Safe designs, the Ten Step Plan for Safer Road Infrastructure, securing commitments to transform the safety of roads by 2030, and celebrating partner success will be critical iRAP focusses at the IRF World Congress next week from 14-18 October in Istanbul.

With the theme ‘Connecting to Empower Mobility: Roads as Enablers of a Sustainable Future for All’, the Congress is expected to draw 2,000 participants from 130 countries including governments,  industry (road construction, ITS, concessionaires, toll operators and consulting firms), academia, development banks and financing institutions, technology providers, the UN Regional Commissions and civil society organisations.

A Ministerial Meeting will convene ministers and leading transport organisations at the highest level to drive transformative change by embracing innovation and collaboration. The event agenda also includes plenary and special sessions, six parallel tracks, technical sessions, an Open Stage Cafe and exhibition.

Join us at these iRAP Special Sessions and partner presentations:

MONDAY 14 OCTOBER

14.00 – 17.30 HOURS – IRAP PRACTICAL SKILLS TRAINING: DESIGNS TO ACHIEVE GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY TARGETS 
This practical training will focus on safe road design, a cornerstone for sustainable mobility and resilient infrastructure. The session will include hands-on use of tools that can help achieve UN Global Road Safety Performance Target 3, including the enhanced Star Rating for Designs Web App.
** Note separate registration required here. Participants must be registered for the Congress.

TUESDAY 15 OCTOBER

11.00 – 12.30 HOURS – TS12 SAFETY FOR VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

• Safe Infrastructure for Walking and Cycling: Case Studies from Six Countries Monica Olyslagers, iRAP
• Redefining bicycle network assessment with evidence-based methods leveraging AI techniques and predictive tools Marc Figuls, FACTUAL
• Innovation in design for safety: The Tonkin Highway Extension Dom Waterhouse, Arup
  

11.00 – 12.30 HOURS – TS23 CYCLING AND WALKING INFRASTRUCTURE

• Enhancing cyclist safety: Predictive analysis of injury severity and advocacy for evidence-based interventions Stella Roussou, NTUA

16.30 – 18.00 HOURS – TS32 SAFETY LEGISLATION, STRATEGY AND ASSESSMENT

• First deployment of a preventive road safety methodology in Oman: a shared step for the Oman Vision 2040 and Vision Zero Eng. Majid Alrashdi, Petroleum Development Oman
• The potential of using a road risk assessment methodology to monitor and evaluate the progress of performance-based maintenance contracts: The case study of Albania Edoardo Mazzia, FRED

16.30 – 18.00 HOURS – TS33 ROAD SAFETY INNOVATIONS AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES 1

• Route safety treatments for the all-purpose trunk road network Phil Brunson, Arup

WEDNESDAY 16 OCTOBER

11.00 – 12.30 HOURS – TEN STEP PLAN FOR SAFER ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE (Hosted by iRAP, IRF and PIARC)
The Ten Step Plan for Safer Road infrastructure was produced by the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) partners to support countries seeking to improve road infrastructure safety. It provides a framework to build the institutional capacity, partnerships and regulatory framework in countries. Tanzania was the first nation in the world to implement the Ten Step Plan, and with the support of a grant from the UNRSF, local and international partners will soon begin a second Ten Step Plan project in Senegal. The Plan offers a template that can be adopted by any country and implemented in a way that matches the specific local context and needs.

11.00 – 12.30 HOURS – TS42 PPPS, ROAD PRICING, PROCUREMENT FOR BETTER TRANSPORT AND MOBILITY

• PPPs, Road Pricing, Procurement for better Transport and Mobility Antonio Pinilla, ALEATICA

11.00 – 12.30 HOURS – TS43 ENHANCING SAFETY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ROAD ASSETS

• The Route Review Tool: User-friendly solutions to plan road investments for safety James Bradford, iRAP

14.00 – 15.00 HOURS – UNLOCKING A PATHWAY TO LOW CARBON, RESILIENT TRANSPORT IN LMICS
(Session includes TANRAP partner Joseph Haule, Tanzania Road Association (TARA))

14.00 – 15.30 HOURS – TS52 CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY

• Enhancing Autonomous Vehicle Safety Through Real-Time iRAP Star Rating Assessments Using LiDAR and Computer Vision Integration Marko Sevrovic, EIRA

16.00 – 17.30 HOURS – TS63 GOOD GOVERNANCE FOR EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING

• Comprehensive Road Safety Strategy for Tunisia: A Framework for Sustainable Transportation (2023-2034) Richard Owen, Agilysis
• Australian Road Owners Embrace Big Data to Support Better Decision Making Michael Caltabiano, NTRO

16.00 – 17.30 HOURS – CLOSED MEETING (BY INVITATION): DEVELOPING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR PRIVATE SECTOR FINANCE AND IMPACT INVESTMENT FOR SAFER ROADS

THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER

09.00 – 1030 HOURS – TS75 BIG DATA APPLICATIONS IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

• AiRAP – Star Rating every road on earth through the accelerated and intelligent coding of iRAP attributes worldwide James Bradford, iRAP

09.00 – 1030 HOURS – TS73 ACCESS, GENDER AND INCLUSION IN TRANSPORT

• A human rights-based approach for promotion of inclusive and safe urban transport – Case study of Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) Dhaka North Project in Bangladesh Edoardo Mazzia, FRED

09.00 – 1030 HOURS – TS72 RURAL ROADS FOR DEVELOPMENT

• Large-Scale Investment for Safety: Shaanxi Mountain Road Safety Demonstration Project Rebecca Stapleton, ADB
• Technology for rural roads: A social programme for equitable and balanced development Nicolas Miravalls, ORIS

11.00 – 12.30 HOURS – HIGH-LEVEL ROUNDTABLE: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ROAD DESIGNS FOR SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY (Hosted by IRF and iRAP)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set a target to halve road deaths and injuries globally by 2030, and safe road design will be a linchpin for achieving this target and safer, more sustainable and resilient infrastructure. The Global Plan for the Decade of Action on Road Safety recommends undertaking star ratings and road safety audits on all designs to ensure a minimum standard of three stars or better for all road users, emphasising the need for speed management and investment. This roundtable will convene leaders in road infrastructure development to share best practices, strategies, and ongoing projects, along with roadblocks and opportunities to elevate safety in road design globally. It will seek to align priorities on safe road design as we head toward the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Morocco (February 2025), accelerating progress towards achieving the SDGs.

11.00 – 12.30 HOURS – LEVERAGING AI AND BIG DATA FOR ENHANCED ROAD SAFETY

• An assessment of novel data sources and AI techniques to assess vehicle speeds in Low and Middle Income Countries Richard Owen, Agilysis

14.00 – 15.30 HOURS – A GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK FOR CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (FIA Road Safety Index)

14.00 – 15.30 HOURS – TS92 ROAD DESIGN, AUDITS AND ANALYSIS FOR ENHANCED SAFETY

• Safe and Inclusive Road Design in Central Asia Julio Urzua, iRAP

14.00 – 15.30 HOURS – FINANCING AND FUNDING MODELS FOR ROADS AND MOBILITY

• Innovative results-based financing platforms for infrastructure and road safety investment Greg Smith, iRAP

16.30 – 17.30 HOURS – CLOSING PLENARY & PRESENTATION OF 2024 IRF AWARDS

The IRF Congress will provide an important opportunity to further celebrate iRAP partners’ success (in-person) saving almost 700,000 deaths and serious injuries in 74 countries since 2016. Research out of Johns Hopkins University and recently published in PLOS One confirms that using the iRAP methodology, road safety infrastructure changes and safer speeds have achieved this life-saving impact. The study is the first to measure the impact of road projects financed by governments, development banks and private-sector road operators around the world using the iRAP methodology and tools.

We hope you can join us at this important event!

If you’d like to meet with the iRAP team during the congress, please reach out to Judy Williams on whats app/mobile +61 400 782 204 for assistance. The following team members will be in Istanbul:

• Greg Smith, Global Programme Director, iRAP
• Julio Urzua, Global Projects Director, iRAP
• James Bradford, Global Technical Director, iRAP
• Monica Olyslagers, Global Innovation and Safe Cities Specialist, iRAP
• Judy Williams, Global Programme and Communications Manager, iRAP
• Olivera Rozi, Safer Journeys Lead for Europe, iRAP
• Marko Sevrovic, Director and Senior Road Safety Engineer, European Institute of Road Assessment (EIRA)