Today, more than ever, traffic congestion is of serious concern to city authorities in most cities. Congestion wastes millions of $ every year. Reducing and managing this congestion is rightly very high on the priorities of most cities around the world. That is the reason that City authorities are searching for reliable standardized systems which have a high degree of integration between their various components and sub-systems whether it be adaptive signal
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operation, VMS signs, CCTV, motorway management systems etc. Such systems are generically referred to as Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). Urban Traffic Management Systems (UTMS) collect, manage and display real-time traffic information. They are used to improve the level of comfort and safety facilities via traffic view cameras, road information boards and the controlling of traffic light sequences to optimize the flow of traffic at junctions. UTMS are designed to allow the different applications used within modern traffic management systems to communicate and share information with each other. This allows previously disparate data from multiple sources such as Variable-message sign (VMS), ANPR cameras, car parks, traffic signals, meteorological data and air quality monitoring stations to be merged into a central console or database. The idea behind UTMS is to maximize road network potential to create a more robust and intelligent system that can be used to meet current and future management requirements.
Telegra’s urban traffic management systems are based on Complete ITS Platform™
Complete ITS Platform™ is realized with Telegra’s ITS management software topXview™ , which is designed exclusively on idea of ITS integration and evaluated from the beginning by the Operators in more than 30 installations worldvide.
Among Urban traffic management systems various subsystems belong, such as:
Parking Management System that provides to the drivers information on available parking space by combining the road advisory signs with information available from various parking management systems;
Public Transport Management Systems (PTMS) that incorporates Real Time Passenger Information Systems (RTPIS), Priority Systems, Timetable Management, Schedule Adherence and Vehicle Tracking Systems to provide accurate, reliable, consistent and intelligible information to public transportation passengers while providing low cost easy to use management tools for public transportation operators;
Urban Traffic Control Systems that enables efficient traffic signal phasing of multiple intersections.
For urban traffic control topXview™ Complete ITS Platform is capable of integration of various adaptive traffic control systems such as Mizar, SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique) or SCATS (the Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System) as a preffered system.
Telegra's urban traffic control solution does not require operator intervention for its day-to-day operation. However, operators have instant access to traffic flow information, system status and faults right down to the level of a single failed lamp. At a typical Urban Traffic Management Centre, operations staff is responsible for monitoring the overall system. They observe traffic flow using Complete ITS Platform™ that integrates any of the adaptive traffic control system and under exceptional circumstances can manually override traffic signal operation.
Adaptive traffic control system (ATCS)
Adaptive traffic control system uses networked traffic signal controllers and vehicle detectors and has a modular architecture which divides a large system in smaller regions each controlled by a single regional server. Each regional server can control up to 250 intersections, which are grouped together into subsystems. Intersections which are a part of the same subsystem can be coordinated. topXview™ provides simple and consistent supervisory control and data acquisition of all ITS subsystems deployed on roads and highways, either urban or interurban. Adaptive traffic control system intersections and links are displayed in the topXview as a separate UTC layer.
Intersection approaches and links are colored to indicate current index of congestion, green for light traffic, yellow for medium traffic, orange for heavy traffic and red for congestion.
Adaptive traffic control system is a sophisticated traffic engineering tool which gives Traffic Engineers the means to implement complex, objective oriented, traffic management strategies. It uses a real time traffic adaptive approach to urban traffic control by measuring current traffic conditions and then adjusting Cycle Lengths, Splits and Offsets. Its real–time response to changing traffic conditions ensures the most appropriate traffic signal phasing to safely direct traffic through intersections.
Using in-road and/or above road sensors, and by sending instructions to traffic signal controllers to manage signal timings, Complete ITS Platform™ that integrates adaptive traffic control system automatically maximises traffic throughput, minimises delays and minimises the number of stops en- route.
Some of the immediate benefits of implementing Complete ITS Platform™ that integrates adaptive traffic control system are as follows:
- Reducing the queuing time of traffic and hence improve the quality of life of the residents. By reducing wastage of time, fuel and pollution, substantial savings to the community can be achieved.
- Congestion at different times can be effectively monitored. Traffic count can be reliably and automatically acquired by ATCS, to facilitate long term city traffic planning.
- All major and minor faults can be detected immediately (even faulty lamps) and hence rectification works can be done immediately and this will enhance the image and quality of service given by the city.
Intersections monitored are displayed in great detail and graphically display following information:
- Intersection phases – ATCS send phase information every one second and this information is used to display current intersection state
- Approach flow index and congestion – Approaches are color coded to indicate the level of traffic
- Approach detectors and detector errors – Detectors are shown in red if a detector alarm is active
- Intersection locks, dwells, alarms – If an intersection is in any special state, a small indication is shown
If a congestion is detected on an intersection topXview™ automatically points cameras to a preset position displaying congestion point.
This enables operator to have at any moment relevant video feed on display. Preset camera positions are configurable for any specific location and/or congestion level.
When traffic accident is reported or spotted on a video system topXview™ operator points all available cameras to relevant road section by simply entering a location.
For more information on this modern technology included in our study and whitepaper document: How to build interurban/urban traffic management system, contact us at urban_traffic_control@telegra-europe.com
