Network Operations Planning Library

How is "network operation planning" defined and what should it be used for

• A high-level operation plan for the route
• Strategic road use and operation objectives
• Assessment of performance and deficiencies
• Govern the operation, development and delivery of improvement initiatives for the route

The development processes / steps / stages and timings

1. Route configuration
2. Public and Active transport
3. Route performance
4. Long-term strategic role and development
5. Projects undertaken on route

Where it fits in the overall network development and management process

Sits under the Perth Transport @ 3.5 Million and Beyond (Transport Plan, RNDP and PTA documents.

How it aligns / integrates with approval and funding processes

While there are no specific recommendations requiring approval and funding the ROPs do help other programs, projects, and planning decisions:

• Help monitor impact of implemented projects and programs
• Help prioritise works, i.e. based on relative performance and / or need for specific initiative

How it aligns / integrates with network and project planning approaches

• Align with overarching Department of Transport strategy
• Now moving to a Movement & Place based approach to try and better integrate all activities beyond a common framework
• The intention is for the ROPs to be ultimately align with the Movement & Place framework

What the strategic objectives are and where did they come from

Relate to the following MRWA areas of strategic focus (as set out in Keeping WA Moving):

• Customers
• Movement
• Sustainability
• Safety.

These have then been translated into the following Route Operation strategic objectives:

• Remove causes of traffic ‘friction’ and ‘turbulence’ on the Route
• Improve incident management of the Route
• Provide adequate capacity on the Route for it to effectively service the commuter and commercial traffic
• Achieve a balance between potentially competing vehicle and pedestrian needs at key locations along the Route.

What the performance indicators are and where they come from

In the ROP they are the following:

• Current Volumes and Heavy Vehicles Percentage
• Travel Efficiency
• Travel Time Reliability
• Congestion Cost Ranking
• Safety.

These are generally used and / or relate to the comparative / relative performance of this route against the others, and the network as a whole.

Who the development team members should be

The ROPs have been developed within MRWA Operation team and circulated to other departments, including the Network Development Planning team (for long-term strategic planning considerations), Heavy Vehicle Services team (for heavy vehicle operation considerations) and the Public Transport Authority (for public transport considerations).

Who should implement NOPs

• No specific recommendations given within ROPs, but if operation issues arise, they are generally dealt with internally.
• They are also used to consider planning applications and help provide feedback on them by the operation team, but statutory planners have final decisions on planning requirements.

How should it be implemented

The ROPs are intended to inform the development of short-term small-scale improvement schemes under the Pinch Point Program and guide the review objectives of the traffic signal timing reviews undertaken.

What modes have been considered

• Private Vehicles
• Public Transport
• Active Transport
• Freight Network

What network typologies and settings are relevant

MRWA has a corporate focus around keeping the main road network operating efficiently and safely, so while they will consider area effects, their primary focus is generally a corridor one.

Engagement recommendations

• Currently an internal process
• Typically follows a critical decision making and approval path for engagement

Planning and Assessment tools and modelling approaches

Network Performance Reporting System (NetPReS^[1])

Required input evidence and data

IRIS Reporting Centre (for peak volumes, heavy vehicle percentages and all safety statistics)

Cost of congestion data is obtained from the NetPReS database.

NetPReS (for link efficiency and reliability data): the data is broken into 15-minute intervals for road sections (known as links) that cover all 29 defined routes comprising the metropolitan State Road Network, dating back to 1st January 2013.

The next version of this database currently in development will have its scope expanded to include local roads as well. Within NetPReS, the "links" are defined as road sections between successive signalised intersections, or in the case of freeway routes, between on and off-ramps. Links are defined for both inbound and outbound directions relative to Perth's CBD.

Monitoring, feedback, update, etc. processes

ROPs are generally updated on an annual basis.