Technical Webinar

Opportunities to Build Capacity in Traffic Management

21 January 2021 1
Today’s moderator

Ekaterina Kologrivova
Communications Officer
Austroads

P: +61 2 8265 3302

E: ekologrivova@austroads.com.au

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Austroads acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitants of the nation and
the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn and
work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging
for they hold the memories, traditions, culture and hopes of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia.

Austroads acknowledges and respects the Treaty of Waitangi

and Maori as the original people of New Zealand.

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About Austroads
The collective of Australasian transport and traffic agencies
• Transport for NSW
• Department of Transport Victoria
• Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland
• Main Roads Western Australia
• Department of Infrastructure and Transport South Australia
• Department of State Growth Tasmania
• Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Northern Territory
• Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate Australian Capital Territory
• Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
• Australian Local Government Association
• New Zealand Transport Agency
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Housekeeping

Presentation = 30 mins
Question time = 25 mins

Type questions
here
Let us know the
slide number
your question
relates to

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Today’s presenters and agenda
Topic Presenter
Welcome and introduction to the team Graham McCabe
Project purpose and objectives
Development of the learning modules
Audience testing of the learning modules Paul Bennett
Content in the learning modules
Accessing and undertaking the learning modules
Q+A Both presenters

Paul Bennett Graham McCabe

Senior Technology Leader Director
Australian Road Research Board Urbis
E: paulb@arrb.com.au E: gmccabe@urbis.com.au
P: 0448 106 393 P: 0408 130 399

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Welcome and introduction to the team
Graham McCabe

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Introduction to the team
Project Team
Review Team
Urbis/Project ARRB/Project
Manager Leader Austroads Board
Graham McCabe Paul Bennett

ARRB/Project Team ARRB/Project Team ARRB/Quality

Member Manager Austroads Task Force
Member
Dr Neeraj Saxena Jonathan Ramsay Dr Charles Karl

UoS/Project Team
UoS/Project Team UoS/Quality Austroads Working Group
Member
Member Manager
Dr Mohsen
Prof. David Levinson Prof. Michiel Bliemer
Ramezani

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Austroads Working Group

Aftab Abro
DIPL NT
Austroads Working
Group

Rohit
Singh
TMR Qld

Austroads Task Force

David
Landmark Nicole
Main Boyce
Roads WA TfNSW

Stephen
Pascale
Benjamin Mark
DPTI SA
Hubbard Edwards
TCCS ACT NZTA
Venkatesh
Nagaraja
DoT Vic

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Project purpose and objectives
Paul Bennett

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Project background

Austroads capability study (AP-R-574-18) confirmed that:

• road agencies experiencing skills shortages
• roads workforce under threat from rising activity in other
sectors
• capability/learning gap for novice practitioners
to efficiently learn traffic management fundamentals.
(i.e. graduates / practitioners from other sectors)

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Project objectives

• Develop a series of ‘short and sharp’ e-learning modules on specific traffic management
topics to be made accessible to practitioners on the Austroads website.

• Narrow the capability/learning gap for novice practitioners to efficiently learn traffic
management fundamentals in their own time and at minimal cost.

• Build capability within the road and transport

industry:
• increased efficiency

• reduced need for formal training

• time and cost savings.

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Development of the learning modules
Paul Bennett

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Project methodology

1. Research and review existing ANZ and international learning materials on traffic
management and traffic engineering.

2. Shortlist topics and define training format and structure.

3. Develop initial learning modules and conduct audience testing of these modules.

4. Modify initial modules based on audience feedback.

5. Develop all remaining learning modules.

6. Dissemination webinar.

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Developing the learning modules

• Determined early in the project that webinars would be the best format with supplementary
tutorials.

• Topics were divided between ARRB and University of Sydney – each assigned 11 topics.

• All slides developed in the same Austroads template for uniformity.

• Content mostly sourced from the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management (AGTM) and
training materials from ARRB, University of Sydney and road agencies.

• All images, tables, figures and other borrowed content are sourced in the slides.

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Topics selection criteria

1. Fundamental topics to teach key principles, concepts and objectives of traffic

management.

2. Topics that are applicable to all practitioners across all jurisdictions, whether they
work in the public or private sector.

3. Topics for which teaching through webinars would greatly assist in their learning.

4. Emerging topics had to be widely accepted with increasing uptake/adoption.

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Technical content

Teaching latest practice in traffic management and safety

• Traffic and transport encompassing all modes, not just motor vehicles.

• Enabling multi-modal journeys.

• Transport primarily about moving people and freight.

• Preference to modes that occupy less road space per person.

• Safe Mobility is the concept of mobility within the limits of safe operation.

• Safe System approach demands a holistic approach to the safety of the road system,
encompassing safe roads, safe vehicles, safe road use and safe speeds.

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Selection of topics
PWG topics prioritisation survey
• Originally 25 topics.
• Surveyed Project Working Group
(PWG) members to seek their input.
• Priority to topics considered most
important to novice practitioners.
• Evaluated the importance of each
defined area of traffic management
(unit) and modules within each unit.
• Last unit removed: Emerging
Transport Mobility Modes, Models
and Technologies.
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Structure of the learning modules

The structure of each presentation is as follows:

• Presenter introduction
References to
• Outline of the module more detailed
information

• Main content
• Subheadings to support overall structure

• Multiple-choice quiz questions

• References to sourced materials.

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Final module numbers and webinar durations

22 webinars recorded.

Average webinar run

time is 14 mins 12 secs.

Total webinar run time is

5 hrs 12 mins 20 secs.

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Tutorials

Module no. Module title Tutorial questions

2-1 The stochastic nature of traffic behaviour 2

2-2 Fundamental speed-flow-density relationships 3

3-2 Traffic analysis concepts 3

3-3 Capacity analysis 4

Signalised intersections - operations and control
4-2 3
strategies
6-1 Network performance 5

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Tutorial question and solution sheets

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Send us your questions

Type questions here

Let us know the slide number
your question relates to.

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Audience testing of the learning modules
Paul Bennett

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Learning module webinars tested

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Nominated testers
• Young, inexperienced practitioners in traffic management.

• Project Working Group (PWG) members nominated testers in their organisations and provided
us with their contact details.

• Sent emails to testers with a link to the webinars and feedback survey.

• Each tester assigned at least one webinar to review.

• PWG members and other more experienced

practitioners also invited to participate.

• Participants identified their level of experience in

the feedback survey as either: nominated tester,
PWG member or other experienced practitioner.

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Aligning tester expectations with objectives
Learning approach: Step-by-step procedure for testing the learning modules

• The modules provide an overview of topics at an

introductory level, assuming users have minimal
or no prior knowledge of the topics.

• Emphasis is on the fundamentals of each topic.

• Do not go into detail but rather identify the source

materials from which users can reference more
detailed information.

• Quiz questions and tutorials designed to

consolidate learning but are not assessed and
there is no certification (at this stage).
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Audience testing feedback

Participants City Testers providing feedback Total responses received

• Invited: 43 Adelaide 2 7
Brisbane 4 13
• Responded: 33
Canberra 6 18
Darwin 2 11
Geelong 1 2
Gold Coast 3 9
Melbourne 4 9
Perth 1 6
Sydney 8 18
Tauranga (NZ) 1 3
10 33 96
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Audience testing feedback

Participant profile

AUDIENCE ROLE AGE IN YEARS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

GENDER
Nominated Tester PRG Member 20 to 29 30 to 39 40 to 49 Up to 1 1 to 2 2 to 5
Male Female Other
Other Experienced Professional 50 to 59 60 and above 5 to 10 10 and above

0%
4% 9% 0%
22% 9%
21%
16%
3% 45%

57%
18% 15%
78%
87%
16%

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Feedback from the reviews

Feedback from the reviews can be broadly grouped into the following categories:

• technical feedback on the content within a webinar

• feedback on the format of the content in webinar slides
• feedback on the quiz questions in the webinar
• feedback on a presenter’s delivery of a recorded webinar
• feedback on quality of webinar recording
• feedback on the overall educational effectiveness of a webinar.

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Audience testing – ratings on tested modules

Overall satisfaction
across the LMs
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Actions taken in response to feedback

Content and pace of webinars

• Presenters modified slides in response to feedback on content.

• Reduced text on some slides or changed wording for greater clarity.
• Replaced some images and figures (included more from New Zealand).
• Provided more examples for theoretical components.
• Improved cohesion between slides.
• Presenter better rehearsed for final versions – more concise and improved their
pace of delivery.
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Actions taken in response to feedback

Quiz questions format and approach

• All quiz questions now presented within the slide decks. (Some initial test webinars
had links to questions in SurveyMonkey.)
• Presenter reads out each question and their multiple-choice answer options, before
saying “Please pause the video now if you wish to consider your answer.”
• Presenter then stops talking for 5 seconds to allow viewers to pause the video for as
long as they need to consider their answer .
• Upon playing the video again, the presenter reveals the correct answer and
explains why it’s the correct answer.
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Actions taken in response to feedback

Improved audio quality of webinars

• Many recorded at night when background noise was minimal.

• Used best available input microphones.
• Used arrow keys rather than mouse clicks to change slides.
• Used audio editing software (e.g. Audacity, Camtasia) to minimise background noise.

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Content of the learning modules
Paul Bennett

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Unit 1: Introduction to Traffic Management

1-1 Introduction to the Learning Modules and Objectives and

Principles of Traffic Management

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Unit 2: Traffic Behaviour and Traffic Theory
Fundamentals

2-1 The Stochastic Nature of Traffic Behaviour

2-2 Fundamental Speed-Flow-Density Relationships

2-3 Fundamental Microscopic Relationships

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Unit 3: Transport Study, Traffic Data and
Analysis Methods

3-1 Transport and Traffic Data

3-2 Traffic Analysis Concepts

3-3 Capacity Analysis

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Unit 4: Transport Operations Control Strategies
and Systems

4-1 Objectives and Principles of Transport Operations

4-2 Signalised Intersections - Operations and Control Strategies

4-3 Unsignalised Intersections - Stop, Giveway and Roundabouts

4-4 Overview of Traffic Management Centres

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Unit 5: Network Operations Planning

5-1 Network Operations Planning Accessibility

5-2 Network Operations Planning Process

5-3 Road Space Allocation and Road Use Priority

5-4 Movement and Place

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Unit 6: Network Performance Monitoring
and Management

6-1 Network Performance

6-2 Traffic Congestion and Management

6-3 Traffic Incident and Event Management

6-4 Traffic Modelling

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Unit 7: Safe System Approach to Traffic
Management

7-1 The Safe System Approach

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Unit 8: Intelligent Transport Systems

8-1 Intelligent Transport Systems for Traffic Control

8-2 Managed Motorways – Operational Principles, Managed

Motorway Toolkit

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Accessing and undertaking the learning modules
Paul Bennett

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Accessing the modules
URL to access the training modules: http://bit.ly/austroads-tmtraining

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Accessing the modules

Turn closed captions

on or off.

Tutorial questions and solutions sheets accessible

below webinar (if they exist for the module).
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Future development of the learning modules

Further enhancements could include:

• new modules added, covering additional subject matter

• more tutorials created to support learning

• additional videos, such as interviews with subject matter experts and inside the
operations of a traffic management centre

• development of automated assessment and certification, using an online learning

management system such as Moodle. This Austroads certification could be used by
several industry organisations as an option for staff to meet their annual training
requirements.

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Questions?

Paul Bennett Graham McCabe

Senior Technology Leader Director
Australian Road Research Board Urbis
E: paulb@arrb.com.au E: gmccabe@urbis.com.au
P: 0448 106 393 P: 0408 130 399

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Upcoming Austroads webinars
Topic Date
Midblock Crossings for Pedestrians 12 February

Pedestrian Planning and Design at Intersections 16 February

Pedestrian Planning and Design for Activity Centres 22 February

Road Cross-Section Design for Road Stereotypes and a Safe System 23 February

Innovation and Best Practice in Performance Measurement and Transport Outcomes 25 February

Pedestrians Planning and Design for Residential Areas 26 February

Effectiveness and Implementation of Raised Safety Platforms 4 March

Improved Traffic Management Guidance: Freeway Capacity Analysis 16 March

Improved Traffic Management Guidance: On-Road Public Transport Priority Tool 23 March

Engineering Guideline to Bridge Asset Management 24 March

Design and Construction Guidelines for the Delivery of Large Cantilever and Gantry Structures 8 June

Register at austroads.com.au/webinars-and-events 49
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