What Does Transport Planning Mean In Australia?

Living in a big city comes with a lot of extras. Huge malls. Cinemas in abundance. Banks. Hospitals. Amusement parks. Just name it, and you’ll find it in any big town! Big cities are synonymous with heavy traffic, making today’s topic more enjoyable.

Living in Australia, you’ve probably experienced your fair share of traffic on your way to work at one point or the other. And if you’re like most folks, the anxiety and frustration you felt at that moment is a feeling you would not want to repeat! 

How can these traffic situations be better handled? The obvious answer is by transport planning.

 

What Is Transport Planning?

Transport planning refers to evaluating the current transportation state to prepare for future transportation needs so that people and goods can quickly move from one place to the other. It is a collaborative process that brings together key players like the government, planners, traffic engineers, legislators, and the general public to map out the best strategies for creating an efficient transportation system everyone can enjoy at the lowest social cost!

Road transport planning is an essential component of the transport planning processes that form a significant part of designing an extensive transport system. Transport planning is an activity that draws from a multi-disciplinary pool of transport management professionals and urban/non-urban planners. These transport management professionals include traffic engineers Sydney, transport planners, and economists.

The end goal of road transport planning is to ensure that the current – and future – activities of town planners and transport management professionals do not upset the socio-economic balance of the community. There are several activities associated with the road transport planning process carried out by traffic engineers Sydney and the rest of the transport management team, and they include:

• Reviewing propositions for modern road infrastructure facilities;
• Identifying gaps in the development of road infrastructure facilities;
• Assigning designations and restrictions to both urban and non-urban road freight routes;
• Evaluating intermodal connections to national highways for the movement of urban goods;
• Determining performance indicators for assessing transport planning initiatives;
• Stimulating interest and active participation of the private industry in road transport planning.

Transport planning is not only concerned with road planning for private vehicular use. It also considers other modes of transportation – for example, public transit – including non-motorized transportation methods.

 

4 STAGES OF TRANSPORT PLANNING

There are four different stages to the transport planning process, and they include:

1.Transportation Surveys, Data Collection, and Analysis;

Road development professionals and planners conduct surveys of the existing road transport infrastructures and demands. A comprehensive understanding of traffic patterns within the community is crucial. These surveys cover other applicable data such as development trends and population projections in analysing the community’s current and future transportation needs. Depending on the transportation modes and objectives, the entire analysis process may be local, state-wide, or regional-based in scope.

2. Designing and Deploying Transportation Models;

The second stage in the transportation planning process uses the collected data to create a transportation model. Road planners familiarize themselves with the traffic flows and land use information and design transportation models to predict future transport planning requirements. These transportation models are crucial in forecasting future travel demands of the community and develops in four distinct stages:

• Trip Generation;
• Trip Distribution;
• Traffic Assignment; and
• Model Differentiation.

There are different types of models. However, they include mathematical analysis of traffic assignments and trip distributions.

3. Land Use Predictions and Alternative Policy Strategies;

This stage of the transport planning process involves using future land-use predictions and existing policies by road transport planners to determine road transport infrastructures and patterns. It also consists of reevaluating existing policy strategies to create alternative approaches that accommodate future changes in road use.

4. Policy Strategy Evaluation 

The final stage of the road transport planning process is the evaluation of the formulated policies and concepts by transport management professionals as it relates to other relevant concerns. These strategy evaluation sessions can be a public forum where community members can give feedback on important aspects of the proposed policy. These discussions may center around budgeting, land purchase requirements, and road maintenance costs, among other concerns.

Why Is Transportation Planning Important?

An efficient road transportation system is a boon to any society and can only develop from proper planning. Effective road transport planning is vital for the following reasons:

• Boosts Economic Activities

The initiation, development, and execution of a robust transport plan improve transportation between areas with high employment density and vital activity centers in Sydney, Australia. It creates ample job opportunities for its residents and expatriates alike.

• Increases Safety & Security

A good transport plan reduces the frequency of poorly planned – and constructed – transportation systems. This reduces the number of deaths and injuries due to accidents caused by bad roads. Transport planning is concerned with the safe movement of people from one point to another.

• Mitigates Congestion 

A well-executed transportation plan is crucial to reducing traffic congestion along major routes. Understanding traffic patterns makes it easy to create alternative ways to reduce traffic on other familiar roads.

• Environmental Protection

Transportation planning considers the effect of road infrastructure development on the environment. A good transport plan helps road engineers design and construct roads that do not harm the environment in the long run.

 

Where Do I Find A Transport Planner/Traffic Engineer In Sydney, Australia?

If you’re looking for a qualified transport planner near you in Sydney, Australia, look no further!

Transport and Traffic Planning Associates are seasoned veterans in providing valuable, evidence-based transport planning advice to road planners and developers.

We are famous for our skill in land use planning and development, and the many testimonials of our numerous clients are testaments of our undeniable expertise.

So if you need a traffic engineer in Sydney for your next road construction project, reach out to us here!