This paper describes the Dutch Motorway Control & Signalling System (MCSS), and reviews all its changes during the first twelve years of its use. MCSS first became operational in late 1981, on a 12km stretch of road. Since 1981, it has continually been modified and improved. By 1993, it had been installed on almost 200km of Dutch motorways, and it is due to be installed on 200km more during the next few years. The Dutch Ministry of Transport has been able to update the system and keep it uniform, and is already planning its next improvement. The original system had two main functions: (1) a lane control facility, enabling road works to be performed more quickly and efficiently, and making it possible to take adequate making it possible to take adequate precautions in case of accidents; and (2) an automatic incident detection and warning function, intended to reduce the number of (secondary) accidents, due to queues and other disruptions of traffic flow. The system included a built-in research facility, to measure the effect of these functions and tune the system's parameters. The paper discusses: (1) the basic system concept; (2) safety aspects; (3) traffic management functions; (4) system operation; (5) the addition of new functions; and (6) future developments.
Abstract