Tackle congestion with intelligent solutions

Intelligent transport systems have a vital role to play in tackling  transport challenges ranging from cycling safety to motorway management, says Jennie Martin, secretary general of ITS (UK).  

At Smarter Travel LIVE! she will explain how electronics, information and communications technologies can deliver transport improvements more efficiently than extensions to physical infrastructure. 

“This will save money, typically 50%, and reduce environmental impact,” she asserts. 

ITS services and products are based on a wide variety of information about transport, travellers and vehicles, explains Martin. 

She says these solutions can be deployed on infrastructure to: improve road network management and increase productivity; on vehicles to improve safety, reduce journey times and polluting emissions; and by travellers to simplify ticketing and payment and deliver better information. 

ITS can connect these three sectors to improve mobility and accessibility across the board, she believes. Martin sees the adoption of ‘smart motorways’ as key to reducing congestion and making more efficient use of existing road space. “It can convert under-used hard shoulders into a running lane during ‘rush-hours’ and harmonise lane speeds during busy periods to increase throughput as well as reducing accidents.”

‘Smart motorways’ and similar active traffic management can also reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels, she points out.

Martin adds: “ITS (UK) can only be one part of any successful transport scheme and that is why we anticipate using Smarter Travel LIVE! to rekindle existing relationships with the wider transport world, and hope to welcome many colleagues from other disciplines to our ITS stream in the conference.”