Issue 1
When we considered what content to select for the first issue, we wanted to highlight a specific aspect of 21st Century mobility and the knowledge needed to produce the mobility future we deserve. Transport and mobility is a complex and multi-disciplinary field. Instead of selecting a particular aspect of endeavour, we have chosen to select a showcase of the wide variety of activity needed.
In our opinion piece, Dickson Leow and Dr Ronny Kutadinata set out some of the mindset changes needed if we are to take advantage of the technological advances that support integrated mobility.
Two articles focus on the importance of standards and specifications when innovation is essential. In the first, Drs James Grenfell and Mike Shackleton provide an update on ARRB’s fast-track progress towards a specification for the use of plastics in bitumen and asphalt. In the second, Danielle Garton and Jaimi Harrison describe the rapid development of a field test method for determining the age of bituminous seals.
COVID-19 is a present reality that will shape our mobility future. John Catchpole and Dr Farhana Naznin describe their analysis of changes in safety outcomes during the various government-imposedCOVID-19 restrictions around the nation.
Ridesharing is an increasingly reality. There is a great deal of hype around what this phenomenon can do for travel patterns in Australia and New Zealand. Dr Elnaz Irannezhad and Associate Professor Renuka Mahadevan unpack some factors which have been shown to influence decision making about sharing rides in Australia. Mornington Peninsula Shire’s work with optimising their peak season parking operations using ‘smart city principles’ shows that the concept of Smart Cities is not restricted to large capital or regional cities. Dr Robert Kochhan describes how their parking system improvements were evaluated and the degree to which certain performance indicators improved.
The article by Dr Tim Martin and Lith Choummanivong demonstrates the value of long-term commitment to research and development of new knowledge. In describing their development of road deterioration and works effects modelling from Long Term Pavement Performance studies, they provide a case study on how small but regular investments can lead to significant advances on knowledge.
Our final article outlines some work done previously on identifying research or knowledge gaps which should be addressed as a matter of priority. Readers are invited to provide their own views on these priorities to help ensure that the creation of new knowledge is focussed on the areas that need it most.
