The Mayor of London Boris Johnson tasked TfL with developing new ways to ease disruption while they transform the capital’s roads through the £4 billion Road Modernisation Plan.
Today (29 September) he visited TfL’s traffic control centre to see for himself the work that is keeping the capital’s roads moving.
The innovations include:
- Trials of new technology – for the first time on the TfL road network a new generation of digital road signs will provide people with real-time information on journeys using major routes into London. The signs will initially be trialled on the A12, A13 and A40. TfL is also trialling a new operating system of temporary traffic lights that can be remotely controlled from TfL’s traffic control centre. This will mean the phasing of traffic lights can be changed quickly and efficiently by staff at the control centre to improve traffic flow and cut delays through roadwork areas.
- A London 2012 Games-style 24/7 communication campaign – each day TfL keeps its 450,000 @tfltrafficnews followers and website users up-to-date with the very latest traffic information and the calendar of works being carried out so people can plan ahead.
- Expanding the use of road junction technology, including the ‘Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique’ (SCOOT) to optimise traffic light timings in outer London. The introduction of SCOOT has proven to reduce delays by up to 12% at each junction where it has been installed.
- Working with sat-nav companies – the Mayor and TfL are encouraging firms to take advantage of the latest technology by using TfL’s extensive data feeds to update sat-navs so motorists can be provided with real-time TfL information as they drive, ensuring they can take the most appropriate routes.
Mr Johnson said: “Each day 80% of trips in the capital take place on the roads and TfL is pulling out all the stops to help make those journeys as efficient as they can be. A growing population and a strong economy mean that keeping pace with the rising expectations of all road users in a great city like ours is always going to be a challenge. However, with the biggest investment in a generation and making savvy use of new technology we’re working to deliver a more intelligent network that works better for everyone. Tackling congestion is a key part of the plan to improve the efficiency, safety and reliability of the roads. This will in turn help us to deliver world class urban realm, better cycling and pedestrian facilities and ensuring that our road network is fit for purpose in the 21st century.”
