SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRAFFIC
MANAGEMENT
– A NEW MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE
Michael Aherne
Chair, Traffic Efficiency and
Monitoring Working Group,
POLIS
All views personal
Outline
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Future Vision
Policy Context for the future
Review of Transport Philosophy
Network Objectives
The Tools for the Job
3-stranded Approach to TM service
provision
Context
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POLIS
New EU-wide challenges
Problems not fully identified
Solutions need to be explored
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Business-as-usual or not?
FUTURE VISION (S)
COMPETING VISIONS?
Vision (i) The Technological Network
high-tech vehicles , constant communication with each other , with
central control systems.. optimum routes for all, all journey time
minimised
Vision (ii) The Quiet City
streets as quality living and working places,
noise-free, pollutant-free, safe, attractive
minimal vehicular intrusion, quality public realm,
(underground) public transport
Vision (iii) The Responsible Citizenry
a sustainable city of responsible citizens,
who choose the most appropriate mode for the trip (pre-planned, of
course), interchanging effortlessly
between walking, cycling, driving, bus and train etc
Vision 1? Incident Detection & Response Management
Effective Resolution of Traffic Problems
Traffic Management System
Automatic Incident Detection
Incident Management
Video
Detection
Fuzzy
Logic
Main Category:
Accident
Verify by
CCTV
Sub Category:
Right Lane Closed
Response Plan Management
...
1. Set Lane & Speed Control
Trigger
AND
Maincategory=ACCIDENT
Subcategory=right laneclosed
2. Set Dynamic Message Signs
3. Dispatch Emergency Vehicles
Operator
...
The Quiet City (Vision 2)?
Vision 3: Paris PT Journey Planner..
EU Riding 2 horses?
EU riding two (or more) horses?
Supports Vision (i) The Technological
Network
Relevant to highway network management
Good for EU economy (20% of which is
transport):
•Vehicle manufacture
•IT systems
•Distribution
•Safety
Vision 1
Universal On-Board Unit—7FP??
Digital
Tachograph
Galileo
EGNOS/GPS
Vehicle Systems
Interfaces
Emergency
Call
DSRC Beacons
EFC
OBTU
Driver
Information
GSM/GPRS
Driver
Interface
Passenger
Interface
Other
Applications
Other
Communications
Data Bus
Applications
1.8 (metr.)
Las Vegas
Helsinki
Birmingham
Stockhom
Turin
Tel Aviv
Amsterdam
Dublin
Karlruhe
Brussels
Munich
London
Zurich
Toronto
Tokyo
Belo Horizonte
Rome
100
Berlin
Paris
Vision 1 - Status Quo on Adaptive…
% junctions with fixed time control (with and without UTC update)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
EU riding two (or more) horses?
Supports Vision (ii) The Quiet City
•80% of population EU lives in cities
•Environmental and qualitative view of
urban living
•Quality of life and Health are key
issues
•Noise and AQ Directives
•Green Paper on urban Transport
Vision 2: HEAVEN DSS led to ...
… site specific solutions for the
interaction with existing and new ..
.. traffic monitoring and control systems
HEAVEN
DSS
.. A.Q. , noise and meteo monitoring
systems and forecast models
EU riding two (or more) horses?
Supports Vision (iii) The Responsible
Citizenry
• Only vision capable of providing
urban accessibility, reliability and
sustainability
• Requires multi-lateral action
• Recognises all decision-takers
• Has elements of Visions (i) and (ii)
• But reality of “responsible citizen?”
The Responsible Citizen (Vision 3)?
REVIEW OF TRANSPORT
PHILOSOPHY
Accommodation begins…
Predict - and - provide
Predict and provide Public Transport
Excess Traffic will “go away”…?
4 Phases of Transport
1. Accommodation through roadside on-street
parking, longer traffic signal cycle times, etc.
2. predict-and-provide
3. predict-and-provide-public-transport
4. predict-and-reduce or predict-and -suppress
New phase of contra-congestion transport
planning and traffic management excess traffic will not simply “go away…”
SETTING NETWORK OBJECTIVES
Network Management Objectives
(Absence?)
Set Sustainable TM/T objectives as
Part of Overall Urban Strategy and
Transport Plan….
Safety remains paramount
Noise and Air Q EU Directives –
Other objectives can be complex and
competing…
Possible Network Management
Objectives…
• competitive bus speeds,
• reduced journey times,
• increased cycling and walking for
shorter trip lengths,
• absence of city centre congestion etc.
• reliable and repeatable network
performance across all the modes
Possible Network Management
Objectives…
Management
Without Objectives?
Reactive Paralysis?
5 possible factors for non-intervention…
• how to intervene?
• would intervention make situation better
or worse?
• enough forewarning?
• no reporting requirement …(traffic =
weather)?
• No clear management objectives – no
incentive / direction for interventions.
Traffic will not self-regulate …Pro-active
network management needed…
The Tools for the Job
The right tools for the job?
•
Primary traffic management tools
(cameras and loops) monitor and
respond to vehicles
• AUTCs commenced in predict-andprovide stage
• Prime concern now = movement of
people and goods, not vehicles.
• Legacy issue:
appropriateness of systems?
method of use?
London Management Approach..
Think about people and goods
Better alignment and
prioritisation of
decisions
Be better prepared
for the future
Co-ordinate
future investment
Long-term
resilience
Long term focus & foresight
Three-Strand Approach to Sustainable
Traffic Management
pre-requisite :
Set network (traffic) management objectives
then
Development of Optimal Intervention Strategies:
Multi-modal Urban Traffic Management
Management Structures and Techniques
STRAND 1: Development of Optimal
Intervention Strategies
APPROACH:
Analyse norms (daily, seasonal, incidental …)
Analyse behavioural responses
Develop suites of interventions (DSS) to achieve
optimal network performance (acc to objectives)
Two universal problems :
Boundary problem highway / urban
Evening peak discharge from central area.
Development of Multi-Modal TM:
Multi-modal detection / control:
Public transport modes needs weighted
for numbers carried.
Short Modes need to be counted…
Real Time?
Just in Time / Enough Time?
Decide type and level of data for effective
management?(real time, batch, trend,
behavioural, qualitative etc.)
Multi-modal? Multi-stakeholder
:
Context: More competitive and privatised p.trans.
So partnership approach between stakeholders
Agreeing
•overall network management objectives,
•expected stakeholder activity and performance,
•collaborative actions,
• data and systems integration,
•co-ordinated interventions and
•emergency responses etc.
Development of Management …
Appropriate management philosophy
(Management by Exception, Management
by Increment, Management by Objective
etc.),
Management structures (within agencies,
between agencies etc.) for overall network
management, incident management,
intervention management, data exchange
etc.
Development of Management … contd.
The transparency and accountability to the
wider public etc.
Audit procedures to identify / prompt
management activity in various areas of
network management, including human
dependency, legacy and contractual
constraint, etc.
Comparative study of network management
in other industry sectors, and identification
of transferable techniques and technology
Overload management - comparison
Many managers deal with peak loading
sandwich shops, mobile phone networks, electricity
supply,
Best interests of customer and business
to pro-actively manage by…?
extra staff,
incentivising the off-peak,
queue management,
network protection protocols
? What is “overload management
strategy” for traffic network?
Conclusion – New challenge and
opportunity
1. Urban mobility goalposts are / have moved
2. Management approach and supporting
systems must move to same place
3. The setting of clear (sustainable) objectives
coupled with appropriate management
structures, systems and techniques, are the
key.
New enforcement measures?