This paper describes the development and implementation of a traffic control and monitoring system in the English county of Dorset, shared between the Bournemouth and Poole unitary local authorities. The intention is to integrate the existing urban traffic control (UTC) systems and ancillary systems for these areas into an expanded system. Several options were available for each of the main types of traffic control system: (1) UTC, where a computer controls groups of signals; (2) RMS (remote monitoring of traffic signals), where individual sites report on their condition to an `instation'; and (3) FMS (fault management systems), where the contractual arrangements for signal repair and fault logging are contained within a single system operated by the system managers. Several options were specified for the UTC, RMS, and FMS of the new system, and specific option choices were made for each of them. To justify Oscar Faber's proposal to use proprietary equipment for the new project, a survey of local highway authorities was conducted to assess the performance of various equipment manufacturers, and asked five questions. The types of equipment surveyed were FMS, RMS, and MOVA (Microprocessor Optimised Vehicle Actuation). The new system was commissioned in September 1997, and its features are described.
Abstract