Management of traffic in urban areas will be increasingly important in the future. The SCOOT UTC system started with the aim of minimising delay for vehicles, however various tools for managing traffic have been added as it has developed. The specification being produced for the Department of Transport and the Traffic Director for London, for future UTMC (urban traffic management and control) systems needs to consider future traffic management strategies. TRL has been responsible for the research on strategies in UTMC, starting with a detailed study of related work in Europe and an investigation of developments in Japan, America and Australia. A set of potential strategies of interest to traffic managers was built up from Highway Authorities' stated objectives and the knowledge of all the researchers developing the UTMC specification. A broad view has been taken of strategies, including such possibilities as provision of general traveller information, road pricing, parking management, integration of route guidance and UTC and integrated control of urban motorways and all-purpose roads. Strategies being developed for existing UTC systems are included, such as public transport priority, better facilities for vulnerable road users and control of traffic to improve environmental conditions. The aim of the project is to consider how UTMC systems are likely to be used to implement strategies. Therefore, the study included not only strategies but also how to implement them, taking account of the interactions and conflicts between strategies and how to resolve conflicts through the UTMC specification.
Abstract