This article presents the case for the wide-area use of video-based solutions for effective traffic surveillance for comprehensive road network management. Transport policies in the UK have recently shifted from more road construction to managing the finite capacities of existing roads to provide maximum efficiency in response to traffic demand. This changes the monitoring requirement from only measuring traffic demand and behaviour to determining the relationship between available capacity and its use. As vehicle detection technology for road traffic monitoring is already well established, there should now be a focus on techniques that add to knowledge of how a road network is being used. Several methods should be used for collecting data and deriving information for network and traffic monitoring. Video cameras have the advantage that their images can be used manually, and automation can be applied incrementally. The presence of a significant sensing network will encourage technology development. Thus a comprehensive fixed video network is a flexible low-risk investment, with considerable potential for further enhancement. Combined with image processing, it can provide a core input to managing the use of a network's capacity, based on a flexible extensible low-risk approach.
Abstract