York plans to introduce real-time transport modelling data to reduce congestion in the historic city.
The City of York Council said it is using the technology to manage the road network and estimated travel times could be reduced by 10 percent, based on a trial.
The council gave an example that if there was a road traffic collision on the York outer ring road, the new software would be able to predict the impact on the wider road network based on traffic conditions at the time.
This gives the council the ability to react ‘live’ by changing traffic light timings across the city and informing people sooner of possible delays.
Fans of The Italian Job may remember this is how gridlock was created in the film, allowing the thieves to escape with the gold…
Previously, the council monitored the network through CCTV and social media feeds, with network operators and transport engineers manually implementing traffic signal changes to better manage the flow of traffic in busy periods.
‘Proving to be a success’
The real-time prediction model is used to predict traffic conditions ahead of time by combining historical data with live traffic information. It also integrates with 100 live traffic flow sensors, 100 signal controllers and speed data.
“At this early stage it’s already proving to be a success,” said Dave Atkinson, head of programmes at City of York Council.
“We’re able to predict future traffic levels based on our live traffic behaviour and manage the flow of traffic better in busy periods by adjusting traffic lights to best suit traffic conditions.”
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