Historically the management of the road system has focused on the objectives of road managers, with little regard for how those factors aligned with the users needs or desires. In recent years there has however, been a progressive shift towards a more service oriented approach which is both cognisant and reflective of what users understand and want. This paper represents the culmination of a comprehensive survey undertaken for Austroads that explored the road users perspective and understanding of network performance, and the relationship between those expectations and those of road managers. Of greatest note was the users' association of performance with overall travel time and travel time reliability. It was also apparent that regular and timely information on travel time and network problems, delivered via variable message signs and radio breaks, were important factors in a users perception of the service provided. Overall, the research highlighted the need to supplement existing performance measures with factors more aligned with the users' requirements. It also provided the basis for establishing the relative importance of different forms of measures, what type of data should be collected and how funding can be better targeted on the road network.(a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. 0612AR242E.
Abstract