Lane Rental from TfL helps to reduce downtime during road works in London
Source: Traffic technology today, 03.08.2021
The repair and maintenance of underground pipelines can have a significant impact on the road network, which will lead to road closures and congestion. The innovative Lane Rental scheme of Transport for London (TfL) has supported 79 projects aimed at improving the performance of road works. TfL has recently upgraded its lane rental scheme, which aims to reduce this disruption by charging utilities a daily fee for excavation work on the busiest sections of London's roads and pavements. Funding is then provided to help find new ways to improve the efficiency of London's roads by reducing delays caused by utilities and other roadworks. In May, TfL expanded this scheme to charge for road works on 20 pedestrian streets of the capital, charging 350 pounds ($485) per day for works that affect the busiest sections of sidewalks in the capital to minimize inconvenience to pedestrians.
As part of this scheme, a project was recently funded with Thames Water to test innovative Die Draw technology on Seven Sisters Road as an alternative to replacing the water supply on the road. This technology uses a special thermoplastic material to create a new lining inside an existing pipe that has leaks. This method significantly reduces the need to open the road surface to get to the water pipe.
Other projects that have received funding from Lane Rental include:
- creation of a mapping application with augmented reality to display underground abandoned utilities and backup infrastructure;
- development of a fault detection mechanism based on artificial intelligence, which detects and identifies problems in advance by viewing social media posts about traffic in London;
- testing of a multi-sensor inspection robot for use in large sewers to determine the levels of deformation, corrosion and sediment formation without excavation;
- testing of asphalt containing recycled plastic pellets for strengthening road surface and increase the service life.
"London's road network plays a vital role in keeping capital moving and we are working closely with utilities to see how we can reduce the impact of roadworks," says Glynn Barton, TfL's network management director. "The use of innovative new technologies can significantly affect the reduction of delays on our roads, reducing congestion and pollution that they can cause. We will continue to work closely with the industry so that an even cleaner and more sustainable road network can continue to play a role in rebuilding the capital after the pandemic."
https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/congestion-reduction/tfls-lane-rental-scheme-facilitates...
Great Britain
Yunex Traffic completes Connected Mobility trials in Manchester
Source: Traffic technology today, 03.08.2021
Yunex Traffic (the new name of the Siemens Mobility Intelligent Transport Systems division) has successfully developed, delivered and tested its new V2X Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) software module and A roadside unit (RSU) on the busy A555 Manchester Airport Relief Road/Styal Road at a junction in South Manchester.
The test was conducted as part of the Synergy project, which is funded by Innovate UK. The Synergy project was founded in 2019 to test autonomous vehicles on the roads in the Greater Manchester area. In particular, the project is aimed at testing autonomous cars on the route from Stockport Railway Station to Manchester Airport and the use of autonomous containers in the air area of Manchester Airport. The tests were carried out in collaboration with the project partner Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
The tests successfully demonstrated the integration of the V2X infrastructure and the transmission of road signs using In-Vehicle Information (IVI) messages, as well as the use of SPaT messages to provide optimized speed information (GLOSA) for vehicles.
The test was designed specifically to demonstrate how future mobile systems can help in traffic management and contribute to a safer, more efficient and reliable highway network. Transport hub used in It is the largest and most difficult intersection where SPaT has not yet been successfully applied.
The test involved a vehicle equipped with an on-board device and interface, passing through the intersection from all sides and in all conditions, in order to make it possible to fully test the GLOSA message set for various phases in the signal cycle and to check the usability of the on-board display. GLOSA and IVI messages were successfully sent wirelessly from the RSU installed on the Yunex traffic signals at the intersection. The messages were received and displayed by the vehicle's on-board device (OBU) provided by NeoGLS.
This information allows the driver to display the current status of the traffic light, while the vehicle's on-board system also interprets the SPaT message to tell the driver how to adjust the speed to get to the intersection by turning on the green signal.
As the trial proved the success of the connected vehicles technology, they will eventually interpret the GLOSA information using SPaT messaging to adapt their speed for a safe passage of regulated intersections.
"The Synergy project has enabled TfGM to develop a set of principles for deploying connected autonomous vehicles in Greater Manchester," says Peter Boulton, head of Highways at TfGM. "The policies and strategies we are developing today, including the Greater Manchester Transport Strategy 2040 and Streets for All, must take into account the mobility solutions of tomorrow. Testing the SPaT software will show how this solution can contribute to improving air quality and achieving Greater Manchester's goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2038."
https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/connected-vehicles-infrastructure/yunex-traffic-complete...
Great Britain
IAM RoadSmart urges caution in response to proposed changes to the UK Road Code
Source: Traffic technology today, 05.08.2021
The UK government recently published the results of a consultation that took place from July 30, 2020 to October 30, 2020 on proposed changes to traffic rules. The proposed changes are designed to improve the safety of the most vulnerable groups of road users.
The consultation paper asked a number of questions on the proposals, which included:
- implementation of a hierarchy of road users to ensure that those who can cause the most harm are most responsible for reducing the danger;
- clarification of the existing rules regarding the priority of pedestrians;
- establishment of instructions on the safe passage of distances and speeds when overtaking cyclists, as well as ensuring their priority at intersections when driving straight.
The majority of respondents at the consultation supported all the proposed changes, believing that they would improve the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. They welcomed the timeliness of the changes, as more and more people are choosing alternative modes of transport, cycling and walking more and more often.
In a recent survey conducted by IAM RoadSmart, it was revealed that 71% of drivers and motorcyclists believe that the new proposal to give priority to pedestrians at the entrance and leaving an intersection, for example, will increase the conflict, not reduce it, more than half (57%) believe that this is a serious problem. Almost three-quarters (73%) believe that the new Traffic Rules should oblige cyclists to wear a helmet.
Meanwhile, 71% of people agree with the general concept that drivers should provide motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians walking on the road with as much space as they could when overtaking a car.
The new Code does not imply any obligation for cyclists to use bike lanes or tracks when they are present, and 80% of respondents to the IAM RoadSmart survey consider this a mistake.
Nevertheless, some of the proposed changes were met with broad support: 63% of respondents agreed with the new advice that when cycling on busy roads, when vehicles are moving fast, cyclists should allow traffic to overtake them. There is also strong support for each proposal, which contains clear recommendations on the overtaking gap, with 78% in favor of a one-and-a-half meter gap between the cyclist and the vehicle a vehicle traveling at a speed of less than 30 miles per hour, with a two-meter gap at a speed above 30 miles per hour.
https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/vulnerable-road-users/iam-roadsmart-encourages-caution-i...
Great Britain
Detailed data from Sagacity collected on the M6 toll road in the UK
Source: Traffic technology today, 06.08.2021
A partnership between Sagacity and Midland Expressway Limited, the owner and operator of the M6 toll road in the UK (M6toll), will provide seamless access to data, allowing detailed analysis of traffic patterns and intensity as restrictions ease across the country.
Detailed data analysis will help to assess the impact of traffic trends and develop products, offers and incentives that provide additional flexibility, convenience and value for customers.
A new transformational toll collection system based on Automatic License plate recognition (ALPR) is currently being tested on truck fleets as part of a comprehensive "Ahead of the Road" strategy, aimed at improving the convenience of using roads and transforming the existing toll collection infrastructure.
In order for Midland Expressway Limited to benefit from its data, Sagacity has moved it to a new data management solution for analytics (DMSA) running on Microsoft Azure. Internal and external analytical data are now combined into a data window with reports and dashboards created in Microsoft Power BI.
Sagacity implemented the new system in the first half of 2021, which allowed MEL to fully analyze the recovery from COVID-19 within the broader network and the impact this had on the M6 toll road. Reporting processes have also become faster, more accurate and safer.
The Data Window has already been implemented by MEL's commercial and IT teams, and over the next 12 months its impact will extend to e-commerce, occupational safety and asset management.
The system will receive more and more external data, and analytics will be performed based on traffic data, Google will provide important information about travel time, traffic density, speed and number of vehicles on the road.
"Now the workers The groups will be able to receive timely and accurate analytical data," said Chris Stevenson, technical director of Sagacity. "More and more companies are realizing the importance of quickly evaluating data to track trends. Many of them understand that in order to get quick access to data and apply it, existing manual processes and traditional methods of collection are no longer suitable for their intended purpose. The digital core connecting all the dots enables companies to become smarter, stay one step ahead of the competition and quickly adapt to failures."
https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/data/detailed-data-from-sagacity-will-drive-analysis-on-...