In ITSLeeds/roadworksUK: Accessing Processing and Visualising Data on UK Roadworks

wd_old = setwd("/tmp/RtmpGIYQVR/preview-3c454d5ed18.dir/")
f = list.files(pattern = "pres", full.names = T)
zip(zipfile = "/tmp/pres-start.zip", files = f)

knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = FALSE)
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Abstract

This presentation reports on the findings and outcomes of a three-month study funded by the RAC Foundation, based on data provided by Elgin, a company which hosts the website https://roadworks.org. The main findings on the number and type of works demonstrate the diversity of reporting conventions accross the UK, highlighting the potential for harmonisation. We'll also touch on data on 'Section 58 Restrictions'; traffic disruptions (thanks to data from TomTom); and visitors to the roadworks.org website. The presentation will culminate in a live demo of the R package roadworksUK, software we wrote for the project.

# knitr::include_graphics()

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background-image: url(https://media.giphy.com/media/l1cMaoSxV9KM0/giphy.gif) background-size: cover class: center, bottom, inverse

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This shows us 3 things about road works: ubiquity (caused by fact roads are used for lots more than transport); impact on road users; and wider impacts.

The value of visualisation/analyisis

.pull-left[

• It's great to have data

• But it can only be used if it can be understood

• And that involves visualisation

• E.g. 1: Popensity to Cycle Tool: http://www.pct.bike/

• E.g. 2: 'geoplumber': http://www.geoplumber.com/deck

]

--

.pull-right[

knitr::include_graphics("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/npct/pct-team/master/figures/haystack.png")
knitr::include_graphics("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/npct/pct-team/master/figures/leed-bradford-lsoa-dutch.png")

]

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Road works vs street works

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knitr::include_graphics("https://c8.alamy.com/comp/MMFX5H/bristol-uk-11th-may-2018-workmen-seen-carrying-out-overnight-resurfacing-of-the-wells-road-a37-outbound-broadfield-road-to-airport-road-on-friday-11th-may-part-of-a-larger-on-going-scheme-bristol-city-council-and-north-east-somerset-council-made-a-joint-bid-to-the-department-of-transport-for-the-local-highways-maintenance-challenge-fund-total-amount-awarded-which-includes-a-contribution-from-each-authority-is-64m-proposed-carriageway-reconstruction-a4-and-a4174-corridors-robert-timoneyalamylivenews-MMFX5H.jpg")

• Road works: Roadworks conducted by highway authorities (source: alamy)

]

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.pull-right[

knitr::include_graphics("https://www.kentonline.co.uk/_media/img/JSUI48FJ0UR7J24EDRC5.jpg")

• Street works: Roadworks conducted by statutory undertakers such as utility companies (source: KentOnline)

]

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We use roadworks to refer to all disruptions on the road network

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Live demo

But first: what we did + what's possible

.pull-left[

• Who has heard of 'R' (before today)?

• Who understands this?:

install.packages("devtools")
library(devtools)
pkg = "ITSLeeds/roadworksUK"
install_github(pkg)

• R is a programming language

]

.pull-right[

• Good news: it's free

• And increasingly easy to use

• Thanks to innovations like RStudio:

RStudio IDE Overview

]

class: center, middle

Thanks!

Many thanks to Elgin for providing the data and RAC Foundation for funding the project.

Slides created via the R package xaringan.

ITSLeeds/roadworksUK documentation built on May 31, 2019, 5:18 p.m.