A STEP INTO THE FUTURE

This article describes newly developed equipment being tested in the UK to help traffic flow more freely on motorways. Active Traffic Management (ATM) features technological measures designed to make the best use of the existing road space, with new management arrangements to provide faster incident response and clearance. The police, Highways Agency agents and contractors work as an integrated team. ATM components include traffic monitoring, variable message signs with text and pictograms, queue detection system, ramp/access metering to control entry to the motorway, and refuges for vehicles awaiting emergency services. The trial area, the M42 motorway in the Midlands, will be closely monitored, and then sites with the most potential to benefit will be identified. The article also mentions the Traffic Control Centre project, a nationwide strategic traffic management initiative to monitor conditions on the core trunk road network, measure journey times, calculate alternative routes and provide information in a variety of media. The author comments that a significant feature of developing traffic control systems is the dependency on partnerships between various concerned bodies.