Design and Implementation of Integrated Network Management in the Netherlands

Isolated dynamic traffic management (DTM) measures are a widely applied means to improve road network performance. It is well known that the uncoordinated deployment of DTM measures can yield suboptimal, perhaps even counterproductive impacts, in particular in the case of non-recurrent conditions. Dynamic coordination of DTM measures (Integrated Network Management) is put forward as one of the promising solution directions for efficient utilization of road networks. To investigate the potential of Integrated Network Management (INM) in reality, the Dutch Ministry of Transportation has provided a budget of 50 million Euros set up for a large-scale field operational test in which INM is implemented in and around the Dutch city of Amsterdam. The control approach is based on smart integration of established concepts, theories and best practices of (coordinated) DTM and Integrated Corridor Management (ICM). This paper presents an overview of the overall approach with a focus on the developed control framework, based on the principles of escalation, supervision, and graceful degradation. The paper will discuss the main challenges that are to be overcome in order to deploy INM at such large scale into practice. The paper briefly discusses the evaluation program that is set up to gain insights and are gathered into the effects on traffic flows, reliability, livability and safety of the designed system.