Road Network Operations
& Intelligent Transport Systems
A guide for practitioners!
Road Network Operations
& Intelligent Transport Systems
A guide for practitioners!
The tables below summarise the typical activities that a Traffic Control Centre will perform for different types of traffic conditions on motorways, freeways, expressways and other regional arterial roads. The desired results (operational outcomes) are indicative of the specific situations. (See also TCC Functions)
Not all of the resources mentioned below will be present in every control centre. Field network telecommunications, device controller infrastructure and control room systems and software, are common to all and are not mentioned in the tables.
|
Operational Function |
Operational Method |
Resources Used |
Desired Result |
|
Traffic Monitoring and Surveillance |
Visual monitoring |
CCTV, video wall, workstations, video “tours” |
Maximum visual coverage of network |
|
Sensor monitoring |
Electronic vehicle detectors |
Maximum sensor coverage of network to capture traffic characteristics |
|
|
Vehicle probes |
Mobile safety patrols, crowd sourcing, floating vehicles |
Detect and verify incidents in timely fashion |
|
|
Traffic control/ influence |
Travel & Traffic information |
Inform public and logistics managers of conditions for self-decisions |
|
Operational Function |
Operational Method |
Resources Used |
Desired Result |
|
Traffic control/ influence |
Ramp metering |
Ramp signals, queue detectors |
Smooth merging, effect minor diversion |
|
Contra-flow, High Occupancy Toll, shoulder running or other special lane use |
Lane signals, VMS, PDMS |
Increase roadway capacity |
|
|
Variable speed limits |
Speed limit VMS |
Stabilise flow |
|
Operational Function |
Operational Method |
Resources Used |
Desired Result |
|
Surveillance |
Sensor monitoring |
Road Weather Management Systems |
Detect adverse weather |
|
Visual monitoring |
CCTV, video wall, workstations, video “tours” |
Detect and verify adverse weather |
|
Operational Function |
Operational Method |
Resources Used |
Desired Result |
|
Surveillance |
Road-user reports |
Cell-phones, emergency telephones, social media |
Operators alert to possible incident |
|
Visual monitoring |
CCTV, video wall, workstations, video “tours” |
Detect and verify incident, dispatch response, notify other responders |
|
|
Sensor monitoring |
Electronic detectors |
Incident detection algorithms: automatic alert for potential incident |
|
|
Incident notification |
Police, Emergency Control Centres |
Initiate response from rescue and ambulance services, vehicle recovery, emergency repair operators |
|
|
Patrol vehicles |
Safety service patrol, road watchers |
Detect incidents, Mobile patrols respond and assist |
|
|
Traffic control/ influence |
Travel & Traffic information |
VMS and signals, PDMS, HAR, 511, website, media feed, social media |
Encourage diversions and journey time changes |
|
Ramp metering |
Ramp signals, queue detectors |
Smooth merging, effect increased diversion |
|
|
Speed advisory |
Speed advisory VMS |
Calming of speeds and reduced lane changing |
|
|
Variable speed limits |
Speed limit VMS |
Reduce limit to safe speed |
|
|
Lane use control |
Lane signals |
Open/close lanes as appropriate |
|
|
Maintenance of traffic |
VMS, PDMS |
Safe, free flow past maintenance and other road work |
|
|
Queue warning |
VMS, PDMS |
Reduced secondary incidents; Safe, free flow past maintenance, other road works and incidents |
|
Operational Function |
Operational Method |
Resources Used |
Desired Result |
|
Traffic control/ influence |
Traveller information |
VMS, PDMS, HAR, eCall (511), website, media feed, social media |
Safe, free flow past maintenance and other road work or diversion of route |
|
Resource |
Technology |
Further information |
|
511[USA] |
Telephone travel information system |
|
|
Closed-circuit Television |
||
|
eCall |
Automated vehicle collision reporting system (Europe) |
|
|
Electronic detectors |
Vehicle and pedestrian sensors |
|
|
Highway Advisory Radio |
||
|
Lane signals |
Overhead VMS showing lane availability |
|
|
Media feed |
Automatic feed of information to websites, radio and TV stations & via social media |
|
|
PDMS |
Portable Dynamic Message Sign |
|
|
Queue detectors |
Electronic sensors to detect queues / queue length |
|
|
Ramp signals |
Traffic signals to control traffic volumes entering a motorway / freeway |
|
|
RWMS |
Road Weather Management Systems |
|
|
Social media |
Facebook, Twitter, etc |
|
|
Speed advisory VMS |
Advisory Variable Message Signs |
|
|
Speed limit VMS |
Mandatory Variable Message Signs |
|
|
Video “tours” |
Successive display of CCTV images from different cameras |
|
|
Video wall |
Wall-mounted screens to display CCTV images |
|
|
Variable Message Signs |
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