Blog #1

Hello and welcome to my RoadCulture blog. 

I intend using this forum to share traffic engineering news and ideas.  I hope this blog generates discussion between people who are passionate about achieving pleasant traffic environments.

Crash

Recently my friend was involved in a car crash on an arterial road near my house in Bundaberg.  She was waiting for a gap in oncoming traffic in order to turn right from Barolin Street into Ruddell Street and was hit by a following vehicle.  Fortunately my friend and the other vehicle occupants, including her three week old daughter, were unhurt.  I know there is a poor crash history along this section of Barolin Street and also that funds are available in the Federal Blackspot Program to address these types of problem locations.  My friend’s crash reminded me I would like to try to make improvements to locations such as this one by communicating and working with the local road authority - now I need to work out a plan to make this happen.

RCITI

Did you know the University of New South Wales’ Faculty of Engineering is establishing a new Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (RCITI)?  The Centre will focus on three areas:

·         Communication – eg. vehicles communicating with each other and with the traffic management systems;

·         Smart Engines – eg. research into alternative fuels, lowering emissions and improved aerodynamics, and;

·         Infrastructure and Planning – eg. investigating how climatic changes will affect transport infrastructure, testing of aging infrastructure and research into stronger, safer and more environmentally friendly materials.

I hope the establishment of this specialised research centre helps to ensure transport engineering skills are cultivated in Australia.