Effective road and traffic management
Written evidence from Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS UK) (ETM 06)
1.0 Introduction
1.1 The Transport Select Committee launched its inquiry into ‘Effective Road and Traffic Management’ on 23rd November 2010. The Terms of Reference and Call for Evidence invite organisations to respond to a series of questions about the effectiveness of road and traffic management, in the light of the Government’s decision not to introduce road pricing on existing roads (except in relation to HGVs).
1.2 The Transport Select Committee is inquiring how roads and traffic can be better managed in order to reduce congestion, encompassing both the major road network and urban roads and has indicated that it would particularly welcome written evidence on:
the prevalence and impact of traffic congestion and likely future trends;
·
the extent to which the Government and local authorities should intervene to alleviate congestion and the best means of doing so;
·
the extent to which road user culture and behaviour undermines effective traffic management, including the relevance to today’s road users of the Highway Code;
·
intelligent traffic management schemes, such as the scheme which has operated on the M42, and their impact on congestion and journey times;
·
the effectiveness of legislative provisions for road management under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and the Traffic Management Act 2004; and
·
The impact of bus lanes and other aspects of road layout.
The Committee has indicated it would welcome evidence about congestion and road and traffic management in specific locations in England, as well as submissions covering broader themes.
1.3 The Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit’s Report on Urban Transport
and the DfT’s response "The Future of Urban Transport", published in November 2009,
identified a range of transport challenges faced by our cities. The Report ‘assessed the impacts of transport on the urban economy, health and environment and estimated the measurable annual costs of these impacts in terms of:
·
congestion in excess delays (£12.0 billion)
·
road accidents (£9.3 billion)
·
poor air quality in particulate pollution (£4.5 to £10.6 billion)
·
physical inactivity and the growing level of obesity (£10.8 billion)
·
greenhouse gas emissions (£1.2 to £3.7 billion)
·
noise (£2.7 billion)
The above costs identify the c
hallenges, threats and potential questions based on the above estimated £40 billion per annum external traffic impacts costs identified by DfT. It was commented at that time that there will be prescribed and /or mandated
measures that could be included in a package of proposals covering cities or urban areas but it was expected to include a diverse range of challenging measures under several main headings of sustainable travel, encouraging modal shift, demand management and traffic management.
1.4 Outside urban centres, the impacts of freight and private transport continue to grow
to the extent
that the total external costs of land transport will inevitably approach a level of £100 billion yearly. Across Europe, the external costs attributed to HGV operations were last year estimated (ProgTrans study) to be more than €400 billion from all causes. Last year DfT estimated that the annual cost of congestion alone will reach £22 billion by 2025. This level of impact represents an appreciable percentage of the national income, decreasing overall wealth and quality of life
1.
5
A
general overview
may prove useful
at this point
to illustrate
how
road and traffic management
operates
.
C
apacity of a section of the road network in terms of vehicles per hour [vph] depends on its layout (engineering and topography) and the speed limit but achieving that theoretical maximum depends on the extent to which traffic is flowing freely. When a road is lightly trafficked speeds can reach the permitted maximum but the number of vehicles per hour (vph) will be low as the vehicles are widely separated. As the road becomes busier vehicles will continue to flow freely at first, but as traffic
increases the speed will steadily drop, but the vph will increase until the point where maximum capacity is reached. If traffic continues to increase beyond this point both flow speed and vph will drop markedly and the road will become congested. The economic impact of congestion has already been described; the environmental implications are equally serious. Vehicle emissions per km on motorways increase three to four times in congestion – a vehicle travelling at 60 km/h emits 40 percent less CO
2
than one travelling at 20 km/h. Thus, reducing congestion and improving traffic flows considerably diminishes the environmental impact of road transport.
1.7 Intelligent Transport Services (ITS), is the term used to describe combinations of electronic equipment, communications networks and people (though automatic systems are increasing) to deliver improved management of people, goods and data. Some examples – ITS can improve the efficiency of transport through traffic control and enforcement of traffic regulations and enhance road safety through both on-road and in-vehicle systems, e.g. for collision avoidance and better lane keeping. Many commercial organisations use ITS to manage vehicle fleets, both freight and passenger, through the provision of real-time information and two way communication between manager and driver. Electronic ticketing (by means of Smartcards, for example) and real-time travel information enables faster, easier travel by public transport. In addition Intelligent Transport Systems have beneficial effects on the environment by reducing air and noise pollution from highways and by helping to create traffic free zones in cities.
1.8 ITS United Kingdom, referred to hereafter as ITS (UK), is a ‘not-for-profit’ public/private sector association financed by members' subscriptions providing a forum for all organisations concerned with ITS. The Society works to bring the advantages that ITS can offer in terms of economic efficiency, transport safety, and environmental benefits to the United Kingdom – and at the same time expand the ITS market. Membership, over 150 UK organisations, comprises Government Departments, Local Authorities, Police Forces, consultancies, manufacturing and service companies, and academic and research institutions. ITS United Kingdom encourages discussion on issues such as public/private co-operation, standards, legislation, information provision and new technology. ITS (UK) was a significant contributor to the Parliamentary POSTNote 322 ‘Intelligent Transport Systems’ published in Jan 2009. As a consequence of the above ITS (UK) will focus its responses to the Transport Select Committee’s questions on its known areas of expertise.
2.0 Transport Select Committee’s Questions - ITS (UK) written responses
2.1 The extent to which the Government and local authorities should intervene to alleviate congestion and the best means of doing so
2.1.1 A number of recent initiatives such as those proposed as a part of Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) schemes and the Urban Challenge Fund have failed to address national and local problems of congested networks. Congestion in or around a city, large town, port or an airport is a consequence of the real-time demands placed on a network and, broadly speaking, will be best dealt with by the traffic management authority for that local area whereas congestion on the inter-urban network needs to be addressed at a strategic level by national or regional bodies. Complications arise where the national
network passes through or close to locally managed sectors. There is rarely any joint planning or management as local areas focus on their own localised issues and have little interest or commitment to wider national and/or regional difficulties. There is also little recognition that local problems can be alleviated by controlling the flow of traffic on the wider network – i.e. if journeys are delayed or modes shifted then the flow of traffic into the town, port, etc can be reduced hence reducing congestion.
2.1.2 The recognised ways of addressing congestion are reducing demand, increasing infrastructure capacity or a combination of both. Techniques In the first category include reducing the flow of vehicles on to a congested link using traffic signals (
i.e. ‘
ramp metering
’
) and imposing charges for using the link at peak periods (
i.e.
road user charging) as well as better travel planning and reduced need to travel (e.g., video and tele-conferencing). In the second category we have road widening, signal-controlled use of the hard shoulders to create temporary widening, and ‘traffic calming’ – setting a reduced speed limit for the carriageway when traffic density passes a set threshold. More detail on these approaches is given below.
2.1.3
Charging
motorists
to use the network
is an extremely emotive issue
and public acceptance of paying for the use of roads, particularly in light of the tax burden from fuel, VED, etc, makes this a topic that is politically sensitive. A coherent and measured proposal to present the case for charging and the resultant benefits is needed. T
o date t
he most notable success has been the London Congestion Zone whilst the most notable failure has been the Manchester TIF bid. It could be said that both cities have a similar traffic problem; however it was only through the personal and highly visible leadership of the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, that the scheme was introduced.
2.1.7 Innovative ITS technologies can unlock revenue from public assets such as on-street parking, where the use of technology can reduce the overall cost of implementation and operation; thus creating income from currently ‘free’ parking areas as well as managing congestion. Similarly, access may be controlled (or charged) for commercial vehicle access, loading/unloading in city centres, and time may be rationed so that a fair policy can be enforced. Such facilities can be readily integrated into a UTMC database.
2.1.8 Local Authorities can set an example
via
the use of commercial facilities such as Car Club vehicles, which can be extended to a wider public. This can save money for the Authority and encourage lower vehicle use. Evidence suggests that the use of one Car Club vehicle can remove five vehicles from the city centre. Car Clubs operate via a range of technologies, including internet booking, smart card and satellite location to provide an economic alternative to private car use. The use of such alternative transport modes also means that journeys by car are shorter and the use of newer vehicles results in lower emissions.
2.2 The extent to which road user culture and behaviour undermines effective traffic management, including the relevance to today’s road users of the Highway Code.
2.2.1 The complexity, volume and nature of road traffic have increased greatly in recent years and this in turn has affected the general behaviour of drivers. Until recently policing how road users complied with road traffic regulations was the responsibility of the Roads Policing Departments of the UK’s Police Service. However a redefinition of police roles and responsibilities has reduced uniformed law-enforcement capability. Increased reliance has been placed on roadside technologies, primarily Road Safety cameras, which complement the human intervention afforded by police officers. The introduction of the Highways Agency Traffic Officers
service
has alleviated this situation to a certain extent but the lack of a rigorous enforcement capability is readily recognised by motorists. As a consequence, there has been a generalised deterioration in driver behaviour and compliance with Regulations and the law, and without any effective counter-balance the tendency is for the common attitude to be towards a continued reduction in driving standards.
2.2.2 The lack of emphasis and focus on the ‘rules of the road’, as described in the Highway Code, renders it virtually anachronistic in the eyes of many motorists’ and
ther appears to b
e an increasing tendency to adopt an ‘it’s all right for me to do as I feel’ attitude. The main applications of the Highway Code appear to be concentrated on a driving licence test requirement and circumstances where a prosecution agency seeks to determine a ‘benchmark’ regarding what is perceived to be a proper code of conduct for driving or using the road. The dearth of refresher learning or contemporaneous information is an important factor and there are no measures to prevent motorists developing ‘bad habits’ that are only detected when prosecution is effected. As an example motorists routinely fail to display driving lights in snow or heavy rain on the basis that they assume that
"
because I can see, everything is fine" without realising either that they cannot be seen by other road users or that there is legal requirement to do so. The increase in non-UK based drivers has also had a marked affect on driving standards; Regulations and requirements are not inter-changeable even between EU states.
2.2.3 Other than those limited circumstances described above, motorists in general have little knowledge or awareness of the requirements of the Highway Code and drive in accordance with
a belief in their own abilities
. If, as mentioned earlier, there is no governing regime then those circumstances can only
gradually
deteriorate
over a period of time
. If the
Government considers the
Highway Code to be relevant then it needs to be refreshed to take into account current and predicted road usage and the consequent impact on driving patterns
. It
needs to be disseminated and generally publicised
in a way that
it is seen as having direct and immediate relevance on a daily basis. The use of web, 'podcast', 'apps', and other 'new' media should be considered in the dissemination of such messages.
2.3 Intelligent traffic management schemes, such as the scheme which has operated on the M42, and their impact on congestion and journey times
2.3.1 Faced with a steady increase in congestion, and a budget that did not allow for the previously planned motorway widening programme, the Highways Agency started to investigate means of "making better use" of their existing network. The keys to optimising the road network were to 'sweat' the road space to maximise its capacity and to manage traffic flow over a wider area. This comes down to understanding the flows and pressures across a much larger area so that travellers could be given factual advice about the status of the network plus guidance on the best choice of routes where alternatives were available and having a "toolkit" of measures available to the operators to calm and manage traffic. The overall goal is to control the rises in demand in much the same way as an electricity generating station aims to manage and balance demand and supply.
2.3.2 Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) have proven to be extremely effective in a variety of situations across the whole UK road network. However the best examples can be found on the ‘Managed Motorway’ schemes such as the M42 Active Traffic Management (ATM) scheme that has facilitated traffic flow across the region by
opening the hard shoulder to peak time traffic, with speed limit controls in place
to smooth traffic flow and enhance capacity as and when required. This can be as a response to incidents, or excess traffic flow when intervention is critical to enable the maximum number of journeys to be completed in the most reliable and best possible time.
The effectiveness of the operation of the ATM has been demonstrated on a section of the M42 between junctions 3a and 7 over a twelve month period (including the operation of hard shoulder running (HSR) where there had been reductions in a number of areas:
·
The average number of personal injury accidents reduced from 5.08 per month before the implementation of ATM to 1.83 per month following the introduction of HSR.
·
The average number of casualties reduced from 8.48 per month before the implementation of ATM to 4.00 per month following the introduction of HSR.
·
The effect of ATM on emissions from all vehicles was
a general reduction of noxious gases and particulates (between -
4% to -10%)
with the exception of an increase in h
ydrocarbons (+3%)
·
When HSR was operated at 50mph the average traffic speed was 49mph. When HSR was subsequently operated at 60mph the average traffic speed increased by 5 mph compared with HSR at 50mph.
·
The operation of HSR on the M42 ATM section increased the observed capacity of the motorway by an average of 7% compared to conditions before the implementation of ATM.
2.3.3 An earlier example of active traffic management is the
‘
Traffic Calming
’
(Controlled Motorways) scheme on M25 in the area adjacent to the M4 interchanges and Heathrow Airport. The complex road layout – including many route mergers and cross-overs – means this location is prone to congestion as well as incidents. Since the scheme was installed the traffic flow has been closely monitored and activated when the sensors detect the necessity to do so. Close regulation of traffic flows means that travellers can routinely expect to complete journeys along this stretch of motorway with more reliable journey times.
2.3.4 Across the UK there are many other examples where ITS has been deployed to help manage traffic flow during peak periods and situations where congestion occurs. Whilst the Highways Agency has established a national standard with Regional Control Centres, many urban systems have been introduced to counter specific problems and as bespoke systems operate to local requirements.
2.3.5 ‘Ramp metering’ is another effective technology that is employed when needed. It uses traffic lights on access slip roads to motorways and trunk roads to regulate the flow of vehicles joining the main road without detriment to either flow. It prevents "stop-start" conditions which is one of the main causes of congestion. The system operates only when needed (peak periods) as it relies on sensors to detect when there is a growing traffic merger problem at that location. However ‘ramp metering’ can sometimes operate in conflict with surrounding roads that are also congested. Currently this technology is confined to the Highways Agency network and as yet has to be fully integrated with LHA systems although a greater extension of UTMC principles to urban, inter-urban and the strategic network could be expected to enable high benefits if a
‘
one network
’
approach is adopted. The Highways Agency’s Integrated Network Management (INM) project seeks to provide this integration and the
‘
proof of concept
’
sites have been successful to date.
2.3.6 Variable Message Signs (VMS) are being increasingly deployed across the road network and enable travellers to make ‘informed decisions’ on their journey options as and when incidents occur. This enables congestion to be reduced as motorists select alternative routes thereby allowing the speediest resumption of normal traffic patterns. The improved level of information also helps motorists to understand why and for how long they may be delayed and leads to reduced driver stress – also helping
them as they
review likely arrival times, etc.
2.3.7 Increasing use of the Internet through website messages is proving to be an additional tool as ‘real-time’ information is readily available to travellers to assist journey planning prior to or during journeys. Data from information-gathering systems linked to intelligent roadside infrastructure can be interpreted by the Highways Agency’s National and Regional Traffic Control Centres and used to communicate specific messages to the travelling public. The recent extreme winter weather conditions have proven to be an excellent example with a significant increase in the number of travellers accessing the Highways Agency website seeking information and advice on the conditions on the network enabling them to review the timing, necessity and applicability of their journeys.
2.3.8 ITS can be described as having a ‘Cinderella’ role in that they are extremely effective behind the scenes but so often fail to receive their due recognition. In these straitened financial times relatively inexpensive ITS systems can return their investment many times over as they operate efficiently 24/7 in the background and enable direct intervention at the most crucial times. If there is to be a genuine effort to resolve and effectively manage congestion then the network must be treated in a coordinated manner by both the HA and LHAs.
2.3.9
There is still a tendency for many road authorities to look at traffic management problems from a zero base and not to take into consideration past investment in UTMC and similar technology. The lack of funding severely inhibits bespoke new systems being commissioned therefore the ITS industry needs to work more closely with LHAs and HA to consider how ITS can be deployed an operated within the new financial environment. For example a consolidation of existing UTC control centres can introduce some of the savings that would enable enhancement to existing systems or new systems being introduced.
2.4 The effectiveness of legislative provisions for road management under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and the Traffic Management Act 2004
2.4.1
Whilst the
New Roads and Streetworks Act 1991
and Traffic Management Act 2004 have improved the management of some activities which regularly disrupt the network, they do not currently mitigate enough of the congestion caused by temporary highway occupation. This is largely caused by the clear focus on road works over all other activities and on enforcement rather than incentivised improvements in behaviour. Both Acts set out strict rules and penalties for management of road and street works, but currently do little to require the provision of quality information to the travelling public. There is a need for the legislation to reduce the focus on enforcement and to focus on the delivery of the Network Management Duty 2005, which provides guidance on the benefits of utilising technology and traffic data to improve the management of road works and information to the public. ITS has a significant part to play in providing and disseminating quality information to the travelling public and could be implemented relatively quickly and cheaply, as it can use information sources that already exist and will require some degree of manipulation and configuration.
2.4.2 The Network Management Duty focuses on reducing congestion through effective network management, but the
New Roads and Streetworks Act 1991 and
Traffic Management Act 2004 only provides tools to manage road and street works. To effectively manage all the temporary activities which disrupt the network Traffic Managers are reliant on much older legislation such as the Highways Act 1980 for management of a range of activities such as events, filming, crane operations, skips and hoardings. The nature of activities and the impact on the modern congested network is far greater now then when the legislation was conceived and a simpler, more consistent framework for managing the full range of activities would make network management more efficient. Again ITS can be used to alleviate the situation – by using existing systems such as UTMC.
2.4.3 In addition to the above there is value in
highlight
ing
the benefits offered by
a diversity of
Real Time Passenger Information systems; the availability of
which
allows travellers to be ‘better informed’ of planned and/or spontaneous highway and street works thereby enabling them to plan and/or rearrange their journeys.
2.5 The impact of bus lanes and other aspects of road layout.
2.5.1 Reducing individuals’ use of private vehicles and encouraging modal shift to public transport helps to maximise road capacity – a double-deck bus carries the equivalent of 50+ cars but occupies the space of fewer than 5
cars
. However for public transport to be perceived as preferable to private it needs to compete not just on cost but also on reliability and consistency. If public transport is restricted to the same speeds and travel constraints as private vehicles there is no advantage in taking this transport mode. Bus lanes enable public transport to circumvent the delays experienced by private vehicles and help to deliver passengers to their final destination rather than a remote car park. The
‘
my space
’
(i.e., it’s not crowded, I can listen to my music, etc) element of car travel is an important consideration and one that needs to be considered by bus operators if buses are to become a real alternative to
private
car
s.
2.5.2 ITS technologies can be used to great effect to support bus lanes. Roadside or in-vehicle equipment can locate, identify and penalise drivers who abuse bus lanes or create hazards by illegitimate parking practices and, provided there is rigorous enforcement of these offences, help to ensure that bus lanes are kept free. ITS systems can be used to much greater effect. The purpose of the bus lane is to allocate separate road space to permitted vehicles and if the bus service is not especially intense there will be long periods when the bus lane is empty and the adjacent lanes are very busy. It is a straightforward matter to fit roadside equipment that instructs vehicles to leave the bus lane (in effect the reverse of the M42 ATM where roadside equipment signals that vehicles are allowed into a lane) and equipment on the bus that broadcasts a signal 10-15 minutes ahead to ask for the bus lane to be cleared. Dynamic signalled systems such as this maximise the capacity and efficiency of the network and the services using it. ITS within buses such as wireless networks, entertainment systems and provision of power supplies for laptops, can also make bus travel more attractive.
3.0
Comments
3.1 Vehicle use continues to increase resulting in the existing urban and inter-urban network routinely reaching maximum capacity on a regular basis and, regardless of incidents or collisions, congestion occurs as a consequence. The dilemma that government and LHAs have is to determine the best means to alleviate urban congestion and the associated environmental and safety issues.
3.2 Large-scale investment in new, refurbished and/or replacement infrastructure is unrealistic in terms of cost and environmental impact therefore a more innovative approach needs to be adopted, including some demand constraints and astute management of what we have to make more efficient use of network space. Previous attempts to resolve these problems in urban environments failed primarily because the benefits were not ‘sold’ effectively to motorists and failed to focus on the pertinent issues such as reducing congestion or providing better information. The virtues of replacement technologies were extolled but there was no focus on how to alleviate problems suffered by travellers on a daily basis nor an attempt to identify any benefits that might be accrued.
3.3 It should be acknowledged that th
ere is minimal chance that modal shift will ever be achieved
via
public education measures to influence the rising tide of congestion
to a sufficient degree
. However,
ITS schemes can be effective as they enable
traffic flow to remain as close to normal by e
nhancing the efficient use of vehicles for the majority of a journey, before switching to public transport for the "last mile". T
he technologies described previously are a clear indication of the extent and capabilities of ITS and their implementation and supporting these are a diverse range of systems, procedures and policies that are available to national, regional and local agencies and authorities. In broad terms these systems, schemes and policies provide ‘low-cost’ options to unlock maximum potential benefits.
3.4 Government and local authorities have a responsibility to intervene to alleviate congestion, because a failure to do so will only result in individual drivers arbitrarily making their own decisions based on individual interests and in accordance with their decision to drive rather than choose the public transport alternative. As an example recent efforts to prosecute drivers using a ‘rat run’ through a hospital are one indication of how motorists are making their own decisions on what is best for them. The expected ‘backlash’ is likely to concentrate on the lack of efficient traffic management systems that are forcing motorists to take drastic alternative action. ITS schemes can provide dynamic information (pre-trip, in-vehicle or on-road)
notifying routes to and
the
occupancy of ‘
Park & Ride
’
facilities, dynamically manag
ing
road space (including bus lanes)
,
control
ling
access
to localities
and enforc
ing
road user
compliance.
4.0 Summary
4.1 A steady increase in network use in recent years necessitated a number of new initiatives with the underlying principle that management was for a single road link
and n
o matter how well this was done this was found to be
in
sufficient. The key to maximising both the use of the road network and the services delivered to users was to be able to see the flows and pressures across a much larger area so that travellers could be given factual advice about the status of the network plus guidance on the best choice of routes where alternatives were available. Network operators have sought methods whereby they could initiate ‘traffic calming’ measures that attempts to control the rises in demand in much the same way as an electricity generating station aims to manage and balance demand and supply.
4.2 ITS systems have helped to fill that void and have consistently demonstrated a proven track record by offering considerable benefit and assistance to travellers. To illustrate this the answers to the Inquiry’s questions re ‘effective road and traffic management’ have included a number of examples whereby ITS deployments have shown their effectiveness. These schemes operate efficiently 24/7 in the background but have direct intervention at the most crucial times. ITS schemes have all too often failed to receive their due recognition or reward owing to their ‘behind the scenes’ profile however in these straitened financial times relatively inexpensive ITS systems can provide substantial return for their investment many times over.
4.3 Innovative approaches are needed when setting out policies. Cost savings need can be made and direct cooperation with commercial providers will provide opportunities to deploy technology-based solutions that can render policies deliverable at economical costs. In addition improved integration of transport modes can also be facilitated by removing barriers and undermining ‘stove-pipe’ cultures between operators and regions.
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