National Transport Performance Centre

Creating knowledge for tomorrow's transport challenges and solutions for today

What We Do


As Australia’s National Transport Research Organisation, the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) is focussed on creating knowledge for tomorrow's transport challenges and solutions for today. On the 15th of August 2019, Australia’s National Transport Performance Centre in Port Melbourne was officially opened by the Honourable Alan Tudge, Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure.

The Centre’s purpose is to cut through the complexity of transportation and infrastructure and drive the improvements in every Australian’s travel experience. It does this through use of the latest data sources, combined with the National Transport Research Organisation’s expertise to provide guidance to government on busting congestion, saving lives and improving condition of infrastructure cost-effectively. The Centre provides a unique national, independent and government owned source of transport experts, data and knowledge.


Through a process of benchmarking, measuring and forecasting, the centre is able to provide decision-makers with the evidence they need to support policy end expenditure which delivers best return on investment. The Centre’s range of datasets which it collects or has access to gives insights on complex matters in a simply, easily understood and monitored way. Questions of where to invest to improve congestion, where to invest to save lives and when to invest to maximise benefits are all easily answered.

Michael Caltabiano, CEO of ARRB which developed and operates the centre at it its National Transport Research Centre in Port Melbourne said: “We cannot shape our transport future if we do not fully understand the present”. For this reason, ARRB itself has embarked on a mission to standardise and harmonise the data and metrics which describe our road networks and how they are operating. In doing so, it became clear that a National Transport Performance Centre was needed to provide immediate support to get the best value out of new and emerging data and technologies.


To improve the lives of all Australians, a sound understanding of the status quo is essential. With the complement of ARRB’s world-class transportation experts on hand under the same roof, Australia’s decision-makers have access to an unprecedented understanding of the problems and access to the solutions of tomorrow as well.

“Imagine an Australia” Mr Caltabiano said “in which ‘zero fatalities’ means exactly that, in which every Australian has an extra 35 minutes a day to spend with their loved ones and in which we build schools, clinics, bicycle tracks and leisure facilities from the money we save from being smart with maintenance expenditure. That is our vision for this Centre.”

Driver Frustration


The National Transport Performance Centre at ARRB has developed a method of measuring driver frustration on Australia's road network.

Data collected from multiple sources gives an accurate representation of Australian road conditions, giving a glimpse into future trouble spots on our roads.

Visit our Frustration Index page to learn more and explore Australia's most frustrating roads.

CAV Readiness


Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) will plan a key role in the future of transport in Australia.
At ARRB we're surveying and auditing road infrastructure to assess CAV readiness .

Visit our CAV Readiness page to learn more and request a CAV readiness survey for your road network.

Freight Performance Index


The National Transport Performance Centre works closely with industry to deliver freight efficiency and productivity gains.

We are committed to supporting industry and government by providing a national Freight Performance Index.

The Freight Performance Index enables informed decision marking to improve heavy vehicle access to local roads and to prioritise infrastructure investment in key freight routes.

Road Safety


The National Transport Performance Centre has released Australia’s first national road crash map.

It's the first time crashes can be viewed from a national perspective.

This allows road managers and road users to compare and identify Australia’s road safety hot spots.

National Transport Performance Centre

ARRB's National Transport Performance Center focuses on utilising the latest data sources to improve every Australian's travel experience.

"The Centre provides a unique national, independent and government owned source of transport experts, data and knowledge." - Michael Caltabiano, CEO of ARRB

Contact Us

National Transport Performance Centre
ARRB

80a Turner St.
Port Melbourne, VIC 3207

Phone: (+61 3 9881 1555)