Aims

Connectivity and automation are expected to change the landscape of urban transport systems in near future. Rapid advances in connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) technologies call for a better understanding of new opportunities that they will bring to Australian major cities and regional areas to improve transport systems efficiency and reliability and thus, improved economic productivity.

This conference, jointly hosted by University of New South Wales and University of Sydney, aims to bring together top researchers from multiple academic disciplines in engineering and urban planning, as well as stakeholders from government and industry, to share and present the latest research and​ practical advances in connected and automated vehicles and their implications for future of Australian cities as well as regional areas.

Major topics include CAV technologies, traffic flow theory and characteristics, transport network modelling and simulation, transport network optimisation and control, traffic big data analytics, intelligent transport systems, and transport infrastructure planning. The research summit is expected to gather international and local expertise and experience in these fields in NSW and to facilitate transfer of knowledge to NSW industry, government and academia.

Benefits and Significance

The transport sector is a central part of the Australian economy, directly contributing over $60 billion and employing nearly 580,000 Australians. It underpins almost all sectors of the economy. Australia is in urgent need for a smarter and more productive transport system to support its growing population and industries to be competitive in the global marketplace. Avoidable congestion costs NSW more than $5 billion a year and will grow to $8 billion by 2020. Australia’s total vehicle- kilometres travelled are estimated to increase by 41% from 2015 to 2030. Over the next five years, Australia will invest a record $125 billion on transport infrastructure. Associated with the continued population growth are the growing traffic congestion and safety issues. These challenges are not insurmountable and the opportunities evolving from the emerging automation technologies applied to the transport system have the potential to ensure efficiencies in the existing system, enhance productivities and safety outcomes, improve mobility and revolutionise urban transport system as we know it today.

Summit Organisers

Dr. Meead Saberi
Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation (rCITI)
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
UNSW Sydney
​Email: meead.saberi@unsw.edu.au 

Dr. Mohsen Ramezani
School of Civil Engineering
The University of Sydney
​Email: mohsen.ramezani@sydney.edu.au 
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