Title: Question iv: interurban roads and motorways, Australia
Abstract: Major studies of the Australian road system have been undertaken by the national association of Australian state road authorities (NAASRA) and the bureau of transport economics (BTE). These studies demonstrated the application of the NIMPAC road planning model in the assessment of the rural arterial road system and used road inventory data held in a central source, the NAASRA data bank. Access to and updating of road inventory, particularly in a decentralised manner, is of significant importance and is being addressed by road authorities. Research at the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) into road cross section width standards and shoulder treatments included a survey on the use of road shoulders by stationary vehicles, as well as the possible effect of the shoulder surface on accident rates. This research also revealed that the lateral clearance between opposing vehicles on a single carriageway is influenced by shoulder type and lane width. Improved roadside delineation and the identification and treatment of accident blackspots on the rural road network are other safety measures being considered. The use of auxiliary lanes offers a cost effective means of improving the level of service on existing two lane highways as an intermediate alternative to upgrading to a four lane facility. Design provisions for auxiliary lanes are being reviewed, with the emphasis on overtaking lanes in locations other than on steep upgrades. These provisions stemmed from research in Australia using the trarr traffic simulation model and the concept of traffic bunching as the basis for establishing new criteria for measuring the level of service. Traffic data is important for the planning and improvement of the road system. The ARRB video vehicle detector provides the automatic detection of the presence of vehicles from a video recording. New traffic recording equipment allows data from remote installations to be accessed from a centralised location. A further system, the culway system, which is installed in a culvert under the road, measures in an undetected manner the group axle weights of vehicles travelling at normal speeds on highways. Finally, a study into the provision of rest areas on major highways is outlined.
Publication Year: 1986
Publication Date: 1986-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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