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Network Operations Planning Library

Development of the library

Purpose

Network Operating Plans (NOPs) are used by road transport professionals to link strategic policy objectives to day-to-day road network management and operational decisions.

There is continued interest in adopting NOPs and their value is well understood.

Austroads is committed to providing leadership on guidance, tools and data management approaches to assist the NOP process.

To build capability an online Reference Material Toolkit / Library has been created. Its users are expected to be wide ranging, and so are the ways it can be applied.

The Reference Material Toolkit / Library will be maintained by the newly set up Network Operations Planning Technical Reference Group, which is the ‘go-to’ group for professional collaboration and exchange relating to Network Operations Planning.

Methodology

The development of the online Reference Material Toolkit / Library used the following method:

  1. An international literature review of current guidance material
  2. In-depth case studies
  3. Review of current supporting analysis tools including the Network Fit Assessment Tool

The above method, including how the structure of the online Reference Material Toolkit / Library was developed, has been documented in more detail within the research report Network Operation Planning: Case Studies and Capability Building (Austroads, 2021).

Research report conclusions

The key findings of the research are outlined in the table below.

Research Conclusion

Reference Material Approach

There is a general understanding that NOPs are beneficial with the potential to align a range of network planning, development and management activities and stakeholders.

Highlighting what NOPs can provide and where people have gained significant benefit from the process, i.e. top down support, agreed future modal network arrangements, stakeholder engagement, information repository and network level analysis / assessment.

Each jurisdiction is at a different point in its NOP development and application journey.

The target audience of the material is primarily State / City / Regional transport agencies who would have the responsibility to develop and implement NOPs. The material will also be useful to other national, state and local agencies and stakeholders (including transport operators and contractors) who are impacted by how transport agencies operate their road-based transport networks.  Some transport agencies are well advanced and evolving their NOPs to reflect the changing needs of network management, and others are yet to develop NOP processes.  As such, the intent / process, not the detail is being provided. This will be done through options and guidance relating to local context application and potential implications.

The NOP process / key steps were generally consistent across jurisdictions.

The key steps of the NOP Framework as presented in Figure 2 of Austroads (2009) with an initial set of key components and scoping step is proposed to be used to form the structure of the Reference Material Toolkit / Library. However, a ‘modular’ application approach is recommended along and within the key steps to allow jurisdictions to stage, layer and / or reflect local context.

NOP application varied between jurisdictions

Provide application options / examples and reference material to help inform choices and develop local context-specific application approaches. This will include implications of NOP study sizes and types, ability to engage stakeholders, and linking between strategic planning and operations.

There has been limited evidence of the updating, refinement and alignment of NOP performance measures with Government objectives, priorities and funding processes as they have changed.

Provide industry-wide indicators, but also the ability to refine / align to local context, noting the following:

  • where development is needed
  • benefit of confirming alignment
  • basis for change / update
  • opportunity for review / feedback.

There is a clear need and understood benefit in having good quality input data, yet there is still only limited investment in the associated systems.

Help to build the case for increased investment in good quality input data, i.e. linking data requirements to Government objectives.

Help start the development of an evidence base to support the need for better data, especially in relation to non-motorised metrics.

Movement and Place has been adopted in NSW and VIC. NZ, WA and SA are currently in the process of rolling it out.

Remain agnostic on what network modal hierarchy / classification framework should be adopted. However, note that it is a needed input to the NOP process, as it links strategic intent to operational decisions, and helps with engagement with urban designers, town planners, etc.

Also, outline options and potential application implications through what agencies are currently doing (i.e. NZ transitioning to M&P from SmartRoads and VIC undertaking a full M&P based revision).

As the Network Fit Assessment (NFA) tool is based on the SmartRoads Framework and the majority of jurisdictions are moving to M&P Framework, it is unlikely to see much future use in its current format. However, there is a continued interest in tools to support NOP application and analysis.

Provide guidance around the suitability of different tools and assessment approaches relative to the type of plan and network complexity (i.e. match resources / complexity with scale). Also, highlight examples of what is being used / in development in other jurisdictions.

The Reference Material Toolkit / Library needs to be highly usable and accessible.

Reference Material Toolkit / Library to be an online, navigable and linked resource to all national, state and local government agencies currently or proposing NOPs.

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