Level Crossings – how do they work and how can we make them work better?

As train frequencies continue to increase to cater for growing demand, level crossings are fast becoming critical nodes in our transport network.  Many road users will have experienced frustration sitting at level crossings wondering what is causing the boom barriers to stay down.  Find out how these level crossings are controlled and how could we make them work better.

Justin Brenan from Coffey Rail has more than 20 years experience in the rail industry, including senior positions in both government and consulting.  Coffey Rail has recently investigated level crossing operation on the Dandenong group of rail lines for VicRoads and the Department of Transport.

Traffic Signal Priority for Trams – what can we learn from Europe?

Melbourne has one of the world’s longest tram networks and possibly the most interaction between trams and traffic anywhere in the world.  Many intersections already use traffic signal priority for trams.  As we strive to further improve the performance of trams, what can we learn from European examples of signal priority?  What does absolute priority mean, for trams and for other road users?

Thomas Riedel and Hermann Kaul from VSAG in Switzerland will explain the approach used by the VS-PLUS control scheme to optimize green signals for public transport vehicles while keeping maximum capacity for other road users.  VS-PLUS is used for traffic signal control in a number of European cities.