TRAPRIO - Traffic Priority in City Traffic
Overview
Background & policy context:
The project was based on state-of-the-art low frequency tag/transponder, computer, radio communication and satellite technologies.
Objectives:
It was the goal of the project for the innovative elements of the project to be found in the application area:
- Use of low frequency tags/transponders for precise priority to certain vehicles, taking into account the actual position and speed of the vehicle so the the period of priority (green light) can be minimised and the amount of disturbance to traffic reduced.
- Road infrastructure managers' user requirements with regard to traffic priority, positioning of vehicles, flexible traffic signalling and traffic management;
- Ambulance service operators' user requirements with regard to needs for traffic priority and improved capture of data on ambulance operation;
- Police requirements with regard to traffic priority, positioning and increased information to passengers
Methodology:
The project was planned to last 36 months with the work being broken down into the following three phases:
Phase 1: Definition
The task in the Definition Phase was to bring the users to develop the user requirement specifications for the TRAPRIO project (which, due to the diversity of traffic situations and diversity of existing systems in the participating cities/countries, will be a good basis for a system for the European market).
On the basis of the user requirement specifications, the necessary operational requirement specifications were established by the industrial partners in the project and a validation plan will be established.
Phase 2: Implementation
The project was implemented at at least two different sites with different traffic situations:
In Kolding a system of 3 ambulances, 1 fire-engine, 84 buses, 1 main station and approximately 25 road crossings/traffic signals) was established for optimal and differentiated control of the traffic signalling system to minimise the driving time for ambulances through the city and improve the bus transport system. A demonstration of different bus priority situations (e.g. different priority for different vehicles, different priority at different hours of the day/week, or deciding on priority depending on whether the bus is late or on schedule).
In Ashford (Kent county, ENGLAND) a system of 10 buses, 5 police cars, 1 main station and 8 road crossing/traffic signals was established to demonstrate the use of bus priority in an integrated "park and ride" system, and a comparison with a "park and ride" bus priority system based on Differential GPS in Maidstone was made possible.
In addition to full scale test activities, a study was carried out regarding the conflict between specific priorities for emergency vehicles and buses on the one hand, and the need to ensure the overall capacity of the traffic system on the other.
Phase 3: Full Exploitation
Two full scale demonstrations have been executed over a 12-month period in order to gain experience with the system under all weather conditions and obtain the necessary statistics.
Evaluation of the project included an analysis of costs and benefits based on the full scale demonstrators. Users were involved in the evaluation work and assisted in the specification of a future system for the European market.
Development of the solutions
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