Webinar: C-ITS Roadmap for WA

On 30 July 2024, CCAT partnered with Main Roads WA to hold an interactive webinar about their recently published C-ITS Roadmap for WA. More than 90 attendees joined this informative session focused on the future of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) in Western Australia. The event featured an insightful and engaging presentation from Main Roads WA, followed by a Q&A session. 

C-ITS technologies are:
“Interconnected systems of technologies that allow road vehicles to communicate with other vehicles, their drivers, road infrastructure and data services, and with vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. It has the potential to deliver improved outcomes in road safety, road productivity, traffic congestion, transport equity, liveability of communities, journey times, and environmental sustainability, by enabling improved decision-making based on shared information.”  
*Principles for a National Approach to Co-operative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) in Australia (Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts) 

The C-ITS Roadmap for WA, published in June 2024, outlines its vision as follows: 

“The Main Roads C-ITS Roadmap will support the implementation of a nationally harmonised C-ITS ecosystem across the Western Australian road network to enhance safety, movement, regional resilience, and enable future vehicle technology introduction.” 

The C-ITS Roadmap for WA was presented by Meifang Lai and Cory Ross of MainRoads WA.

The presentation included engaging visual demonstrations of WA’s journey towards C-ITS. This included a description of the strategy development and consultation work that has been undertaken to date, as well as some of the Department’s key considerations – like alignment with international and national developments. 

In discussing the proposed use cases for C-ITS in WA, the presentation noted different ways this technology can address some of the key challenges in WA’s road network.  It was highlighted that deployment will likely begin with trials of less complex use cases before the roll out of applications across the network. 

The C-ITS Road map for WA outlines seven action streams: 

1. Collaboration and Research: Collaborate with research bodies and industry to further national understanding.
2. National Harmonisation: Participate in national efforts to plan for harmonised C-ITS implementation with secure systems that manage the privacy of data to ensure a trusted transport environment.
3. Future Proofing: Prepare for future vehicle technologies and set up foundational infrastructure (i.e. C-ITS Central Station, SCMS, and Roadside Stations) to enable vehicle connectivity features and secure vehicle communications so the benefits of C-ITS can be realised. Plan for and begin C-ITS deployment across WA over time. 
4. Proofs of Concept: Run a local testbed and/or test corridor(s) to develop readiness of C-ITS applications and identify specific needs in WA.
5. Capability Uplift: Provide opportunities to staff, including training in C-ITS for Main Roads Graduates working in conjunction with research bodies and industry to develop capabilities in systems engineering, data engineering, cloud systems, and ITS architecture to support business change required for C-ITS in WA. 
6. Systems Uplift: Identify and implement the changes required to the ITS environment to support C-ITS deployment. 
7. Data Quality, Use, and Management: Improve road agency data to facilitate emerging C-ITS applications and, in turn, improve the availability and quality of ITS data.
   

The presentation noted a range of interdependent activities identified within each of these streams which will be regularly reviewed and updated.  

Following the presentation from Main Roads WA, CCAT’s Executive Director, Rahila David, moderated an interactive Q&A discussion with Cory Ross and Maifang Lai, supported by a diverse range of questions from the online audience. An excerpt from the discussion is outlined below: 

• Q: How will you measure success? What are you looking to see from trials of C-ITS technologies, before making decisions about deployment.
  • A: The C-ITS Roadmap is a three-year plan because we understand that technology is changing rapidly, and we need to adapt accordingly. Success for us means trying different things and being okay with failures, as failing fast allows us to learn and move forward. It’s about building internal capability within Main Roads WA, as well as with our operating partners, government agencies, and industry. By conducting trials and implementations, we aim to build this capability and understanding, which is the true measure of success for us.
• Q: What are Main Roads WA’s next major upcoming projects involving ITS?
  • A: We are currently in the design and development phase. A key focus right now is on ‘smart freeway’ technology deployment and work is underway to deploy infrastructure on Mitchell Freeway. Investigation of other applications to support operations, such as real-time visualization tools for situational awareness and virtual messaging for regional notifications are underway. 
• Q: The City of Joondalup are currently working with NTRO to create a Smart Mobility Living Lab and see a lot of opportunities in the C-ITS Roadmap in supporting this. Are there plans in place for a Main Roads WA local testbed and/or would you be interested in participating in the testing of equipment as part of the Smart Mobility Living Lab?  
  • A: While we are at the very beginning of this journey, we are already engaging with key partners and will be looking at all opportunities. We’d welcome specific discussions on opportunities to collaborate with local government and other stakeholders and see where there may be synergies and ways to support local trials through this. 
• Q With such a large geography to manage, how does Main Roads WA anticipate balancing scale and investment versus citizen benefits? 
  • A: This is a significant challenge, especially with limited cellular coverage in large parts of the road network. As achieving full coverage for C-ITS in regional areas will be challenging, we need to consider the cost-benefit ratio and focus on critical use cases that benefit regional road users the most. 
• Q. How can the community get involved in Main Roads WA's delivery of the C-ITS Roadmap? 
  
  • A: Current operating partners and government agencies are being actively engaged but outreach is welcome from anyone outside these groups. Interested parties should visit Main Roads WA’s website for more information. Diverse points of view and perspectives will make this project successful. 
    
    

In closing the event, Rahila David thanked Main Roads WA for their partnership in the webinar and the online audience for their engagement.  

Overall, the event provided valuable insights into the C-ITS Roadmap for WA, emphasizing the need for innovation, research, and community involvement in advancing intelligent transport systems. 

CCAT’s next stakeholder event will take place in Brisbane on 3 September. Registrations are now open.

Contact Details for Main Roads WA:
Website: https://www.mainroads.wa.gov.au/
Email: ITS@mainroads.wa.gov.au