Highways Agency

Information and Documentation: Traffic Control Centre (TCC)

Strategic Traffic Management

Foreword

The Government's aim is to make better use of the existing trunk road network to bring about a sustainable, modern and integrated transport
system. An important step in achieving this will be to exploit new technology to provide better information to drivers and co-ordinate traffic flows across the network. As part of this aim we announced in the Integrated White Paper that we had asked the Highways Agency to work up proposals for Traffic Control Centres. This document sets out the proposals envisaged for this vital project.

The Highways Agency will use the Traffic Control Centre project to manage actively the level and flow of traffic on the network. It will also provide road users with high quality information to make informed choices about how and when they travel.

The TCC project is a key part of the Agency's strategy for developing the new role the Government has given it as a network operator. It will greatly improve the Agency's ability to manage the traffic flows on the motorway and trunk road network in addition to maintaining and improving it. I am looking forward to this important project being delivered as quickly as possible, in partnership with the private sector.

Lord Whitty,
Roads Minister

What is the Highways Agency?

controllers

The Highways Agency was established in 1994 to manage and maintain the trunk road network in England. In July 1998 the Government gave the Agency the wider strategic aim of "maintaining, operating and improving the network in support of the Government's integrated transport and land use planning policies".

With this new aim the Agency has extended its original role to become a network operator, focusing on a newly defined core network of strategically important routes in England. The Agency's priorities are to maintain, make best use of and improve the core network.

Purpose of Traffic Control Centres

Computer screen The Traffic Control Centres (TCCs) project will provide the platform for the traffic management, control and information systems required for the next century. TCCs will allow the management of traffic at a strategic level on the nationally important core network in England.

They will:

Improve journey time reliability.
Reduce disruption caused by major incidents.
Provide alternative route advice to minimise the effect of congestion and incidents.
Minimise delays due to roadworks.
Influence road users' decisions before they set out on a journey about potential route, time and means of travel by providing reliable and accurate information.

One of the latest in-car navigation systems under development is Radio Data System - Traffic Message Channel (RDS-TMC), a new radio service broadcasting up to the minute traffic information for specific roads direct to your vehicle

MDIS

How the system works now

The TCC project will build upon the existing traffic management system, which allows the police and the Highways Agency to manage traffic on the motorway and trunk road network in response to accidents and incidents.

At present the traffic on English motorways is controlled by 32 Police Control Offices. The police monitor traffic conditions throughout the motorway and trunk road network using their patrols and by CCTV. They respond to emergency telephones, attend incidents and set road safety message signs to warn drivers of any obstructions and congestion ahead.

The Agency provides the equipment for these control centres and liaises with the police over their operation. For example in May 1998 it handed over to Avon and Somerset police a £5.5 million closed circuit television (CCTV) project in the Bristol area, which monitors 150 miles of trunk road with 37 CCTV cameras at strategic points.

controller The Agency also has some large scale traffic management capability. It has pioneered successful traffic control and driver information systems, which will now be incorporated into the TCCs. Two systems covering the Midlands and Kent are already in operation. In the Midlands between 20 and 30 strategic diversion plans are implemented each month and about 40 per cent of drivers accept advice given to them. Results such as these have demonstrated the potential to reduce significantly delays on the network by extending traffic management to cover the whole of the core network.

Proposed TCC structure

What TCCs will add

controller TCCs will add to the Highways Agency's ability to manage traffic by providing:

Traffic monitoring and strategic traffic control management over the whole of England's core network. Strategic management requires real time information on traffic conditions over the whole network, including alternative routes. This will be collected in a real time database and used in a computerised network model which will predict what traffic conditions will be like several hours ahead. Alternative strategies for managing the traffic will be tested and the best one chosen so that road users can be advised
via on-road and in-car information services.
Co-ordinated traffic and travel information. TCCs will make information available via a computerised 'traffic information highway', from which all driver information service providers will be able to access relevant and reliable information to pass on to their customers.
Network performance-monitoring. The TCCs will monitor traffic flows and provide statistics to show how the network is performing in traffic terms. The data will also be available for use in the Highways Agency's traffic models and to supply information for the Highways Agency's Information Line.
The TCCs will work closely with the police control offices in responding to accidents and incidents on the network. In time the TCCs may take over responsibility from the police for handling calls from the emergency roadside telephones but this will not be part of the initial TCC contract.

How TCCs will be provided

The Highways Agency will be developing a public/private partnership to provide the TCC services. After a competition, the successful private sector partner (the TCC company) will provide the traffic control centres, network monitoring and driver information system, as well as information on the performance of the network.

TCCs will be operated to procedures agreed by the Highways Agency in partnership with others who have a role in running the road network. The TCC systems and staff will be provided by the private sector. These people will also be responsible for providing much improved traffic information, making the best use of new technology in information systems and mobile communications.

The number of control centres needed to provide the required services will depend upon the proposals submitted by the private sector. The Highways Agency is looking to identify the optimum, most cost-effective way to support the future operational management of England's trunk roads. The Highways Agency will specify core requirements for TCC services but the private sector will have significant freedom to put forward their own ideas. After negotiations, the Highways Agency will select the preferred proposals for implementation. It is expected that the range of services provided by the TCC company will increase in response to drivers' needs and the opportunities afforded by developing technology.

motorway The information required over the life of the contract to operate the TCCs will be supported by existing systems installed on the network. However, these will need considerable expansion as every link and junction of the trunk road system, some 2,000 in all, will need to be covered. Additional monitoring will come from the installation of more CCTV cameras, a network of road sensors and traffic reports from information providers.

Benefits TCCs will bring

The TCCs will benefit travellers, particularly road users, by:

Providing quality traffic and travel information to travellers even before they start a journey and helping them decide the best way to reach their destination. This will help to balance traffic across the network and encourage drivers to consider alternative forms of transport, to change their time of travel, or perhaps encourage them not to travel at all.
Providing roadside information, via a national network of variable message signs, advising drivers of conditions on the network and suggesting alternative routes or other means of travel. This will warn drivers of queues ahead, help the police to manage traffic after accidents and help smooth flows to minimise 'stop-start' conditions.
Making relevant and reliable information available to private sector organisations for them to pass onto their customers both in their vehicles and before they start their journeys.
Helping the police and other emergency services by removing some of the burden of dealing with congestion caused by incidents on the network.
Improving monitoring of the network performance aiding better management.
Providing an organisational and technical framework for the introduction of new traffic systems (eg ramp metering) as they become generally available.

The result

Less congestion, less pollution, greater road safety and less stress for road users.

"The TCCs will be a world first for such a strategic system", says Lawrie Haynes, Chief Executive of the Highways Agency. "They will be a major step forward in helping the Highways Agency make the best use of the motorways and trunk roads in our new role as a network operator".

What happens now?

Private companies and consortia have been invited to submit documents to pre-qualify for the tender process. Tenderers will be selected in spring 1999 and tenders will be received in summer 1999. The target date for award of contract is late summer 2000.

timetable

For more information

Information about the Highways Agency and its new role contact:

the Public Relations Department on 020 7921 4323.

For information about journey conditions on the motorway and trunk road network, contact:

the Highways Agency Information Line on 08457 50 40 30 8am to 8pm weekdays and 9am to 5pm at weekends and public holidays, or the Current Roadworks Information Bulletin.