustainability through improved resource allocation based on historical trends and seasonal fluctuations; 3. Market insights - improved industry trend analysis, capitalisation of emerging commodities, and diversification from mature and fading markets; and 44
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4. Insights and intelligence - for example, potential to create and monitor a stress index for essential commodities including food, medicines, and medical equipment. Since the pandemic, customers have shifted their priorities in supply chain management from lowest end-to-end cost to highest reliability. The Data Hub will support the drive towards greater reliability. The Data Hub will continue to evolve and develop to meet contemporary challenges and contribute to preparedness to successfully withstand future exceptional events. Fremantle Ports developed the Data Hub in response to supply chain implications of COVID-19. Leading into the pandemic, supply chains were characterised by ‘just-in-time’ manufacturing and lean inventories. The impact of COVID-19 highlighted the need for supply chain resilience and transparency. This tool represents a significant step toward providing a transparent view of the State’s supply chain performance. The secure Cloud based platform enables users to analyse and filter data based on a series of dashboards which facilitates “what if” scenario planning. It is customisable and provides intelligence to inform solutions to issues such as increasing Chinese tariffs. The Data Hub will assist supply chains to shift from a “just-in-time” industry approach to a post covid “just-in-case” new normal approach.
GEOCOUNTS Open Data Format Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation GEOCOUNTS
Collaborating Partner Department of State Growth Tasmania The GEOCOUNTS Open Data Format allows a wide variety of transportation data collection systems to share highly detailed records of their data. It is used by numerous international equipment vendors. These include vendors of camera systems, radars, weigh in motion devices, road tubes and even phone base apps. It provides a universal structure to deliver things like vehicle speeds and classifications, turning movements, vehicle weights, pedestrian crossings and bicycle data.
The format allows different types of counting equipment from around the world to generate common data sets which all levels of government can leverage to work more efficiently. The format is free and open to any equipment maker which reduces their work in building acceptable output formats. Instead of trying to recreate its own general format, any government agency can also save its resources by simply adopting it as a standard as Tasmania’s Department of State Growth has done. The format has already been built into all manner of equipment as its popularity has steadily grown. Data stored in this format is as detailed as the sensing device can generate so it is unlikely to quickly become outdated. It also helps to satisfy Australian government open data directions to make data durable because it is built as a text format, not binary. The format can be freely adopted by any company that generates individual observations which reduces the work they must do to make their data productive. There is no geographical limit to where it may be used - any country can incorporate it. It can be used wherever data is collected on, or about, the transport network including intersections, mid-blocks, highways, parking facilities and shopping malls. Although many government agencies have tried to specify their own generic, ‘universal’ format, this is the first industry generated solution. It is backed by multiple traffic sensing vendors from around the world. This is the first format to combine all the types of transportation sensing devices into a single file, similar to how an MPEG file stores audio, video and text data inside one. 45
ITS Australia’s Roads, Tolling & Technology conference is the new-look NeTC (National electronic Tolling and Charging conference) where delegates will extend their focus from toll roads to include all road operations and associated technology. With demand for infrastructure and software to support a resurgent transport system, there is enormous opportunity for business as well as for government.
TOPICS: • Project Updates: Smart Infrastructure and Data Deployments
• Traveller and Consumer Experience
• International Perspectives and Case Studies
• Data for Sustainable and Equitable Transport
• Network Optimisation and Planning
• AIMES Projects
• Future Tolling and Transport Pricing
• The Future of Roads and Transport
• Payment Management and Collections • Commercial Vehicles and Logistics • Integrated Transport Planning and Delivery
• Data Analytics and Tools
• Smart Tunnels and Bridges
Intelematics INSIGHT Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation Intelematics Australia INSIGHT connects businesses with a picture of Australia’s movement economy to plan, assess, and evaluate projects confidently. Businesses modernise decision-making with access to a combination of rich, high-quality movement data powered by smart technology. INSIGHT provides traffic oversight of vehicle volume, speed, origin-destination, and intersection turning volume on NSW and Victorian roads. INSIGHT promotes the use of big data, the Internet of Things, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence technology to revolutionise outdated methods of traffic data collection and modelling. For the first time local councils, government organisations and businesses can access pre-validated, rich traffic data in seconds. Local councils can assess traffic volume and speed at different times of the day to make better-informed decisions about active mobility infrastructure for future sustainability, while traffic calming devices are implemented on the roads that need them most to ensure safety.
Previously, key infrastructure projects and other initiatives were based on ad-hoc data collection, using manual survey methods. Data was extrapolated over extended periods without the ability to accurately account for seasonality or episodic impacts, such as lockdowns. INSIGHT allows for forming microscopic models due to the availability of temporal data, and coverage across major and minor roads. Through collaboration with 60+ councils, 10+ engineering firms and state authorities, INSIGHT was developed as a decision-making framework. The ease of implementation of other data sources, such as demographic, psychographic, and vehicle type, will ensure the continuation of benefits for decades to come. In under 12 months, INSIGHT has garnered an extensive user base with 200+ organisations signed-up, and 200+ onboarded individual users. INSIGHT is used by government authorities, local councils, engineering firms, road operators, retail businesses, and the media to cut down time, cost, and improve accuracy of traffic intelligence.
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VICTORIUS: Optimising Rail Disruption Planning with Big Data Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation Level Crossing Removal Project
Collaborating Partners SYSTRA VISEO GHD AECOM Metro Trains Melbourne This data-driven tool improves the end-to-end process of planned rail disruptions. Leveraging over 35 billion data points, sophisticated Cloud data tools and analytics, the platform accelerates and streamlines planning, optimises service delivery and consistently minimises disruption impacts on commuters. This innovation redefines the entire disruption planning process, integrating disparate elements to alleviate the time, cost and stress of transport disruption for all involved. This bespoke solution is an Australian and a global first. After numerous trials and tests, LXRP and its advisors have created a state-ofthe-art platform with a modular approach. This method allows for the product to be scaled more broadly to other applications such as a Chatbot that is currently being trialled by LXRP, streaming live GPS bus data and schedules to customers.
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This disruption planning tool is a solution built using leading-edge technologies utilising the power of multi-cloud. It is capable of ingesting data points from various source. Custom algorithms are used to process billions of data points within minutes, harnessing all the key features of parallel computing. The tool is highly efficient in streaming real-time data for several purposes, including bus coordinates, train lines and GPS waypoints on maps. The tool embraces microservice architecture and integrates with Google API’s for real-time traffic data and adaptive calculations, PTV API’s train timetable and other various endpoints to calculate real-time passenger data. The tool has been operationalised on major occupations. The increased accuracy in planning with the tool has had proven cost benefits of over $500,000 within the first 6 months of operation. The optimisation of passenger wait times ensures that patrons have an improved customer experience and reduced wait times. The introduction of GPS replay also allows planners to monitor customer complaints relating to whether buses met scheduled time and stopping patterns, and create better outcomes for commuters.
Traffic Intelligence: Cost and Causes of Congestion Analytics Tool Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation netBI
Collaborating Partner Intelligent Transport Services netBI has transformed traffic management and congestion economic modelling with an innovative cloud-based data analytics solution. It combines and interprets voluminous data from sensors and systems about traffic volume and speed; incidents, events and roadworks; weather conditions and more. Through machine learning algorithms, clients are able to optimise investment and planning decisions through the calculation of the costs and causes of congestion. Congestion reduces the ‘liveability’ of cities. Transport industry research by BITRE estimates the avoidable cost of congestion in Australian capital cities will reach around $30 billion by 2030. Traditional congestion surveys can take weeks to complete, whereas netBI’s tool harnesses ITS data for insights into congestion and its true cost, enabling fast, targeted, and transparent decisions. Authorities can easily identify problematic roads and intersections; quantify the costs of excessive congestion, accidents, roadworks and bad weather; enable better traffic management; and prioritise infrastructure investment decisions based on quantitative economic analysis, leading to improved mobility, productivity, road safety, and environmental outcomes long-term.
Dealing with congestion and ‘connected’ future networks requires data-driven clarity. Understanding the true costs imposed supports optimal spending and resource deployment to create safer, more reliable roads. The underlying costing methodologies and technology stack are designed to be scalable, meaning netBI’s tool will adapt as data volumes and complexity increase. Intelligent ML algorithms continue to calculate what is ‘normal’ traffic for different road links based on daily and seasonal changes in traffic flow. The tool allows government authorities to measure the economic impacts of infrastructure investment on congestion and improve future design decisions by analysing traffic data pre- and post-construction. It can improve smart city planning, for example, by evaluating congestion’s impact on bus and light rail performance, informing decisions on timetabling and segregated infrastructure. It can guide regional infrastructure investment and planning decisions and identify local congestion hotspots.
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Automated Road Asset and Defect Assessment Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation Retina Visions Retina Visions has developed machine learning models to automatically detect and assess various defects and assets on the road network. This service is conducted using a single, vehicle mounted dash-cam (Google Pixel) that fits to a council’s garbage or maintenance fleet to automatically inspect the network on a regular basis and allow more maintenance to be conducted to ensure roads are safe for drivers. By utilising this method of road inspection, Human Resources are able to be utilised for maintenance work rather than inspection work. Utilising the dash-cams as inspectors, council personnel can spend time resolving defects on the network rather than looking for them. This increases the amount of maintenance able to be conducted, improving the road network with greater efficiency and keeping it safe for drivers. Some calculated outputs gathered through utilising the service include: 30% reduction in public phone complaints, 179% more defects fixed, 2 times the amount of defects identified and a quarter of time required to capture defects across the road network.
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The quality of the road network will only need to improve greater and faster as time goes on. With the introduction of autonomous vehicles and the reliance on certain physical aspects of the road being at a high quality, council will need to ensure they are continuously improving efficiencies in how they conduct road maintenance. This service will allow councils to remove the need to manually assess the road network and increase the amount of maintenance performed on the road network. No interaction is required with the device itself and the data pipeline is completely automated. Retina Visions is already adapting this technology to other areas within the transport industry. The process of using machine learning to service the road network has been transferred to the footpath network.
Transport for NSW COVID Safe Digital Response Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation Transport for NSW When the COVID-19 pandemic began to unfold, the need for clear, timely and accurate transport information became crucial. Transport for NSW mobilised a coordinated response to help customers travel more safely by building on existing digital channels to deliver five key initiatives: COVID Safe travel notifications; Contactless card registration; COVID Safe service capacity information; Touch-free Opal digital card and RFID bag tags; Bike riding and walking trip planning enhancements. Transport’s digital initiatives helped customers and essential workers travel more safely during COVID. COVID Safe travel notifications: Customers receive alerts notifying them if physical distancing is possible on their regular service; Contactless card registration: Customers register details of their credit/debit card used for public transport in the Opal Travel app to aid contact tracing; Service capacity: Customers planning trips on Transport digital channels receive capacity information; Touch-free ticketing: RFID bag tags and Opal digital card trials allow customers to tap on and off with no contact; Active transport enhancements: Customers encouraged to bike and walk when planning trips on digital channels.
Transport is using technology to give customers multiple ways to pay, track and access multiple modes of transport, which will be useful beyond the pandemic to help customers have safer and more convenient journeys. Improved customer experience, data reliability and community safety have been used to measure success. Because Transport’s COVID Safe initiatives are data driven, they represent an opportunity to be adapted across applications and locations where comprehensive data is available. Already Transport for NSW has demonstrated its commitment to putting the customer first by using data-based research and working with industry (Amazon Web Services, Tigerspike, and AppJourney) to deliver a critical customer outcome. By making the most of travel history and other data, Transport continues to help customers have safe and seamless journeys and make better travel decisions.
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Next Station – Multilingual Travel App Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation Transport for NSW
Collaborating Partner Next Station App Next Station is a travel planning app newly endorsed by Transport for NSW (TfNSW). The app provides trip planning and timetables, real-time vehicle positions and service alerts in English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Arabic, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese covering Sydney’s public transport network, NSW TrainLink and NSW regional buses. Next Station provides a “self-service” for customers who may be more familiar with languages other than English. It leverages the TfNSW “Station Names in other Languages” dataset available on the Open Data Hub, and provides fully translated timetable, realtime and alert information in the users chosen language. The app encourages a large population of under-served non-English speaking public transport customers to navigate the public transport network confidently.
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Potential exists for other state jurisdictions to adopt Next Station as the go-to transport app for non-English speaking populations and tourists. Next Station uses several datasets that are available on the Transport for NSW Open Data Hub including translated stations, wharves and stop names, public transport timetables, and real-time data. The app has been downloaded on Android and iOS almost 5,000 times, with over 2,200 web users to date.
The Next Generation of Digital Twins Category Excellence in Transport Data
Submitting Organisation University of Technology Sydney University of Technology Sydney Data Science Institute has been working in the last years on building the Sydney Real-Time Digital Twin Platform, integrating at once several types of data sources such as the city 3D layout with top layers like the public transport movement in real-time, transport simulation for incident scenario management in real-time, water pipes layout via IoT sensing data transmission and air quality real-time transmission from monitoring stations in Sydney. While most DTs worldwide are static (operating at maximum level 2 of maturity), UTS’s Sydney DT model provides an uplift in its power of real-time analytics and deep learning prediction, which raises its functionality to Level 4 of maturity.
The Sydney Digital twin model is built on a layering approach to be easily replicated/ extended to any other Australian city with realtime transport streaming, water, or air quality information. The replicability of the platform is easy to adapt and to connect the real-time streams with new data sources that are being made available. The innovative aspect of our next generation of Digital Twin consists in its unique combination of 2D, 3D spatial modelling, real-time train movement information, water pipe and sensing information, air quality, as well as incident management via simulation modelling. These are unique features for a Level 4 Digital twin (according to the Atkins 2018 classification of DT maturity levels), which most models around the world do not currently have.
Transport agencies, councils, spatial governmental agencies, water and air quality agencies, real-estate companies, will be among the first users of the Sydney Digital twin model. The model is set to be further developed for a multi-layer integration of several other smart cities and real-time data streams such as air and bushfire monitoring, water pipe and flooding monitoring, pedestrian movement, energy consumption and EV infrastructure planning.
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Sydney Victoria Road Intelligent Decision Support System Category Excellence in Research and Development
Submitting Organisation Aimsun
Collaborating Partners Data61 Transport for NSW The Victoria Road Decision Support System (DSS) leverages industry-leading expertise in multimodal transport modelling and artificial intelligence (AI), in a special development for one of Sydney’s busiest commuter corridors. The fusion of modelling and AI allows the DSS to predict future transport conditions and automatically assess the impact of alternative operational plans. The network manager can then confidently choose the optimal response to daily congestion and non-recurrent events in live and planning environments. In non-recurrent incidents, where experienced delays increase exponentially if not addressed swiftly and decisively, the DSS would considerably benefit Victoria Road’s many users. The economic, user and social benefits of the DSS include: journey time reliability, increased throughput, reduced delays, reduction in vehicle emissions, and more resilient network management. Initial estimates show a 3-8% reduction in delays if the DSS is fully deployed, with corresponding benefits to other metrics. As a demonstration of its accuracy, the simulated travel times along the corridor were validated to be within 5% accuracy in 95% of the cases, even under a variety of conditions.
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Participation in the PII gives TfNSW the opportunity to operationalise the DSS and deploy the solution in the Transport Management Centre. Further potential developments include: A SCATS interface, enabling the preselection of the best response plan for the next 60 minutes for recurring traffic conditions or non-recurrent events; Estimates of public transport user travel times and response plans that improve passenger journey time reliability, including interchanging, something not measured currently; Modelling agent-based freight operations, which is an economically important transport network function that is impacted by poor journey time reliability and unforeseen congestion. Utilising Google and TfNSW Opal card data for the AI engine means the system doesn’t require any expensive bespoke roadside sensors or infrastructure and is therefore easily transferable. As most Australian towns and cities deploy SCATS or other traffic control systems, facilitating the development of the transport model and live feeds for the signal emulation, the solution is deployable throughout Australia and throughout the region. The DSS considers public transport and passenger journeys, but rail and metro networks can be included in the scope to consider mode choice within the AI engine.
Roadside Cable Anti-Theft System Category Excellence in Research and Development
Submitting Organisation Department of Transport Victoria
Collaborating Partner Traffic Technologies The Victorian Department of Transport has created a new device that remotely notifies authorities when thieves attempt to steal copper cable from our road network. Theft of copper cables is a significant problem for many transport authorities. It impacts electronic services they provide on the road network, causes community safety issues, and is expensive to replace. The anti-theft system is unobtrusive and instantaneously notifies authorities when there’s an attempted theft.
The anti-theft units are mobile and can easily be moved to other priority infrastructure assets. The units can be housed within an asset such as a cabinet or a pole with an access door. A device is placed at either end of a cable and monitors its power feed. If there’s any loss of power the device will have enough stored energy to immediately trigger a message to its monitoring software. It also sends an SMS to all listed recipients. (such as maintenance contractors and VicPol). The unit has been in operation for 10 months and has led to the successful arrest of a gang targeting street lighting assets. The product has been deployed as a trial at a high priority site as a solution to addressing multiple prior cable thefts.
Previously authorities only became aware of thefts after they occurred. The new antitheft technology can remotely monitor the cables and send immediate notifications when vandalism occurs. This enables maintenance crews and/or police to respond quickly. The first trial of the device led to the capture and arrest of individuals in the act of stealing copper cables along a Melbourne freeway. Any authority utilising copper cables on the road network that are at risk of theft, particularly in remote or ‘out of sight’ locations can benefit. Each anti-theft device is set up with a SIM card connected to the authority’s monitoring software or to individuals’ phones. There is little to no maintenance required.
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Cooperative and Highly Automated Driving – Driving Task Hand Over Study Category Excellence in Research and Development
Submitting Organisation Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety – Queensland, Queensland University of Technology
Collaborating Partners Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland iMOVE Australia Motor Accident Insurance Commission In March 2021, 72 members of the public sat in the driver’s seat and took control of ZOE2, a Level 4 Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV). Investigating the potential safety risks in the transitions between the vehicle’s Automated Driving System (ADS) and the human driver, this study focused on determining trust in ADS and quantifying the adequate time for a human driver to takeover control. During the 30 minute drive on a private test track, the participants handed-over the driving task to the ADS and retook control several times under two different scenarios. All interactions were recorded and the 2.5TB of data collected from the vehicle’s sensors (including an eye tracker) will define a baseline for future experimentations on handover/ takeover. Participants’ interviews (pre/post drive) delivered preliminary findings regarding their acceptance, trust and interest in CAVs. Interestingly, the initial findings aligned with the ZOE2 2020 Experience, where participant trust in automation increased after they viewed a small number of takeover requests.
This research provides an evidence base for Australian regulatory bodies when determining trust in future technology, the risks associated with driving task handover, and adequate warning time alerts for the human driver to retake control. Manufacturers and the public will ultimately benefit from this important regulatory control, to ensure the safety of all road users into the future. This study was the first globally to investigate safety issues arising from changes and transitions of the driver’s role in a Level 4 CAV, where the participant had full control of the vehicle. Initial findings will be published before the end of 2021. A further analysis of the collected data will be undertaken to determine the quantitative results.
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AI for Real-Time and Predictive Traffic Condition Solution Category Excellence in Research and Development
Submitting Organisation PeakHour Urban Technologies
Collaborating Partners The University of Melbourne Department of Transport Victoria Amazon Web Services Short-term prediction of traffic flows is an essential requirement for traffic management of any city. The availability of real-time data and modern cloud-based computing is now making accurate predictions of traffic a reality. Using AI, a world-first solution has been developed and implemented for the city of Melbourne in June 2021 that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict traffic congestion up to three hours ahead, helping with optimising traffic in large cities and improving road safety.
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This entirely data driven approach utilizes innovative AI techniques to predict traffic conditions for every link of the transport network. The solution has been applied to the Melbourne network with over 3000 intersections and 20,000 links and provided 95%+ accuracy in predicting traffic flow and speed. This level of accuracy is necessary to proactively manage an increasingly complex and congested transport network. The application observes the nature of traffic and is able to determine complex traffic patterns in realtime across the network through accurately trained AI models. The results have been independently and thoroughly evaluated by the University of Melbourne using the data provided by the Department of Transport. The platform has received great interest from multiple cities in Australia as well as around the world and has already been implemented in another major APAC city where it will be live before the end of the year. One of the most significant aspects of this platform is its adaptability. Given its datadriven and AI approach, once deployed, the models self learn and adapt to the local road conditions within days. This makes deployments fast, low cost and maintenance free providing road authorities with an unprecedented insight into the conditions of their road network.
Connected and Automated Vehicle Highway Pilot Trial on Victorian Rural Roads Category Excellence in Research and Development
Submitting Organisation Robert Bosch (Australia)
Collaborating Partners Transport Accident Commission Department of Transport Victoria – Road Safety Victoria Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) technologies have the potential to substantially reduce deaths and serious crashes. The Highway Pilot trial focused on high speed Victorian rural roads, where nearly half of all road fatalities occur. The Victorian Department of Transport, the Transport Accident Commission and Bosch partnered together to develop and trial automated vehicle technology on Victorian rural roads. Unlike urban motorways, regional roads have a relative scarcity of roadside features and environmental information that an Automated Driving System (ADS) processes in order to operate. Additional complexities include traffic, road conditions, driver behaviour, wildlife and GSM coverage. The project delivered a prototype ADS capable of driving safely in live traffic for long distances on high speed rural roads; a task that can be challenging for human drivers.
With over 32 TB of development data captured and 3,000 kilometres of operation in Automated Driving mode, this was the largest CAV trial conducted in Australia to date. The key findings of the CAV trial were presented to the Victorian Government road safety and infrastructure experts, who provided background to regulations, design guidelines and road user behaviour. Recommendations from the trial will inform future road design and maintenance schedules, planning and investment for Victoria’s road network to enable the introduction of Automated Driving technologies as they become commercially available. The outcomes will also help frame up future trials to expand the operational design domain of automated driving technologies in Victoria. Without these efforts, the unique conditions that exist on Victorian roads would not be considered in the state’s Road Safety and Infrastructure milestone schedule. The insights from these real-world trials combined with function development to accommodate local conditions will enable a smooth introduction of Automated Driving functions.
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Estimating the Impact of Electric Vehicles Across Transport and Energy Systems Category Excellence in Research and Development
Submitting Organisation University of Technology Sydney
Collaborating Partner Australian Energy Market Operator University of Technology Sydney collaborated with the Australian Energy Market Operator using data from Transport for NSW, to deliver a new transdisciplinary approach for estimating the impact of future Electric Vehicle adoption. The novel approach uses a joint transport and energy consumption modelling approach, that connects the transport and energy sectors. The project estimated the electric vehicle adoption impact on consumer waiting times, traffic congestion and energy demand across multiple EV uptake scenarios. The results showed that under even relatively modest growth projections, waiting times for charging stations could balloon to more than two hours in some scenarios.
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The results of this initiative have been considered for ongoing EV vehicle projects within Australian Energy Market Operator, and represent the first step for all transport and energy agencies that need to plan together in order to optimally satisfy the increasing demand for electric vehicles in Australia. Future infrastructure and energy grid upgrades should benefit from this bi-level integrated approach of modelling. This work is among top pioneering approaches to integrate transport and energy modelling for evaluating the EV adoption impact. Major outputs consist of mean queue lengths, waiting times at EV stations, and energy consumption estimations across multiple EV scenarios. Making informed decisions in the next upcoming 5-10 years is crucial as it will impact both people’s travel time but also the energy grid load and future infrastructure investments. Future transport planning will benefit from knowing the impact of large waiting times for Evs and better overall traffic management, which would encourage people to use the new infrastructure and adopt EVs sooner than later.
ITS Australia iMOVE Research Project Accelerating Innovative Local Transport: Community transport of the future This study was developed by ITS Australia and conducted by the Institute for Public Policy and Governance (IPPG) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), as a collaborative research project through the iMOVE Collaborative Research Centre. The project has been co-developed and co-funded in partnership with: • The Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland • Transport for NSW • The Department of Transport, Victoria • The Department of Transport, WA The overall aim of the study is to review the current ecosystem for community transport in Australia, including the customer, service delivery, policy and funding landscape, and specifically explore current and emerging opportunities and barriers for innovation. The final report and findings will be published early 2022.
Transport disadvantage is a truly complex problem. Older people, people with disability and those living in rural and remote areas are among the most likely to experience difficulties with access and mobility. The challenges associated with transport disadvantage are set to grow significantly in the coming decade, particularly because of an ageing population and consequent increases in people with complex needs The study seeks to develop and synthesise broad insights into the community transport sector and its context, with a view to informing government policy development and wider industry thinking about the role of community transport, key issues relevant to the sector, and opportunities to accelerate the near-term adoption of innovative solutions and the future delivery of flexible, demand-responsive local transport.
Community transport has a significant enabling role in major policies and reforms focused on addressing these needs, and as an essential support where other transport is limited or unable to cater for people’s needs. Over the past few decades there has been growing interest – in the research community and among policy-makers – in ‘transport disadvantage’, and the impact this has in creating barriers to social and economic inclusion and participation.
Pic source: IPPG. Adapted from Currie and Delbosc (2011).
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Young Professionals 2021 Young Professionals recognised by industry leaders for their contribution to the ITS industry.
Cameron Duff
Poojith Cherukattil
Software Developer at Orionet
Graduate ITS Engineer at Transurban
Daniel Ioannidis
Sofia Garcia Egusquiza
Operations Manager at HMI Technologies
PMCS Manager WestConnex M4-M5 Link at SICE
George Funnell Systems Engineer at SAGE Automation
Grace Willems Principal Policy Coordinator at the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland
Md Mostafizur Rahman Komol Higher Degree Researcher at the Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety, Queensland – Queensland University of Technology
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Vlad Ioan Popescu Software & Test Lead at SICE
INDEX AECOM 48 Aimsun 10, 54 Amazon Web Services 22, 58 ARQ 30 Arup 16 Australia Post 23 Australian Energy Market Operator 60 Austroads 6 BMD Construction 16 Busways 35 CICA Group 6 Coffs Harbour City Council 35 Cohda Wireless 41, 42 Cubic Transportation Systems 13 Data61 54 Data61 | CSIRO 6 Deloitte 22 Department for Infrastructure and Transport South Australia 24, 38 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications 43 Department of State Growth Tasmania 45 Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland 6, 15, 41, 42, 57 Department of Transport Victoria 13, 22, 25, 27, 41, 55, 58 Department of Transport Victoria – Road Safety Victoria 59 Department of Treasury and Finance Victoria 22 Directed Technologies 23 DXC Technology 22 EasyMile 35, 38, 39 EROAD 6 Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries 5, 6 Felicity Smart Infrastructure 11 Flinders University 38 Ford Motor Company of Australia 6, 36 Fremantle Ports 44 GEOCOUNTS 45 Geoplex 43 GHD 48 HMI Technologies 6, 62 Howden Fans 19 Howick & Eastern 31 Hyundai Motor Company Australia 6 iMOVE Australia 6, 7, 57 Integrate 6, 15 Intelematics Australia 30, 37, 47 Intelligent Transport Services 49 ITS Australia 5, 61 Johnson Controls International 10 Kapsch TrafficCom Australia 41 Keolis Downer 24, 38 Level Crossing Removal Project 48
Liftango 31 Main Roads Western Australia 16 Metro Trains Melbourne 48 Moovit 25 Motor Accident Insurance Commission 57 Motorola Solutions Australia 26 National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 26 NEC 6 netBI 49 Next Station App 52 NTT DATA 27 Ohmio Automotion 6 Orcoda Limited 28 Orionet 62 PeakHour Urban Technologies 58 Placie 29 Q-Free Australia 41 Queensland University of Technology 57, 62 Redland City Council 39 Renmark Paringa Council 38 Retina Visions 50 Robert Bosch (Australia) 6, 59 Royal Automobile Club of Queensland 39, 62 Royal Automobile Club of Victoria 30 SAGE Automation 62 SAGE Group 38 Sector Insight 44 SICE 62 Smartways Alliance 16 Sydney Trains 20 SYSTRA 48 Telstra 13, 22, 27, 35 The University of Melbourne 6, 13, 41, 58 Toyota Motor Corporation Australia 6, 41, 42 Traffic Technologies 55 Transdev Australasia 31 TransitCare Limited 28 Transmax 6 Transpire 30 Transport Accident Commission 59 Transport for NSW 10, 17, 33, 35, 41, 51, 52, 54, 60 Transport Management Consulting 6 Transurban 6, 7, 19, 62 University of Technology Sydney 20, 53, 60 Ventia 16 Ventura 25 Via 24, 34 VISEO 48 Wom-Batt 21 WSP 41
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The ITS Australia Awards are a celebration of excellence in the Australian Intelligent Transport Systems. www.its-australia.com.au