New South Wales has launched Smarter Highways, a programme of low-cost technology trials on highways throughout state to prompt safer driver behaviour.
The A$5 million (US$3.2m) Smarter Highways programme aims to improve journey management, especially when a major disruption occurs. Each trial will feature technology that detects an issue on the network causing systems to be activated to warn drivers about hazards and, if possible, provide alternative options.
Most of the trial technologies are wireless solar-powered systems that can be installed relatively cheaply and are also tailored to suit individual sites, taking into account the environment and conditions of the road.
Smarter Highways is part of a suite of measures to improve road safety but will use technology to help create a safer work environment for road crews, traffic managers and emergency workers by reducing the amount of time they are exposed to live traffic.
Transport for NSW - which recently won an ITS Australia award for a smart infrastructure project - will trial the technologies on state-managed highways but also consider how they could be adapted for use on local roads, in partnership with local councils.
One such trial is the Smarter Highway Activated Vehicle and Environmental Systems, although the trial location has yet been decided. Self-adaptive electronic signage with machine learning capability can predict events and provide motorists with advance warning of hazards such as black ice, smoke or wildlife. The technology is designed to replace the current processes whereby maintenance crews need to source and locate portable variable message signs (VMS) to high-risk areas.
The trial includes three components to warn motorists - prism signs with vertical slats that slide across to reveal different warnings, VMS screens and flashing lights. The technology uses solar-powered signs with high-capacity batteries, localised radio communications between signs and full Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity for real-time remote access and status reporting.
Another trial is the Road Pod Vehicle Magnetometer for counting traffic. The device is installed on the road which can detect and provide information on vehicle volumes, classifications, speeds, headways, road temperatures and system health in real time. It consists of very low-cost 4G technology powered by solar panels and offers significant cost and time savings compared to ad hoc traffic surveys.
The Road Pod Vehicle Magnetometer is also easy to install and takes less than an hour to set up. It allows live monitoring of traffic in various scenarios but will be especially beneficial during the start and end of holidays, during harvest sessions and situations where monitoring seasonal variations and natural disaster periods is critical. Importantly, data collected will be provided via NSW Traffic Viewer. It can be deployed relatively quickly when a part of the network is likely to face disruption to help monitor and address impacts.
Trial locations for the Road Pod Vehicle Magnetometer will be along the Great Western Highway, the Kelso and Newell Highway and Dubbo.
For the Rural Intersection Activated Warning System trial, when a vehicle on a side road approaches a high-speed main road, sensors will trigger variable speed limit signs to instruct drivers on the main road to slow down. The system is designed to provide safer gaps in the traffic and provide more time for better driver reactions. This is particularly important for larger vehicles, such as trucks and buses, looking to turn from a side road onto a main road where vehicles will be travelling at much higher speeds than on the side road.
It is hoped that any crashes will be less severe due to the reduced speed limit when traffic is merging from the side roads. It also could reduce the need for permanent speed reductions on main roads. The technology is currently being used in the neighbouring state of Victoria and further trial locations are under investigation.
Another trial - where the type of technology to be used is still to be determined - will be conducted at Jenolan Caves - part of the Unesco World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains Area - ahead of its planned opening to the public later this year and also at the town of Cowra where roads are often flooded. The idea is to improve local area traffic management during major disruptions by providing safe reliable access in times of unplanned and planned events.
The Permanent Congestion Management trial will combine existing technology, such as radars and traffic signals, in a way that will enable dynamic management of traffic congestion at a notorious breakdown location in the Blue Mountains.
The trial is designed to resolve issues caused by vehicles breaking down while queuing on the steep climb up Victoria Pass during peak periods such as holidays and around key events such as the Bathurst 1000, a 1,000km touring car race held annually on the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst.
The Permanent Congestion Management system will detect eastbound queues forming at the top of Victoria Pass and that data will then be fed into the operation of traffic lights at the bottom of the hill. Vehicles will then be released up the hill in a managed way that is safe and reduces the number of vehicles breaking down on the incline.
If the trial is successful, this system will be a more permanent replacement for the current system whereby crews have to stay onsite during congested periods and use temporary signals to control the flow of traffic. The trial location of Victoria Pass is on the Great Western Highway near Mount Victoria.
