Highway Network Operations

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.

All Traffic Conditions

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	VMS and signals, PDMS, HAR, media feed	Inform public and logistics managers of conditions for self-decisions

Recurring Congestion

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

Weather Events

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

Traffic Incidents

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

Work Zones and Maintenance Activities

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

Key to Resources

Resource	Technology	Further information
511[USA]	Telephone travel information system	Pre-trip information
CCTV	Closed-circuit Television	CCTV
eCall	Automated vehicle collision reporting system (Europe)	Warning Systems
Electronic detectors	Vehicle and pedestrian sensors	Roadway Sensors
HAR	Highway Advisory Radio	Radio
Lane signals	Overhead VMS showing lane availability	Highway Traffic
Media feed	Automatic feed of information to websites, radio and TV stations & via social media	Pre-trip information
PDMS	Portable Dynamic Message Sign	User Interfaces
Queue detectors	Electronic sensors to detect queues / queue length	Vehicle Detection
Ramp signals	Traffic signals to control traffic volumes entering a motorway / freeway	Highway Traffic
RWMS	Road Weather Management Systems	Weather Monitoring
Social media	Facebook, Twitter, etc	Social Media & Data
Speed advisory VMS	Advisory Variable Message Signs	Use of VMS
Speed limit VMS	Mandatory Variable Message Signs	Use of VMS
Video “tours”	Successive display of CCTV images from different cameras	Traffic Control
Video wall	Wall-mounted screens to display CCTV images	Traffic Control
VMS	Variable Message Signs	Use of VMS

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