Case Study
Stratford Upon Avon UTMC
Tools Involved
- Common Database;
- Variable Message Signs (VMS);
- Adaptive Traffic Signal Control;
- Parking Management;
- Public Transport Priority, and
- Data collection and monitoring (Automatic Numberplate Recognition Cameras).
Site Description
Stratford Upon Avon is a small town in Warwickshire with a population of 23,000. The 'Shakespeare connection' makes it one of the UK's prime tourist destinations, with 2.5 million visitors.
Site Problems
Stratford Upon Avon suffers from traffic congestion in the town centre and on the key routes leading into the town. Due to the high levels of tourist traffic, congestion not only occurrs during traditional peak times, but also often throughout the day. The volume of leisure traffic is highly dependant on the weather and therefore a system that was flexible enough to adapt to changing conditions was needed.
In addition, the town also has planned developments that will add considerable demand to the existing road network; the UTMC system is designed to enable management of these future traffic flows.
Scheme Description
The Stratford Upon Avon UTMC project uses both Car Park VMS (Fixed plate signs with variable LED elements) and Free Text VMS (wholly variable), Urban Traffic Control (UTC), car park occupancy sensors and journey-time measurement systems via Automatic Number-Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to manage traffic flows and routing, improve car park utilisation, and give priority to buses.
The scheme provides an up to date system for management and control of urban traffic. At the heart of the UTMC system is the common database and management interface which enables analysis and storage of relevant data from all sub-systems and strategy selection in response to information collected.
The Car park management system monitors 8 central area car parks covering some 3,100 parking spaces and conveys information to motorists via 18 VMS within and on the approaches to the town centre. The VMS are used to inform motorists of available parking spaces. This reduces congestion by removing unnecessary queuing at car parks and reducing the distance travelled by users searching for parking spaces.
Three free text Outer Screen VMS have also been deployed for more strategic traffic management including diversion of motorists between radial routes into Stratford-upon-Avon town centre.
ANPR cameras are used to monitor journey times over eight permutations of entry point to exit points to the town and the data are passed to the common database. These journey time data are used by traffic engineers to influence UTMC control strategies. These control strategies can be developed to display diversionary information on the outer screen VMS and implement UTC strategies to manage traffic signals in specific areas.
Communications to the outer screen VMS and ANPR cameras use General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) communications. Communications to the Car Park Management VMS is via PAKNET a packet radio data network.
Public transport priority is provided through use of selected vehicle magnetic profile detection at seven key intersections connected directly to the Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique (SCOOT) UTC system.
Scheme Objectives
The Traffic Management System has been introduced to ensure that the highway network in the town can be managed to deal with major fluctuations in traffic and incidents, whilst also supporting the local transport strategy by enabling planned developments and environmental schemes to take place.
The overall objective of the scheme is to improve the local economy by reducing congestion and by improving accessibility to the town.
The scheme objectives as laid down in the UTMC29 Stratford upon Avon Implementing UTMC: Lessons Learnt document are:
- To tackle congestion and pollution by reducing vehicle demand to the town centre, principally through the introduction of park and ride schemes on the edge of town and the control of parking supply and price in the town centre and by traffic and parking management;
- To improve the pedestrian experience and environment in the town centre by banning most traffic from key streets at certain times of the day;
- To improve pedestrian facilities, cycling facilities and public transport services
Integrated Systems
As with all UTMC systems, the Stratford Upon Avon system uses a common database and standardised connections and protocols to share data between subsystem components. In the case of Stratford, both the UTC and Car Park Management systems are not directly UTMC compliant, but10-Nov-2010the common database. A migration strategy has been developed to enable full UTMC compliance in the future.
Costs
Total costs for installation of the system were circa 1.15 million. These costs are subdivided as follows:
- Indirect costs associated with the deployment of the system. these amounted to 16,000.
- Capital costs associated with purchase of the equipment. These amounted to 785,000.
- Capital costs of development of the system. It is anticipated that these costs will not need to be repeated. These amount to 351,000.
Benefits
Benefits are shown in the table below.
Benefits Expected |
||
Impact Assessment |
Environment |
While delays have been reduced in off peak periods this has not been quantified and neither have any associated environmental benefits. |
Accessibility |
No benefits expected or reported. |
|
Safety |
No benefits expected or reported. |
|
Efficiency and Economy |
There has been a saving of 3,000 per annum on costs through this system. |
|
Integration |
Benefits accrue under the other Government Policies sub-objective related to achieving e-Government objectives |
|
User Acceptance |
88% of Local Users and 87% of Visitors saw Car Park VMS |
|
No attempt has been made to validate the results reported. Users of the guidance are encouraged to assess the robustness of the results presented and the likely transferability of the case study to their own local environment.
More Information
The Reading & Stratford Upon Avon UTMC Demonstrators, Leuillette & Bishton (IEE International Conference on Road Transport Information & Control 2003)
