Lead agencies

Austroads

Enduring question 6.2

What data do governments need to provide in order to enable emerging technologies and innovative business models of infrastructure provision and use?

Gap addressed

Open data to support the implementation of Connected and Automated Vehicles.

Background

The ongoing advances in transport technology have the potential to fundamentally improve safety, efficiency, sustainability and accessibility of Australia's transport systems. Australian governments, industry and research institutions recognise this potential and are actively exploring the best ways to develop and deploy new transport technologies such as Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs)

The developers of these new transport technologies may require dynamic road operator data, such as speed zone changes, road closures and road works information, to operate effectively

Austroads, as part of the National Policy Framework for Land Transport Technology, is undertaking a project to investigate key road operator data attributes that will be used as part of the CAV system. The project will identify gaps with the current environment and whether a further range of projects are required on this issue, given the work that is being undertaken by road operators.

Objective

Identify gaps between the road operator data provided to users (developers) and what is likely to be required in future for CAV operations.

Project update

Austroads published a Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) Open Data Recommendations report on 23 August 2018. This report sets out the strategic context for the supply of road operator data for use by CAVs in Australia and includes recommended next steps.

Road operator data types that were identified to be a high priority for CAVs include:

• Live feeds from traffic management systems for variable speed limits and lane closures
• Live feeds of traffic signal phase and timing data (such as SPaT messaging)
• Available data for emergency road closures (fire, flood, etc)
• Available data for temporary conditions associated with works, events and incidents
• Advance notification of new and changed roads (that may not have been mapped)
• Coordinate with actions already occurring on speed limit data and extend to cover other traffic restrictions (vehicle size and mass)

Related publication

Austroads 2018, Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) Open Data Recommendations.