The technologies required to make a Clear Zone a reality are varied and often difficult to source. To help cities take a more structured approach to technology development in their Clear Zone, the 'Technology Tree' has been developed.
The interaction between Clear Zones, the interurban road networks, and rural hinterlands can be problematic. By definition, urban centres receive and dispatch goods and people. Large scale variable-message systems for regional traffic management have been developed, such as the Highways Agency's MDIS (Midland Driver Information System). Fine scale local control of movements is increasingly important.
Transponder/loop, transponder/beacon or GPS-based Automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems and camera-based systems are all available. Vehicles can be uniquely identified or as one of a class. Transponder and GPS based systems can be connected to computer software to allow information on vehicle location to be used to inform travellers and traffic managers. There are a number of commercial systems for real-time tracking of vehicles. There are other similar applications available which enable the movements of goods and people to be tracked.
Urban Traffic and Management Control (UTMC) systems process and make use of the information in signaling. Examples of projects implemented using the technology are London’s Countdown project, Strathclyde PTE’s bus scheme, Edinburgh’s Greenways, ROMANSE in Southampton and the Midlands MATTISSE system of traffic information and management. In the Midlands, the media are keen to have access to the motorway camera data to distribute information on travel and weather conditions. This integrates vehicle management and travel information, as in Leicester and Southampton. Bus priority signalling through linking bus detection to UTCs has become fairly widespread. UTMC is being developed to create a modular architecture which will allow more rapid innovation and interoperability in traffic management.
Technology from bus priority systems can be transferred to achieve this. SCOOT urban traffic control systems have been developed to alter signals in favour of buses if detected. Detection is by transponders or GPS systems (relying on satellites and transmitters). The cost per vehicle for supplying and fitting transponders would be approximately £20 currently plus the investment in fixed infrastructure (also not high). The cost of equipment could be recouped through an area license for low emission vehicles. UK has good capability in this area.
Variable Message Signs (VMS) are available, with room for improvement in design and performance. Design is constrained by regulations on visibility and safety; however, a relaxation of regulations which will come into force in 1999, will allow greater freedom. The ROMANSE project has demonstrated use of signs can be successfully linked to traffic and travel information systems (eg parking availability) and automatically updated. Traffic control systems are becoming “wider area” and could be linked. The Midlands envelope traffic control system (MDIS) links the Birmingham and Nottingham conurbation's.
Now a well-established technique, but many major cities are still developing a comprehensive system covering all major radial routes. Main important developments are showing that they can be cost effective, and therefore can be developed by the industry, and achieving more and deeper bus quality partnerships which allow combining of park and ride with “green wave” signalling for the buses, quality vehicles and passenger information on travel times and air quality. An example of projects exemplifying this approach is the Birmingham Line 33. Problems with Park and Ride are transfer of travellers from through bus journeys to car and bus journeys and concentrations of emissions from cold starts at the site. Much can be learnt from the Park and Ride services at airports, with their frequent and free buses, good signing and easy credit card payment for parking. Smartcards could be deployed for automatically debited payment.VMS can be used to ensure that parking availability is known before travellers reach their intended parking zones.
The essence of urban areas involves the sharing of space by many individuals; part of the fun of the city can be joining a cheerful crowd enjoying entertainment or just the environment. However, most of us do not care to get too close to vehicles, and the balance of space between motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians is a key factor in the attractiveness of an urban vehicle.
Current technology can be applied to distinguish priority groups, enforce priority lanes eg high occupancy vehicle lanes. There are regulatory barriers to reversing the priority between pedestrians and vehicle traffic. The application of electronics to the segregation of cyclists/pedestrians from vehicles/each other does not appear to have been tried.
Pedestrian detection technology for road crossings is available and in use in Leeds, for example. London Docklands Light Railway uses electronic pedestrian counters but monitoring of pedestrian movement in urban centres appears to be limited/unknown. Cyclists are being given advance stop lines rather than being detected electronically and given a signal. Cycleways etc and other approaches to cycling appear to be low-tech and based on physical segregation/dedicated infrastructure. Within Clear Zones pedestrian/cycle/tram conflict could become an issue and better technical aids to management and separation will be needed. Pedestrians could carry “tags”, especially vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and people with disabilities. The European PROMETHEUS programme did some research in this area.
Monitoring is the main current use; images are transferred back to a control centre for action to be decided. UCL have developed techniques for detecting and signalling problems developing in pedestrian crowds. Speed control cameras photograph non-compliant vehicles to allow fines to be enforced. There is potential for more development to increase the security, safety and health many consumers desire in urban areas. Cameras are also used on buses or on the roadside in London to detect violations of bus lanes, and are the preferred technology for bus lane enforcement to be rolled out across the capital. Congestion charging proposed for central London will use camera technology to capture the images of car number plates with comparisons being made with a database of authorised vehicles.
The majority of people entering the city of Bristol, for example, arrive by car. Limitations on road space suggest that the balance of modes will be shifted to emphasis moving people, not vehicles. City centres are expanding (in, say, Birmingham) while others, such as Bristol and Southampton, are already too large to walk across. If we arrive by train or bus, how will we get around?
In most urban areas, the flexibility and economy of buses makes them first choice for people-movers. Improvements are taking place, albeit at a much slower pace than that to cars. Low-floor buses have proved themselves so popular they are a worthwhile commercial investment. The case for electric and gas-powered buses has been less clear, with demonstrator vehicles often too expensive to purchase or, more importantly, operate, to be sustainable. Hybrid buses are said to be the next most likely success story, but operators say no reliable model is yet available. Vehicle development and alternative fuels have attracted more interest than any other Clear Zone technology in Europe including the UK, with many publicly funded players taking a part.
Inside Clear Zones, walking and cycling are likely to remain the most popular and sustainable modes, with some specialist requirements for the less able. Provision for these groups is currently relatively poor but increasingly recognised as important. Portsmouth’s Bikeabout is an example of good practice (using Smartcard technology) which could be emulated. More experimentation with pedestrian and cycle friendly environments and with interchange improvements is required. Travelator systems have been used in airports, and some purpose built shopping malls, but have yet to be applied in established urban areas. Meeting the needs of the disabled, older people, and those with young children and/or luggage is potentially a large market for city and urban mobility.
Systems have had less support, although from the full environmental audit point of view, metal rail/metal wheel systems would be more energy efficient. Light rail versions are being investigated by several cities and is likely to be an important market. Cities currently have a poor choice of commercial product. Existing people mover systems are expensive or unattractive currently; some commercial proposals are coming forward (Bristol Electric rail bus, Slimtram, Carr West) which may meet the need as they improve.
The number of residents in city centres is growing, encourage by local planning policies aimed at creating more sustainable communities and helped by the expansion of student numbers. Future cities are likely to have integrated resource management, governed by objectives of low pollution, low energy consumption, high quality, safe and health environments and good mobility.
Car-free residential areas are being piloted in Birmingham, Camden and Edinburgh. They allow space to be freed-up from car-infrastructure (eg parking). Low emission cars are becoming available, usually at a premium, and with some disadvantages (eg the Peugeot 106 has limited range). Residents of car-free areas are likely to require vehicles for longer, inter-urban or rural journeys. Because of the cost advantages of mass-production, the continued development of lower-emission vehicles for the mass market is the most likely avenue.
Edinburgh’s car-free residential area includes using software to manage residents vehicle sharing requirements. This is related to the trip-planning area already noted. People spend much time ascertaining the best route to travel by any mode, and its availability, plus booking. There is much scope for improvement. Trip-planning kiosks such as those developed by WS Atkins in Southampton, and mobility management centres such as that planned by Leicester are making a start, but most planning remains provider-based, and technically simple, and therefore not user-friendly. Those living in an urban environment face an increasingly bewildering variety of transport offers and choices. Software which allows individuals and families to take control of their logistics and plan it efficiently and effectively is likely to find a ready market. Much more user research is needed including human-machine interface for terminals.
People living in urban areas have little control over their environment and others’ treatment of it. In general the rights of the individual to peace and quiet and clear air are very weak; legal action against polluters may shift the balance. Currently, for example, pilots of small aircraft may fly anywhere at any time, as long as they are clear of commercial airways, irrespective of impact, and without paying tax on the fuel they use. The public and even the private environment can be heavily polluted in a number of dimensions. In some instances, especially the use of cars (and lawnmowers), many people are both contributing and suffering, with little control over either.
Enforcement (by local authority environmental health departments and the police) is fraught and only applies to the extreme end of behaviour. Community audits in inner city areas always bring security and environment to the top of the list of local concerns; and these are factors in the “voting with their feet” which has and continues to occur, with those who can choosing to move out of urban areas. Measurement of pollution is the first step towards control, and technology makes a contribution here. Control at source (quieter engines, alternative fuels) is a major area already discussed. “Limiters”, say on domestic audio systems, are no doubt technically feasible, but politically unlikely. Less obviously, software such as ECOcal (measuring households impact on the environment) assist awareness for individuals. Systems such as control of pollution through quotas for companies and individuals, and its enforcement would require technical input. This is an area which is likely to grow.
Similar considerations apply, with the additional factor that people’s willingness to pay has been tested out and a large market for consumer goods, individually purchased or incorporated in goods, has been developed. Technologies employed are infra-red movement sensors, goods marking, video cameras, imaging techniques, tagging (chips, transponders), lighting systems. The City of London has developed techniques for these purposes which could now be applied to environmental goals.
A Clear Zone implies demand management and restraint. Physical restraints such as barriers, chicanes and 'sleeping policemen' slow or divert traffic. recently more sophisticated and widespread area controls are being contemplated to ration limited road space. The Integrated Transport White Paper has announced legislation to permit road-user charging.
This is available as discussed under vehicle detection. Tags can be “read only” cheap versions or “read and write” where there is an exchange of signals with the processing computer. Developments in improving the range of functions a tag carries out, in cost, reliability and performance are possible and desirable. These are unlikely to occur without a stronger market created by cordon charging and other access control measures. Interoperability is a key issue and will emerge on widespread use of the technique.
There is considerable development in this area. Smartcard technology is developed but not in widespread use in the UK. Banks have large scale pilots in hand using chip-based cards, where transactions in certain areas create an automatic debit from bank accounts. Hertfordshire County Council are piloting a scheme with contactless Smartcards for concessionary fare scheme participants. In Leeds, FirstGroup are using contactless, rechargeable Smartcards for payment. London Transport has let a £1billion contract to the Prestige consortium to deliver integrated Smartcard ticketing in the capital. Again, interoperability is a key issue. Transport operators are engaged on this; but in the long term integration with the personal banking system seems necessary. Operators will wish to have travel data collected at the same time to ensure responsive system planning.Pedestrian detection technology for road crossings is available and in use in Leeds, for example. London Docklands Light Railway uses electronic pedestrian counters but monitoring of pedestrian movement in urban centres appears to be limited/unknown. Cyclists are being given advance stop lines rather than being detected electronically and given a signal. Cycleways etc and other approaches to cycling appear to be low-tech and based on physical segregation/dedicated infrastructure. Within Clear Zones pedestrian/cycle/tram conflict could become an issue and better technical aids to management and separation will be needed. Pedestrians could carry “tags”, especially vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and people with disabilities. The European PROMETHEUS programme did some research in this area.
This is occurring very little as yet. Loyalty cards are trader rather than area based. Dublin have done some experimentation with EU assistance. Retailers are considering combining their loyalty cards with public transport services and/or restricting their parking provision to card-holders. Hertfordshire are offering their public transport Smartcard to those on the New Deal scheme.
Decisions about where to go and how to get there are influenced by the information available to the traveller, whether visiting or moving around a town of city. Technology offers numerous possibilities in delivering more information, tailored information and well-placed information. Environment-friendly decisions are more likely in an informed market.
The cheapest sensors are basic diffusion tubes for one gaseous pollutant. PM10 monitoring collects particles smaller than 10 micron, irrespective of content. Chemical analyses can be carried out subsequently. More expensive monitors have been developed for gaseous pollutants and are in widespread use.
Collection and analysis of information involves calibrated models linking point source results to atmospheric conditions (especially wind speed and direction). Non-chemical dispersion, photochemical (allowing for chemical reactions) and stochastic models (starting from empirical ambient levels) are all in continuous development. Models which feed in vehicle numbers on different links and their mix to dispersion models have been developed, notably by Leeds University Institute of Transport Studies.
Trip planning is an extension of travel information, manipulating it in a more sophisticated way for individual travellers. Travel-blending, introduced by Steer, Davies and Gleave, enables individuals to assess their travel needs and re-think how efficiently they can be met, incorporating the use of sustainable travel modes and trip-chaining (planning to meet several needs in one overall trip, minimising mileage). Further development of this area would benefit consumers and the environment, but is not market driven. Transport planners do not yet make use apparently of detailed trip demand information, including potential walk/cycle journeys to plan network provision.
Vehicle traffic models have been in development for over 25 years. The most sophisticated are very expensive to develop, and the quality of modelling varies enormously across the country. Most large cities have models which are used to predict the impact of policy changes on modal split and levels of traffic. The great majority reassign a predicted level of traffic amongst links. Recent research has indicated that there is significant reassignment of traffic as a result of major changes or reduction in the road network capacity and in some cases, a reduction in overall travel demand. Data from pricing experiments can be fed into models, but there is relatively little calibration data.
VMS signs, conventional signposting or on-board computers can be used to relay information to vehicle drivers and passengers. These exist, although current VMS signs (developed mainly for motorway use) in their current designs would be an ugly addition to urban landscapes especially historic ones. On-board computers are being fitted on top-of-the-range cars, and will be extended without intervention. The government has backed work on the development of a European travel information service, based on radio and satellite technology, for car drivers (RDS-TMC).This is now entering the implementation phase. It would be updated every 15 minutes. Technology developed for the car-driver could be transferred to passenger transport, although there are barriers to collecting payment for the service. Internet-based travel and trip information (timetabled) is being developed commercially, and could include Clear Zone information. Information kiosks are also being offered commercially now. Main constraints are the emergence of data-managers (but this is occurring), the recognition of the value of information and methods of paying for service provision (eg advertising, subscription charge, payment through travel ticket purchase).
Travel information is developing rapidly in the market. The main challenges are to integrate information across areas, so that local travel information services and national travel information services work together seamlessly for the traveller, and to improve systems of real time information. The latter are at an experimental stage with several schemes running. The University of Southampton is developing on-line information via the Internet, for kiosks and personal computers.
Early systems are in use in a few places (eg Bristol, Birmingham, Southampton). BT Research have an Internet-based demonstration project in Suffolk (Route 66, Ipswich-Martlesham). This area has some way to go before it is inexpensive and reliable.
Similarly, this is at an early stage. Planning and carrying out multi-stage, multi-modal trips is challenging and development of information and management systems is important. The Traveller Information for Major Events (TIME) project being promoted by ITS Focus would take this area forward.
Shopping is an important reason why people come into cities, and is more likely to be regarded by the British as a pleasurable, leisure activity than other Europeans. We like to have a wide choice of goods in the shops, but we are considerably less keen on the vehicles which bring the goods from manufacturer to retail outlet.
The technology exists to produce, for example, gas-powered lorries and demonstration vehicles are in use by Marks and Spencer, built by ERF. Sainsbury’s has a solar-powered refrigerated standard 13.5m trailer. Other vehicles (for example, methane gas-powered) are being developed in Europe. They remain relatively few and very expensive. Projects like Liverpool Energy 2000, pioneered by Liverpool City and CityHeat, creating cheap electricity through local district waste recycling may provide a new infrastructure which allows large electrically-powered goods vehicles to come forward. An electric vehicle, charged from a Combined Heat and Power plant, is being used by Onyx to collect rubbish for Westminster Council, as a pilot project. The Peugeot 106 electric car did very well in trials in Coventry for mail and small consignment delivery. Electric cars and vans are being developed for the urban market. The Thamesway project, a partnership between Woking District Council and London Electricity will employ electricity from decentralised sources in the community using environmentally-friendly technologies. Free charging points for electric vehicles in the sensitive downtown area are planned.
The technology exists to produce, for example, gas-powered lorries and demonstration vehicles are in use by Marks and Spencer, built by ERF. Sainsbury’s has a solar-powered refrigerated standard 13.5m trailer. Other vehicles (for example, methane gas-powered) are being developed in Europe. They remain relatively few and very expensive. Projects like Liverpool Energy 2000, pioneered by Liverpool City and CityHeat, creating cheap electricity through local district waste recycling may provide a new infrastructure which allows large electrically-powered goods vehicles to come forward. An electric vehicle, charged from a Combined Heat and Power plant, is being used by Onyx to collect rubbish for Westminster Council, as a pilot project. The Peugeot 106 electric car did very well in trials in Coventry for mail and small consignment delivery. Electric cars and vans are being developed for the urban market. The Thamesway project, a partnership between Woking District Council and London Electricity will employ electricity from decentralised sources in the community using environmentally-friendly technologies. Free charging points for electric vehicles in the sensitive downtown area are planned.
Sophisticated package tracking is now in use. Security, reliability and speed command good prices in the market. Problems with the national post office and rail network, specifically industrial action, have created a market for private carriage at higher prices. This, in turn, has allowed investment in tracking and tracing. It has, however, worked against grouping. Goods could, technically, be tracked across the world using electronic tagging, “cradle to grave” from manufacture to recycling (or land-fill).
Major retailers have taken control of their goods delivery rather than manufacturers. Business efficiency practices, such as “Just in time” reducing stock-holding costs, have contributed to systems based on single retail loads, put together at dedicated distribution depots. These are likely to be regional. This has maximised efficiency for major retailers, so that the UK now has a lead in logistics systems of this type. Intervening in these chains is likely to reduce efficiency and increase mileage, energy consumption and pollution. Sharing the infrastructure with others in order to benefit urban areas has been investigated, mainly to reduce the size of vehicles entering urban areas rather than minimise numbers or mileage; urban transhipment schemes have been attempted and abandoned on grounds of cost.
Where companies manufacture and sell their own goods, they will maximise their own efficiency. This often leads to out-of-centre retailing. The example of MFI, who have recently reorganised to reduce the number of stockholding distribution depots, and maintain a policy of edge or out-of-town locations, is a case in point. The overall impact on vehicle mileage, including the customer’s car, will not necessarily be considered, or may be discounted because externalities such as pollution and congestion may be ignored. Cities, on the other hand, will analyse traffic flows broadly, tracking vehicles but not goods. They may have little detailed data on freight and goods movement, and little reason to collect it, with limited powers to control it. The FTA have carried out some research with cities Aberdeen, Chester, Southampton and Birmingham, and is set to extend it. Napier and Heriot Watt Universities have recently completed a study for Foresight on city logistics and recommend a number of areas for research, aimed at improving whole supply chain efficiency.
Delivery companies experience a whole range of constraints. Fresh food must be delivered under special conditions of temperature and timing. Many urban areas impose delivery time restraints associated with pedestrian areas - sometimes constraining deliveries into the rush-hour. Other commercial issues may be time-critical factors such as CDs being delivered on Tuesdays in time to meet the weekly charts. Where delivery space (unloading bays) are at a premium, management of the bays may be required. Technical systems for the management of urban street space for this function does not appear to have been investigated in many instances. The Red Routes for lorries in London are an exception.
The market functions of cities and towns have been a long-standing tradition, and one which is greatly cherished. The nature of shopping is changing, as many studies and surveys demonstrate. The High Street of the Future, if it is to survive, will need to adapt and offer a wider range of services and goods in an enticing environment. Such development is unlikely without improved efficiency achieved through technology.
Opinions are divided about the future market-share of tele- and internet shopping. Some food retailers estimate approximately 25% of sales will be via the Internet or telephone. The growth in shopping for books and CDs, and IT goods, has been the fastest growing market on the Internet. A survey last year indicated that most people thought that fashion items too would be purchased via the Internet in 5-10 years time. Many services (eg insurance) are now almost exclusively phone-based. Andersen Consulting predict that homes will be wired, and shopping via an interactive screen at home will include choice of goods from different retailers, choice of delivery to home/office/sports club plus reminders about what goods are running low and diary dates indicating specific requirements. This scenario requires agents to develop to represent and anticipate the consumers’ needs.
A study of Future Consumer Needs was commissioned by the Foresight Retail Logistics Group. This noted, amongst other conclusions, that women conduct the vast majority of retail transactions (90%), and they have far less free time than men. As their earnings rise, they are likely to put a premium on more time saving services. The impact on transport has not been a focal issue.
These are at the pilot stage. Bike-based deliveries are provided in London by Zero, “pedal-power” modern rickshaws have been developed and are operating in Islington. Leading food retailers are experimenting with premium home delivery services, and delivery to Park and Ride sites. The impact on overall mileage by consumers and retailers does not appear to have been monitored. Delivery where the consumer is not immediately available faces special issues of storage - for security, freshness, health etc. ZERO have proposed research into this area and are seeking support.
White Lion House Gloucester Road Staverton Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL51 0TF United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1452 854212. Fax: +44 (0) 1452 854213. Email: info@agd-systems.com . Web Site: www.agd-systems.com
AGD Systems Ltd are specialists in the design and manufacture of advanced traffic information and measurement equipment for the traffic management industry worldwide. The product portfolio includes both sub-surface and above ground detection technologies for a whole range of applications covering both traffic and pedestrian management.
42 Eldon Way Paddock Wood Tonbridge Kent TN12 6BE United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1892 838333. Fax: +44 (0) 1892 838666. Email: sales@astucia.co.uk . Web Site: www.astucia.co.uk
Astucia UK is a British traffic technology company, which specialises in the design and development of Intelligent Road Studs. Our innovative product range offers significant benefits to both drivers and highways engineers in terms of enhanced road safety and traffic management systems.
Lodge Farm Business Centre, Castlethorpe, Milton Keynes,
Bucks MK19 7ES, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1908 511122.
Fax: +44 (0) 1908 511505. Email: CA@C-A.co.uk . Web Site:
www.c-a.co.uk
Counters and Accessories Ltd offer a complete range of
Traffic Data collection Instruments, Data Management Software
and Installation Services. Our product range has been
developed for the needs of today’s Traffic Engineer. Counters
& Accessories Ltd are the UK’s leading traffic data
solutions provider, products set the standard for quality and
reliability.
Parc d’Activités de Brabois, 4 rue du bois Chêne le Loup, 54
500 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France. Tel: 00 33 3 83 44 24 13.
Fax: 00 33 3 83 44 37 97. Email: info@ecm-France.com .
Web Site: www.ecm-France.com
For 20 years, ECM have specialised in the detection of
vehicle type: car, bus, trucks and in the measurements of
weight and speed (Hestia Station). Thanks to the EOS option,
the Hestia stations enable measurement of the environmental
parameters of meteorology and pollution.
Churchill Road, Bicester, Oxfordshire, England OX26 4XT,
United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1869 362800. Fax: +44 (0) 1869
246858. Email: sales@goldenriver.com .
Web Site: www.goldenriver.com
For more than a quarter century, Golden River Traffic Ltd
have been the UK’s predominant specialist highway traffic
data system supplier. The business is about reliable and
accurate traffic measurement. Reliable to ensure that systems
are on-line when they are needed. Accurate so important
decisions can be taken on the basis of quality data. They are
committed to the philosophy of providing the highest quality
traffic information to allow customers to make the right
decisions at the right time. Their international activities
have enabled them to become familiar with technical progress
and advanced traffic management methods throughout the world.
They often represent the industry to government, making
technical presentations on the state of the art, and
represent the UK on international standardisation committees.
This reputation puts them in a unique position within the
market.
Towcester Mill, Towcester, Northants NN12 6AD, United
Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1327 357824. Fax: +44 (0) 1327 357825.
Email: sales@irisys.co.uk .
Web Site: www.irisys.co.uk
IRISYS was founded in 1996 to develop a world leading
position in the manufacture of low element count, low cost
uncooled two dimensional pyroelectric arrays. IRISYS has now
established a dedicated UK based manufacturing facility for
the production of commercial IR detector arrays and array
based sub systems and systems. IRISYS Array Based Detector
(ABD) products are targeted at the middle ground between the
inexpensive single element PIR detectors which form the heart
of many Intruder, Flame and Gas detection systems on the one
hand, and the very expensive 10K element and above arrays
used largely in military and paramilitary imaging
applications. The novel IRISYS technology is not only capable
of reliably detecting a required target, but can also provide
size, location, speed, number and direction of motion
information. All of the decision making required for simpler
applications may be accomplished by use of local signal
processing within the sensor unit. It thus lends itself to a
variety of market applications such as Fire, Security,
Transportation, Healthcare, Automotive and Gas Analysis. The
ABD arrays are used in two different ways, as passive array
based detectors or as low resolution thermal imagers. The
detectors are currently being used to detect, count and track
people and vehicles; the IRISYS thermal imagers have
redefined the term low cost by reducing the price of thermal
imagers from typically £15K – £0K to less than £4,500. These
imagers are creating a wide range of new applications in
condition monitoring and process control.
Systems House, Pentland Industrial Estate, Loanhead,
Midlothian EH20 9QH, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 131 440
3633. Fax: +44 (0) 131 440 3637. Email: enquiries@jmw-group.co.uk .
Web Site: www.jmw-group.co.uk
JMW Ltd is a specialist manufacturer supplying the traffic
and transport markets. The company’s products are designed to
improve public transport journey times and reliability, and
to increase the use of public transport by making journey
information more accessible. JMW is a Clear Zones award
winner, together with the City of Edinburgh, for the
Edinburgh Greenways initiative. Their products include:
SELECTIVE VEHICLE DETECTION SYSTEMS: for bus, emergency and
other nominated vehicle priority at traffic signal junctions,
access control into secure or restricted areas, and vehicle
movement monitoring.
REAL-TIME PASSENGER INFORMATION SYSTEMS: used to inform
passengers waiting at bus stops and other public areas about
impending public transport arrivals and departures. The
system can also be used for real-time vehicle tracking and
management.
Latherford Close, Four Ashes, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV10 7DY, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1902 791878. Fax: +44 (0) 1902 790901. Email: info@patgb.co.uk . Web Site: www.patgb.co.uk
Kings Worthy, Winchester, Hampshire , SO23 7QA, United
Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1962 883200. Fax: +44 (0) 1962 884026.
Email: sales@peek-traffic.co.uk .
Web Site: www.peek-traffic.co.uk
With operations based in the UK, Holland, Scandinavia, Asia
and the USA, Peek Traffic Ltd is able to offer truly
technical, innovative solutions to worldwide traffic problems
from a sophisticated product range. Advanced technology is
used wherever it can give real benefits to the
customer.
Peek’s comprehensive portfolio of products and systems
encompasses such basic elements as signal heads and vehicle
detectors and moves through core products, such as
enforcement cameras and intersection controllers to systems
for managing public transport fleets and for controlling
urban and motorway traffic. Peek’s design and production
capability is supported by strong service and maintenance
skills to enable the company to offer total turnkey
solutions.
Old Wokingham Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 6AU, United
Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1344 770007. Fax: +44 (0) 1344 770880.
Email: enquiries@trl.co.uk .
Web Site: www.trl.co.uk
TRL Ltd is an internationally recognised centre of excellence
providing world class research, advice and solutions for all
issues relating to land transport. TRL has worked at the
leading edge of innovation in the transport field for over 65
years. Their science and understanding continues to underpin
the development of the transport solutions they deliver to
clients around the world. TRL’s mission is to assist the
public sector to develop effective policies, transport
operators to improve efficiency and industry to generate
shareholder value and national wealth. TRL has a number of
unique facilities, including mobile testing equipment: test
track and small road network, advanced virtual reality
driving simulator, impact test facilities, tyre road noise
testing vehicle, accelerated pavement testing facility, large
scale structural testing, photographic and broadcast video
services and library and information databases.
Bell Close, Newnham Industrial Estate, Plympton Plymouth PL7 4JH, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1752 202116. Fax: +44 (0) 1752 202117. Email: info@bikeaway.com . Web Site: www.bikeaway.com
Cyclists love BikeAway - the cycle parking locker that keeps their bikes secure and dry and out of sight of vandals. More than 1000 BikeAways have been installed all over the UK in the last 2 years, for demanding clients including Sainsbury's, the BBC, Channel 4, Connex, numerous hospitals, education authorities, councils and an international airport. They chose BikeAway because it's the most secure locker on the market, with the smallest footprint and is a fraction of the price of its rivals.
Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, England BB1 2PR, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0) 1254 688688. Fax: +44 (0) 1254 667066. Email:
sales@iess.co.uk .
Web Site: www.iess.co.uk
Initial Systems has a project management and engineering
capability that is committed to providing high quality,
integrated communication and control systems worldwide, for a
customer base which includes the armed forces, commerce,
industry, the public and transport sector. In recent years,
one of Initial Systems’ major areas of growth has been within
the transportation sector, in particular it has developed
into a leading supplier of traffic monitoring systems
offering a unique full service capability which embodies
design and supply, project management, site management,
installation, commissioning, maintenance and customer
training.
Intelligent Highway Systems, Unit 12, Market Industrial
Estate, Yatton, Bristol, England BS49 4RF, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0) 1934 838803. Fax: +44 (0) 1934 876202, Email:
SSL@simulation-systems.co.uk .
Web Site: www.simulation-systems.co.uk
SSL is a software and hardware system specialist. We have
knowledge and experience of large screen travel information
systems, real-time software, variable message sign control,
CORBA and other communications formats. SSL consists of a
team of 26 software engineers, hardware engineers, wiremen
and data engineers.
Unit 1, Victoria Road, Eccleshill, Bradford, England BD2 2DD,
United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1274 630195. Fax: +44 (0) 1274
630196. Email: sales@solargb.co.uk .
Web Site: www.solargb.co.uk
Founded in 1995, Solar GB Ltd has been operating for just
over 6 years. In this period, they have developed and
released onto the market a varied range of energy efficient
traffic system products, and have committed themselves to the
field of product development.
Mobile Data Software, The Stable, High Cogges, Witney, Oxon,
England OX29 6UN, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1993 700220.
Fax: +44 (0) 1993 700410. Email: uk_sales@mobisoft.com .
Web Site: www.mobisoft.com
Mobisoft (UK) Ltd provides systems for automated scheduling
and dispatch of transport. The products are used for
real-time control of ‘Demand Responsive Transport’ and taxi
fleets. The concept of ‘Demand Responsive Transport’ (DRT)
offers a real alternative to car use. Passengers can be
picked up from their homes and dropped off at their chosen
locations, like using a taxi, yet the costs can be similar to
those normally associated with fixed line buses. Our systems
bring together technical advances in computing hardware,
digital maps, scheduling and route calculation algorithms,
remote communications and GPS to provide efficient
‘real-time’ services.
Mercat House, 6 High Street, Prestonpans, Scotland EH32 9SN,
United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1875 814555. Fax: +44 (0) 1875
814666. Email: Info@coeval-products.co.uk .
Web Site: www.coeval-products.co.uk
Founded in March 1987, specifically to provide high quality
driver information systems for road networks, Coeval Product
Ltd are already the world's premier supplier of Over Height
Vehicle Detector (OHVD) systems, and are aiming to match this
leadership with increasing the range of high visibility,
light emitting, fibre optic signs. These include text and
pictogram warnings for height, weight, length, Speed, queue,
Wind, Flood, Fog, Snow, ice, etc. The company design and
manufacture their own products and also design, integrate and
install their own and other manufacturers products, to
provide turnkey systems. They are also happy to handle all
the project management and associated civil engineering. The
company are BS/EN/ISO 9001 approved - certificate number
FM31529. The products are type approved by the UK Department
of Transport.
Astley House, 33 Notting Hill Gate, London, W11 3JQ, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7313 8400. Email: Sarah.Annable@cityspace.com. Web Site: www.cityspace.com
Cityspace are a media technology company who specialise in the development and deployment of urban digital networks that provide citizens with access to digital services. We work in partnership with municipalities and transport authorities to deliver out of home access to transport and public information services. To achieve this, Cityspace installs and maintains networks of public access touchscreen kiosks known as i-plus points.
42 Higher Bridge Street, Bolton, BL1 2HA, United Kingdom.
Tel: +44 (0) 1204 384709. Fax: +44 (0) 1204 384806. Email:
jtaylor@erggroup.com. Web
Site: www.erggroup.com
ERG Transit Systems are the world leader in the development
and supply of technologically advanced smart card systems and
services and automated fare collection products and systems.
ERG provides turnkey solutions to customers from design and
manufacture to supply, installation, commissioning, on-going
service and maintenance.
10 Willis Way, Fleets Industrial Estate, Poole, Dorset, BH15 3SS, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 1202 339339, Fax: +44 (0) 1202 339369. Email: sales@wayfarer.co.uk. Web Site: www.wayfarer.co.uk
A market leader with a fist class reputation for the design and supply of Fare Revenue Collection Systems featuring Smart Card, GPS and back office systems for the transport industry worldwide, through continual innovative technological developments. As an Integrated Systems provider, Wayfarer offers one-stop shopping for today's transport organisation.