Intertraffic World 2018

INTERTRAFFIC WORLD

2018 SHOWCASE

INFRASTRUCTURE • TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT • SAFETY • PARKING • SMART MOBILITY

INFR A ST RUC T UR E • T R A FFIC M A N AG EMEN T • S A FE T Y • PA R K ING • SM A RT MOBIL I T Y

PUBLISHED BY UKi MEDIA & EVENTS

2018SHOWCASE

From the publisher of

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CONTENTS | 1

The concept of embedding an integrated transport system on Dutch roads is very different from the real-world implementation of these technologies Louis Hendriks, international traffic advisor, Rijkswaterstaat, Netherlands

The elements in the MaaS ecosystem are all very different and don’t necessarily speak the same language James Datson, principal technologist and MaaS lead, Transport Systems Catapult, UK

10

The personal touch

12

Leading Europe into the future

Richard Butter on the highlights of this year’s events James Gordon reports on the Dutch-led creation of an ITS timeline helping transportation professionals across the continent implement new technologies

20

Smog solutions

30

Bringing MaaS to the UK

Jack Roper investigates the impact of Mexico City’s low-emission zone and what other cities can learn Rachelle Harry speaks to Transport Systems Catapult technologists to find out why only MaaS will lead to a successful roll-out of autonomous vehicles in the UK

Infrastructure

36

Underground revolutions

64

The ultimate test

The largest bicycle parking facility in the world is taking shape in Utrecht, as Tom Stone discovers

Ensuring road markings are applied accurately, consistently and quickly is Kamber’s aim

42

Pacific express

66

Cushion the blow

An ambitious road project in Mexico is almost complete. Michael Donlevy reports

Lindsay is increasing safety in the tightest of road spaces with quick-to-install crash cushions

48

Better ways to hog the road

68

Smarter ways to work

Waterblasting Technologies helps create some of the most advanced road marking vehicles in the world

Revolutionizing retroreflectometer control by integrating Easylux software into smartphones

50

Environmentally friendly signs

70

Colors that keep you safe

Val Plastika’s recycled plastic is being used to make traffic signs – and cutting waste in the process

Creative designs from Geveko Markings aren’t just pretty – they also improve road safety

52

High-quality road marking

72

An innovative barrier solution

Electronic controls from Applied Turbine Technologies can prepare road surfaces to a high standard

Margaritelli Ferroviaria is increasing safety around bridges in an unobtrusive way

54

Reliable rumble strip creation

75

Choosing wisely

Borum Industri is simplifying the production of safety-enhancing centerline rumble strips

Road operators need to know that not all posts are created equal, says Pexco

56

Marked improvement

78

Fast evaluation of road assets

Upgraded retroreflectometers from Delta Light & Optics are helping road marking inspections

Demonstrating efficient road demarcation evaluation with Reflective Measurement Systems

59

Built for purpose

80

Rural road watch

Maintenance vehicles from KoPab are designed for specific applications

Selecting the right barrier for the right countryside road is important, says Heintzmann Group

62

Testing visibility in the field

82

The VMS that never sleeps

Zehntner Testing Instruments is making road safety budgets go further

Triplesign is ensuring that signs in safety-critical applications work even during a power cut

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

2 | CONTENTS

Traffic management

In addition to transport flow optimization, ITS will address the issue of priority travel Maxim Liksutov, Moscow’s head of the Department for Transport and Road Infrastructure Development

86

C-ITS in cities of the future

120 The best of both worlds

94

Can ITS fight terror in Moscow?

123 Road watch

Osama Al-Gazali considers the need for standardizing C-ITS across Europe

Eugene Gerden explores the implications of ITS control being used to foil terrorist attacks

A wheel-load scale from Haenni combines both permanent and mobile weight-enforcement stations Sprinx Technologies is helping traffic managers quickly identify and respond to incidents

100 Simpler management

126 Weight to go

103 Next-generation traffic control

128 Seeing the bigger picture

Intelligent traffic solutions from Swarco can process and analyze huge amounts of data Smart software platforms are required to truly manage today’s overcrowded roads, says Telegra

106 Better measurement in motion Betamont is providing the central intelligence of ITS that collects and processes retrieved information

108 Route zero

A Squalio Cloud Consulting project is proving it is possible to eliminate road deaths on one Latvian road

110 Technology in motion

Kistler’s WIM technology is proving an effective way of enforcing vehicle weight regulations

112 Mobile enforcement of tolls

Patrol vehicle toll regulation technology from EFKON is ensuring more violators are identified and charged

114 The eyes of ITS

Gardasoft Vision lenses are helping camera technology develop

116 Precision P-Iris lenses

Optimized resolution and depth of field make Lumenera’s product ideal for outdoor ITS applications

118 Connected transit signal priority Signal Group has developed technology giving transit vehicles priority at intersections

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Intercomp sensors are contributing important information that is expanding the potential of ITS Simple to use smart camera technology from BC Sistemas is helping police and traffic managers do their jobs

131 City-friendly cameras

Processing software from Macq is harnessing ALPR data for the benefit of more than just transportation

134 Unlocking the value of data

International Road Dynamics is showing the value of collating traffic data from a variety of sources

136 Sensing road safety

Parifex’s speed control systems are improving vehicle monitoring and traffic management in France

138 A shortcut to control room cost-efficiency

Mitsubishi Electric is making it possible to upgrade old control room screen technology cheaply

142 Winning the crime battle

Tamper-evident technology from Schreiner PrinTrust is stopping offenders from avoiding detection

144 Airport traffic control

Improving traffic congestion in and around Barcelona’s busy El Prat airport with Sensefields

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4 | CONTENTS

148 Passport for cars

163 Road scanners

150 The right lenses for CMOS

164 Saving lives with science

152 Designing the best traffic lights

167 ITS and solid-state lidars

154 Improving safety in the city

170 Two-in-one enforcement

156 Traffic manager vision

172 Simple smart-city upgrades

License plate technology from Tönnjes will reduce vehicle-related crime Tamron sensors are reducing blur in readouts of vehicles traveling at speed Giving traffic signals appropriate attention will enhance road networks, says Spinnea Traffic managers have more at their disposal to respond to violations, thanks to AŽD Praha

Lector Vision ensures traffic flows as it should

158 Increasing safety with ALPR

Modern cities are now able to protect all road users without intrusive infrastructure, says ARH

160 Back to the future

Dangerous road surface conditions can be flagged up with MetSense technology Bringing greater accuracy to the recording of traffic violations with De Vocht Redefined optical detection and ranging capabilities are the result of LeddarTech technology A Vitronic traffic enforcement system is increasing safety in Berlin’s central square Adding extra capabilities to existing infrastructure is a quick route to smart-city living, says MAV Systems

174 A close eye on traffic

Vision Components is stretching what is possible with ALPR technology

Asura Technologies is providing customer-focused ALPR with positive results

Progress on road safety has stalled, pressing the need for a road collision investigation branch, so that lessons can be learned to prevent future crashes Jason Wakeford, director of campaigns, Brake

Safety 180 Fighting death on our roads

Tom Stone reports on the potential of a geographical information system in putting a stop to the rising number of road fatalities in the UK

190 Safe and pleasant cycle paths Protected bicycle lanes are a simple concept but designing a working one isn’t, says Vita International

194 Safety visions

Avery Dennison is improving traffic sign visibility and increasing road safety as a result

197 Safety in words

Langmatz’s audible technology is leading to safer road crossings

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

200 Future sign supports

Sign support systems from Saferoad are meeting growing demand for easy setup products

202 No more drunk drivers

The popularity of Alcohol Countermeasure Systems’ breath testing technology is rising

204 Vision for the visually impaired JoBe Lighting technology is guiding those with poor eyesight safely around cities

206 C rossing streets without signals

PrismaTibro technology is playing its part in making Vision Zero a reality

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6 | CONTENTS

Parking 232 Smarter parking payment

The capabilities of parking operators are expanding, thanks to Hectronic software

234 How to become smarter

Quercus Technologies cuts through the smart city noise and outlines a path to the desired goal

236 Automatic parking systems 210 Space man

Popular parking practices are outdated but can easily be improved, says Lödige Systems

James Allen speaks to traffic theorist Donald Shoup about how his once radical ideas are beginning to percolate through the industry

238 IoT: Smart mobility’s enabler

216 Big ideas

240 RFID: parking and tolling

Dan Hubert considers the potentially revolutionary ways in which big data could impact the traffic management world for the better

221 Multimodal solutions

Green Center’s research focuses on a key feature of smart city technologies

224 Cash-friendly technology

Not everyone wants cashless systems, and SuzoHapp is providing modern solutions to fill the gap

226 Airport parking solutions

A sophisticated management system from HUB Parking is optimizing operations at a Danish airport

228 A novel shopping experience CUR Systemtechnik’s parking guidance is brightening up Europe’s largest shopping center

230 It pays to recycle cash

Sophisticated cash-management solutions from Crane Payment Innovations

Nedap expects the Internet of Things to lead to a large-scale roll-out of wireless parking sensors

Dual-application technology from Schreiner PrinTrust is increasing efficiency and security

243 Get out of the loop

Optex has solved the expensive hassle of inductive loops with roadside sensor technology

244 Driving your digital future

Skidata digital technology is streamlining the tasks of parking operators

246 More than parking payment Automatic parking systems offer much more than basic functions, says Eltra Sistemi

Now is the time for policy makers and road authorities to plan for disruptive technologies, not debate when they will arrive, says Luis Willumsen

261 Smarter traffic solutions

Dynniq is showing what is possible technologically in reducing congestion and improving road safety

264 Enhancing mobility with IoT

Combining technologies is enabling Kathrein RFID Solutions to realize smart city transportation

266 The path to smarter mobility V2X hardware from Kapsch will help to shape next-generation transportation

268 Cities of the future

InVipo software from Cross Zlín is the easy-to-use platform that helps to make cities smarter

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Editor: Tom Stone Deputy editor: Rachelle Harry Assistant editor: James Allen Production editor: Alex Bradley Chief sub editor: Andrew Pickering Deputy production editor: Nick Shepherd Senior sub editor: Christine Velarde Sub editors: Tara Craig, Alasdair Morton Art director: Craig Marshall Art editor: Andy Bass Design team: Anna Davie, Louise Green, Andrew Locke, James Sutcliffe, Nicola Turner, Julie Welby, Ben White Head of production/logistics: Ian Donovan Deputy production manager: Robyn Skalsky Production team: Carol Doran, Bethany Gill, Frank Millard, George Spreckley

248 The future of parking

Advertising

250 Streetwise parking and ITS

CEO: Tony Robinson Managing director: Graham Johnson Editorial director: Anthony James

One Polish university is revolutionizing its parking facilities with Polchip technology Q-Free explains how new communications protocol can revolutionize a variety of ITS applications

Smart mobility 254 Taming automated vehicles

Editorial

International advertising sales and publication director: Andy Taylor (andy.taylor@ukimediaevents.com)

The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the publishers. While every care has been taken during production, the publisher does not accept any liability for errors that may have occurred.

270 Operation: future mobility

Published by

272 Driving fleets in the cloud

a division of UKIP Media & Events Ltd

Automated and connected driving is coming but will depend on existing intelligence, says Siemens Powerful processing software from Congatec is significantly enhancing bus services

274 Smarter city management

UKi Media & Events, Abinger House, Church Street, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DF, UK Tel: +44 1306 743744 Fax: +44 1306 742525

Managing spiralling population densities with Grupo Etra’s intelligent traffic systems

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276 Drivers of urban mobility

This publication and its contents are protected by copyright ©2018

World Sensing’s advanced data analytics is meeting future transportation challenges

279 Advertisers’ directory 288 Last word

TRL Academy’s Richard Cuerden on the key players delivering truck platooning

ISSN 2042-7204 (print); 2397-5989 (online)

Intertraffic World is a partnership with Amsterdam RAI, organizers of the Intertraffic events Contact: Amsterdam RAI, PO Box 77777, NL-1070 MS Amsterdam, Netherlands Tel: +31 20 549 12 12, www.intertraffic.com

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8 | EDITOR’S COMMENT

Welcome

In November 2017 Intertraffic returns for its second show in Mexico City, in March 2018 for its biennial event in Amsterdam, and in May it will be back in Beijing. This magazine will help you track down some of the highlights at those events, as well as bringing you insight from experts from across the industry and predictions for the future of mobility.

One of the much cited benefits of the coming autonomous vehicle revolution is predicted to be the extra free time it will create for all of us as we ride to our destinations. While the vehicle itself worries about where we are heading – and not crashing – we will be able to work, play and relax in our cars – or so the thinking goes. But how realistic is this dream?

I’ve been putting it to the test in recent weeks as I carshare with a co-worker on our one-hour commute. Each morning and evening every other week, while Vladimir is driving, I can get my laptop out, balance it on my knees, and use the time to get some magazine work done. In fact I’m writing this as we – oops, hang on – take a corner rather sharply.

Never before have I felt so connected with roads while writing!

So after a fair few weeks doing this, what’s the verdict? Well… I’m still being productive, so working in a car is certainly not impossible. However, I’m being spurred on far more by urgent deadlines than by it being in any way an enjoyable experience. Potholes, speed bumps, tight corners, steep hills, overtaking maneuvers, roundabouts and adverse weather all intrude into my ‘mobile office’. Far too often I have to grab the laptop to stop it sliding into the footwell. And ultimately, particularly when riding in the dark, mild motion sickness becomes the biggest limiting factor in maintaining meaningful levels of concentration. It’s a far cry from the smooth, calm experience I’ve had when working on a train. So yes, though working in a car is possible, is it desirable? Is it pleasant enough for our future selves to view as a real advantage of autonomous vehicles? Possibly not.

I’ve realized that the reason you don’t often see passengers in vehicles tapping away on their laptops is because it’s not that pleasant. On the other hand, on the weeks when I am driving I do lament the ‘lost’ hours. And one would hope that with advances in the interior design of vehicles, and given the potentially much smoother driving style of autonomous systems over human drivers, that some of the unpleasantness I currently experience will become a thing of the past. Perhaps the desire to work in autonomous vehicles will also put pressure on road builders to increase the quality of infrastructure, so roads will become smoother, straighter and wider. That’s something that is currently happening in Mexico, as you can find out on page 42. Projects like this are certain to be discussed as Intertraffic returns to Mexico City on November 15.

But even given this best case scenario for our future ‘mobile workstations’, could the ultimate result be that, rather than leaving the office earlier each day, workers will simply be expected to get more done, due to the extra hours they have available? Indeed, history has shown that whenever technology has created more time, we are particularly good at filling it, not with more relaxation or fun, but with more stuff that simply must be done, thereby increasing, rather than reducing, stress.

The unforeseen consequences of autonomous vehicles are a key topic covered by transportation consultant Luis Willumsen in his excellent paper Taming Automated Vehicles, which you can read on page 254. The preparations that road authorities must make for the coming revolution are laid out by Louis Hendriks in his innovative ITS Timeline, which is guiding transportation planners in the Netherlands and beyond – see page 12. Elsewhere in this year’s Intertraffic World you’ll find more highlights to watch out for at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2018 and other events around the globe. The world of mobility is changing, and Intertraffic will help us all to predict, prepare for and adapt to those changes.

Though working in a car is possible, is it desirable? Is it pleasant enough for our future selves to view as a real advantage of autonomous vehicles? Possibly not

From the publisher of October/November 2017

Face recognition

The new AI techniques that will aid future traffic enforcement

The game changer Blazingly fast, next-generation mobile communications are now being tested for V2X applications. We look at how the coming revolution will affect your roads ING FEATUR

| Connected corridors The roadside hardware that transportation departments are already installing to ‘talk’ to vehicles

EXCLUSIVE SHOW PREV IEWS!

| Truck platooning Could the UK’s new trial be the one that ultimately leads to full-scale real-world deployment?

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Tom Stone Editor

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10 | INSIDE STORY

The personal touch

Intertraffic’s Richard Butter reveals the show highlights to watch for in Amsterdam (and around the world) over the next 12 months. Look out for him if you’re at an Intertraffic event – he’s always happy to chat with old friends, and make new ones Intertraffic Amsterdam is back! How will 2018 be different from 2016?

After the success of 2016, our 2018 edition will be much bigger. We expect it to grow by around 20%. It will be the best way to get a fully comprehensive overview of the traffic technology and related automotive industry, all under one roof. We are expecting close to 800 exhibitors in Amsterdam.

We will also launch a new startup event for smart mobility: ITSUP! will give startups the opportunity to pitch innovative solutions and connect with suitable partners. Because the event has partly been made possible by sponsors, startups pay a participation fee of only €495 (US$580).

Hall 8, meanwhile, will be totally dedicated to the growing topic of smart mobility, reflecting the transformations happening in traffic technology and automotive industry, whereby cooperation and connections are key. The latest products and services, mobility projects, trends and innovations related to smart, safe and sustainable mobility will be on display.

The hall will feature numerous stands, two theaters and an indoor demonstration area.

What are you, personally, most looking forward to in Amsterdam?

Firstly, meeting old friends again on the show floor. We do meet a lot of participants in between the Amsterdam shows, at our events in Mexico, Istanbul and China, but to see them all again in Amsterdam is always a pleasure.

And, of course, I’m looking forward to the launch of the startup event, ITSUP. We have worked hard to bring it alive and are confident it will bring startups, traditional participants and visitors another level of innovation and may lead to new types of cooperation.

What makes Amsterdam the ideal location for the event?

For me, Amsterdam is still one of the most beautiful cities in the world. RAI Amsterdam is easy to access via the highways and it takes only a few minutes to get to and from Schiphol Airport. Furthermore, the Dutch government is looking at new technologies

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

driving, which should lower the number of casualties and lead to less congestion. So the car of the future will literally be the ‘driver’ of the industry. OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, ICT, telcos and big data will all come together in the car. Interesting times, because these developments offer us all big opportunities.

Intertraffic Mexico is now in its second year. In what ways has the event grown?

In 2016 the inaugural Intertraffic Mexico show was a landmark event in a new dawn for Mexican transportation, becoming a runaway success, and attracting more exhibitors and visitors than even the most optimistic predictions. No surprises, then, that the event is back again this year, bigger and better than before.

to solve challenges in the area of transport, the environment and safety. The Netherlands wants to take the lead in new initiatives like the Internet of Things and connectivity, and the country is a unique testing ground for smart mobility solutions. That’s why the government is supporting development in many ways, from providing testing facilities to adjusting rules and regulations.

It’s all part of what makes Intertraffic Amsterdam the largest, most prominent traffic technology innovation platform in the world.

How is the industry changing?

The industry is evolving rapidly. Several disruptive technologies are entering our traffic technology industry. Connectivity, electrification, Mobility-as-a-Service and autonomous driving are the significant ones, in my opinion. The latter is stimulating unexpected collaborations between telecommunications, IT and auto manufacturers.

They are all fighting for the next big thing.

What will be the biggest challenges for the industry over the next two years?

The European Commission is really stimulating the development of autonomous

What should attendees particularly look out for at Intertraffic Mexico 2017?

Alongside the exhibition hall, there will be keynote addresses in the venue’s auditorium from some inspiring and visionary speakers.

One speaker whom we are particularly looking forward to is Diana Zhou, market strategy manager for Hyperloop One – the only company in the world to have built a full-system prototype for Hyperloop, the futuristic airline-speed train concept.

What other Intertraffic events should we be adding to our diaries?

Besides Intertraffic Amsterdam, we’re really looking forward to our inaugural show in Indonesia from October 31 – November 2, 2018. It’s a new show organized with trade show experts at Tarsus and will be co-located with the existing Indonesia Infrastructure Week. It is a great opportunity because of the huge infrastructure agenda.

The Indonesian government plans to spend more than US$400bn on infrastructure before 2021. Also planned for 2018 are Intertraffic China (May 28-30) and the third edition of Intertraffic Mexico (November 13-15). n Richard Butter is director of traffic technology at RAI Amsterdam and is responsible for Intertraffic worldwide events, www.intertraffic.com

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12 | ITS TIMELINE

Leading Europe into the future The Netherlands’ national road operator, Rijkswaterstaat, has created an innovative and dynamic ITS timeline, which is helping transportation professionals across the continent deploy and prepare for the bewildering array of new traffic technology that is now being produced and planned Words | James Gordon

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

ITS TIMELINE | 13

The ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, may have coined the famous phrase, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’, but perhaps it is the Netherlands, with its low-lying geography and densely packed towns and cities, that has inspired the groundbreaking ideas and extraordinary feats of innovation that have done most to advance his concept in the modern day.

But if Dutch engineers have found a way to tame the powerful North Sea storm surges that threaten its flat geography, Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), the national road network operator in the Netherlands, is battling to prevent an equally potent man-made tempest, largely comprised of technological uncertainty and lack of visibility, from making landfall. These disruptive winds that batter and bombard the Netherlands and the rest of the world are being driven by the unrelenting pace of innovation and the ceaseless march of automation. The eventual result? Positive change in the form of a smart mobility revolution, dominated by intelligent self-driving cars, roadside infrastructure and linked together by real-time data.

However, what is far from clear is when this integrated transportation system, with smart

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

14 | ITS TIMELINE

Rijkswaterstaat’s Leading Innovation Timeline

infrastructure and intelligent vehicles at its very heart, will emerge.

It is a conundrum that Louis Hendriks has been grappling with for three years, and one that inspired him to create the first Leading Innovation Timeline (LIT) in 2015.

Since then, RWS has created a new version of this remarkable visual tool every year, each aiming to chart the major breakthrough technologies like intelligent transport systems (ITS) that are likely to have the most seismic impact on traffic management between now and 2035.

Explains Hendriks, who is RWS’s international traffic advisor and also

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

chairs its ITS team, “The concept of embedding an integrated transport system on Dutch roads is very different to the real-world implementation. Just because a technology is commercially available, for example, it doesn’t mean that it will bring about immediate and radical

transformation. Change doesn’t happen overnight. And this paradigm shift won’t occur all at once. It will be a slow and iterative process. But, most importantly, no one really knows what exactly will alter, when it will occur, and how exactly it will affect the world of traffic management. How,

The concept of embedding an integrated transport system on Dutch roads is very different to the real-world implementation of these technologies Louis Hendriks, international traffic advisor, Rijkswaterstaat, Netherlands

ITS TIMELINE | 15

Left: Half of the Leading Innovation Timeline, which shows when different technologies will reach maturity and fully impact traffic management

Waiting for the fiber future

therefore, are traffic managers and road operators expected to anticipate these changes and plan for the future? The LIT is an attempt to tackle that unpredictability head-on and to provide a clear, concise and powerful real-world road map for the future.”

The 2017 timeline, which contains key data and expert input both domestically and from road operators who participate in European ITS Platform (www.its-platform. eu), focuses on 10 of the most significant Information Communication Technologies (ICT), citing not just the date they will become available commercially, but also listing the tipping point when their effect

They fill so many newspaper column inches that you could be forgiven for thinking that self-driving cars already dominate our roads. They don’t, and full vehicle automation safe enough to be deployed on public roads is still many years away. Louis Hendriks, who has worked for the Dutch road authority RWS for over two decades, explains the building blocks that have to be laid down first before the dream of autonomous vehicles becomes a reality. So what will the basic infrastructure look like?

“The cars of tomorrow will communicate with each other and the roadside infrastructure in real time using wi-fi and 5G wireless networks,” says Hendriks.

“But this golden age of ‘floating data’ is dependent on hundreds of thousands of meters of glass fiber cable embedded with sensor technology being laid along major transport arteries. Without it, the connected driving revolution cannot happen.

“Currently, all five of the Netherlands traffic management centers are linked with fiber-optic cable, but installing it along side roads and motorways, where it will have the greatest effect, requires precise and intricate engineering as each of the sensors have to be amalgamated into the cable, which is both time-consuming and costly.”

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

16 | ITS TIMELINE

will be truly felt right across the field of traffic management.

The myriad challenges featured in this insightful and organic blueprint include the different levels for automated driving systems, V2I landscapes, V2V technology, and big data. It tries to predict the burden each is likely to place on the shoulders of Europe’s national road operators.

But how exactly did Hendriks and his team formulate the ‘impact and disrupt’ dates for each intelligent transport system?

Says Hendriks, “We sought the opinion of over 100 experienced practitioners both in Holland and abroad, gathering arcane data and forecasts from experts belonging to the Dutch National Traffic Centre, the European ITS Platform, and also consulted members of the ITS corridor projects such as Arc Atlantique and Next-ITS. “Having reached a consensus that 25% of road users would need to adopt a technology before it can affect real change, we were able to highlight the year that a new technology delivered a penetrative

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

In the future, academia and trail-blazing innovation hubs, such as the Dutch Smart Mobility Embassy, can advance the timeline by conducting and facilitating real-world research trials Louis Hendriks, international traffic advisor, Rijkswaterstaat, Netherlands impact on traffic management, traffic flow, safety, and the environment. Not only this, the timeline also enables us to forecast future progress, and most importantly, map out the significant S-Curves, in that it provides road operators with an unprecedented insight and visibility on the events and the technologies that not only advance, but can also stymie the progress of innovation on the timeline.”

Future focused While providing heightened clarity and an enhanced range of vision for traffic managers and road operators, a better understanding of the future is the project’s main objective. Hendriks also thinks that

the Innovation Timeline could play a crucial role as a collaborative and unifying force for change within the industry.

Hendriks says, “We work closely with the public, private and knowledge sectors – all of whom provide unique and esoteric skills.

In the future, academia and trail-blazing innovation hubs, such as the Dutch Smart Mobility Embassy, can advance the timeline by conducting and facilitating real-world research trials and participating in pilot projects that deliver game-changing quantum leaps.

“Secondly, in the Netherlands, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment is a key stakeholder in this

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18

Intelligent cameras They may not be any different to look at from normal roadside infrastructure, but Holland’s traffic enforcement cameras are about to get a significant technology upgrade.

With the technology of tomorrow set to harness the power of the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, many of the cameras in the Netherlands, which are largely used for incident management purposes and to police peak-hour lanes, are now set to become ‘intelligent cameras’.

In the Netherlands, thanks to the LIT, which has been further reinforced by RWS’s multi-stakeholder approach, the software requirements for these next-generation cameras have already been factored into the overarching plan.

“Important research and development work has already begun on how best to incorporate cutting-edge software needed to create a network of smart cameras,” says RWS’s Louis Hendriks.

“And thanks to the LIT’s enterprising philosophy, we believe that by 2021, smart cameras will be capable of filtering through vast reams of data much more quickly than a human is able to, and will alert traffic management centers to incidents in real time – not after they have happened, but as they are unfolding.

Not only will these intelligent cameras save lives and cut congestion, but in the long run they may also deliver sizeable cost savings to local and central government.”

project. The Ministry is eager to promote the use of next-generation technology in cooperation with EU member states, the European Commission and vehicle OEMs. But why is forging an alliance between international governments so fundamental to the success of the timeline?

Hendriks replies, “Because many of the technologies being developed now and in the future go far beyond the limits and scope of a national road operator. Take the self-driving vehicle revolution, for example. It will require a new legal

As a road operator, while we can offer the weight of our knowledge and experience, we rely on law makers to take the lead on important policy issues regarding the future of transportation Louis Hendriks, international traffic advisor, Rijkswaterstaat, Netherlands framework to be enshrined in law, and a set of standards and regulations to match.

“But most of all, it will change the way we think about cars. The traditional car ownership

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

template may be replaced by a leasing model. As a road operator, while we can offer the weight of our knowledge and experience, we rely on law makers to take the lead on important policy issues regarding the future of transportation.”

However, in the interim period before fully autonomous SAE Level 5 vehicles hold sway – currently predicted for around 2040 – how can this prescient document be used to help road operators negotiate the complex traffic environments where both SAE 1 and 2 level cars, and human driven vehicles are part of the landscape?

“With Dutch drivers owning eight million vehicles and with 400,000 new cars sold each year, each with an estimated lifespan of 10.2 years, it will take two decades before the effects of partial automation technologies begin to show,” says Hendriks. “Therefore, mixed fleets is a reality that road operators globally will have to plan for throughout the next 20 to 30 years.

“While there is a real risk, that if not managed properly, mixed traffic could negatively impact both congestion and road safety, conversely, mixed fleets can also affect positive change, in that vehicles are able to communicate in real time with motorists driving non-equipped cars, which may help prevent accidents.” n

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20 | LOW-EMISSION ZONES

Smog solutions

As cities around the world grow, all are faced with the problem of pollution from increasing numbers of motor vehicles. Consequently, low-emission zones look certain to be near the top of the agenda for road authorities in the coming years. Mexico City is a case in point Words | Jack Roper

Mexico City has become infamous for air pollution, but smarter traffic management is beginning to help control the problem

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

LOW-EMISSION ZONES | 21

On September 19, 2017, at 1:14pm local time, Mexico City was shaken by a 7.1Mw magnitude earthquake. Striking on the same date as its infamous 1985 predecessor, it was the most lethal earthquake to hit the megalopolis in exactly 32 years, lasting 20 terrible seconds. The world looked on as images of collapsed buildings, acres of rubble and desperate attempts to uncover survivors flashed around the globe. Early estimates put rebuilding costs at US$2bn and the death toll at 355 and rising. Writing about Mexico City’s emissions controls seemed utterly inconsequential, set against a catastrophe of such violent enormity.

Nevertheless, ambient air pollution is a more voracious (although less violent and visible) killer than seismic activity and contributes to 5.4% of all deaths worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). For decades, Mexico City has grappled with singularly compounded air quality problems, which reached a nadir when WHO declared it “the most polluted city on Earth” in 1992, at a time when bad air caused some 1,000 premature deaths and 35,000 hospitalizations annually.

A teeming sprawl of 21 million souls that has blossomed in the Valley of Mexico, the megacity is doubly assailed by adverse geography. Just as the shifting juncture of tectonic plates ordains its fatal susceptibility to earthquakes, so Mexico City’s position in a high-altitude basin dooms it to acute visitations of smog. A thick haze, irritating to the eyes and throat, descends and sits, its horizontal ventilation inhibited by mountains that engirdle it on three sides.

At 7,000ft (2,250m) above sea level, the air is thin, exacerbating the harm caused by pollutants. The sun beats down unflinchingly.

Ozone season “From February to June,” explains Mexico City’s environment secretary, Tanya Müller García, “the metropolitan area experiences a so-called ‘ozone season’ due to prevalence of high-pressure systems characterized by clear skies, weak wind, intense solar radiation and the prolonged absence of humidity. Pollutants are not dispersed and accumulate considerably. During ‘ozone season’, the highest hourly ozone concentrations are usually recorded.”

High-pressure systems in April 2016 and May 2017 drove ozone levels above the

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

22| LOW-EMISSION ZONES

Above: Mexico City (right) has a system of mandatory emissions testing for all vehicles: El Programa de Verificación Vehicular Obligatoria (PVVO)

danger threshold, triggering consecutive days of emergency measures.

The 5.5 million vehicles registered in Mexico City are a big part of the problem.

Cars produce no ozone (a secondary pollutant formed in the atmosphere) and so transportation cannot be directly blamed for emergency ozone concentrations, whose formation depends on volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from other sectors. But vehicles do generate 82% of Mexico City’s emissions of harmful NOX, the other precursor of ozone, and are responsible for around 45% of total CO2, 99% of CO, and 23% of large particulate matter emissions citywide.

Covering 1,350 square miles (3,500km2) around Mexico City, Hoy No Circula (HNC) is a scheme aimed at reducing vehicle emissions by 20%, first introduced in 1989.

HNC assigns colored stickers to all vehicles

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

according to the last digit of their license plates and prohibits them from driving one day per week: a car whose plate ends in 5 or 6 has a yellow sticker and may not drive on Monday, and so forth. Alongside HNC runs El Programa de Verificación Vehicular Obligatoria (PVVO), subjecting all vehicles to regular, mandatory emissions testing that assigns hologram stickers to the cleanest vehicles, exempting them from restrictions.

In 2016, HNC was extended to prohibit vehicles with plates ending in odd/even digits on alternate Saturdays.

“HNC has been quite successful,” says Müller García. “Depending on the pollutant, the reduction in emissions ranges from 25% to 70%. Circulation restrictions and tail-pipe emissions testing have allowed constant car fleet renewal. The average age of private vehicles and SUVs – the most abundant fleet in Mexico City – has remained low over time.” City vehicles are on average just 7.8 years old (compared with 14 years nationally), suggesting an urban population motivated to abandon older, more toxic cars. “Even when the vehicular

From February to June, the metropolitan area experiences a so-called ‘ozone season’... pollutants are not dispersed and accumulate considerably Tanya Müller García, environment secretary, Mexico City

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fleet has increased over time, air quality has improved,” says Müller García, “since emissions from vehicles have been reduced due to programs such as HNC and PVVO.” HNC’s success argues against the dense deployment of ALPR technology which enforces European LEZs (see boxout, Enforcing low-emission zones in Europe).

“Compliance with the program is near universal,” says Dr Lucas W Davis, associate professor at the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. “City police vigorously enforce the restrictions, and vehicles violating the ban are easy to spot. Drivers caught violating the rules must pay a hefty fine and their vehicles are impounded for 48 hours. While it is sometimes possible to avoid these penalties by paying a bribe, a large police presence means that one may need to pay multiple bribes in order to complete even a short trip.”

HNC forms part of an approach to clean the air in Mexico City, which also includes the introduction of new rapid-transit bus lines, the largest bicycle-sharing initiative in North America, and an ambitious pledge to ban all diesel vehicles by 2025. Mexico City no longer numbers among the world’s most polluted cities and has received international recognition for its air quality strategies, winning a C40 City Climate Leadership Award in 2013. But pollution remains.

Ozone concentrations have precipitated environmental emergencies (albeit based on a reduced activation threshold) for the last two years; levels of PM10, linked to diesel emissions and pernicious to human health, are three times higher than in Los Angeles, Buenos Aires or São Paulo.

Enforcing low-emission zones in Europe Mexico City’s Hoy No Circula is enforced manually by police sticker-checking; this contrasts with low-emissions zones (LEZ) and congestion zones in Europe, which often rely on automated license plate recognition (ALPR) enforcement. Cameras, mounted on gantries or roadside poles, capture images of vehicles upon entry to a specified zone, which are either analyzed at the network edge or transmitted to a remote location, with optical character recognition algorithms reading individual plates. Cross-referenced with a central vehicle database, ALPR records are linked to driver details as well as vehicle emissions profiles, enabling authorities to enforce road user charging in congested areas or exclude the most polluting vehicles. Charging can be used to manipulate driver behavior: in Stockholm, a sliding scale of time defined charges discourages peak-time journeys, while Antwerp operates an escalating tariff depending on the toxicity of vehicles.

ALPR can deliver near-100% detection rates if front and rear images of vehicles are captured on every route into a protected locality; the London Congestion Charge is enforced by a watertight ring of some 1,500 cameras around a small, central zone. But this model may not transfer readily to Mexico City’s topographical spread. “London has a very well-defined center,” says Dr Lucas W Davis, “so cordon-pricing makes sense. Mexico City, less so, as trips start and end all over the city.” For larger urban districts such as the Greater London LEZ, blanket coverage becomes unfeasible, but strategic ALPR deployment on main arterial routes facilitating heavy spot fines for non-compliance provides effective deterrence, if not failsafe detection.

At present, Mexico City lacks a continuous traffic-monitoring infrastructure and ALPR deployment is costly. However, it can quickly recoup expenditure when combined with road user charging: the Swedish Congestion Tax cost an estimated US$28m in installation, but paid for itself within four years and has since funded major infrastructure projects. Dr Davis identifies average daily willingness-to-pay levels of 2 pesos (US$0.11) among motorists in Mexico City, which suggests a potential for road-charging financed ALPR deployment, although this is not currently anticipated.

Challenges of HNC Dr Davis conducted a study of the HNC Saturday extension, combining data from pollution monitoring stations with public transit ridership and city zoo attendance figures to ascertain the impact of the new driving restrictions on emissions, mode transference and discretionary leisure journeys. His results call HNC’s effectiveness into question. “Overall, there

Even when the vehicular fleet has increased over time, air quality has improved, since emissions from vehicles have been reduced due to programs such as HNC and PVVO Tanya Müller García (right), environment secretary, Mexico City

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

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LOW-EMISSION ZONES | 27

Mexico City’s Hoy No Circula (HNC) restricts car use based on license plate numbers in an attempt to cut pollution

Compliance with the low-emission zone program is near universal. City police vigorously enforce the restrictions, and vehicles violating the ban are easy to spot Dr Lucas W Davis, associate professor, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley

is little evidence that the program expansion improved air quality,” Davis says. “Across eight major pollutants, the expansion had virtually no discernible effect on pollution levels. These disappointing results stand in sharp contrast to estimates made before the expansion, which predicted a 15%+ decrease in vehicle emissions on Saturdays.”

Failure to convince drivers to adopt alternative modes may be due in part to cultural factors. “Public transportation in Mexico City is widely available and inexpensive, but can be slow and uncomfortable. Most residents choose private vehicles when they have that alternative,” says Davis.

Although HNC promotes increased car pooling, the environmental impact of this

remains unproven. With car ownership a popular status symbol, previous studies point to residents circumventing HNC by purchasing additional vehicles so that one is always unrestricted. Online sources suggest others avoid controls by slipping technicians a few dollars to falsely issue a ‘clean’ PVVO certificate. But many rely on taxis, paying a 7.5 pesos (US$0.41) round fare to avoid HNC-induced inconvenience.

“Mexico City has a fleet of 150,339 taxis,” states Tanya Müller García. “Taxis are mobile sources of emissions along with other motor vehicles that circulate in the city.”

In 2014, taxis generated 9% of all vehicular CO and PM10 emissions city-wide – with corresponding figures of 3% of all PM2

and NOX and 17% of all CO2 emissions from vehicles attributable to taxis. “These units have an intensive use that results in high emissions,” she continues. “Therefore they are a viable option for programs to enhance reduction of pollutants. Maintenance [including catalytic converter replacement] has been implemented through vehicular inspections involving tail-pipe emissions testing, ensuring high-use vehicles remain in good condition. Other actions have been fleet renewal and concessions for low-emitting vehicles since 2016.”

Electric dreams But exchanging this immense combustion-driven taxi fleet for electric

Annual Showcase 2018| Intertraffic World

28 | LOW-EMISSION ZONES

Mexico City already has some electric Nissan Leaf taxis, but local rival Giant Motors is now promising to launch a lower cost alternative

vehicles may now be on the agenda. Mexican automotive producer Giant Motors is reputedly developing a vehicle for this purpose, with commercial release anticipated in 2018. “The peculiar challenge with taxis in Mexico City is that they often ride around with no passenger, looking for a fare,” Elias Massri, CEO of Giant Motors Latinoamérica, has told Reuters. “We’re developing the prototypes and hope to finish them this year to find a viable solution, an electric vehicle that genuinely replaces gasoline using cars.”

Rather than a long-range, luxury electric supercar, affordable only to the few, Giant Motors envisages a low-cost battery vehicle, newly accessible to the many. In developing an affordable, short-range electric prototype optimized for city use and ripe for mass production, Giant Motors

We are developing a new Mexican electric vehicle that will be assembled in Mexico and designed and modeled to meet the needs of Mexican consumers Elias Massri, CEO, Giant Motors Latinoamérica

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

can draw on a strategic partnership with Chinese state auto maker JAC Motors, whose JC EV model became China’s highest selling pure electric car in 2013. “We are developing a new Mexican electric vehicle that will be assembled [in Mexico],” Massri continues, “and also designed and modeled to meet the needs of Mexican consumers.”

Such an approach worked for Henry Ford, whose affordable, mass-produced Model T first brought cars within reach of ordinary Americans.

If it works for Giant Motors, Mexico City’s air quality could share in the profits. “This is an exciting development,” remarks Dr Davis. “Electric vehicles make most sense in dense urban environments where a large population is impacted by emissions.”

Mexico City’s vastness and the windless aridity of its cradle among the clouds must make pollution reduction an ongoing labor. In the 1940s, before large-scale fossil fuel burning arrived, the Valley of Mexico was a pristine country with near infinite visibility revealing snow-capped mountains 70 miles distant. Today, visibility rarely exceeds a mile and the far peaks are visible only in collective memory. Perhaps, in some all-electric, zero-emissions future, they will spring into sight once more. n

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30 | INTERVIEW

Bringing MaaS to the UK The publicly funded Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) is developing Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in the UK. In this exclusive interview, TSC’s principal technologists Alan Peters and James Datson (who is also MaaS lead) discuss the implementation challenges and why autonomous vehicles will only be a success if they are used with MaaS Words | Rachelle Harry

TSC is part of the MaaS Alliance – a European organization set up for companies interested in developing common standards for MaaS and focused on addressing problems early, to make sure that Europe is central to the concept’s development.

“TSC was funded by the UK’s Department for Transport, which wanted to work out exactly what MaaS could bring to the UK, what the risks are if it is not set up correctly, and what we need to be aware of in its implementation,” says James Datson.

The elements of MaaS “TSC is supporting two MaaS projects in the UK,” says Datson. “Perhaps the best known one is in Birmingham, West Midlands, where we are involved in the deployment of MaaS Global’s Whim service.

Our role in the project is to support the local authority [Transport for West Midlands] in building the so-called MaaS ecosystem and, most importantly, to develop an evaluation strategy to ensure that the impacts of MaaS can be captured and learned from.”

There are several elements to the MaaS ecosystem. On the top level is the consumer, who

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

uses the different types of MaaS transportation.

The next level is the MaaS operator – a single company that provides consumers with all their aggregated transport needs. The MaaS operator does the legwork in getting service providers on board to provide MaaS as a one-stop-shop service for the consumer. Under the Maas operators, there are a number of organizations that work together to provide logistics to allow the MaaS operators to deliver journeys at the right times and prices. Next, there are vehicle providers, who deliver the vehicles (bicycles, taxis, trains, etc) that enable consumers to make their journeys.

The structure of the MaaS ecosystem may seem logical, but its elements do not necessarily operate together or alongside each other in everyday circumstances. “The interesting thing for me is that the elements in the MaaS ecosystem are all very different types of companies and they don’t necessarily speak the same language,” says Datson.

“At TSC we host cross-party workshops that bring people and companies – from different cities – together to discuss and debate MaaS, and to ensure

INTERVIEW | 31

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

32 | INTERVIEW

that they are all talking about the same thing at the same time.”

Aside from Finland, where the MaaS concept was born and where it now operates as a full service in many cities, MaaS is still in its infancy. In the UK, TSC is acting as a transformer for businesses in the MaaS ecosystem who wish to get involved in the process of implementation.

“Many innovation teams are familiar with ‘technology readiness levels’,” says Datson.

“TSC continues to help innovators bridge the so-called ‘valley of death’, which must be navigated when taking a product from a concept stage to commercialization.

“TSC sees the importance of de-risking business model change by supporting cooperation between stakeholders in the MaaS ecosystem. We work to help bring organizations together and work through business case readiness levels so that the risks can be reduced. This in turn breaks down the barriers to MaaS innovation.”

Essential technology As it encourages debates, challenges transportation norms and supports new MaaS projects, TSC eagerly anticipates new transportation technologies such as connected and autonomous vehicles

Alan Peters, principal technologist, Transport Systems Catapult, UK

(CAVs). Alan Peters, principal technologist at TSC, believes that in the future CAVs will improve MaaS. “Autonomous vehicles have real potential,” says Peters. “I speak in particular about SAE level 5 autonomous vehicles, which will have V2X capabilities, because this is the type of vehicle that passengers would be traveling in – perhaps while sleeping or working – but not actually driving.

“There are predictions that autonomous vehicles will make congestion worse, because they will make journeys more

The elements in the MaaS ecosystems are all very different types of companies and they don’t necessarily speak the same language James Datson, principal technologist and MaaS lead, Transport Systems Catapult, UK

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

comfortable and convenient, thereby encouraging people to make more and longer trips.”

Cue MaaS, which has the potential to leverage CAVs by bypassing the anticipated high costs – and potentially slow sales – of privately owned CAVs when they finally reach the market.

“We must address this potential CAV congestion by moving away from the traditional private ownership model, which we currently use for vehicles, to a service model,” says Peters. “This is what we’re talking about with MaaS – it allows the consumer to buy their time in a vehicle in terms of minutes and they will be able to select different sized vehicles for different types of journey.

“MaaS as an umbrella concept can work well without autonomous vehicles. But I think that if autonomous vehicles are to become a real success, they need to have MaaS.” The ultimate vision for TSC is that the creation of a hassle-free MaaS ecosystem in the UK over the next few years will in turn create the perfect environment for the fast and sustainable deployment of fully autonomous vehicles, thereby ensuring they will be a force for good, not simply extra cars causing even more congestion. n

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INFRASTRUCTURE | 35

Section 1

Infrastructure

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

36 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Underground revolutions

In Utrecht, 28 miles (45km) south of Amsterdam, something big is taking shape beneath the city’s train station: the largest bicycle parking facility in the world Words | Tom Stone Photographs | Petra Appelhof

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

INFRASTRUCTURE | 37

The new elevated street level outside Utrecht Centraal station is a pedestrian square with bike parking beneath

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

38 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Plot area:

21,500m² (231,424ft2)

Above: The architect’s model of the new bike parking facility along with photographs of the completed parts of the interior. The main building materials are glass, concrete and wood

Length of bike paths:

1,200m (3,937ft)

The Netherlands is famed for being a nation of cyclists. It was therefore appropriate that August 2017 saw the grand opening of the new Utrecht Centraal Station underground bicycle parking facility, with space for 6,000 bikes. And even more fitting that this is just the first phase; once building is fully completed in 2018, there will be room for more than 13,500, making it the largest bicycle park in the world – surpassing the record currently held by an underground facility in Tokyo, Japan.

Ector Hoogstad Architects, which is also responsible for project planning, collaborated with Sant&Co studio and Royal Haskoning DHV in designing the space, which has created an elevated street level to accommodate the underground parking. The facility links Utrecht Centraal and the nearby Hoog Catherijne shopping center.

“The three-level ‘bike trough’ has been designed with three aims in mind: convenience, speed and safety,” says architect Stijn Rademakers.

Convenience and speed are embodied by the fact that, as far as possible, users will be able to cycle all the way to their parking space, without

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

having to dismount and push for any great distance.

Safety is still maintained, however, as parking lanes branch off the main cycle paths. This ensures that riders who have stopped to park do not get in the way of other cyclists who are passing through the system. Room for mounting and dismounting is left alongside the parking lanes and the sloping areas where the bikes are parked are open to the rest of the parking area, to ensure ease of use.

Design and construction The cycle parking area is constructed using durable materials such as concrete, steel and chemically treated wood, which helps to soften the lines and temper any industrial feel.

A central part of the development is a giant, elevated roof, which resembles a honeycomb but is actually designed as a series of tessellating circles.

This covers the pedestrian area directly outside the main entrance to the station. Three of the pillars that support the giant roof also extend all the way down into the parking area. These trumpet-shaped structures have a diameter of 5m (16.4ft) at floor

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40 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Total number of bike parking spaces on completion:

13,500

Above: The first section of Utrecht’s new bicycle parking facility is already in use and proving popular: 40% of journeys in the city are by bike

Length of bridges:

45m (148ft)

level, and taper to 1.2m (3.9ft) at the top. Each one is cast as a single element.

Color and light As with advanced car parking garages, electronic signals are used to indicate to riders the exact position of free slots. A further innovation is the use of color-coded walls and floors to further help with route finding – a feature that also serves to enhance the overall appearance of the entire complex.

Despite comprising, in total, three subterranean levels, the architects have succeeded in maintaining a high level of natural light throughout, which helps to enhance user comfort.

“Stairwells and tunnels have open lines of sight to the elevated square in front of the station, and to the station’s booking hall and platforms, thus ensuring easy orientation, even from beneath ground level,” says Rademakers. “Large windows in the outer wall show users where they are in relation to the outside

world, and the end of the cycle parking space can be seen from a number of spots. The stairwells are surrounded by atria extending all the way from the elevated space in front of the station to the basement, which are provided with natural lighting through a glass roof.”

The facility is so large that it is natural that there should also be more than simply parking on offer – additional facilities include a cycle repair shop, a cycle rental outlet, and a site office, where a manager is located to meet all users’ cycle parking needs. n

Stairwells and tunnels have open lines of sight to the elevated square in front of the station, and to the station’s booking hall and platforms, thus ensuring easy orientation, even from beneath ground level Stijn Rademakers, architect, Ector Hoogstad

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

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October/November 2017

Face recognition

| Connected corridors The roadside hardware that transportation departments are already installing to ‘talk’ to vehicles

The new AI techniques that will aid future traffic enforcement

| Truck platooning Could the UK’s new trial be the one that ultimately leads to full-scale real-world deployment?

The game changer Blazingly fast, next-generation mobile communications are now being tested for V2X applications. We look at how the coming revolution will affect your roads RING FEATU

| Connected corridors The roadside hardware that transportation departments are already installing to ‘talk’ to vehicles

| Truck platooning Could the UK’s new trial be the one that ultimately leads to full-scale real-world deployment?

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42 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Pacific express Mexico’s Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta ‘Via Corta’ is an ambitious road-building project that has had to overcome a number of setbacks. But, as completion is now within sight, it is hoped delays will soon become a thing of the past Words | Michael Donlevy Work is continuing on the Via Corta, a 103-mile (166km) toll road that, once completed, will link Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. Ironically, however, a project that is intended to slash journey times between the two major cities has been delayed several times by the sheer complexity of the task at hand.

There is certainly a need for the highway. Puerto Vallarta is Mexico’s second most popular tourist destination behind Cancún, attracting more than four million visitors per year. Much of the traffic that arrives on the west coast resort comes from or through Guadalajara, which is on the route from Mexico City, causing an increase in congestion and pollution. This is exacerbated by the fact that the Nayarit Riviera, north of Puerto Vallarta, is also an increasingly popular tourist destination that has been undergoing heavy development in recent years.

The Via Corta – which means ‘short route’ – reduces the length of the drive from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta by 49 miles (78km) and is intended to cut journey times to a total of three hours. That’s a reduction in traveling time of 90 minutes, according to Mexico’s Communications and Transportation Secretariat (STC).

As the government department in charge of the highway, the STC has faced a series of challenges that have delayed the project, which is split into three sections: a 34-mile (54km) stretch from Jala, on the Federal Highway 150 to Compostela; a 19-mile (31km) section from Compostela to the Nayarit coastal town of Las Varas; and a final 50-mile (81km) highway south from Las Varas to Bucerias in Puerto Vallarta.

The first section, which was originally due for completion before the end of 2015, finally opened in April 2017 and in itself reduces the journey time by at least 25 minutes, but by up to an hour during the high season, according to the STC.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

GUADALAJARA-PUERTO VALLARTA ‘VIA CORTA’ (SHORT ROUTE) Via Corta completed and open Via Corta in process, to open early 2018 Via Corta still to start work Federal Highway Compostela Las Varas

Chapalilla Jala

The second section is scheduled to open in December 2017 or early 2018 – which was the original deadline for the entire project to be completed. The final section is now not due to be completed until 2020 at the earliest.

Environmental protection One of the biggest factors has been the environment. Studies revealed that the region was rich in rare animal and plant life.

Notably, the highway runs through a jaguar protection area around Vellejo Mountain that requires particular care and attention.

Mexico has strict regulations to minimize the impact of industrial work, so the engineering and construction companies involved have had to be sure to preserve the environment and not destroy complicated ecosystems along the route. These issues have delayed all three sections, but particularly the final stretch toward Puerto Vallarta, which was still in the planning process through 2017.

Ixtlán del Rio

El Arenal

Buceriías

Puerto Vallarta

NAYARIT

JALISCO

Guadalajara

Another factor is the region’s topography.

It’s a vast mountainous area that requires the construction of tunnels and viaducts, as well as the overpasses and underpasses required at junctions. Building access roads is an additional challenge in such uncompromising terrain.

As an example, two sections of highway comprising 11 miles (18km) were built by civil engineering firm Acciona. The first 4.3-mile (7km) section required the construction of four viaducts, while the second 6.7-mile (11km) section required one viaduct, five underpasses and one overpass. On top of that, the company stresses that it worked hard to reduce the impact of its activities in these areas by employing a range of environmental measures, including the protection and relocation of species of wild flora and fauna, as per the country’s regulations and the highway’s planning restrictions.

Add in the fact that there have been funding cutbacks at the STC and it becomes

INFRASTRUCTURE | 43

Above, left and below: The new highway begins in the city of Guadalajara Right: The highway runs through a jaguar protection area, which slowed the planning and building process as time was spent to ensure conservation needs were met

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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The new highway will ease congestion between Guadalajara (above) and Puerto Vallarta (below), Mexico’s second most popular tourist destination after Cancún

clear why a project that got underway in December 2011 was initially progressing at a rate of around 3 miles (5km) per year, according to a report by Mexican newspaper Reforma.

The road ahead Now, however, the highway is starting to take shape.

The contract for the second stretch was awarded to construction company The Ideal Group in May 2016. This section, which is intended to cut congestion on the existing Federal Highway 200, aims to separate long-haul and local traffic and has been divided into five sections that correlate with the main towns along the route. Including the start and finish points for this stretch, that also entails building seven junctions, six of which are complicated by more uneven terrain along the route, and over 4 miles (7km) of access roads.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Mountains feature along this stretch of highway as well, requiring the construction of 45 civil structures, 366 drainage areas on the highway itself, and 46 further drainage areas on the access roads.

This is the stretch that is scheduled to open in late 2017, or early 2018, but at the time of going to press it still remains to be seen whether the engineers can hit this target.

The most complicated aspect of the highway’s construction is the challenge posed by the three tunnels that are required along the route.

The shortest is 528ft (161m), the next one up is 1,115ft (340m), and the biggest of the three is a daunting 3,700ft (1.1km) long. This complexity was highlighted when the project was hit by more delays in July, when the first section of highway to be completed had to be closed for 30 days after heavy rain caused several landslides that blocked both sides of the road around the tunnel near Compostela and beyond. This required the STC to reduce the severity of the slopes in the surrounding area to “avoid and correct slips and landslides”, while diverting motorists onto alternative routes – namely the local highways that continued to operate unaffected. And it’s not as if the authorities hadn’t taken local weather conditions into account, as major drainage works to remove stormwater were undertaken before the construction of the first section began.

In all, it hasn’t been a straightforward project for either the STC or the construction companies involved.

Yet the reduction in journey times, coupled with the attempts to minimize environmental disruption, mean the effort should be worth it in the long run. n

Don’t let wet roads slow you down...

Zirocco is cu used in m rrently 12 Europ ore than ean coun tries and will soon be available in the USA and Canada!

The Zirocco road dryer and cleaner The most effective road dryer and cleaner on the market, Zirocco brings turbine technology and state-of-the-art mobile electronic controls into surface treatment for the road marking industry and airports, where quick repairs are essential. It is therefore the perfect solution for cleaning and drying surfaces before crack repair, sealings of cracks and road markings.

The opportunity: Many cities throughout Europe have banned the use of open-flame and propane-powered road drying equipment, creating the opportunity for alternative technologies. At the same time, conventional road drying equipment often requires a crew of three people and/or a large truck to do the same amount of work as the ATT Zirocco road dryer.

Relationship with Danfoss: ATT sought the help of Danfoss to develop a controller and telematics system that could be customized specifically to meet the unique needs of the Zirocco road dryer, as well as end users of the road dryer. ATT integrated the Danfoss DP 250 display and Danfoss Telematics Solution.

The solution: The Danfoss Telematics Solution allows for ATT to remotely monitor their customers’ road dryers in real time, resulting in essential preventative maintenance and shipment of parts before problems occur. Danfoss Telematics also feature machine tracking, geofencing and automatic report generation capabilities, saving time for the end user who would typically be responsible for manually documenting a completed work route.

Find out more about the Zirocco road dryer and cleaner at: www.appliedturbinetechnologies.com

Zirocco features: • Micro Jet Turbine Engine • Superior drying capabilities • 450°C - 500°C and upto 100 m3 air flow / min • ROI less than 100 hours • Diesel powered • Danfoss Mobile controls and telematics • Can be mounted directly to marking vehicles For more information, contact us: Applied Turbine Technologies Aps, ATT Nordborgvej 81, E35, 6430 Nordborg, Denmark Telephone: +45 7488 5801 Email: att@appliedturbinetechnologies.com

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Our Products

Stripe Hog Road Marking Removal & Cleaning

Thermo Hog Thermoplastic Pavement Markings

Paint Hog Paint Marking System

Rumble Hog Grinder, Groover, Rumbler

Our People and Premises

Engineering

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Better ways to hog the road The Stripe Hog, Thermo Hog, Paint Hog, Rumble Hog and walk-behind Ground Hog will all be exhibited at Intertraffic Amsterdam Words | Dave Friday, Waterblasting Technologies, USA

The Stripe Hog 40,000psi Waterblasting System is currently operational and removing pavement markings in 51 countries around the world. For six consecutive years, it has won Roads & Bridges magazine’s prestigious Gold Award for Pavement Marking Removal.

The Stripe Hog has also demonstrated the fastest removal rates in the industry for the removal of thermoplastic, cold plastic, two component, epoxy, tape and waterborne paint. Thermoplastic is removed at 6,500 linear ft/hr (1,980 linear m/hr).

The Stripe Hog also has: simultaneous removal of parallel markings with the double blasting heads in side-by-side configuration; rapid removal of single,

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

continuous lines with the double blasting heads in tandem configuration; cleaning and rejuvenation of the retroreflectivity of thermoplastic and cold plastic markings; and simultaneous vacuum recovery, which allows for the application of new markings in 15-20 minutes.

The Stripe Hog was designed and built by contractors, for contractors. Each Stripe Hog is rugged, reliable and has earned the praise of some of the most demanding contractors in the world.

Laying pavement markings The Thermo Hog, a thermoplastic line truck, is a new product from Waterblasting

Technologies. It can lay stripes down with great speed and efficiency due to the revolutionary Hog Melter, which melts more thermoplastic in a day than any other thermo truck in the world.

Features of the Thermo Hog include: •C ontinuous melting of thermoplastic at 8,000-10,000 lb (3,628-4,535kg) per hour, per melter; • I t can carry material in dry powder form, to be melted when needed; •O ne person can load the thermoplastic into the melter on the truck – traditionally, this task requires two people; • I ts automatic conveyor reduces back injury and fatigue;

INFRASTRUCTURE | 49

Clockwise from left: The Rumble Hog; the selfrotating Ground Hog; the Thermo Hog Opposite: The Stripe Hog

•L ess weight in the melter means more thermoplastic can be stored on the truck; • I t eliminates downtime waiting for material to melt, which equates to higher productivity; • I t has a 45-minute start time, from cold to laying stripes; • The Hog Melter system has a steady stream of hot oil going through the melter, which melts the plastic all over – not just from the bottom, as with traditional melters. This means thermoplastic can be melted quickly, resulting in higher productivity.

The Rumble Hog can perform three pavement marking removal functions using one rear-mounted cutting unit. It grinds pavement markings, cuts grooves and cuts rumble strips using only one machine, operated by one person.

A new, walk-behind tool The HT1000SR Ground Hog is a new Hog tool. It is a walk-behind, self-rotating, 40,000psi surface cleaner with speed control. Using no hydraulics and weighing only 122 lb (55kg), the Ground Hog makes it easy to clean up to 1,500ft2 (139m2) per hour. The knob mounted near the operator’s hands makes it easy to control the RPM – the operator simply has to twist the knurled knob. The machine-angled spray bar is balanced, so the Ground Hog is easy to use with reduced vibration. The Ground Hog connects to any Stripe Hog machine or any 40,000psi water pump.

All new Waterblasting Technologies products are tested extensively in the company’s ‘laboratory’

environment. Each product is used in the field for more than 500 hours by Waterblasting Technology technicians, or by contractors who have volunteered to work with the company to improve new products.

By the time a new Waterblasting Technologies product is delivered to the customer, the operator can be assured that most of the glitches that normally accompany new products have already been identified.

Standing behind each Waterblasting Technologies product is an experienced team of customer service specialists ready to help 24/7, and 365 days a year, with the ability to get translators in a matter of moments for 175 languages. When a spare part is needed, the customer service department carries over US$3m (€2.6m) in its inventory. The goal of the customer support team is to ship 98% of parts orders in full on the same day that the order is placed to minimize customers’ downtime.

The products built by Waterblasting Technologies are rugged, field tested and proven by contractors all over the world to be among the best machines available on the market. n

The Rumble Hog pictured (above) is fitted to a Ford F-750 single cab chassis for a North American application. However, the Rumble Hog can also be fitted to a locally sourced chassis, as long as it meets the necessary engineering specifications

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

50 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Saving the world with traffic signs Sign manufacturers could and should be using more recycled plastic in their products to reduce current unsustainable waste levels Words | David Valant, Val Plastika, Slovenia All of Val Plastika’s products, including road signs, are fully recyclable

Road signs are need to provide guidance and safety to increasing traffic. As our traffic network expands, so does the use of raw material, especially plastics.

The need to recycle is increasingly important. Yet figures still show less than 7% of plastic production is being recycled and landfill is by far the most common way of dealing with plastic waste. As industrialists, we need to raise the amount of reused plastic by lowering the cost of recycling and improving the consistency of recycled material.

Traffic signs generally last for decades, so it could be assumed that the contribution to plastic waste from the industry is minimal, but that would be wrong. Traffic sign manufacturers fall into a group that primarily uses new (or virgin) plastic where, in many cases, recycled material would be perfectly adequate. Production of virgin plastics alone represents 4% of annual use of crude oil and

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

another 4% is used for its aftertreatment, transport, etc.

Closed-loop recycling challenges It is possible to closed-loop recycle most thermoplastics, however plastic packaging frequently uses a wide variety of polymers and other materials such as metals, paper, pigments, inks and adhesives. Industrial packaging is currently recycled to a greater extent than consumer packaging, as it is relatively pure and available from a smaller number of sources of relatively higher volume. The volumes of consumer waste are, however, up to five times greater than generated by commerce and industry, so to achieve high overall recycling rates, consumer as well as industrial waste need to be collected and recycled. In some instances, recovered plastic that is not suitable for recycling back to its original application is used to make a new plastic

product displacing all, or a proportion of, the virgin polymer. This can also be considered primary recycling.

Downgrading refers to using recovered plastic in a way not typical for virgin polymer. For example, ‘plastic lumber’ is an alternative to higher-cost/shorter-lifetime timber. This is secondary recycling (ASTM Standard D5033).

Technically feasible but costly Chemical or feedstock recycling has the advantage of recovering the petrochemical constituents of the polymer, which can then be used to manufacture new plastic or to make other synthetic chemicals. However, while technically feasible, it has generally been found to be uneconomical without significant subsidies because of the low price of petrochemical feedstock compared with the plant and process costs incurred to produce monomers from waste plastic.

INFRASTRUCTURE | 51

At Val Plastika, increasing the amount of recycled material in the production process is important.

Some of the company’s in-house consumer plastic waste is closed-loop recycled, however recycling activities are mostly of the secondary variety. This mostly concerns road signs and automotive consumer waste. There are, however, challenges in the process.

Changed beyond recognition When compared with virgin plastics, recycled plastics tend to have less desirable properties.

This includes mechanical and rheological changes caused by permanent chemical and physical changes to the molecular structures and continuous changes in the thermodynamic equilibrium of the molecular structures. The deteriorations in rheological and mechanical properties are attributed to macromolecular chain scissions resulting in a decrease in molecular weight. This occurs when recycling at high temperatures and high shear stresses.

Although introducing additives improves certain desirable properties of recycled materials, it increases the cost. Furthermore, the intricate nature of inter-relative processing parameters might involve repeated detailed experiments that are costly, time-consuming and environmentally

unfriendly. The reprocessing of post-consumer plastics involves heating and drying the material, which consumes the thermal stabilizers originally present in the plastics. Recyclates without further treatment are therefore usually less stable to thermal stresses. This problem can be solved by adding new stabilizers, which again adds cost.

An even greater cause of drop in material properties than material degradation is inconsistency of real-life consumer plastic waste.

To minimize the effect of inconsistent material, homogenization of recycled polymer in big batches is a feasible solution. For additional improvement, the use of additives is possible.

Additives can improve the properties of recycled material to match – or even improve – those of virgin material – but this opens the debate of economic feasibility.

Another challenge we face with recycling is cost: the price of the recycled polymer compared with virgin polymer, and the cost of recycling compared with alternative forms of acceptable disposal. There are additional issues associated with variations in the quantity and quality of supply compared with virgin plastics. Lack of information about the availability of recycled plastics, its quality and suitability for specific applications, can also act as a disincentive to use recycled material. n

plastika d. o. o. www.valplastika.si T +386 1 422 85 88 F +386 1 256 43 51 e info@valplastika.si Val plastika d.o.o.

Cesta v Mestni log 71 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia

Safe on the road with road signs – VAL plastika Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

52 | INFRASTRUCTURE

High-quality road marking Preparing surfaces before road marking, tape marking, crack repair or concrete drying, from up 1.2m (3ft 10in) up to 6m (19ft 8in) requires a clean and dry surface. Turbine technology and state-of-the-art mobile electronic controls are helping to achieve this Words | Brian Ellegaard Andersen, Applied Turbine Technologies, Denmark

Right: The Zirocco road cleaner and dryer in action Inset: Turbine technology enables roads to be cleaned and dried with less manpower

As many cities and airports throughout Europe have banned the use of open-flame and propane-powered road drying equipment, an opportunity has been created for alternative technologies. Furthermore, conventional road drying equipment often requires a three-strong crew and a large truck to achieve the performance required.

Applied Turbine Technology’s unique Zirocco road cleaner and dryer has been designed to bring new capabilities to the road and surface treatment sector. The Zirocco can clean and dry at up to 15km/h (9mph), depending on the surface and the nature of the work to be done.

The self-contained machine uses gas turbine technology to ensure effective cleaning and drying of roads, airport runways and other surfaces.

The Zirocco unit runs on a diesel-fueled 300kW micro turbine, which has an output of 100m3 (3,531ft3) of airflow per minute at

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

350-550°C (3,530ft3 at 840-930°F). The machine can also be mounted directly onto marking vehicles.

The machine is extremely effective at drying roads and airport runways when quick repairs are essential, clearing black ice from tunnels and bridges, and removing chewing gum from public spaces. It can also effectively clean and dry surfaces before crack repairs, or befor/e the sealing of cracks and road markings.

The Zirocco road cleaner and dryer has achieved great global success. It is used in more than 26 countries in Europe and the Middle East (UAE), it was recently released in Canada and it will soon be available in the USA.

Suitable applications The Zirocco is suitable for: companies working with temporary road markings (tape markings); methyl-methacrylate (MMA) paint or thermoplastic road

markings; airport markings, runways and taxi ways; crack repairs on roads and at airports; concrete drying for bridges or roads and other surfaces where it is necessary to have a clean and dry surface.

The Zirocco cleans dirt from roads or runways, dries surfaces after rain or if the humidity is too high, and heats the surface to more than 7°C (45°F) to get the best possible connection between the surface and the marking material. All this can be effectively achieved with one stroke of the Zirocco. It can be operated manually, it can be pushed by a Titan LazyLiner, or it can be mounted directly onto trucks or self-driven marking units.

Applied Turbine Technologies’ customers range from small, privately owned companies to multinational organizations across Europe, including Zeppelin Rental, AVS (Germany), Frankfurt Airport, Copenhagen Airport, Zürich Airport and Route One Highways (UK). n

The leading traffic technology event for Asia connecting global suppliers with traffic professionals across the region INFRASTRUCTURE • TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT • SMART MOBILITY • SAFETY • PARKING

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• Explore the vast Chinese market potential • Enjoy face to face meetings • Find potential partners and distributors • Meet high profile traffic professionals • Take part in demonstrations and seminars

28.29.30 MAY

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BEIJING-CN

Organised by:

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54 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Reliable rumble strip creation A modern IT platform and tried-and-tested thermoplastic extruder are making it easier to create centerline rumble strips, a very effective traffic safety measure Words | Christina Krogh, Borum Industri, Denmark

Borum’s thermoplastic extruder has been used to make rumble strips for decades

Many international studies demonstrate that centerline rumble strips are an effective measure in reducing road traffic crashes.

Some studies suggest that they can reduce the number of crashes by up to 55%1. It is also the reported experience of Borum’s customers who apply this kind of marking.

Single-vehicle run-off-the-road crashes and collisions caused by cars going across the centerline and into the path of oncoming vehicles are not uncommon on highways and two-lane rural roads. This has inspired various stakeholders to experiment with centerline rumble strips. They are placed between opposing lanes of traffic to alert drivers that they have crossed over into the

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

path of oncoming traffic. These raised or grooved patterns suddenly produce an uncomfortable vibration and noise as the vehicle’s tires pass over them, to stimulate the driver’s attention, and consequently act as a countermeasure against run-offthe-road accidents and head-on collisions.

Borum machines have been used to apply these markings all over the world, in countries including the USA, Australia and Denmark. They can be implemented as extruded profiles in thermoplastic material, or as a two-component profile application.

Thermoplastic extrusion Extrusion of thermoplastic material is the classic solution used to achieve

INFRASTRUCTURE | 55

Left: Black centerline rumble strips being implemented in Denmark

Another crucial feature is the speed of the extruder’s shutters, which must move very fast. This is especially important for structured/profiled markings, to be able to make high profiles. The Borum extruder’s shutters can open and close at around five times per second, controlled by high-quality pneumatic valves. The height of the extruded profiles differs from one country to the next.

In Denmark, it’s typically 3-5mm (0.11-0.19in), whereas in Australia and the USA requirements can range from 3-12mm (0.11-0.47in) in height.

The extrusion process works with all types of premium thermoplastic material, as long as the material fulfills demands for thermal stability and viscosity.

Computer control

a safe and cost-effective type-two road marking, ensuring long durability even on demanding road types.

Borum has set the industry standard for decades with its thermoplastic extruder, which makes it possible to fulfill the marking requirements set by road authorities across the globe.

The Borum technology inside the extruder equipment perfectly controls the heat and the pressure of the material in front of each shutter, ensuring that the width and the thickness of single and double lines remains constant. A strong pump located inside the feeding auger of the extruder ensures the recirculation of the material from the outlet of the material deposit and all the way down to

each of the shutters in the extruder head.

This technology also ensures a perfect line start, even after the machine has been standing still – while the thermoplastic material is filled, for example, or while traffic is redirected.

The extrusion performance is automatically adaptable to changes in speed. Within the speed range for extrusion, the BM LineMaster computer can automatically increase or decrease the internal circulation rate according to the speed of the machine and thus compensate for the difference in thermoplastic consumption at different speeds. This releases the operator from a focus-dependent task so they can concentrate on other important issues.

Another piece of equipment that is required to make this kind of marking is the Borum LineMaster. Using the LineMaster, operators can control all shutters from their seat. For example, to make a line that is 30cm (12in) wide, they would need to open six shutters at the same time. Mechanical and pneumatic delays could prevent the shutters from opening at the same time, but this can be rectified using the LineMaster. The operator can set a delay for each shutter to start and stop, to synchronize the line.

The LineMaster is easy to program, as the sequence follows the daily marking routines. Marking programs can be stored, making them easy to find again for the next day’s or next year’s work. It is simple to learn and easy to operate.

The markings made during the day are logged in the computer’s memory, enabling easy and fast reporting to management. The operator simply plugs in a memory stick to retrieve the data and can also access the data in the cloud (Borum Online). The IT platform is Window CE, so the data is compatible with nearly all computers. This also enables dialog between the road marking computer and office computers – a feature that makes training and learning more efficient, as it can be done in the office. n 1) Mustaf Jama Mohamud, supervised by Jens Christian Overgaard Madsen, Centerline Rumble Strips – Safety Evaluation, Aalborg University (2011), p37. Literature analysis of a study by Masayuki Hirasawa, Hisashi Aita, Motoki Asano and Kazuo Saito, Development and practical use of rumble strips as a new measure for highway safety, Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (2005)

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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Marked improvement Upgrades to the LTL-M range of retroreflectometers bring greater flexibility and control to the inspection of road markings Words | Kjeld Aabye, Delta Light & Optics, Denmark

There is an increasing focus on traffic safety in a growing number of countries around the world. And there are many parameters to consider when working to encourage safe driving, among them improved signalization, road markings and road traffic signs.

The International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), which has a vision of a world free of high-risk roads, has, over the past 20 years, assisted more than 70 countries in inspecting high-risk roads and tracking road safety performance. So far more than 500,000km (310,685 miles) of roads have been, or are in the process of being, inspected. As a result of this work, national road authorities have been guided on parameters related to the star rating of roads, safer roads investment plans and risk maps, with the goal of investing where the highest benefits can be made in terms of reducing the number of crashes, injuries and deaths.

The importance of road markings Over the years, iRAP has highlighted road markings as a low-cost safety improvement with a high benefit-cost ratio. In its recent report, Vaccines for Roads, the organization highlights examples of successful projects from the past 20 years. One such highlight is a Mexican delineation project of 4,200km (2,610 miles), where an estimated 10,540 deaths and serious injuries have been prevented; a project with a benefit-cost ratio of 17:1, the highest of the seven projects listed. This clearly shows that high-performing road markings are a very important factor in improving safe driving conditions – and also an improvement that is known for its relative low cost.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Another interesting project mentioned in the Vaccines for Roads report is Roads That Cars Can Read, a joint initiative of EuroRAP and Euro NCAP. The project found that the condition of road signs and markings could be the greatest hurdle in reaping the benefits of vehicle safety technologies such as lane support and speed alerts.

To evaluate whether markings and signs perform to a level where they can help people to drive safely, they need to be inspected at regular intervals. Depending on the type and quality of the markings, and the amount of wear from traffic, such inspections should be carried out once or twice a year.

In addition, inspections will enable road owners to optimize maintenance work and costs, knowing exactly when they have to repaint markings.

Handheld and mobile options Retroreflectometers are used to inspect road markings. These instruments come as handheld and mobile units. Handheld retroreflectometers, such as Delta’s LTL-XL and LTL-X Mark II, provide a spot-check of the markings, while mobile instruments, such as Delta’s LTL-M, provide continuous measurement and full coverage of the markings measured at traffic speed.

Since its launch in 2011, Delta’s LTL-M mobile retroreflectometer has gathered a proven track record of being a robust and reliable instrument. The main advantage of LTL-M is its ability to automatically compensate for movement in the vehicle during driving. This ensures accurate measurement results in line with handheld instruments, with a typical repeatability of ± 3% and a typical reproducibility

of ±5%, during all driving conditions.

Because of its ability to automatically compensate for movements, the LTL-M can be mounted on almost any type of vehicle and can be transferred between vehicles easily. LTL-M is almost as simple to operate as a handheld device.

Latest improvements In 2017, Delta launched a number of software upgrades for the LTL-M, based on input from current customers. The upgrades

INFRASTRUCTURE | 57

will make the daily use of LTL-M more flexible and improve presentation options. The equipment now offers a choice of what measurement IDs (a file name or identification code for the measured data) to transfer; a faster data and overhead video transfer time; the possibility of choosing picture frames instead of full overhead video; the addition of pictures to results mapping; better control of lines during measurement; and invalidate measurements.

At an operational level, Delta recently entered into a cooperation with Hi-Lite Airfield Services.

During 2017, Hi-Lite has started using the LTL-M

in airports, initially in North America, and it plans to introduce LTL-M to the Middle East during the second half of 2017. Hi-Lite states that the use of the reflectometer will increase the rate at which airfields can be assessed. Reflectivity of markings is essential for pilot visibility while landing and while traveling around the airfield, but it is also important for other vehicles in traffic areas – if reflectivity is poor it is a serious safety concern.

Hi-Lite plans to use Delta’s LTL-M when completing airfield assessments throughout the world, to ensure they are as safe as possible for travelers. n

Above: LTL-M in operation, measuring night-time retroreflection and other parameters Inset: LTL-M being used for airfield measurements

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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A painting truck made by KoPAB

Built for purpose Maintenance vehicles such as road painters and melters are more productive if they are built to suit the exact needs of their application Words | Jari Pasanen, KoPAB, Sweden

KoPAB is a Swedish company that specializes in designing and manufacturing customized, new-generation, truck-based road marking equipment. Customers’ increasing need for more developed, powerful and environmentally friendly road marking equipment, compared with what is already on the market, has contributed to the founding of KoPAB. The company operates out of Torsby, Sweden, where it conducts all design, development department and production. It also has a testing area where new equipment is given trial runs before delivery.

KoPAB’s key personnel and partners have long experience in road marking equipment and its development. KoPAB offers its customers a service that includes design, construction and training, as well as maintenance for the entire life of the machines. KoPAB also runs a 24/7 helpdesk for customers.

The design of KoPAB’s road marking equipment is based on regular surveys of customers’ needs, which help to ensure it fulfills both present and future demands.

Great consideration is also given to safety, ergonomics and sustainability, as well as the economic maintenance and lifetime costs of the equipment.

Tailor-made solutions KoPAB’s designs ensure that customers receive road marking machines that fulfill their exact needs, whether it is a painting or melting vehicle built on a two-, three-, or four-axle chassis.

There are also countries that need a two-color system to mark the middle lines of roads. For this, KoPAB has a painting vehicle that is equipped with a dual system.

In practice, this means that both colors – white and yellow – are painted onto the middle of the road simultaneously.

The technical solutions developed by KoPAB, together with the latest control automation, are efficient, user-friendly, reliable, safe and cost-effective.

To minimize the costs related to the lifetime and maintenance of the equipment, KoPAB sets high demands on the quality of the materials and components right from the

design phase. During this process, the risks associated with occupational safety and ergonomics are also identified and KoPAB ensures the equipment is safe for the user and the environment.

The basis for KoPAB’s automated control system is a computer program that is monitored remotely through the internet and allows users to make program updates or changes to the painting plan.

Special consideration has been given to user-friendliness in the interface so that the painting program is smooth and easy for the driver of the painting vehicle to follow. The in-cab terminal is the driver’s most important tool and KoPAB gave great consideration to reliability and ease of use when choosing it. The terminal has been used for years in, for example, fire and rescue vehicles, where it has proved reliable.

Varied vehicles All the painting vehicle’s functions have been integrated into the interface, which means that the driver does not have to leave the cab. The latest map and location applications

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60 | INFRASTRUCTURE

can also be integrated into the interface, which means separate location devices are not needed.

The painting program includes two-way data transmission, which in practice means the driver gets detailed site and location information.

When the job is finished, the driver of the vehicle can send a report, through the internet, with the location of the painted site, for example using a road/street address or the map coordinates.

A further advantage of the automated functions is that the driver does not have to look for information related to the job on paper, or in other records, as most will be available electronically.

KoPAB’s painting vehicle can be equipped with either an extruder or spray equipment, or a combination. Devices for both methods, extruding and spraying, are integrated in the combination model.

No mechanical modifications need to be made when changing between methods, which affords significant savings during the work season. KoPAB’s painting vehicles are delivered to our customers according to the turnkey principle.

KoPAB’s product family includes not only painting vehicles, but also melting vehicles that are customized according to customer needs. For these vehicles, special consideration has been given to the melting speed of the road marking material and energy economics by eliminating, for

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Above: KoPAB also makes customized melting vehicles Below: Inside the cab of a KoPAB vehicle

example, lost heat. Favorable energy economics also reduces combustion gases and consequently the strain on the environment. The sizes of the melting tanks vary between 200 and 5,000 liters (44 and 2,000 gallons) depending on the particular customer needs.

Customer action Customers should contact KoPAB to specify the type of road marking equipment needed. KoPAB will then provide an estimate

and a financially competitive proposal for the type of equipment that best fulfills the customer’s needs. The customer does not have to be an expert in engineering, because KoPAB’s technical experts will ensure the best and most affordable solution for their needs.

Once the customer’s equipment is ready, KoPAB will provide training for the customer’s staff, either at KoPAB’s plant or at the customer’s facilities. After training, the customer has free access to KoPAB’s 24/7 helpline. KoPAB’s maintenance and parts services ensure 24-hour availability of the main components and parts during the production season. n

Building for the future Kopab offers you road marking vehicles and designs for the future.

We attach great importance to safety and cost-effective vehicles.

Visit us at Intertraffic Amsterdam 20-23 March 2018 Booth 01.550A

WE BUILD: • Combi trucks • Melting trucks • Crossroad And Symbol Marker (CASM)

WE MANUFACTURE: • Pumps for thermoplastic • Boilers

www.kopab.se

Phone: +46708754866

KoPAB is a company specializing in construction and road marking equipment. We strive to build high-

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Testing visibility in the field Raised retroreflective pavement markers are an asset both economically and socially, but they must be maintained. Technology is ensuring that testing is carried out efficiently, so that the road safety budget can go further Words | Sévérine Berger and Ingrid Bloß, Zehntner Testing Instruments, Switzerland

Visibility is a key factor in road traffic safety. To assist and guide road users, several countries use raised retroreflective pavement markers, so-called road studs, to supplement road markings and traffic signs.

They come in a variety of shapes, colors and materials, and serve as horizontal guiding devices that reflect light from the headlight back to the driver. Road studs may be constructed from one or more integral parts, and may be bonded to, anchored on or embedded within the road surface.

Although pavement markers are available that are compatible with snowplows, countries with colder climates and frequent snowfalls usually use fewer road studs. For example, Switzerland does not use retroreflective pavement markers, while in the UK they are very widespread.

Local standards There are numerous local standards and regulations to be observed. In Europe, the most important standards are EN 1463-1, which defines the initial performance requirements, and EN 1463-2, which outlines road test performance specifications. In the

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

USA, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) defines the nationwide standards applicable by road managers for the installation and maintenance of traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, bikeways and private roads open to public travel. While the MUTCD states general requirements and application regulations, the US standard ASTM E1696 defines specifications for field measurements. ASTM E1696 is not only used in the USA, but also in many other countries. Some states supplement the MUTCD with their own specific rules.

For example, the state of Illinois released a supplement with a whole chapter about the inspection of reflective pavement markers.

Regular field tests To guarantee ongoing traffic safety, an initial performance test is not sufficient.

Retroreflective pavement markers are subjected to wear and tear, so regular field tests and a structured maintenance policy are required to ensure that repairs or replacements are carried out in due time.

While it may make sense to carry out the initial performance test in a laboratory using

a goniophotometer, it would be a waste of time and material to extract raised pavement markers from the road for field tests. It is much easier and more cost-efficient to use a handheld retroreflectometer for on-site field measurements of the night visibility (coefficient of luminous intensity R and RI) without extracting them. Zehntner offers the portable handheld retroreflectometer models ZRP 6030 and the newly launched ZRP 6030+. The operator simply places the retroreflectometer onto the pavement marker and, with a press of a button, the night visibility, ambient temperature, relative humidity and, optionally, the GPS coordinates, are recorded. The night visibility measurements are related to the visual observation as seen by a car driver at distances of approximately 220m (722ft) or 440m (1,444ft) for trucks, both under low-beam headlight illumination.

Zehntner retroreflectometers are appreciated worldwide for their fast and easy operation, as well as their Swiss precision. The new ZRP 6030+ comes with a 5.7in (14.5cm) high-resolution color

Innovation first...

Opposite: The observation angle requirements of road stud measurements differ, depending on the country Below: Zehntner’s ZRP 6030+ retroreflectometer is used to measure the night visibility of road studs

ZDR 6020 Dynamic Retroreflectometer RL measures the night visibility of road markings

handheld precision at traffic speed up to 150 km/h (93 mph)

ZRM 6014 Retroreflectometer RL/Qd

measures the day and night visibility of road markings

top class with colour touchscreen and fold-away telescopic handle and unique options such as camera, compass, level-meter

ZRM 6013+ Retroreflectometer RL/Qd

measures the day and night visibility of road markings

fast, precise with memory, PC and printer interfaces

touchscreen with excellent visibility under all light conditions.

Software advances Measurements are nearly useless if not evaluated and processed in an intelligent and efficient manner.

Therefore, Zehntner has enhanced its powerful free mapping and data analysis software, MappingTools, to also support the newly launched ZRP 6030+. Thus, retroreflection measurements of raised pavement markers, road markings and traffic signs can all be displayed at the same time on the same map.

Furthermore, the retroreflection measurements can be analyzed according to individual specifications.

The color-coding of retroreflection ranges classifies the measurements into different quality levels, which enables a quick visual evaluation. The retroreflective quality of the object or marking can be seen at a glance, showing where maintenance measures would be of the most benefit.

Zehntner devices and software are designed for maximum compatibility with all existing systems and procedures. Measuring reports, which are available in several languages, can be generated as PDF and XLS files and it is possible for the data itself to be imported to external geographic information systems. n

ZRM 6006 Retroreflectometer RL/Qd

measures the day and night visibility of road markings

fast, precise retrometer with one button operation

ZRS 6060 Retroreflectometer RA measures the night visibility of road signs and warning clothes

fast precise easy to use

triple angle measurements with colour touchscreen

CH-4450 Sissach Switzerland www.zehntner.com

Tel. +41 (0)61 953 05 50 Fax +41 (0)61 953 05 51 zehntner@zehntner.com

64 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Perfect lines To ensure that road markings are applied correctly and consistently, while also enabling work to be carried out swiftly and efficiently, you need the best hardware Words | Loïc Didriche, Kamber, Switzerland pneumatic closing system to guarantee very fast closing action. A wide choice of tungsten carbide external nozzles are available to meet all needs in terms of line width and performance.

Flat nozzles or reversible nozzles are available for this gun. The guard of the reversible nozzle is compatible with all existing switch tips brands. The choice of the external nozzle depends on the kind of work to be done.

An adjustable ramp can be fixed on the gun for lines up to 60cm (23.6in). Bigger widths are possible on request. This option is very useful for markings on crosswalks and airports.

Kamber’s HP40 airless paint spray gun is fully compatible with even small, pushed road-marking machines

Kamber, an internationally recognized company in the field of road markings, has recently launched two new products. Born out of requirements, feedback and the expectations of existing customers, they are a new glass bead gun (the P86) and a new airless paint spray gun (the HP40).

The P86 glass bead gun is extremely easy to use and maintain. It is equipped with a hardened steel closing piston (which is adjustable with a screw) and is fed with glass beads from a pressurized tank. The gun is also equipped with an adjustable (orientation and width) diffuser that enables it to spread the glass beads equally over a wide line, of up to 30cm (11.8in). It has a stiffening plate in carbide to increase its lifetime. This can be easily replaced when it wears out.

The diffuser can be equipped with a glass bead sensor to avoid having a line without glass beads (on request).

This sensor is connected to an electronic device, which manages the gun in action and the alarms (on request). It is the most economical solution on the market for standard road marking requirements.

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Customer focus

The second new product is the HP40 airless paint spray gun. It is as easy to use and maintain as the very efficient HP50, but it is lighter and more economical, and most importantly it works easily with all the small pushed road-marking machines on the market. Indeed, it can work with a low opening pressure of about 3 bar.

This paint gun is compatible with all kinds of products thanks to its paint circuit made of stainless steel and it has a unique

Kamber’s P86 glass bead gun has a hardened steel closing piston and adjustable diffuser

Established and based in Switzerland, Kamber has 60 years’ experience producing and developing spraying systems. Thanks to its customers around the world, it now has a vast amount of knowledge and experience, and is able to offer a wide range of products perfectly suited for all types of surface marking. The continual evolution and improvement of its products is based on an excellent relationship with customers and an understanding of their needs.

Both these new guns are compatible with all types of line-marking machine, and are just two in an extensive range of paint guns to suit all needs.

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Right: Kamber spray guns fitted and ready for action

Kamber has products suited for spraying all types of road-marking materials (cold paint, hot thermoplastic, two-component, glass beads). They are also well suited for mounting on all types of road-marking machines (small pushed machines; self-propelled machines and trucks).

The company’s products also enjoy excellent quality and durability, marking thousands of miles at a time without any mechanical issues. For example, it has been known for Kamber to repair customer spray guns that are over 30 years old that continue to give good service. This is consistent with Kamber’s aim of achieving customer satisfaction over many years, while also using the resources of our planet wisely. Components are also 95% recyclable, as a minimum.

Kamber offers its services in more than 60 countries, with an international network of distributors including the major road-marking machine manufacturers. It also sometimes works directly with the final users, the road marking contractors, to help them find the best and most efficient solution for their needs, depending on their machine and the quality required for their road markings. n

SPRAYING SYSTEM FOR ROAD MARKING See us at INTERTRAFFIC 60 years’ experience Amsterdam

in

the development and STAND manufacture of spray systems for road marking.

05.233

| Fax: Tel:your +41 21service 691 69 51for +41 21need 691 69 54 At all your (paint, thermoplastic, glass beads)

| info@kambersa.ch | www.kambersa.ch

www.kambersa.ch • info@kambersa.ch • Tel: +41 21 691 69 51

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Cushion the blow Fitting a consistently safe crash cushion into a tight road space, such as a tunnel, is an engineering challenge. What is required is a solution that is compact and easy to install, but still achieves the highest levels of safety Words | Snoline, Italy

Approximately 30% of fatal accidents on the road involve single-vehicle, non-pedestrian accidents in which a car runs off the road and impacts with a rigid roadside object.

Now, Snoline by Lindsay has a new range of redirective crash cushions, the Tau Tube family, available in various configurations, covering applications from narrow to wide, and entirely made in Italy.

This new crash cushion family is available from a 50km/h (31mph) up to a 110km/h (68mph) configuration. The complete range received the CE marking in 2014.

The system is fitted with a rear support that

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

transfers longitudinal forces to the ground and so it is independent from either hazards or guardrails, and therefore behaves in an ideal way – as a free-standing system.

The CE mark is a universally accepted symbol of conformity to European Directives and can only be applied to a crash cushion once the manufacturer has undergone a rigorous process of checks and inspections from an approved body. As part of the CE certification process, the manufacturer must produce a comprehensive technical file for the product, which must include the testing details and reports. The Tau Tube system

easily passed all the crash tests required of it at an official testing facility.

Easy installation The Tau Tube family is very easy to install because Snoline by Lindsay is able to supply the barriers pre-assembled. As a result, the installation process is limited to anchoring of the crash cushion to the ground. This improves installer safety and reduces installation time; in fact, in normal conditions, a system can be laid in just one hour, by three people. Moreover, the Tau Tube family doesn’t need any maintenance,

INFRASTRUCTURE | 67

since it is constructed using galvanized steel and an aluminum alloy for the tubes that is highly corrosion-resistant and environmentally friendly.

Thanks to their innovative design and materials, Tau Tube systems are much lighter than most similar systems, saving further costs on shipment.

An additional benefit is the post-impact reusability of the system: up to 70% of it can be reused. This results in considerable savings in inventory and maintenance costs. This is particularly important for road authorities that are looking to minimize maintenance costs.

Standard transitions are provided for almost all EN 1317 barriers and guardrails, but in special cases Snoline can investigate new solutions in its dedicated technical department, offering customized applications.

How it works The system works using aluminum tubes to absorb the energy from an impact and dissipate the accident’s force. The barrier’s galvanized steel structure and steel guides are responsible for the

transmission of crash forces into the lateral guiding, and thereby into the ground.

The Tau Tube is much shorter than most comparable solutions: the 50km/h crash cushion is 1.9m (6.2ft) long, while the 110km/h parallel crash cushion is 5.9m (19.4ft). As a result of its compact size, Tau Tube can be used in locations where it has been impossible to install normal crash cushions, such as tunnels, underpasses or other confined spaces. Also, the material used to manufacture the Tau Tube system is completely inert, so suits locations where toxic gases are particularly undesirable due to fire regulations, such as in tunnels.

Another innovative feature is that Tau Tube can be used both as permanent crash cushion, on asphalt and concrete, and as temporary crash cushion with a steel plate. In the temporary crash cushion application, pins can be placed on the ground and removed easily, and this does not affect the performance. This application represents an excellent solution for cases that need a temporary system that can be quickly installed, uninstalled, moved and reinstalled. n

Left: The Tau Tube crash barrier from Snoline

by Lindsay is an excellent safety upgrade for high-speed roads Below: It is also compact enough to fit into confined spaces

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68 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Smarter ways to work Retroreflectometer control software integrated into a smartphone, coupled with lightweight hardware, can revolutionize road marking inspection work Words | Gustavo Felipe Paolillo, Easylux, Brazil

With super-high-resolution cameras, broad cellular bandwidth, and ample storage space, smartphones are becoming important allies for road marking professionals. For example, light retroreflectometer software can now be integrated into cell phones in the form of an app, developed by Easylux.

The app works as an interface through which users can control, command and view measurement results, essentially meaning that a small, portable Easylux MiniReflecto device can now be fully controlled via a smartphone, making it an unparalleled tool for road marking inspection.

The app lets the user take photos, add notes, and export measurements to any third-party via WhatsApp, Google Maps or email. Photos are combined with the measurement results, so that a single photographic record allows for the complete analysis of signage or road markings, further enhancing the power of the app as a documentation tool.

If a more detailed analysis is required, users can import data with Easydata – free software compatible with all Easylux models.

The convenience of a smartphone-based setup is in stark contrast to traditional hardware for measuring the retroreflectivity.

Traditional retroreflectometers emerged in the 1980s, but today they are still the same – large, heavy, cumbersome instruments powered by special batteries. Users of such conventional technology put great physical effort into moving the device to the measurement site and collecting data. Then, the measured results need to be transferred to a PC at the office so that they can be shared with all the relevant parties. This approach is beginning to look inadequate in today’s constantly connected global workplace.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

The MiniReflecto is a groundbreaking technology that will improve the inspection of road markings. Such technology miniaturization encourages fieldwork – a challenging task for users of traditional models – and offers valuable technical solutions, such as an external light beam, entirely immune to sunlight. The external light beam is highly valued by professionals who need to be able to demonstrate the behavior of materials in wet conditions, while the compact, light build means it is also useful for those who often make long-distance trips for work.

Small, portable devices require less valuable space in work vehicles and speed up the processes of loading and unloading, as well as reducing the time it takes to move from one site to another. When traveling by air, MiniReflecto can be transported as carry-on luggage, avoiding extra charges. It is capable of performing more than 8,000 continuous measurements using standard AA rechargeable batteries, which are safe and easy to replace.

These state-of-the-art systems are highly reliable and certified to EN1436 standard. In other words, you don’t need to break your back to use a retroreflectometer anymore.

Opposite and below: The MiniReflecto for road markings is certified to the EN1436 standard, as a result of independent laboratory testing Right: Lightweight devices, such as the MiniReflecto, are becoming more commonplace in workplaces in the industry

New possibilities

More and more, vendors and professionals are becoming aware of the potential of Mini retroreflectometers for demonstrations of new materials and performance checks of night visibility in the field.

The fact that you can transport your equipment in a backpack, with little additional effort, is extremely advantageous.

Finally, portability has solved an old problem: fatigue caused by lugging heavy hardware around.

If you are still carrying a 10kg device to work with you, you are way behind the curve. n

CHANGE E A S Y L U X RETROREFLECTOMETER

www.easylux.com.br Tel. +55 11 3438 3448

vendas@easylux.com.br

70 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Colors that keep you safe Colorful designs from creative artists and architects can transform streets by creating a safer and calmer traffic environment and more appealing parking lot surfaces Words | Christian Schou Jensen, Geveko Markings, Denmark

Streetscaping is an attractive way to add color to our everyday surroundings, and various original designs have already been seen around the world.

For example, an imaginative pedestrian crossing in the Bankside area of London proved so popular – with a survey showing that 70% of people felt happier after seeing it – that a second crossing was created in 2016. This second project, a colorful design by the artist Camille Walala in Southwark Street, was applied by the Preformed Markings team in Premark preformed thermoplastic.

Likewise in south London four colorful pedestrian crossings were applied for the

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

London Design Festival. The result is a more appealing urban area where traffic and pedestrians can travel together more safely.

Positive message London is not the only city that has seen the benefits of rethinking the experience of crossing a road. In Zaandam, in the Netherlands, you can walk over a rainbow-colored pedestrian crossing, a statement of the city’s inclusiveness toward all its citizens. The crossing was applied in PlastiRoute RollPlast by Via van Dalen. The intention was to increase safety and highlight the importance of diversity and solidarity with the LGBT+ community.

INFRASTRUCTURE | 71

Opposite: The creative crosswalk in Bankside, London Opposite, below: Inspiring surfaces and decorative pavement markings can increase traffic safety Left: Road users’ attention is drawn to this colorful pedestrian crossing in the Netherlands

can be designed for pure play or with spelling and mathematical themes to provide an alternative and fun way of learning. The complete catalog of materials is created for long-term performance with virtually no maintenance needed and is therefore ideal for intensive use.

Decorative markings are a great way of using streets as a canvas. Geveko Markings offers a range of high-quality products that await customers’ ideas.

With lots of colors, there are great opportunities to design a rainbow of your own and Geveko’s creative teams are ready to provide guidance on customizable setups if inspiration is needed. n

Making trafficked areas safer and uplifting is one benefit. Yet there are a broad range of ways to spice up dull surfaces with colorful and creative markings. Logos, games, art and more can be applied outside private households, company sites and governmental institutions, and used as an active component in an architectural structure.

Learning opportunities Decorative markings also offer a series of possibilities in terms of encouraging creativity and active learning for kids at schools and kindergartens. With DecoMark, playground games

Geveko Markings - the full range of road marking material

Marking the future with you

The right material for your markings Pedestrian crossing, London. Design by Thierry Noir

Geveko Markings Longelsevej 34 DK-5900 Rudkøbing

Tel (+45) 63 51 71 71 Fax (+45) 63 51 71 72

www.geveko-markings.com sales@gevekomarkings.com

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An innovative barrier solution A new N2 containment level road safety barrier is already helping an Italian public administration to increase bridge safety in an efficient and unobtrusive way Words | Filippo Leone and Jacopo Moretti, Margaritelli Ferroviaria, Italy

Since it was founded in 1996, Margaritelli Ferroviaria has been responsible for various innovations in the road safety barrier market, including models made from laminated wood and steel. It was the first company to successfully test an H2 containment class barrier for bridges, which was certified in 2004. Before then, the most durable wooden barrier on the market was an H1 containment level product.

The company’s latest innovation is the N2BP-01 barrier for bridges, which is tested for the N2 containment level and CE-certified in accordance with EN 1317 and regulation (EU) No 305/2011. The new barrier has been designed for installation on reinforced concrete curbs, with an excavation on the back, making it safe for use on bridges and with public infrastructures.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Such a device is currently not listed in the catalog of any other European safety barrier manufacturer.

The idea meets the specific needs of Italian public administrations, which are responsible for ensuring safety on roads characterized by low traffic loads and a negligible number of heavy vehicles. In these cases, an H2 containment level barrier can be considered oversized, and therefore involves extra costs for the public administration. Such a barrier also hinders visibility and fails to preserve the landscape, as required.

Special conditions The N2BP-01 safety barrier is also a valid alternative where there are special conditions for implementation. For example: a public infrastructure, where a roadside barrier has been installed by creating holes

for metallic posts – which would be ineffective if a vehicle impacted it. In such situations, the solution is usually to install the safety barrier on a continuous foundation that is made of concrete.

Similar cases include where there is poor soil or sandy ground, roads with outer slopes too close to the lateral edges, roads with footways that are subject to erosion and stabilized by reinforced concrete structures, and embankments that have important cable ducts installed less than 1m (3.3ft) below the drivable surface.

The N2BP-01 barrier provides a certified CE solution to all these complicated conditions, ensuring a containment level N2, with an ASI index less than one, 0and a W4 working width. The lightweight design does not interfere with road users’ visibility and its visually unobtrusive design is especially suited to sites with touristic and aesthetic

INFRASTRUCTURE | 73

Margaritelli Ferroviaria creates safety barriers that are made of laminated wood. These barriers offer continuity and resistance reliability

merit. The 3m (9.8ft) post spacing makes installation fast and easy.

First installation The first Italian public administration to install the N2BP-01 barrier was the Municipality of Todi.

It needed to widen and make safe a bridge in Via Maiola Bassa, between Todi and the village of San Damiano. The road’s speed limit is 70km/h (43.5mph).

Thanks to the exception that can be made in terms of the minimal containment level around civil engineering infrastructure (level H2 in Italy), the technicians were able to find a less costly, less impactful and equally efficient solution.

The bridge was upgraded, enlarged and made safe by installing a N2BP-01 barrier connected to a N2BL-01 barrier. Both products are CE-certified, and have been demonstrated to work equally well in crush tests and in real working conditions. n

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INFRASTRUCTURE | 75

Choosing wisely When choosing a flexible post, road operators should ask several questions before specifying or purchasing, as not all posts are made alike

Above: Pexco’s City Posts installed on I-95 in Florida, USA

Words | Peter A Speer, Pexco, USA

Flexible channelizer posts – also known as bollards, pylons, tubular markers, delineator posts and pole cones – are widely used for permanent traffic control purposes such as adding emphasis to lane delineation, gores, islands, along a center line or between lanes to preclude turns or to prevent lane changing. They are also installed temporarily in construction work zones to separate lanes of traffic moving in opposite directions.

How are flexible channelizer posts used in your community – by simply directing traffic in a parking garage? Or separating lanes in high-volume, high-speed managed high-occupancy tolling (HOT) lanes? The needs of both applications are very different, and doing some legwork ahead of issuing specifications or making a purchase can ensure that you are getting the best value for the funds expended.

This type of post is fixed to the roadway by mechanical or adhesive means, designed to rebound, and made of materials that can be struck without causing damage to the impacting vehicle.

Posts are typically fitted with reflective sheeting to provide night-time visibility and colored to match the pavement markings they supplement.

Size matters These flexible devices are produced in many sizes and heights. The US federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD – Sections 6F:63 and 6F:65) requires ‘tubular markers’ to have a minimum height of 18in (450mm) with one 3in (75mm) retroreflective band for roadways with a posted speed of less than or equal to 40mph (64km/h). On roads with speeds higher than 45mph (72km/h) a minimum height of 28in (700mm) with two 3in bands is required. The most commonly used posts in North America are 36in (900mm) in height.

The MUTCD calls for a minimum 2in (50mm) width for a tubular marker. Most products on the market today are at least that width. However, many applications benefit from having a larger visual target guiding motorists. It is obvious that a 3in-wide unit provides 50% greater delineation than a narrower

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76 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Above: The posts are used in a range of applications, such as lane delineation, pictured in Tampa, USA Left: Pexco’s City Posts installed in Stockholm, Sweden

2in (50mm) post. For roadways with serious safety needs – gores, hazardous curves, two-way two-lane detour operations, and managed lanes – a 3in-wide post is highly recommended. In fact, the MUTCD requires roadside delineator posts to support a reflector at least 3in wide. Choosing a wider post where greater safety is needed is a wise decision.

Color counts These flexible devices are also produced in a wide variety of colors. For construction work zones, orange is the standard, but fluorescent orange is better because it is more visible in low light conditions such as dawn and dusk, and in inclement weather.

For other types of roadways, the post should be the same color as the adjacent pavement markings they supplement. When choosing colors for the posts on your project, it’s worth remembering the following: • Centerline delineation – yellow posts with yellow reflective sheeting; • Lane and edgeline delineation – white posts with white sheeting; • Pedestrian crossings – florescent yellow-green (lime green) post and sheeting; • Bike lane/roadway intersections – red with white sheeting.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

When durability counts, design matters.

If you install posts in a high-impact area, there are several design considerations to consider as you plan your project.

Flexion: how does the post flex upon impact? A rigid tube must have a spring or other hinging mechanism. A design with inherent rebound using flexible polymers, such as polyurethane, has been proven time and again to be more durable.

Components: how many pieces are in the complete assembly? The fewer components a post has, the fewer potential failure posts.

Simple is better.

Materials: how many different materials make up the assembly? Fewer components and parts typically provide greater durability and lower maintenance.

Prove it: how has the durability of this device been tested? Was the test done by an independent, accredited test facility? At what temperature, at what speed, and with what size of vehicle? How does it perform when impacted with a bumper versus a wheel-over/tire impact? These factors have considerable influence in how the post you choose will perform.

Last post standing Pexco’s three versions of its City Posts – EAC (embedded anchor cup), GD (glue down)

and SM (surface mount) – have been proven to be the most durable posts on the market, both with independent third party, Department of Transportation (DOT) sponsored testing, and in real-world projects around the USA. They have inherent rebound, have few components, are made of 100% polyurethane, and feature a simple, unitary design.

On the I-95 Express Lanes in Miami, where the Florida DOT had been spending over US$1m a year replacing failed, inferior posts, Pexco’s City Posts were then installed. The following results were reported after they had been installed for six months: replacement of damaged posts was reduced by 91%; dangerous ‘lane diving’ behavior (the illegal maneuvering of ‘diving’ from a free, general purpose lane, into a tolled managed or high occupancy toll lane) was reduced by 87%; crashes in the express lanes were reduced by 34%; and express lane traffic volume increased by 2%.

Asking the right questions and doing some research before choosing a channelizer post can help you get the best value for your money. Pexco has developed a wide range of products suited for the needs of every roadway – even Florida’s challenging I-95 Express Lanes! n

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78 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Fast evaluation of road assets A recent project in Ireland demonstrates how road asset performance demarcation surveys – and their evaluation – can be made more efficient Words | Joe Turley, Reflective Measurement Systems, Ireland

In 2016, Northern Road Markings (NRM), based in Northern Ireland, successfully completed a mobile retroreflectivity survey of the primary and secondary road infrastructure in Ireland, having won a Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) tender.

As well as measuring the retroreflectivity, this tender also introduced inspection of road studs and barrier reflectors.

NRM selected a RetroTek vehicle-mounted full-lane multiline reflectometer from Reflective Measurement Systems (RMS) to complete the contract.

“The flexibility of RetroTek has allowed NRM to meet and exceed the stringent requirements set by TII,” says Mark Kelly, CEO of NRM. “The easy setup and ability to measure line retroreflectivity, studs and barrier reflectors on both sides of a lane, and then illustrate these results on the MultiView mapping and video interactive platform, made the RetroTek-M a competitive choice.”

Reduced post-processing TII required the multiple surveys to be cataloged for easy selection and filtering, to save time loading data and finding surveys. The MultiView interactive map and video saved considerable time when analyzing results. The software facilitates changing the results thresholds to allow TII to predict where markings may fail.

Users can navigate the inspection results, visualize the inspected data and review the acquired image data for each road. Results, maps and videos are GPS synchronized.

MultiView’s cloud hosting capability means the survey data can be stored in a safe and secure location and viewed remotely.

The RetroTek-M retroreflectometer attaches to the front of a vehicle. Its cameras can sense the full lane width, which is illuminated by projected LED

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

light in a geometry that conforms to CEN EN 1436 and ASTM E1710.

Machine vision software is used to locate road assets in the field-of-view.

This data is combined with GPS for accurate positioning. Precision driving close to road markings and markers (studs) is not necessary.

Repeatability and reproducibility of results form a key pillar of RetroTek technology. Independent certification by StrAus-Zert, test certificate No 0913-2015-02, demonstrated that RetroTek-M achieves similar, if not better, performance than leading handheld retroreflectometers.

The RetroTek technology, along with the MultiView mapping and video analysis software, allows TII to manage its maintenance funding and ensure that road maintenance contracts are conforming to the contract retroreflectivity (night visibility) specifications.

The data results, including mapping and video information, are stored securely for analysis and shared over the internet with other maintenance engineers and contractors. As the surveys were completed in the spring/summer, this enabled TII to plan maintenance schedules early, at the beginning of the road marking season – giving plenty of time to complete the task.

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ADAS and autonomy

ADAS functions are now in use in many new vehicles. The EU and the USA are mandating that all new vehicles be equipped with AEB and forward collision warning systems by 2020. These technologies rely on visible road markings, day and night.

“RetroTek is an accurate, efficient and safe technology to operate at all traffic speeds,” says James Mahon, CTO at Reflective Measurement Systems. “It greatly assists road stakeholders to certify road marking condition and which road networks are suitable for the safe operation of vehicles with ADAS and for autonomous vehicles as they come on stream.”

RetroTek measures across full lane width. While traveling at 120km/h (74mph) on a seven hour shift, it is capable of measuring 840km (521 miles) of road lanes. It simultaneously collects information on up to 1,680km (1,034 miles) of lines and markers, plus 840km (521 miles) of center-lane markings and barrier reflectors. A total of 5,040km (3,131 miles) of road assets compared to 1,680km (1,043 miles) from traditional dynamic retroreflectometers.

Far left: A survey vehicle fitted with RetroTek-M equipment Above: The MultiView inspection results manager Left: A sample PDF map report supplied for each road asset type on the Irish motorway, primary and second road network

The equipment is safe to use for the driver/ operator and other road users, as only normal driving behavior is required and the system has sufficient road clearance to prevent accidental damage. It is easy to calibrate, so surveys can get underway in minutes. The setup also conforms to CEN EN 1436, EN 1463 and ASTM E 1710. PDF maps can be produced for each road asset type, helping TII to plan financial requirements for road marking maintenance.

TII has carried out several years of surveys using RMS and RetroTek technology. This has enabled them to efficiently direct funding. Cyclic measurement has delivered measurable year on year improvements in performance. They are happy with the performance of RMS in delivering the necessary surveys and have awarded commissions to NRM in 2016 and 2017. n

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Rural road watch Countryside roads are neglected areas for road safety management, but appropriate barriers can be part of the solution Words | Tobias Schneider, Heintzmann Group, Germany

When talking about the road safety levels of a country, most people first think of the main highways. This is understandable as these highways carry most of the passenger traffic and by far the highest percentage of freight traffic. As a consequence, there are accidents happening on these roads every day, with a few making national news headlines, which pushes the main highways even further into people’s minds.

However, accident rates in relation to traffic volume are comparably low on highways. Reasons for this include one-way traffic, broad curves, and smooth up and down gradients. All these characteristics are different on country roads that are built to cover the infrastructural needs of people whose homes and livelihoods are away from the main traffic veins.

A question of responsibility Country roads are often not managed by the general government, but by the state, or even the county or local community. The administrative difference usually results in lower budgets for renewing/maintenance, which is disadvantageous for rural roads in most cases and is apparent in the poorer road conditions. These include the road width, the geometry of curves and slopes, the quality of the road surface, and the

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

general lack of attention to road safety.

Every country sets its own rules and guidelines to define if, and what type of, passive road safety equipment (e.g. guardrails) is required.

Guardrail requirements The relevant factors to consider for guardrails are containment level and working width class. To reach a certain containment level, two crash tests have to be executed: one with a small passenger car; and one with a standard passenger car (normal containment level), bus, or HGV (high containment level). On rural roads, N2 and H1 are the standard levels in many countries according to European Norm 1317. In water protected areas, for example, the required level can go up to H2. The space requirements at an obstacle define the maximum working width class and thus the chosen restraint system.

Frequent obstacles and dangers for vehicle occupants on country roads are steep slopes, trees, rocks, buildings and pylons. Particularly for slopes and trees, special guardrails have been designed

and tested so that there is appropriate protection available despite the limited space conditions beside the roads. In each instance, the obstacle was ‘built’ on the test facility and the system’s performance was considered good enough.

One of the systems that has been tested on a steep slope is the Heintzmann Basic Barrier 2.0b developed by SGGT (Safe German Guardrail Technology), part of the Heintzmann Group. The posts were placed

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only 30cm in front of the beginning of the steep slope during the crash test. Nevertheless, the performance class of this system is N2-W3-A. Start and end points can be secured by the appropriate start and end terminal, which performs P2 x1/y1/ z1 ASI A and is called the Heintzmann Basic Barrier Terminal. Alternatively, there is a more aesthetic guardrail available, where all steel parts are covered by timber. This product is the Nature-Rail quick joint and it performs N2-W5-A.

guidelines anymore. The reason for this over-aging is that in many countries, road safety systems only have to be replaced when a road is enlarged or renewed. The same is true for placing road equipment at locations where no restraint system has been installed so far. The aim must be to keep equipment up-to-date and include product innovations to ensure there are the same safety levels on rural roads as there are on highways. n

The type of barrier installed is determined by the surrounding environment that needs to be protected and from which the road users must be protected

Single obstacle protection For protection of and from trees as well as other single obstacles, a standard steel barrier, ESP BOS, was tested by German steel officials successfully.

It was reinforced by box beams installed directly in front of the obstacles in addition to the W-beams on the front side.

On country roads in hilly areas, there are a lot of motorcyclists riding around. For bikers, the guardrail posts represent a potential danger in the event of a crash. To offer protection from them, a softer, second beam can be added underneath the guardrail beam. This combination is also crash tested to N2 level.

Another issue can be elderly road safety equipment that does not comply with the current

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The VMS that never sleeps In safety-critical highway environments such as workzones, the need for signs to be constantly visible, even during a power cut, should come before everything else Words | Hans-Ivar Olsson, Triplesign, Sweden Swedish company Triplesign has, with the British distributor Signsol, developed a new solution for traffic-management vehicles for road safety company Highway Care. The product was launched in the spring of 2017, following a successful development process between the three parties. First orders have already been delivered and the reception has been very positive.

In a bid to reduce risks in highway workzones, safety regulations have become more stringent in recent years, particularly in the UK. An important new safety solution is the use of traffic management vehicles.

They are quick and easy to deploy and are often equipped with VMS, enabling them to provide flexible traffic information.

An efficient VMS solution Triplesign is a manufacturer of prismatic, three-sided VMS, which are bidirectionally operated, allowing closest-path operation for message changes. Triplesign is certified in accordance with EN 12966-1: 2005+A1: 2009 and in a recent development, putting it ahead of the competition, the company is tested and approved for the new 12966 standard. Triplesign has produced signs for vehicles for almost 20 years and for traffic management vehicles for five years.

This experience helped it gain certification for its traffic management signs to TOPAS 2517A – Performance Specification for Electromechanical Variable Message Signs. Additional testing, as part of the 2517A approval, meant the prism sign was subjected to environmental testing, which includes vibration and chock testing. But the benefits don’t end there…

Power independent Prismatic VMS enhance safety by guaranteeing that a message will be

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displayed, regardless of conditions. If the power to an LED VMS is cut, no message will be displayed. On a prismatic VMS, the same message as before the power cut will be shown. Furthermore, as the Triplesign prismatic can also be manually operated with an 6mm Allen key, it is still a variable message sign even if there is no power.

Proven long lifetime Another important aspect of the Triplesign prismatic VMS compared with the LED VMS is its reliability. The lifetime of prismatic VMS is substantially longer, at more than 10 years.

Cost-efficient There is also maintenance cost to consider.

Instead of needing specially trained

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maintenance staff, prismatic VMS can be serviced by a certified electrician. Meanwhile components are not only cheaper but also last longer than in the case of a typical LED VMS. Triplesign VMSs are also deployed with a patented smart exchange system of active components. Instead of expensive ad hoc maintenance, a program can be run to exchange all active components every 10 years.

Passive components such as the aluminum frame remain, to minimize the cost and secure safe operation. Furthermore, the initial investment cost is low, at around only 20-25% of that of a comparable LED VMS.

received a Highways Agency approval to be TOPAS registered 2517A,” says Selina Carter of Highway Care. “Another factor that led to us adopting the system was the enhanced performance: the Prism mechanism is reversible, allowing any of the three signs to be selected without the unit rotating through an unwanted sign face.

“The Prism Sign provides quick and reliable operation, offering the best possible speed when changing and displaying vital information, in time-critical circumstances in traffic management.

Ultimately it provides value and optimal performance for our customers.”

Low power consumption

Safety first

The power needed for a Triplesign prismatic VMS is the lowest of any VMS. This means that the vehicle-mounted sign can be combined with portable roadside prismatic VMS, which are solar or UPS (uninterruptible power supply) operated.

Despite the large cost savings delivered by Triplesign prismatic VMS when compared to LED VMS, this is not the most important benefit of the technology. Security of operation is its biggest selling point. To be able to guarantee a message at all times means customers can always depend on having a dynamic information wall as a ‘goal keeper’ – while other solutions run the risk of having no goal keeper at all. In highway workzones this can be a matter of life and death – no further discussion is needed. n

Deployment on UK roads Highway Care selected Triplesign’s Prism Sign as part of its ‘Red X’ warning system on its rental fleet of highway maintenance vehicles. “We selected the Prism Sign over alternative methods when it

Opposite and below: Triplesign prismatic VMS are an integral part of Highway Care’s Red X light warning system, which is mounted on its traffic management vehicles

Innovation and ECO Technology

New PLC graphic on Triplesign Internet Management(TIM) New 3, 6, 9 and 12-Message Prismatic VMS Cost efficient VMS Lowest power consumption The green VMS solution The Heathrow airport VMS supplier

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Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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Section 2

Traffic management

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Bringing C-ITS to cities of the future

With the conclusion of the EU’s CIMEC (Cooperative ITS for Mobility in European Cities) project, it has become clear that integrating Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems into existing urban transport environments will require a new drive toward standardization in Europe Words | Osama Al-Gazali, Albrecht Consult, Germany

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Digitization and fast-growing technological developments, such as Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS), are the building blocks of future transportation systems and will support automated driving solutions.

C-ITS enables a two-way exchange of data and information between the traveler (e.g. in a vehicle) and road operator (e.g. traffic control center) to deliver smarter transportation systems. It acts as a catalyst for market disruption toward more optimized, added-value ITS services and consequently puts users in control. Changes in the ITS business model – and consequently data flow – from silo systems to integrated ones, are inevitable.

The complexities of urban ITS Urban ITS infrastructure has grown organically over several decades: the ITS for managing and controlling traffic were implemented through three core subsystems (traffic light controller, detection system, and parking guidance system);

at a second stage, it integrated new systems and technologies such as prioritization of public transport and video detection systems.

This organic evolution makes every city different and thus the challenge of integrating a new technology/solution varies from one city to the next.

Unlike inter-urban roads, cities are much more complex in terms of ITS and communications for the following reasons: Firstly they have greater technical complexity, meaning standardization and interoperability present more of a challenge. Secondly, there are non-technical issues. A specific city environment, such as a complex transport network, will have many overlaying networks of different modes of transport. This can create a difficult communication environment, for example where ‘urban canyons’ and multipath usage make communications networks weak or jammed.

Finally, there are organizational challenges, such as different connection patterns with

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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surrounding regions, limited skill sets among workers, and limited resources to innovate.

Challenges of turning ITS into C-ITS Through its investigation of the C-ITS standardization requirements for the urban environment, the Cooperative ITS for Mobility in European Cities (CIMEC) project found that the lack of standards is seen by suppliers as a significant technical barrier to urban C-ITS deployment. As the phase of deployment of C-ITS in cities begins, one important technical challenge lies in connecting C-ITS-enabled infrastructure to the existing legacy ITS system in the absence of a defined migration path from ITS to C-ITS. The use of open-standards, interfaces and processes may considerably reduce the cost of buying equipment and boost confidence and trust in system reliability, as well as in the quality of products and services. An urban road operator prefers standards that are widely supported by their suppliers, since this eases the critical interaction in the system design and specification phase.

The need for uniform standards In this article, we address the integration challenges presented by emerging C-ITS products and solutions from an urban road operator’s point of view, identifying standardization issues that are not currently under discussion. They relate to subsystems, communication and processes, with an emphasis on their importance in relation to existing (regional) ITS standards (OCIT, UTMC, IVERA, etc) and urban procurement processes. Research for this article was carried out in two phases: desk research and a discussion with stakeholders.

CIMEC key facts

Cooperative ITS for Mobility in European Cities (CIMEC) was a city-focused project that explored the role cooperative ITS systems (C-ITS) can play in supporting city authorities, both in managing their transport networks and then delivering other transport-linked services.

It reached out to key stakeholder groups (both public and private) to ensure a smooth and cost-effective deployment of C-ITS in cities around Europe.

The project commenced in June 2015 and concluded in May 2017.

It was funded by the European Commission in the framework of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

The main message it has delivered is the urgent importance of considering representative cities’ needs and requirements, in the current and future European urban-ITS/C-ITS standardization activities, based on mature regional standards.

For more information, visit: www.cimec-project.eu

In the desk research, various existing, relevant standards were initially identified and then assessed. In the second phase, a workshop, ‘C-ITS standardization requirements for the urban environment’ (Brussels, September 12, 2016), was organized to discuss cities’ standardization requirements. It identified where and how further standardization work may be needed.

Standardization experts from relevant Standards Developing Organizations (SDO) technical committees on ITS (ISO, CEN, ETSI) also participated.

Recommendations for C-ITS deployment The research led to key results involving the identification of relevant ITS/C-ITS standards that cities need to be aware of when procuring and deploying C-ITS along with suggestions on

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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how such standards might be kept up-to-date. There are also standardization recommendations for the target audience (urban road operators and the European Commission, among others).

The key results are as follows: 1) Standards already in use in urban ITS need to be adapted (e.g. OCIT, UMTC, and IVERA).

The industry needs to establish a platform for national or regional SDOs in charge of existing urban standards that are currently planned to be addressed in the future on a European level by an ESO (European Standardization Organization). Issues such as mutual awareness, backward compatibility, migration paths, common cross-referencing and parallel evolution need to be addressed. Cities need to be kept informed about any conclusions drawn; the future relationship between national/regional SDOs and parallel activities needs to be transparent at an ESO level.

2) Urban road operators should be encouraged to build-up technical as well as financial capacity to contribute to required standardization.

Financial capacity could be stimulated by funding schemes that specifically address such standardization activities. Technical capacity could be created by dedicated actions to develop guidelines and online educational services, but also by raising awareness as to which standards require road operator contribution and how this

contribution could best be established.

3) A list of standards should be agreed upon that have an impact on urban operators’ business processes. Standards in this category need to stimulate road operator contribution to the respective standardization activities. Instruments to raise awareness and stimulate contribution are needed.

Guidelines should be considered for possible changes of existing business processes to make existing ITS cooperative-enabled.

Left: The ‘C-ITS standardization requirements for the urban environment’ workshop in Brussels on September 12, 2016

4) A dedicated activity should be begun to describe a required testing specification for C-ITS services and equipment for road operators. Supporting actions to build up technical capacity (and maybe also financial capacity) to test standards and testing as a whole should be extended. Also the development process for conformance tests of infrastructure-based messages should be accelerated.

Requirements of public road authorities Further standardization recommendations came up during the discussion of the CIMEC workshop. Due to the lack of technical capacities, cities would not like to be involved in detailing technical functionalities, but are interested in buying a cooperative component for the intended service. Therefore, it is ideal for them to write their conformance statement for tendering with respect

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Below: Ideal C-ITS system schematic

to the cooperative services that are of particular interest. The following set of requirements was identified for public road authorities: 1) All equipment should be able to communicate via compatible 3G, 4G, ITS G5, etc.

2) The means of communication should be agnostic and interoperable.

3) Remote updating of the application parameters protocol at any time should be included. In other words, the protocol should be maintained remotely.

4) Certified level of IT-security to prevent misuse of the systems.

Supplementary requirements During the discussion, other standardization activities missed by some of the participants – including attending cities – were: 1) An awareness of necessary tools and methods to accelerate the expected changes to business processes, so that new tasks can be completed.

2) Common standardized security mechanisms.

3) Trusted authority for C-ITS security.

These last three recommendations are addressed by the C-ITS platform and ESO, and are still part of an ongoing effort.

Toward a European C-ITS standard The overall conclusions support the ITS pre-study (PT1701) recommendation of having a Europe-wide control interface standard to link roadside devices such as signal controllers to in-station/center systems, with a strong involvement of public road authorities and thus regional standardization associations. This interface should include migration paths by design, for example technical options on how to migrate from existing to future systems.

There should also be a long-term standardization activity plan for an open architecture within ‘single black boxes’ (equipment) from vendors. The figure (left) maps this interface in the use-case example.

Future research should focus on suggestions of more concrete mechanisms, how urban road operators’ requirements can systematically integrate the current standardization activities, and a further investigation of other regional standardization associations. n

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Can ITS fight terror in Moscow?

The control of ITS in Moscow is now closely overseen by the government, with significant upgrades planned and a promise to fight terrorism. But critics fear that citizens’ civil liberties are at risk Words | Eugene Gerden

In the wake of the St Petersburg subway bombing, which claimed eight lives on April 3, 2017, the Russian government is tightening state control of intelligent transportation system (ITS) operations in Moscow, promising it will use new powers to fight the perceived growing terror threat. This involves the transferring of control of the operation, maintenance and repair of Moscow’s ITS to the Russian Federal Protective Service (Federal’naya Sluzhba Okhrani, or FSO) one of the most powerful and closed state agencies in Russia, the activities of which are directly controlled by the Russian Presidential Administration.

The transfer of power took place after a tender for the operation of Moscow’s ITS, which was won by Sveko, a federal state

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‘unitary enterprise’ which is effectively an integral part of the Russian Federal Protective Service.

The value of the contract amounted to RUB3.88bn (US$70m), which is slightly lower than its starting price of RUB4.02bn. The list of other bidders included Rostelecom, Russia’s leading long-distance telephony provider, as well as several other leading Russian IT corporations.

The tender for the operation, maintenance and repair of Moscow’s ITS was announced in April 2016 by the Center for Organization of Road Traffic (CORT), a state service responsible for the organization of road traffic in Russia. The final results, however, were not revealed until a year later.

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Inset: Floral tributes in a St Petersburg subway station after April 2017’s terror attack killed eight Main image: Moscow’s state-of-the-art traffic management center

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Under the terms of the contract, Sveko will be responsible for ensuring the continuous operation of 3,300 road traffic detectors, 2,254 traffic lights, 166 information boards and 2,059 video cameras.

If there is an overall improvement in the road traffic situation in Moscow during the 2017-2019 period, the contract could be extended.

According to an official spokesman for CORT, the Federal Protective Service (as the federal government agency concerned with the tasks related to the protection of high-ranking state officials, including the president of Russia) will be able to significantly improve the already existing organization of road traffic in Moscow and make it safer.

In addition to planned technical improvements, Sveko will focus on the reduction of the existing terror threat in Moscow, which has significantly increased in recent months. According to an official spokesman for Dmitry Kochnev, head of the FPS, this will be achieved through the installation of the most modern ITS ever seen on Moscow city roads, allowing authorities to more efficiently monitor suspicious activity, including any taking place on transport. According to FPS, Russia’s leading ITS providers are currently finalizing designs for the technologies involved. Some parts of the solution may be provided by global vendors – this is being discussed at present.

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs believes that Moscow’s public transport, and its busiest roads and highways, may be the next target of

terror attacks, but that preventing such attacks should be possible through the improvement of the city’s ITS.

A history of ITS in Moscow The modernization of Moscow’s ITS began in 2011, when city authorities launched a tender to design a new ITS based on the standards used for the organization of road traffic in some of the world’s largest cities. Sitronics, one of Russia’s leading microelectronics companies and part of the Russian financial conglomerate AFK Sistema, won the contract, worth RUB6.26bn (US$110m).

Since 2011 the company has achieved good results, significantly reducing Moscow’s congestion levels and improving road safety. For example, the introduction of a new generation of ITS has reduced traffic jams in the city by 10%, expanded the city’s traffic density by 5-15%, increased the average speed of cars by 17%, and reduced travel time by 15-20%.

Traffic managers have access to images from thousands of cameras and sensors across Moscow, from the comfort of the city’s new traffic management center

Plans for the future As part of Federal Road Agency plans, Sveko is now creating a system for the monitoring of the condition of Moscow’s roads and is introducing automated vehicle weight control. In addition, according to Igor Astakhov, deputy head of the Federal Road Agency, by 2019 the Moscow city government plans to have finally solved the problem of chaotic parking in the city. It will be part of the current state program, known as ‘Unified

In addition to the initial task of optimization of transport flows, it will address the issue of priority travel, ensuring priority for public transport and emergency services Maxim Liksutov, director, Moscow Department of Transport

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Traffic congestion is easing in central Moscow thanks to recently upgraded ITS

urban parking space in Moscow’, which involves the establishment of more than 200 parking control zones throughout the city over the next two years.

Sveko will also implement a new system of adaptive traffic management by the end of 2017, designed to improve road traffic across the city.

According to the Moscow Department of Transport, the new system will help to reduce idling time in traffic jams and further increase the average speed of traffic in the city. The new system is being created using the Omnia platform – Swarco’s state-of-the-art software solution for the integrated road transport environment.

“In addition to the initial task of optimization of transport flows, the new system will address the issue of priority travel, ensuring priority for public transport and emergency services,” says Maxim Liksutov, head of the Moscow Department of Transport.

Sveko is also planning to expand cooperation with both Russian and foreign ITS vendors and providers.

It is said to be in talks with Neurocom, a Russian leader in ITS and telematics, regarding the introduction of a special system designed to monitor driver fatigue. The new system will be launched among Moscow taxi drivers, but there are plans to extend its application later.

Valeriy Dementienko, general director of Neurocom, comments: “The state of the driver’s health will be assessed using eye-movement analysis,

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muscle tone and rationality of actions that the driver must perform in certain situations (for example,when negotiating a turn signal). This combination will provide a fairly reliable way of determining the driver’s health condition, alerting him in the case of any performance dips.”

Privacy issues and criticism In the meantime, some leading Russian ITS experts and analysts have criticized the appointment of FPS as the single controller and operator of the ITS system in Moscow. According to them, this may result in an increase in the number of cases of unauthorized access to the personal data of Russian citizens.

The experts are concerned that the control of Moscow road traffic by the Federal Protective Service could enhance the role of Russian secret services, enabling them to monitor the movements of cars and pedestrians under the guise of tracking potential terrorists.

Furthermore, according to experts from Russian ITS provider Technologia of Doroshny Dvizhenya, Sveko lacks the technical experience needed to implement such projects, meaning that it will be forced to bring in third-party contractors to fulfill the contract with CORT. Semen Beregovoy, head of Technologia of Doroshny Dvizhenya, says, “It is currently unclear whether Sveko will be able to complete implementation a project of such a degree of complexity, taking into account that, to date, the company’s experience in this field has been insignificant. This may pose a threat to the future of the entire project.” n

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100 | TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Simpler management How intelligent traffic solutions are evolving to accommodate new technological advances Words | Manuel Milli, Swarco, Austria In the future, the range of traffic modes will become more diverse – bicycles, pedestrians, public transport and highly automated vehicles are all going to play a major role and will need tailored information and traffic management approaches. By 2020 nearly 20 billion IoT-enabled devices will generate massive amounts of data that can be used to predict and react on traffic and mobility events.

Traditional traffic detection and sensing technologies can be complemented by data from vehicles and mobile devices. Highly automated and connected vehicles set new quality standards in infrastructure and its maintenance, paving the way for new traffic control schemes. Swarco’s TMaaS (Traffic Management as a Service) approach uses a combination of leading-edge technologies that integrate with the operational infrastructure and are prepared to cope with these major social and technological trends.

TMaaS is a new concept that applies the latest IT ideas and technology to traffic management infrastructure, with a wide range of application modules managed by experts. It is based on flexible deployment options tailored to individual customer requirements. Using browser-based interfaces with easy workflows, the solution is suited to the modern work environment where access to traffic management is often needed away from traditional control rooms.

Essential traffic controlling tools Traffic management systems are essential tools, supporting city and road managers to efficiently operate their networks and manage changing traffic situations.

The conventional approach required software and hardware installed at the customer premises and implies high levels of IT engagement and competence at the client side. All this translates into considerable procurements costs and

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

initial investment. Moreover most agencies use only a subset of the available features, meaning high training costs with limited return and the need for additional support contracts. Increasingly, only large agencies with large numbers of qualified staff can afford and fully benefit from the advantages of modern traffic management systems.

Swarco has developed this modern approach to overcome these issues, building directly on experience gained from existing customer deployments and feedback.

TMaaS is offered as cloud-based infrastructure to provide a completely scalable solution, including full redundancy and standby options for complete peace of mind and continuous operation. Furthermore, web technologies allow system monitoring to be easily implemented and shared with all stakeholders for maximum engagement.

More than just a cheaper alternative TMaaS is not only a valid and cost-efficient alternative to conventional traffic management, but it also provides a number of additional benefits: Every city has its own

requirements, which need different tools to be efficiently managed. Through TMaaS, customers will have access to several features and software modules and will be able to choose those that are relevant to their specific requirements.

The Strategy Manager, for instance, is a tool expressly designed to operate in the framework of integrated road traffic environments, where it provides strategic level coordination among one or more ITS applications deployed to reach mobility management goals. The tool reacts to traffic situations and forecasts in a structured and dynamic way, in order to prevent traffic anomalies or recover from anomalies quickly. The growth of the system in terms of installed equipment or features will not be a problem as TMaaS cloud infrastructure provides a completely scalable solution.

The TMaaS approach reduces overall cost and almost eliminates IT needs on the customer side with increasing security.

The system will always be up-to-date and upgrades are managed on a service basis.

The system can support different providers

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TMaaS software is a new concept in traffic management that uses browser-based interfaces with easy workflows, enabling traffic management away from traditional control rooms

and follows an open approach to external suppliers.

It very much increases portability and offers a perfect solution for employees who are increasingly on the move, with anytime, anywhere availability.

Moving from reactive to proactive mindset TMaaS fully supports equipment monitoring and system maintenance, providing all the data to move from a reactive to a proactive approach, helping to optimize physical presence on-site, as well as spare-part management.

The City Dashboard is a tool expressly designed to turn huge amounts of data from heterogeneous sources (road network, ITS devices, IoT, etc) into actionable insights that help users in taking the proper actions. It provides a set of fully customizable widgets to aggregate data, present it and generate reports in different formats to meet specific monitoring and analysis needs.

This makes the City Dashboard an indispensable business tool. The underlying Data Warehouse is designed to accommodate huge amounts of data from heterogeneous sources into harmonized data structures and data access interfaces in combination with data pre-processing solutions provide the ideal environment for advanced data analytics.

This concept enables Swarco to provide TMaaS to a customer who today does not operate a traffic control system or does not have staff for dynamic traffic management. If needed, Swarco can also provide operational traffic management services as well as management and maintenance of equipment and even operational incident management.

The system design has been kept open to allow integration of third-party services and solutions.

Swarco has teamed up with a number of partners who contribute with their products to enhance the system and provide additional features. Highly accurate traffic information based on floating car data and environmental data are two examples that can be used seamlessly throughout the TMaaS. n

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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Next-generation traffic control Deploying traffic management hardware is only half the job when building a modern traffic control center: today’s overcrowded roads demand smart software platforms to enable more efficient transportation systems Words | Branko Glad, Telegra, Croatia

Wherever they are in the world, today’s cities, metropolitan areas and densely populated regions face similar traffic problems. Increasingly, roads are under-capacitated, often by several orders of magnitude. It’s not unheard of to have millions of vehicles traveling along networks built for hundreds of thousands.

The reason for this is not only due to population growth, but also because of the enduring and increasing popularity of the car. Cars are still the first choice of transportation for most people, and most will use primary corridors.

Even when a citizen wants to become more multimodal in their transportation choices, often private vehicles, public transit and other modes are not sufficiently coordinated to make this easy. Part of this problem is that traffic control centers (TCC) are not efficient enough and they do

not have sufficiently precise and detailed information about traffic to successfully coordinate it.

Demand outstrips supply Fundamentally, most road networks and related infrastructure were not designed and built with the exponential rise in population and demand for transportation that we are now witnessing in mind. Furthermore, the development of alternative transportation modes is failing to meet rising demand. But, despite the lack of new infrastructure, it is possible to make what we do have work more efficiently, by enhancing TCCs. TCCs are at the heart of transportation systems and therefore well placed to manage flows across limited infrastructure resources. But first, divisions between different systems need to be broken down.

Today, traffic management is typically built

up of separate individual systems: traffic signal management, advanced ITS, tunnel management, traffic counting, CCTV, etc.

This all results in the fact that, although TCCs do exist, they are relatively inefficient because they are running non-integrated and non-coordinated systems based on insufficient and non-synthesized traffic data.

Traffic management strategies applied from such TCCs are rudimentary, slow in implementation, and usually end with poor results. TCCs in this first generation may be working at as little as 10% of their true potential.

Current limits on TCCs The fundamental aims of TCCs are to: monitor traffic situations; identify possible congestion in advance; identify traffic incidents (and accidents) immediately, as they happen; activate the correct strategies

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Above and below: Telegra’s topXview traffic management software is a platform, designed and developed for the implementation of TCC 2.0.

It helps traffic control centers to be more effective and to run more efficiently

for resolving congestion, incidents and preventing secondary incidents; and to constantly improve these traffic management strategies through experience. In short, TCCs must establish and keep maximum traffic flow with minimum primary and secondary incidents. If this can be achieved, the TCC will justify its existence.

To fulfill such goals, traffic managers and traffic operators in TCCs must have technological infrastructure to help them perform their duties.

This infrastructure is built from two components.

Firstly, there is traffic equipment for collecting information (traffic counters, CCTV cameras, etc) and traffic equipment for directing and informing road users (variable and dynamic message signs [VMS/DMS], traffic signals, etc). Most TCCs have access to this basic infrastructure.

The second component necessary in order for a TCC to be effective is suitable software infrastructure – a good TCC software platform will allow traffic managers and operators to accomplish their goals efficiently and ergonomically. Often this does not exist in first-generation TCCs. Instead of a software platform, TCC 1.0s operate with non-integrated, non-coordinated applications for management of individual subsystems. This results in poor outcomes, and enormous stress for traffic managers and operators.

The solution: TCC 2.0 The solution for this problem is a second generation of TCCs (TCC 2.0). These are based on software platforms that integrate all systems the

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

TCC is capable of. Such a platform will analyze and synthesize real-time and historical data collected from all sensors, all information from vehicles connected to a TCC network, and all information received from related services and stakeholders. It will present this information to the operator in the TCC in an ergonomic view so that they comprehend quickly and intuitively the overall traffic situation in the entire network (the city).

An advanced TCC software platform will also anticipate and detect congestion and incidents before or immediately as they start happening and then alert operators to this, with prompt confirmation through CCTV, which is integrated in the platform. It can then suggest optimum strategies for resolving situations, and simulate faster-thanreal-time outcomes of such strategies, so that operators can choose the right ones.

The software can then activate strategies, after an operator’s approval, by sending commands for the implementation of a chosen strategy to relevant ITS devices (DMS, traffic lights, etc).

It can also send personalized instructions, synthesized in the TCC, to all vehicles using a connected vehicles app; inform all potential travelers of any problems through a TCC web portal; send commands to relevant services and other related transportation modes; and supervise execution of all active strategies.

TCC 2.0 benefits for society Second-generation TCCs are a basic and necessary pre-condition for implementing modern traffic management concepts known under different names such as integrated corridor management (ICM) and smart city traffic management.

In particular, second-generation TCCs bring particular benefits to the society. They enable the successful and efficient traffic management of cities and bigger road networks, to the satisfaction of all users; they promote higher traffic safety levels; they reduce the costs associated with congestion, incidents and pollution; and they create, overall, a higher quality of life for all citizens. n

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Advanced measurement in motion The core of intelligent transportation systems is the information that needs to be collected, transferred, integrated and provided Words | Anna Maciaková, Betamont, Slovakia Betamont Measure-in-Motion (MiM) is a new concept that can be flexibly implemented on roads and railways, which aims to obtain the largest possible set of relevant data on vehicles themselves, and the transport stream as a whole, without obstructing flow at the measuring site. It is a complex system consisting of several subsystems.

The concept of MiM is to integrate simple traffic counters with weigh-in-motion (WIM), automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) and vehicle dimension measurements. What started as the integration of third-party devices has evolved to a bespoke hardware solution – Betamont has established its own R&D department, one of the active focuses of which is the development of completely new WIM systems.

Why weigh?

Vehicle weight enforcement is of interest to road authorities, as it prevents road surface damage caused by heavy traffic and by doing so improves safety.

At an axle load inspection site, a vehicle gets measured dynamically by a high-speed WIM system and, if suspected of being overloaded, is diverted to a certified scale.

High-speed WIM works in such situations as a pre-selection system. Nevertheless, such a solution is quite demanding in terms of required space.

Betamont set itself the goal of creating an accurate and reliable dynamic WIM system with results comparable to a static or lowspeed system. It achieved this goal and its system is now certified in Russia, where six sites are using its enforcement system. On October 5, 2017, the Federal Road Agency Rosavtodor, on behalf of the Ministry of

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Transport of the Russian Federation in cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, agreed that there was practically no difference between the accuracy of Betamont high-speed and other low-speed WIM systems. From the beginning of 2017, more than one million weight limit violations were recorded using the system, meaning that more than one-third of freight vehicles exceeded the standards.

As well as Russia, the system is also certified in the Kyrgyz Republic and the Czech Republic. The reason for this, first and foremost, is Betamont’s intensive business activities in these countries, but it is also because of the modified legislation process that promotes dynamic weighing.

Beyond WIM The MiM system has a wide range of functions – WIM is but one of the important subsystems. The ALPR subsystem, which currently works reliably with 98% accuracy, is an indispensable part of the traffic parameter measurement process. As well as reading plates to unequivocally identify a particular vehicle, the MiM system can work with images in a more advanced manner and use this data to identify all kinds of vehicle attributes (emissions, technical specifications, dangerous cargo, etc). It can also detect if belts are buckled, if a passenger is present, and identify the vehicle model and color.

The basic MiM configuration can be supplemented with additional non-contact measurement systems, such as high-speed lasers to measure the vehicle contours.

A combination of radar, ultrasonic and infrared systems was used, for example, in

a national highway toll project in Slovakia.

This case demonstrated well the modularity and adaptability of the MiM system. It also enabled Betamont to gain valuable experience of a complete electronic toll implementation project. This has led to an ambitious, but certainly feasible, idea – to charge tolls using just smartphones with dedicated apps, and to keep the MiM system only as a checkpoint.

Further development Betamont is constantly working to improve and expand its MiM system. But since the system is operating only with the sensors currently available, it often encounters limits. These can be solved partly by software, but in terms of some specific customer requirements, Betamont has now started to develop its own WIM sensors.

The company is doing this to improve accuracy and introduce new principles, while still being mindful of the acceptable financial limits of the solution. Simultaneously there are completely new possibilities

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for the deployment of MiM applications for road management and beyond.

Advanced data-processing is a fundamental part of the MiM system. In-depth data analysis using artificial intelligence methods is carried out to identify, calculate and interpret traffic parameters, to discover the patterns and correlations they contain. This is compared with historical data, which contains a certain regularity that can aid the development of new models.

The data-processing system can also be upgraded by tailoring it for a specific application within a defined user environment, such as for a police officer, traffic manager or statistician.

In the future, data streams could be enriched even further with the monitoring of additional devices such as autonomous vehicles, C-ITS systems and weather stations. Other even more disparate elements could also be brought into the system, such as holidays and rest days, the current political situation, and even the oil market, all of which could have an effect on traffic and other geosocial patterns in a city. The goal of all active ITS should be to prevent unfavorable situations and not just to react to those that arise.

Above: Betamont high-speed WIM sensors can be seen outlined in red and yellow, embedded in a roadway.

Accuracy is equivalent to low-speed static sensors Below: ALPR and video enforcement technology mounted on a gantry

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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Route Zero

The end point of Vision Zero – the day road deaths are a thing of the past – may be some years off, but a project in Latvia is proving that ‘route zeros’ are now possible Words | Aigars Jaundalders, Squalio Cloud Consulting, Latvia

Speed enforcement is typically perceived as a way to profit from drivers, leading to negative publicity and public opinion.

However, projects in Latvia are proving its image can be considerably improved.

Since introducing a next-generation speed enforcement camera network in 2015, Latvia has seen a substantial decrease in traffic accident related injuries (-73%) and the number of serious traffic accidents (-70%) in areas controlled by speed cameras. Most importantly, in the areas where speed cameras have been placed, there have since been no road traffic fatalities connected to speeding.

This success cannot be attributed to a single factor, rather it is because of a set of coordinated activities and a smart

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

73%

instruments of enforcement roll-out of technological and profit to ones that solutions. Starting at improve road safety. the top, the political leadership for this project was assumed New back office The reduction in by the Ministry To ensure the traffic-related injuries in of Transportation maximum efficiency Latvia since the installation and Road Traffic and flexibility of the Safety Directorate. solution, a dedicated of a new speed camera Working closely back-office service, enforcement network with law-enforcement provisioned in the agencies, they created cloud, was deployed. in 2015 a national program for This service provides 24/7 deployment of speed monitoring and maintenance cameras, as well as a series of of the camera network, public education campaigns. These resolution of any network issues (with made a significant contribution to changing any of the involved parties, including power the public perception of such projects – utilities and mobile network operators), which went from viewing them simply as automated data ingest from cameras,

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70%

The reduction in serious traffic accidents in Latvia since the installation of a new speed camera enforcement network in 2015

many speed cameras can classify only trucks and passenger vehicles, the Latvian solution can discern emergency vehicles, motorbikes, buses, and other vehicle classes as well. These new capabilities improve the flexibility of speed enforcement (for example, allowing for more granular thresholding of different vehicle classes, and applying various thresholds based on visually detectable weather conditions), while also increasing the productivity of back-office workers, making it possible to process a much larger amount of cases (applying different workflows The number of fatalities for emergency vehicles, bikes with on roads in Latvia, due no license plate facing the camera, etc).

Above: Latvia’s speed camera network is creating some of the safest roads in Europe

Zero

to speeding, (since 2015) that are part of its new speed-camera enforcement network

and data processing with export function for law enforcement agencies.

As a result, Latvia could start small, installing just a few speed cameras at first, and then was able to scale up as quickly as necessary without additional investment in IT capabilities. More importantly, having control over the complete data lifetime – from camera network availability to speeding ticket export for law enforcement agencies – ensures high data quality and strict adherence to the predefined service-level agreement. The whole process can take as little as a few minutes, from the detection of a violation, to an enforcement case that is ready for export.

Not only is data automatically imported from the cameras, it is also pre-processed using deep neural networks to segment, classify and recognize vehicles, doing so with previously unattainable granularity and precision. As an example, while

The future

As a part of the national intelligent transportation systems’ architecture and a significant data and service contributor, the national speed camera network is viewed as an important driver behind improving traffic safety. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, speeding contributes to 30% of highway crash fatalities. Transitioning every road to Route Zero – zero fatalities – may take time, but, as the Latvian example shows, it is an attainable goal. n

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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Technology in motion WIM technology is a very effective way to enforce vehicle weight and dimension regulations – and the technology is improving all the time Words | Dr Gerd Simons and Tomas Pospisek, Kistler Instrumente AG, Switzerland

In recent years, weigh-in-motion (WIM) technology has proven to be an ideal solution for direct enforcement in road traffic control.

Where high-speed WIM systems previously simply helped identify vehicles that violated weight limits, now they are used more to directly penalize overloaded vehicles.

Overloading – be it accidental due to negligent vehicle loading, or intentional as a cost-saving measure – affects road traffic in various ways. It damages infrastructure, reduces road safety and adds to unfair competition between transport modes and operators. Overloading also violates taxation rules including vehicle registration fees, axle taxes and toll infrastructure fees. As a result, it is essential to address the issue of overloaded trucks by enforcing vehicle weight and dimension regulations.

The integration of advanced truck load monitoring systems into ITS marks a big step forward compared with compliance officers’ long-established roadside enforcement methods. Traditional enforcement is complex and time-consuming, with only five to six large vehicles being handled per day on average.

The advantages of WIM WIM systems can measure vehicle loads at high speeds. They collect traffic data continuously, producing data sets that can help identify operators who are transporting goods without the correct permit. While the results vary from country to country, up to 100 violations a day can be identified. The procedure shares similarities with automatic speed enforcement: WIM systems can be operated 24/7, do not require enforcement personnel, and are suitable for highways with a high volume of vehicles.

The most important benefit is automatic direct enforcement, which means that traffic is measured constantly and consistently.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

In 2015, Kistler was the first WIM manufacturer to receive the Organisation Internationale de Métrologie Légale (OIML) R-134 certificate for vehicle weighing, using strip sensors at 3-65km/h (2-40mph).

This certificate recognizes that Kistler’s WIM systems, comprising the maintenance-free Lineas quartz WIM sensors and the Kistler WIM Data Logger, can be used for legal weighing applications.

The systems provide reliable data on traffic volume, axle loads and gross vehicle weight.

Several Eastern European countries have

already brought in legislation that permits the application of WIM technology in traffic enforcement.

Most of these systems – provided by different system integrators – utilize Kistler quartz sensors for data acquisition. The Lineas Quartz WIM sensor technology measures wheel and axle loads extremely accurately, to determine gross vehicle weight under rolling traffic conditions.

Kistler’s WIM equipment offers officials flexible and maintenance-free traffic monitoring options.

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“In Eastern Europe, we are witnessing a rapidly rising demand for WIM technology for direct enforcement applications from all sectors – federal, regional and private,” says Tomas Pospisek, EMEA sales manager for road and traffic at Kistler. “In Russia, we have observed a trend toward direct enforcement. In 2017, we gained market shares in the highly competitive market by installing WIM technology in various direct-enforcement projects.

Customers especially value our numerous regional sales and support centers.”

New WIM projects with Kistler equipment are also being implemented in Hungary. One of the largest WIM projects in Europe – with 89 sites nationwide – included the installation of a large number of Lineas quartz sensors. Each site has two to five lanes.

Longevity Kistler sensors are designed to offer a trouble-free lifespan. “Since 2016, we have experienced an increased demand for extended warranties,” says Pospisek. “Our customers see their WIM system installations as valuable investments that need regular care. We therefore offer the typical one-year warranty plus an additional period of up to 48 months.”

Industrial truck weighing is another huge potential market for highly accurate, certified WIM systems. When weighing vehicles leaving

or entering industrial plants, mining facilities or ports and terminals, measurement speed and overall efficiency play an important role.

This is particularly true for sites with a high density of traffic, where weighing is timeconsuming and expensive.

The future of WIM A lot of progress has been made in recent years to improve and implement WIM systems, contributing to safer and more efficient vehicle operations. Manufacturers are continuously developing new features to keep up with the wide range of applications that go beyond enforcement. For example, in China and Southeast Asia, WIM systems are also being used for toll collection based on actual vehicle weight. The technology facilitates tolling and weighing vehicles at the same time, without interrupting traffic flow.

“We see a similar trend in Europe,” says Pospisek. “Kistler plans to expand its sensor and system portfolio to cover even more WIM applications. From 2018, we also want to provide more services to meet the needs of WIM users.

Our weatherproof technology provides reliable and accurate data, which is backed up by a proven track record of successful projects. Various new and exciting products and services for this sector will be shown at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2018, on March 20-23, 2018.” n

The WIM Data Logger can monitor and gather data from moving vehicles in real time

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Mobile enforcement of tolls Compared with stationary enforcement, mobile patrol vehicles can ensure that more cross-border toll violators are identified and charged accordingly Words | Max Staudinger, EFKON, Austria

In Europe, open road tolling has evolved as the main way of tolling heavy goods vehicles (HGV). Two major approaches have been pursued and are mandated by a European directive: satellite toll for wide areas; and microwave dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) for tolling of specific segments. However, control of revenues and correct base data requires enforcement technology. The main approaches for enforcing open road tolls are: fixed enforcement systems mounted on gantries; portable systems to cover more segments; and mobile patrol vehicles.

While fixed and portable systems record all irregularities, they do not force payment.

Domestic users can be reached via local laws, but those from other countries can only be addressed via mobile enforcement patrols and using proper equipment. The mobile patrol vehicles detect and determine number plates, vehicle class and onboard unit (OBU) information to verify integrity and compare with black- and whitelists.

Driving effectiveness When implementing mobile enforcement, some basic questions need to be handled

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

regarding legislation and business rules.

For example, where can the operation take place? Are we allowed to operate off premises? How do we detain the vehicle or driver? Which organization is to be entrusted with the enforcement task?

Payment should be easy in cash and via all established channels. However, it must be a guaranteed payment that cannot be reversed.

Mobile patrol vehicles Mobile patrol vehicles typically are equipped with automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, vehicle classification and DSRC or infrared beacons to read OBU. An LED message sign instructs road users, sometimes with sirens and flashing lights.

A local server runs all operations and synchronizes continuously with the back-office over a 3G/4G modem. Via the human machine interface (HMI), operators access various modes, and plates that are difficult to access (for example, plate hidden under protruding load) can be entered manually. A reference OBU must be present for verification, to immediately prove availability of all signals. A mobile office with

ruggedized equipment is required for scanning, printing and payment.

Comfort provided to operators includes proper heating/cooling/illumination. CCTV surveillance and illumination of the inside and outside area is recommended for security, and a safe compartment is required to store cash.

Modes of operation Mobile patrol vehicles can be operated in roadside mode or in floating mode. While roadside mode enables the screening of more vehicles, floating mode can be used to pull over vehicles almost anywhere.

Furthermore, parking lot mode is available for enforcement using a specially adapted tablet computer, or additional (rotated) rooftop equipment.

Cross-border enforcement In many countries, mobile enforcement is the only method to catch foreign violators.

Sending letters to a foreign company might not reach the owner, or the owner cannot be identified because of lack of access to the foreign vehicle registry. The only method guaranteeing payment of a fine, and therefore the tolls, is the mobile patrol. European

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Opposite and below: Mobile, flexible and handheld enforcement can be used to carry out random checks Below: An enforcement tablet device

cross-border enforcement directives are limited to road safety and are not applicable to tolls.

Typically, staffing and adaptation of parking spaces represent the highest cost. Cost also varies

according to enforcement strategy. Typically, the aim is not to maximize enforcement revenue, but to minimize evasion at the lowest cost and without systematic gaps. This might include a mix of high visibility and surprise effects, time periods of high and low control density, but also fine levels.

Mobile enforcement is a practical and proven approach to enforce payment on extensive tolled road networks, and will remain the key to success for many years to come. n

Benefit from our know-how and experience. EFKON’s expertise is based on extensive know-how on all major electronic tolling technologies and more than 20 years of experience in the ITS and ETC business.

We offer a broad portfolio from single components to products, systems integrations and operations for nationwide tolling systems and congestion charge (City Tolling) solutions. We support our customers from the planning stage through the project handling to the after sales service – benefit from a one-stop-shop provider, tailoring solutions to your individual needs. www.efkon.com

EFKON GmbH, Dietrich-Keller-Str. 20, 8074 Raaba, Tel. +43 316 6990-0

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The eyes of ITS Cameras are an increasingly important tool in traffic management, driving lens technology to develop accordingly Words | Peter Bhagat, Gardasoft Vision, UK ITS applications can provide great challenges for vision systems. Variations in natural lighting and the speed at which images need to be acquired demand sophisticated approaches to the lighting and imaging system. Many components and control techniques employed in machine vision, such as liquid lenses, P-Iris control, multipulse illumination and intelligent lighting, can bring real benefits for ITS. Vision technology can already be found in ALPR, toll booth control, multilane monitoring, automatic toll license validation, red light violation, traffic enforcement systems, vehicle recognition and identification, vehicle occupancy and speed monitoring.

Revolutionary new technology Liquid lens technology is new capability in imaging. The shape of these lenses can be changed in just milliseconds for extremely fast focus adjustment. By dynamically changing the focus, it is not necessary for the optical system to have a large depth of field, which means that the iris can be wider, giving brighter images. The liquid lens can be used in conjunction with a normal camera lens to adjust the focus of the system. For a 200mm macro lens, the focus can typically be adjusted from 100mm to infinity. This technology opens up many opportunities for ITS. The fast focus change

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

means that focus can be selected according to how close the vehicle is. It is possible to determine the distance of the vehicle by using a signal from a laser sensor or by analyzing one image and then setting the focus for the next.

Multiple image applications Liquid lenses are ideal for applications requiring multiple images as the focus can be moved so quickly between images.

Where multiple lanes are being imaged, focus can be rapidly adjusted for each. In this way, it is possible to use a single camera for three lanes instead of three individual cameras, substantially reducing cost. Liquid lenses, such as those from Optotune, can change shape using a patented combination of optical fluids and a flexible polymer membrane. An electrically controlled outer diaphragm pushes down on the membrane to change the shape of the lens, making it possible to focus easily at different distances.

Gardasoft’s GigE Vision-compliant TR-CL180 lens controller facilitates the fast, precise changing of focus.

Iris control For conventional lenses, the amount of light that reaches the camera sensor is controlled by opening and closing the iris. This can be performed automatically in response to

variations in light levels in the overall scene by using an auto-iris system. However, for ITS, the system has more specific aims, for example optimizing the brightness of a license plate. For this, the P-Iris arrangement is a preferred solution, combining stepper motor-driven adjustment of the iris with control of camera software settings such as gain and exposure time. Gardasoft can offer P-Iris control as an OEM module.

By controlling the iris from the image processing software – which intelligently examines the image in terms of the desired information – much better control of the brightness can be achieved in the parts of the image that really matter.

Specifically designed pulsed LED lighting provides ITS integrators with high luminous intensity, flexibility of installation and operation, with the added benefit of low cost of ownership. By pulsing the LED, the timing of the camera exposure can be exactly synchronized with the triggering of the light, and light intensity output can be readily adjusted. Driving the LED with a higher current for short pulses (overdriving) makes it possible to get more than 100% brightness from the light during those short pulses.

All Gardasoft ITS LED controllers allow rapid adjustment of the frequency and power of light pulses, so multiple pulses of light of different intensities can be generated within

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a very short space of time. This multipulsing capability provides versatility for an ITS. Capturing successive images of the same scene at different light intensities allows selection of the optimum image for analysis. In addition, pulses of different light intensity could be used to image different components in a scene. For example, higher light intensity might be required to determine the type of vehicle, but less light would be needed for license plate imaging. The controller could also be used for multiple LEDs, with different wavelengths operating at different intensities, to optimize the illumination for a particular image.

Intelligent lighting The intensity of light reaching the camera can be affected by factors other than variations in ambient light conditions due to the time of day or the differing weather conditions discussed above. The age and temperature of the LEDs used and the location of the lighting system are also important. Gardasoft’s patented Triniti intelligent lighting platform provides a seamless, easy-to-use connection between OEM traffic software, cameras, system hardware and lighting. Consistency in light intensity can be ensured by using vital information and feedback about the operational status of the system as a whole, including the lights themselves. Triniti employs an adaptive technique by using the image itself to adjust

light intensity and compensate for any of the above variations. For example, in ALPR, the image processing application can monitor the readability of the license plate and the brightness of the background and characters before instructing the lighting controller to adjust the lighting intensity if necessary. n

Gardasoft’s Triniti platform provides users with the easy control, operational intelligence and the integration of machine vision lighting

Bright Lights High intensity, intelligent LED strobes for ITS

High intensity LED illumination

Easy integration with cameras

Remote communications and diagnostics

Leading edge solid state technology results in highest intensities (White, IR and other wavelengths)

Flexible camera triggering, simple timing configuration software, and GigE Vision option

Ethernet connectivity as standard, in-built web browser and option for user data logging

Learn more about Gardasoft’s Traffic solutions www.gardasoft.com/Traffic

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Precision iris lenses

P-Iris lenses optimize resolution and depth of field, and are especially useful for outdoor ITS applications Words | Lumenera Corporation, Canada

When selecting a lens for outdoor applications where the lighting can be variable (e.g. ITS applications such as tolling and speed enforcement), there are typically three types of lenses to choose from: a fixed iris lens, a manually configurable iris lens, or a motorized iris lens using DC-Iris technology.

Traditionally, if a camera-configurable iris lens were required for a specific application, the only available option was a lens with DC-Iris. However, this technology has limitations. With these lenses, selecting a precise iris value is not repeatedly attainable and the lens often strays from its selected iris value over time. DC-Iris lenses have mainly been used to adjust the level of light that reaches the sensor and are only reliable when the iris is fully opened or set to its smallest aperture. Consequently, attaining accurate mid-range values has been a challenge for this lens technology.

A step up in precision More recently, Precision Iris (P-Iris) technology has entered the ITS market as an alternative to DC-Iris lenses. The P-Iris lens can reliably maintain and return to a precise iris value, and the iris can adjust to bright or dark lighting conditions.

The stepper motor that is used in P-Iris lenses makes it possible to set and maintain a precise iris opening, allowing the lens to be set to an aperture that optimizes the depth of field and minimizes diffraction, for extended periods of time. Typically, the stepper motors have roughly 72-74 positions, allowing for an extremely fine granularity when setting the aperture value. This translates to enhanced precision when selecting the f-number to be used, enabling the user to set the aperture to the exact point where the depth of field is greatest and where diffraction has no impact on the sensor based on its pixel size, thus rendering a sharp and blur-free image.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Because the resolution of the lens increases as the aperture opens and the depth of field increases as the aperture closes, an optimum position of the iris exists between these extremes. It is here that the lens can achieve a high depth of field without being impacted by the reduction in resolution caused by diffraction at small aperture values.

ITS applications When it comes to P-Iris lenses for ITS applications, it is important to ensure that the camera supports P-Iris and comes equipped with a port to control and power the lens. Currently, the only Sony Pregius-equipped USB 3.1 camera on the market that supports P-Iris is the Lumenera Lt545R. This camera uses the 5.1MP IMX250 Pregius sensor from Sony and since this sensor becomes diffraction limited at roughly f/5.06 (assuming 550nm light and a circle of confusion of 6.8µm – double the pixel diameter), a traditional lens would be diffraction limited at f/5.6 and would lose significant depth of field at the next full f-stop – f/4.0. Using the Lt545R with a P-Iris lens enables the user to set the aperture much closer, to f/5.06, enabling a greater depth of field without surpassing the sensor’s diffraction limit. Additionally, if lighting conditions were to change and the limits on exposure time and gain have been reached, the iris can still be used to help control the amount of light that reaches the sensor.

Lumenera’s Pregius-based cameras with P-Iris support provide for easier system integration and improved versatility of applications. Again, the precision benefits that come with P-Iris when paired with a Pregius sensor provide a solution for those looking to implement global shutter CMOS cameras in outdoor applications where the lighting can be variable. n

Main: Lumenera’s Lt545R camera with a P-Iris lens Inset: The impacts of aperture

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Connected transit signal priority Roads are being made safer – and transit more efficient – thanks to vehicle-to-infrastructure technology that allows transit vehicles to be prioritized at intersections Words | Ray Deer, Signal Group, USA Transit signal priority (TSP) is a concept that has existed for decades. The basic concept is that a transit vehicle (such as a bus, streetcar or light rail) passes over a transit specific detector at a fixed point from a signalized intersection, and the traffic controller at the intersection runs a special program to advance the vehicle through the intersection more efficiently.

This is typically only triggered when the vehicle is behind schedule and needs assistance to make up time.

Technological progress Over the years, traffic controllers have become more intelligent and efficient in their optimization strategies, but simple detection technology has remained somewhat stagnant and has limited what could be achieved at intersections. With advances in automatic vehicle location (AVL) systems and communications networks, this is now changing rapidly. AVL systems use onboard computers and global positioning systems (GPS) to dispatch and track transit vehicles. By connecting the vehicles’ AVL systems and the next generation of intelligent signalized intersections through wireless communications, a new era of collaboration between vehicles and infrastructure has been made possible.

Now, instead of a fixed-point on or off signal to the traffic controller, the vehicle can communicate in real time, giving its identity, location, course of action and estimated time of arrival (ETA). In doing so it can basically call ahead to the intersection and make a reservation. This is beneficial for the transit vehicles and also for the driving public. With advance warning that a transit vehicle is approaching and needs prioritization (i.e. it is behind schedule), the intelligent traffic controller can optimize the transit vehicle’s

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

progression through the intersection without overly disrupting other users of the road.

Knowing in advance the vehicle’s route and ETA, an intelligent traffic controller can compare the anticipated arrival of the transit vehicle at the forecast location with its timing cycle and make gradual timing changes to accommodate the vehicle. In addition some traffic controllers (as with Signal Group’s GREENWave-enabled advanced traffic controllers [ATC] family of controllers) have sophisticated algorithms to gradually recoordinate the signals back into the familiar ‘green band’ without major traffic disruptions.

System benefits There are many other advantages to transit vehicle-to-infrastructure (T-V2I) cooperation.

First, the computer estimated time and distance calculations can change as conditions evolve. If the vehicle slows down or speeds up, it can send update messages to the traffic controller to amend its ETA – the

vehicle communicates initially and ‘checks in’. It then continually sends update status messages to the intersection until the time it passes through the intersection and ‘checks out’. Also, if the vehicle catches up with its schedule before it arrives at the intersection and no longer needs priority, it can cancel its request and resume normal operation.

The flexibility of the real-time communications allows a single system to be implemented in the most complex transit systems. The vehicle, based on its own settings, will know what program on the traffic controller to request priority on. There could be multiple transit routes through a single intersection, special transit-only movements (for example, left turns for buses) and transit-only queue jumps exiting bus stops.

Having an intelligent system that can request the correct program is critical.

It also cannot be overlooked that the communications work both ways. In the T-V2I model, the vehicle can receive status

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information from the intersection so that it knows if the intersection heard, understood and is acting upon the priority requests.

V2I interoperability Another benefit of the T-V2I model is that the vehicle can be positively identified and logged by the intelligent traffic controller. As an example, when an AVL-equipped bus communicates to the traffic controller, it can send its vehicle number, the agency/operator it belongs to, and the route and run it is on. With this identification, the intelligent traffic controller can track how much adjustment (green extensions and reductions, movement skips, shifts, etc) was made and how much vehicle travel time was saved. Other metrics can also be tracked, including how long the vehicle was in the intersection’s TSP system and how many cycles the bus had to wait in congestion. With this data, performance can be measured, tracked and improved to answer the everlasting question – “How are we doing?” in terms of performance.

Finally, when pairing the T-V2I model with standardized communications protocols like National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP), it adds levels of interoperability never seen before. As an example, the Chicago area transit agencies are executing the Regional Transit Signal Priority Implementation Program (RTSPIP). They designed an interoperable protocol message set that allows vehicles from multiple overlapping transit agencies and multiple equipment manufacturers (AVL, traffic controllers, priority request generators/servers, etc) to communicate with one another. This allows transit vehicles to seamlessly request priority while traversing from the suburbs to the cities and back.

As many countries and companies are advancing in the connected vehicle arena and looking to the future, T-V2I technology is here and is a model that has generated many lessons learned. n

Opposite: Signal Group’s advanced traffic controller Above: Transit signal priority is possible, thanks to real-time communications between vehicles and infrastructure, for example in the Chicago region Below: The T-V2I model can be operated via tablet

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The best of both worlds Haenni Instruments has developed a wheel-load scale that combines permanent and mobile weigh enforcement stations Words | Daniel Kneubuehl, Haenni Instruments, Switzerland

Mobile enforcement units remain popular as it is impossible for truckers to plan routes to bypass them

Why is it that mobile patrols are still used for weight enforcement when there are automated systems on the market that are much more sophisticated than a simple wheel-load scale?

When talking about weight enforcement, the main focus is the reduction of the number of overloaded vehicles. The main factors for the effectiveness of any enforcement are the probability of detection and the amount of the fine to be paid.

Permanent stations are very precise, but are also very likely to be bypassed by overloaded vehicles. Mobile weight enforcement is less efficient in weighing, but highly efficient in unsettling the drivers of overloaded vehicles. The bottom line is that weight enforcement with mobile scales is more effective.

Aware of the importance of its mobile wheel-load scales for weight enforcement,

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Haenni Instruments wanted to improve what was already an excellent solution.

What makes Haenni scales ideal for professional applications? This was the first question the in-house development team asked when they started designing a next-generation mobile wheel-load scale.

“Besides offering easy handling, reliability and durability for many years, and being able to be used for legal metrology, two essential characteristics are needed: an extended temperature range and the thinnest weighing platform possible,” says Micha Kernen, Haenni project engineer.

Thinnest certifiable scales With a 17mm-high (0.67in) weighing platform, Haenni builds the thinnest certifiable wheel-load scales in the industry.

“This has multiple advantages,” says Kernen.

“Even the worst truck with overloading can

drive on it without ramps. To drive onto a 17mm-thick platform is equivalent to a gradient of 5%. Imagine if the platform was twice as high!”

The low profile of the scale makes the leveling easier: the mats are small and the excavation is simple for semifixed use. Leveling is important in order to minimize measurement errors and it is mandatory in most countries.

Even with this minimal platform height, Haenni scales fulfill the high standards of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML). This is mandatory for weight enforcement and is a sign of quality that approves the reliability of the instrument.

The temperature range of such a product has to be from -10°C up to +40°C (14°F to 104°F), according to OIML R76.

“The scale must work in its specification in the cold winters of Canada, but also in the

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hot summers of Oman. Therefore, we increased the range to -20°C to +60°C (-4°F to +140°F) as the standard range may not be sufficient.

This extended temperature range and the thin platform makes Haenni’s wheel load scales unique worldwide,” explains Kernen.

Well-established base Based on the well-established and reliable measurement platform of the WL 103, Haenni Instruments created the WL 108.

With its new graphic display with backlight and bigger numbers, reading the information is easier than ever. Furthermore, battery life is increased to 180 hours, with only two hours of charge time.

The new scale also features a wireless option that reduces installation time and eliminates the need for any connecting cables, which is crucial when the scale is used in particularly harsh environments. Weighing in at only 16.5kg (36.4lb) for a 10 metric ton (11.2-ton) or 15 metric ton (16.8-ton) scale, the measurement instrument is a lightweight of its kind and fulfills the provisions of any working union.

With the new WL 108 scale, Haenni’s development team aims to exceed the expectations of transportation professionals and make weight enforcement easier than ever. n

Haenni produces the thinnest, certifiable wheel-load scales on the market

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06.10.16 14:33

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

Move Brilliantly.

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Road watch Cameras with intelligent image processing can help traffic managers to spot incidents and respond quickly Words | Paola Clerici, Sprinx Technologies, Italy Incident detection and vehicle tracking is achieved at an advanced level with video analytics software from Sprinx Technologies

With ever-increasing numbers of vehicles causing congestion within city centers and on highways, local authorities are under increasing pressure to react quickly and effectively to any traffic incidents, as well as anticipate when traffic jams will occur.

Video surveillance and video analytics are becoming powerful tools to meet these needs. The proliferation of video cameras, the technology maturity of video analytics and, last but not least, the high cost of human operators and the high rate of overlooked events, are some of the driving factors of the rapid growth of the video intelligent solutions for traffic applications.

The surveillance camera is an innovative and useful technology in traffic monitoring and control.

These cameras can record traffic patterns, providing valuable data for transportation authorities making decisions regarding future development and traffic planning.

Video analytics experts at Sprinx Technologies and video surveillance specialists at Hanwha Techwin have combined their expertise to offer a complete, easy-to-deploy and affordable traffic event detection and reporting solution. The Automatic Incident Detection (AID) and Traffic Data Collection application from Sprinx Technologies is now able to run onboard all Hanwha Techwin Wisenet X cameras,

meaning the ability to detect incidents and keep traffic on the move has been significantly enhanced.

Intelligent vision system The new Wisenet X camera with onboard Sprinx AID application is a vision system that, as well as providing high quality video, is capable of extracting specific information from the captured images, generating event descriptions that can be used in an intelligent and automated system. The AID application on board Wisenet X cameras offers distinctive advantages over normal cameras by performing not just image capture, but also image analysis and event detection.

AID uses intelligent image processing to quickly alert operators about traffic incidents and queuing and, at the same time, enables the collection of statistical data such as vehicle classification, counting and flow to be recorded. An origin-destination matrix feature highlights traffic conditions at busy city center crossroads and roundabouts with simultaneous monitoring of different lanes. AID Software also detects wrong-way drivers and smoke in tunnels.

Reliable alert generator AID Software can be relied on to generate an alert when traffic incidents occur, as well as when traffic

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Hanwha Techwin’s Wisenet cameras team perfectly with Sprinx software for traffic analysis

is slowing down or if there is a lengthening queue. It will also detect if a vehicle has illegally stopped or broken down on a busy main road, if there is a wrong-way driver, a pedestrian walks in a restricted area, or if there is smoke or low visibility in a tunnel.

AID’s intuitive web user interface enables operators to specify detection zones and parameters and to analyze statistical data via easy-on-the-eye graphics and charts.

An event journal provides a log of all events and snapshots of individual incidents.

Traffic managers can choose from any of Hanwha Techwin’s extensive range of weather-proof and vandal-resistant Wisenet X cameras and be assured they are fully compatible with the Sprinx AID plug-ins.

This is because the massive processing power of the chipset at the heart of the Wisenet X cameras means AID is always able to work at peak performance to provide accurate, intelligent traffic management information when it is needed most.

The commonly used 2D tracking systems track objects that move on the image plane regardless of their location in the real world or interaction with the surrounding environment. Most of the video AID systems are based on this more simplistic approach.

In contrast, 3D tracking aims to reconstruct information about object movement in the real world through the 3D modeling of their trajectory. This more realistic 3D approach in Sprinx video AID systems enables a reduction in the number of false alarms. In addition, it is easier to configure the video AID system because of its relation to the real world through the use of the perspective.

This new approach available in the range of

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Sprinx AID software, combined with the accuracy and the precision of the implemented algorithms, is of real added value to most video traffic applications.

The ability to install intelligence on board standard CCTV cameras is invaluable because it combines with the demand for cost-effective solutions.

There are currently not many cameras on the market that enable the integration of third-party applications and only a few of them have adequate power to run all the AID algorithms on board simultaneously.

Traffic monitoring specialist The Wisenet X series of cameras from Hanwha Techwin incorporates a number of features that make the device ideally suited to the challenges of traffic monitoring such as harsh lightning, motion blur and image noise. Wisenet X H.265 open platform cameras are equipped to deliver a supercharged performance with twice-as-fast video processing as you would expect in high-definition cameras, complete with three times more memory to handle enhanced onboard video and audio analytics. Specific models are also equipped with gyro sensors that provide more accurate stabilization to combat wind or vibrations. Other key features include highly

efficient network transmission and dual SD slots to provide the potential of 512GB onboard data or video storage.

Onboard intelligence in cameras facilitates the local deployment of smart sensors that can interface and integrate easily and flexibly across the network.

The Sprinx AID application sends event notification to third-party systems to alert operators and trigger video recording, and it is fully integrated with physical security information management (PSIM), intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and video management system (VMS) platforms.

“Across Europe, we are increasingly being entrusted to provide video surveillance solutions for a wide range of critical infrastructure projects, including the monitoring of activity in tunnels,” says Tim Biddulph, head of product and solutions for Hanwha Techwin Europe. “Our partnership with Sprinx Technologies is underpinning our ability to provide world-class solutions that are easy to implement and use for these applications.

It is an excellent example of how we are always looking for new opportunities to capitalize on the open platform capabilities of Wisenet cameras to deliver video surveillance solutions that offer real-life operational benefits to our customers.” n

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Weight to go Weigh-in-motion sensors contribute vital weight-based information as ITS and components offer ever-greater capabilities Words | Jon Arnold, Intercomp, USA

Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) have experienced rapid advances in the technology, capabilities and deployments of expanding numbers of applications over the past decade. By understanding and improving congestion, conducting vehicle transactions such as electronic toll collection (ETC) and improving traffic safety through commercial vehicle screening, ITS systems provide operators with a wealth of information and tools. This enables roadways and system administrators to be more efficient while maximizing safety for the vehicle operators in a variety of ways.

With improvements in electronic technology in hardware such as

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

cameras, and in software capabilities and communications, it can be easy to forget the advances being made to provide vital axle and gross vehicle weight (GVW) data from sensors embedded in the roadway.

Intercomp sensors use strain gauge technology, which has been recognized for its accuracy and temperature stability for measurement systems, and integrate it into a sensor that is embedded in channels cut into the roadway surface.

Used for weigh-in-motion (WIM) applications at both low and high speeds, incorporating strain gauge sensor technology into ITS systems provides operators with accurate measurement

of wheel, axle and GVW at speeds up to and beyond 80mph (129km/h).

With a nominal sensor size of 2.8in (70mm) wide, 3in (75mm) high, and ranging from 39-79in (1.0-2.0m) long, Intercomp strain gauge strip sensors require minimal invasive installations in pavements. The smaller sensor depth and dimensions enable rapid installations in a vehicle lane in a single day, without the drains or extensive civil works necessary with some WIM scales.

Tolling (ETC) and industrial axle and GVW check weighing are just a few low-speed WIM (LSWIM) applications that call for axle configuration and weight-based data with excellent accuracy. Coupled with

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OCR cameras, RFID readers and other electronics and software, the WIM sensors provide the weight and axle data that form the foundation of the vehicle measuring event. The electronics then help link that data back to the proper vehicle and help to conduct the transaction.

Intercomp’s WIM strip sensors have the ability to operate within a wide speed range. Operators can use the sensors for low-speed applications down to 3-5mph (5-8km/h), or up to 80mph (129km/h) in mainline applications. Having a single WIM sensor for a variety of speeds simplifies operators’ choices and the work required to integrate components into an ITS system.

High-speed WIM (HSWIM) data collection and screening for enforcement are widely used throughout the world, and are the most common commercial vehicle applications. Acquiring axle weight and GVW is the primary purpose of these systems, and coupling the WIM sensors with electronics and communicating the data to officials downstream of the WIM site facilitates weight enforcement actions. Further, with advances in the performance of these systems, regulations are now being developed in some countries to allow direct weight-based enforcement based on WIM data.

When incorporated into sites with existing electronics, or operated as a standalone system

with a variety of peripheral equipment such as cameras and gates, Intercomp strip sensors provide weight data that remains vital to conducting vehicle transactions, and protecting roadway surfaces and the people that use them. n

Opposite: WIM sensors in a mainline application Below: Intercomp sensors installed in channels in pavement

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Seeing the bigger picture The latest software makes it possible for city transportation and police departments to use – with ease – the enhanced camera and sensing technology found in smart cities Words | José Antonio Illarregui Sanchez, BC Sistemas, Spain

Cities have many devices that can provide relevant information to traffic managers, for different applications. Among these are video-surveillance and traffic-control systems, supported by video analysis.

Cameras in cities are today capable of submitting sophisticated metadata such as vehicle license plates, vehicle color, make and model, vehicle counts, people counts and facial recognition data. The challenge that city managers now face is to use all the data retrieved from

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

a huge variety of devices to help organize traffic, while also alerting police officers about dangerous or anomalous situations.

Janus solution The Janus software that BC Sistemas presented at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2016 has become an even more powerful solution.

This is partly due to experience working with local police departments in different countries, as they adapt to the new security challenges that cities are facing.

Janus stores metadata from cameras, sensors and other devices, at the location and moment that they occur. The application, by means of a learning process, arrives at conclusions about the behavioral patterns of traffic in a particular area, which will then be used to determine if a situation is anomalous.

The new Janus suite allows access to functions that were already available before, such as managed access to different, defined areas, but it also now allows total personalization, to meet the needs of

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the police. For example, any piece of metadata, not just license plate information, can be used as a defining element. The programmable actions also go way beyond proposing fines: interaction with physical contacts is possible, for example, users can lower bollards, change traffic lights to red or green, open barriers, change variable message signs, or send messages to particular citizens.

The alert module enables users to define infinite rules, which will be used by the system to inform authorities about anomalous situations. For example, Janus could create an alert based on the behavior of a vehicle, which not being known or resident in a given zone, has driven into that zone more than twice in the past three days at night-time.

Integration with other systems Janus software eases the integration with external systems – such as ALPR cameras, video analytics systems, radar, traffic signals and bollards – from multiple manufacturers.

Integrating with municipal video recording is vitally important since, for fines (such as for red light enforcement) and also for security reasons, metadata and photos are needed. It is vital to grant easy and instant access to video cameras at the moment when analysis is necessary.

The design of the Janus application allows for incorporating any type of metadata that technology makes available. For example, if a device records the number of occupants in a vehicle, Janus will integrate it and collect it as another metadatum, with which to establish rules, perform analysis and make decisions.

Opposite: Janus software combines and integrates traffic data for use by the police and transportation authorities

Application benefits With Janus, transportation departments can receive both information about real-time traffic patterns and alerts on anomalous behaviors, as well as establish all kinds of tailored statistics that can incorporate any type of metadata.

Police departments will be able to improve their effectiveness and save time by detecting ‘wanted’ plates automatically, maintaining a registry for vehicles – authorized and unauthorized – and by quickly performing checks on suspicious vehicles. Searches can be established for many parameters, such as vehicle color and type, zone and time, and alarms can be set up for any imaginable condition, as long as current camera and sensor technology are compatible.

Janus is designed to incorporate any device that can produce metadata, so it can be used to help intelligent management of traffic and safety in cities. n

www.janus-traffic.com Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

The leading traffic technology events connecting traffic professionals worldwide INFRASTRUCTURE • TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT • SMART MOBILITY • SAFETY • PARKING

Save the dates for our upcoming events

AMSTERDAM - NL 20 - 23 MAR 2018 BEIJING - CN 28 - 30 MAY 2018 JAKARTA - ID 31 OCT - 2 NOV 2018 MEXICO CITY - MX 13 - 15 NOV 2018 ISTANBUL - TR SPRING 2019

Organised by:

In partnership with:

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Cameras that make cities more livable By harnessing the latest data-processing software, it is possible to turn a network of ALPR cameras into a smart, crime-fighting system that will help law enforcement agencies not only in transportation, but right across any city Words | Injaas De Mul, Macq, Belgium

Macq’s ALPR cameras (inset) are being used to control access to the medieval city center of Mechelen, Belgium

Over the past few years, the most innovative cities have deployed smart technologies to increase the safety, mobility and health of their citizens, thereby improving the quality of urban life.

The rapid growth in fully automated and integrated automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) camera solutions for traffic management, urban access control and area supervision is an important part of this trend. The application possibilities of ALPR are far-reaching. From trajectory control (average speed measurements), red light enforcement and access control applications, the technology has quickly evolved into applications such as counting and classifying vehicles, measuring transition times of vehicles, measuring flow density, creating ‘origin destination’ matrices

for traffic analysis, detecting traffic-jam formation, dynamic crossroad traffic regulation, smart parking guidance, low-emissions zone (LEZ) control, measuring the height of vehicles, and more.

Recently, even driver face recognition has become technically possible. In addition, such a system creates tremendous added value for law enforcement, and consequently a significant improvement in public safety, through area security and automated ‘blacklist’ alerts on suspect vehicles, both of which help complex police investigations.

The M3 platform The use of high-performance cameras is a crucial part of any solution, but it is even more important to also have a suitable processing platform, capable of taking

advantage of this huge collection of data and transforming it into useful information for end users. That is why Macq, in addition to its high-resolution ALPR camera products, developed the M3 platform (pronounced M-cube), a truly innovative concept for managing large ALPR databases.

The modular M3 suite can very easily be adapted, tailored and upgraded to meet all current and future needs of the most demanding customers in the field. Via the integrated M3 toolbox, Macq provides its customers with fully modular and adaptable functionality and provides end users with tailor-made applications that offer great flexibility of interfacing with third-party systems through a wide range of popular web services (e.g. Google Maps). As such, Macq can make data available online and in

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per year, and they register, recognize and process over 1.3 million license plates per week. Within weeks of the additional installation, the Mechelen police force caught eight criminal gangs using the M3 database automated blacklist alert module.

Catching criminals

Above: Brussels is now implementing a low-emissions zone (LEZ), and is using Macq cameras for enforcement Below: A Macq ALPR camera installed on a city street

real time, to all stakeholders, and also to citizens, with reliable discretion and respect for their privacy.

In the Flemish region of Belgium alone, there are 3,555 cameras operational, in over 70 police areas, for which Macq has installed its fully automated and integrated ALPR systems. This has enabled the company to gain valuable feedback from valued customers and users in the field.

In 2010, as one of the early adopters, the city of Mechelen installed 77 ALPR cameras in 43 locations, mostly on the inbound access roads to its center.

The initial aim (among many other applications) was to discourage the criminals that frequently operated in the city at that time. Since then, the local police have solved 172 cases and collected a wealth of other extremely valuable data, for terrorism taskforces of the federal police, for example.

Immediate potential Bart Somers, the mayor of Mechelen (nominated World’s Best Mayor in 2017) immediately saw the potential of the system. In 2017, he invested in 59 additional Macq ALPR cameras and the most recent M3 software suite, representing a total investment of approximately €1.25m (US$1.47m) The city calculated that it would recoup this investment within less than three years. According to the newspapers, the city of Mechelen issued over €1.9m (US$2.2m) in fines in less than one year for unauthorized access violations in its medieval city center. In the first four years after the introduction, more than 162,000 access violations were (automatically) fined. In addition, €1.25m of unpaid federal traffic taxes were recovered.

Mechelen also uses its ALPR camera system as a low-emissions zone (LEZ).

With the new investment in Mechelen in 2017, the main goal was for trajectory speed control (average speed measurements) on the access roads, to improve quality of life in the city center.

These Macq cameras are active 24/7 and 365 days

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Oud-Turnhout, a smaller city in the north of Belgium, installed 27 Macq ALPR cameras, along with the smart software and database suite. The system caught a notorious car thief during its startup test phase with just three cameras and only the blacklist module active. The inhabitants of one neighborhood were harassed so often by burglars and home/car jackers that they told the mayor of Oud-Turnhout they would pay for an ALPR camera out of their own pockets (at a cost of about €30,000 (US$35,280)) if the city refused to install one in their neighborhood.

The Oud-Turnhout area has more than 150 smart ALPR cameras in operation 24/7 and 365 days a year, with an impressive return on security, traffic safety and mobility. Using powerful application modules has also enabled the local police to apply complex search queries. The city of Turnhout’s police chief, Roger Leys, stated that he “would reduce the number of cars without valid insurance in his police zone to zero in a matter of months” using the Macq M3 system.

Due to the tremendous success of this technology in the field, many adjacent police zones have also decided to install and implement Macq’s proven systems. And the different police zones in the region quickly decided to share their data with each other (an easy task when using M3) to increase their impact on regional crime. In Zoersel, an hour’s drive west of Oud-Turnhout, this led to the arrest of a gang of violent home-jackers who had murdered a 60-year-old man.

Ben Weyts, the minister of the Flemish government responsible for mobility, is passionate about permanent and mobile ALPR technology for trajectory control. He wants to increasingly invest in additional smart ALPR camera systems to empower his fight against traffic casualties.

Capital idea Finally, following the example of other large European cities, such as Paris and Berlin, Brussels has decided to implement a LEZ, which will ban the worst-polluting vehicles from the entire Brussels-Capital Region as of January 2018.

Brussels appointed Macq to install a ring of hundreds of cameras around the region, along with all the central database servers, communications lines and M3 back-office software suite.

As a pioneer in traffic automation and a trusted city partner for almost a century, Macq was honored to be given the chance to help lead the Belgian capital into the new era of smart mobility, and to improve the quality of life for its citizens in the 21st century. n

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Unlocking the value of traffic data The ability to analyze combined weigh-in-motion, tire footprints and traffic flow data has the potential to unlock information that will allow transportation agencies to improve safety, reduce infrastructure damage and develop a better understanding of local and network-wide trends that impact efficiency Words | Michael Wieck, International Road Dynamics, USA

Road agencies face pressures to get the most out of road infrastructure. They must ensure road surfaces are protected from damage from overweight vehicles, while ensuring transportation efficiency is maintained.

Since the 1980’s, IRD has been using weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems to enable weight-compliant trucks to bypass inspection stations. Today, automated commercial vehicle inspection systems include advanced sensors, machine vision and e-screening to improve throughput while maintaining the highest level of safety.

The next logical step is using data from these systems to track performance of transportation infrastructure against benchmark indicators, to provide actionable information for stakeholders.

Collecting data on individual commercial vehicles and their compliance with regulations directly improves safety. In addition to vehicle weight measurements, recent technological advances enable the measurement of other vehicle parameters also affecting safety. Laser and infrared sensors check for vehicles that exceed allowable dimensions. Most recently, IRD has developed the Tire Anomaly and

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Classification System (TACS) to detect whether tires are missing, overinflated or underinflated, so that any vehicles with potential tire problems can be checked by directing them to report to inspection stations.

Advanced data processing To date, most data processing by automated inspection systems occurs locally, providing a closed monitoring and control loop at the roadside. Information collected at these local sites is often under-utilized. Agencies can benefit from using the information collected not only to improve the underlying operations (e.g. truck compliance checks), but also to help solve today’s challenges in

freight logistics, mobility and transportation management. To support this need for transportation intelligence, IRD has developed a Vehicle Information in Motion (VI2M) software suite to assist transportation professionals in unlocking the value of the information collected at commercial vehicle operations and traffic data collection sites on their road networks.

The VI2M software suite provides traffic data and statistics in a cloud-based environment, facilitates off-line reporting, and supports the monitoring of traffic operations on a network-wide basis. VI2M collects traffic count, volume and vehicle classification, and weight data in conjunction with commercial vehicle information from individual sites and provides access to a multitude of reporting, analysis and monitoring capabilities that are all accessible through a widget-based user interface. This modular approach to visualization includes a zoomable map view with dynamic site and station

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information, standard reporting widgets, and a site summary widget that generates histograms, such as plotting commercial vehicles with potential weight issues, versus vehicles with actual violations.

In addition, all current traffic data reports from IRD’s iAnalyze software product are available through VI2M.

Local Monitoring / Control (e.g. sort decisions, speed/ volume/occupancy data)

Application-as-a-Service IRD’s VI2M solution provides a core data service platform, offering actionable information, notifying the agency or customer of anomalies and providing trend analysis and reports tailored to their needs, for planning activities, operational improvements and funding proposals. The system is provided as a web-based Application-as-a-Service (AaaS) through a secure portal. Every user can define their own dashboard, selecting the information most relevant to their needs.

Using standard VI2M reports, users can determine the percentage of screened commercial vehicles that bypass an inspection station facility or the distribution of vehicle classes over a specific time interval. They can see the number of potentially overweight trucks that passed the site while an inspection station or virtual weigh station site was closed, and adjust operating hours if

needed. The site status widget monitors the status of equipment providing operational status and up/ downtime at a specific site. These reports can easily be enhanced; the modular concept facilitates adding customer-specific reports and analysis. In addition, VI2M facilitates the provision of quality-checked data and information to other enterprise level systems in the organization.

Providing performance measurement solutions to support commercial vehicle compliance processes and transportation effectiveness can increase transparency and accountability, thereby setting the foundation for network and operations process improvements. n

Opposite: IRD’s VI2M software makes it easier for traffic data to be processed, reported and stored Above: The components of VI2M

WWW.IRDINC.COM | www.Vi2M.com

Data Solutions Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Toll Systems Maintenance & Service Solutions Bridge Monitoring & Safety Security & Access Control

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Sensing road safety As serious accidents continue to be a fundamental problem associated with road travel, technology is being developed that can detect multiple traffic violations to make roads safer for all Words | Nathalie Deguen, Parifex, France

Road safety is a priority for authorities around the world – and France is no exception. While the mortality rate on roads has been decreasing over the past decade, the figures are still worryingly high and it continues to be a big concern. In fact, the improvement is mainly seen in suburban areas, with the number of accidents actually increasing in urban centers. Pedestrians and cyclists are the most affected.

An accident is the consequence of a dysfunction of the human-vehicleenvironment system. It is in the interactions of, and relationships between, these three

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

components that can cause accidents.

This approach helps to better understand accidents and to find actions to remedy them. The Reagir surveys were able to estimate the share of each component in severe and fatal accidents, and to reduce key factors. In 90% of accidents, the ‘behavior’ component was present. Educational, preventive and repressive measures have been taken to deal with the behavior likely to generate accidents. Consequently, the French government has been requesting that the leading figures in the field of road safety monitor more violations.

To meet the needs of authorities, French engineering firm Parifex has developed a selection of non-intrusive roadside control tools. The company has been involved with the development of innovative road safety and traffic management solutions, Dopplerand lidar-based systems, for more than 30 years. Indeed, Parifex has supported French law enforcement officials since the 1980s, designing and engineering solutions to meet their evolving requirements. At present, some 400 Parifex solutions are deployed in France and 200 additional ones are to be installed by 2020.

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The latest systems deployed will participate in the modernization of the ‘radar fleet’ as it combines simultaneous monitoring of vehicles in both directions with a front and rear image, and determination of the lane and size category of the offending vehicle. The use of digital cameras enables officials to obtain high-resolution images.

This enables easy recognition of vehicles, their license plates and their drivers, minimizing any potential disputes.

To meet the increasing expectations of the French government, Parifex makes innovative and intelligent systems that detect multiple violations simultaneously and thus help to prevent dangerous behavior on roads. Its latest creation combines the most advanced sensor and image-capture technologies to monitor multiple violations at the same time: red light and railroad crossing; speed, lane-related (reserved lanes for taxi or buses) and tailgating violations; obstacle detection; and vehicles driving against the flow of traffic (wrong-way drivers). This system is also able to detect four categories of vehicles (heavy trucks, cars, buses and motorcycles) and monitor their speed accordingly.

In the future this system will be able to detect more and more violations simultaneously, playing its part in continuing to improve driver behavior. n

Opposite: A 3D simulation example of speed and red light enforcement at a cross intersection Left and above: Parifex’s innovative double-side speed control system can take two pictures, simultaneously and at different angles, of offending vehicles

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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A shortcut to control room cost-efficiency Figure 2: Caption

Upgrading control-room screen technology is an expensive business, but now you can fit LED illumination to old units at a low cost. As a result, running costs can be saved without having to upgrade entire systems Words | Peter van Dijk, Mitsubishi Electric, Netherlands

Technology will always deliver better ways of doing things – more cheaply, faster and more efficiently. However, systems can only evolve as fast as the infrastructure allows. In an increasing number of cases, this inertia is costing traffic control room operators dearly.

But a new innovation from Mitsubishi Electric offers an elegant solution.

Enhancing possibilities in one area of a system invariably increases demands in

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

other areas. In traffic control rooms, with the long lifespans of installations – 20 years in some cases – the problems of overloading can become acute as aging infrastructure struggles to cope with increasing demand, changing mission goals and management ethos. Typically, these problems manifest themselves most clearly at the focal point of all control room activity – the main video-wall display.

Rapid growth in technologies such as IP cameras and other sensors means that as time marches on, older display systems are being stretched to the limits of their capability. The increased use of technologies such as computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and record management systems, together with policy favoring the economies of scale offered by centralized command and control facilities, only serve to compound

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the problems. An industry survey from 2016 found that 74% of participants believed that control rooms are struggling to keep up with demand, with the evolution of LTE networks and big data in traffic control applications promising no prospect of respite.

But it’s not just the hardware that is finding it difficult to keep pace with ever-increasing demands.

Business and management policies and priorities have also changed dramatically over the last 15 years. Procurement is now subject to very much

more stringent policies with regard to sustainability.

The UK government guidelines, for example, set minimum requirements in areas like energy in use; end-of-life-related costs such as repairability, upgradeability and recyclability; the hazardousness of materials used; and resource efficiency in terms of quantities of scarce materials used and content recycled. Older display technologies employing non-LED illumination such as mercury lamps are simply not capable of meeting the standards required today. Both financially and ethically, the continued use of older, less efficient technologies such as mercury lamps is increasingly out of step with contemporary management policies.

Financially too, continuing the use of older technology carries a hefty penalty. Mercury lamps have an average lifespan of between 5,000 and 6,000 hours, meaning they need to be replaced every year at a cost of around £1,000 (US$1,300)a time.

With their diminished popularity, sources of supply are becoming increasingly difficult to find and there is an inevitable upward price-pressure as a result. The RoHS and WEEE directives place special

Above: Mitsubishi Electronic’s Universal Upgrade Engine (projector) and VS-60HE12 Slimcube (videowall display)

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Above and right: The Highways England control room in South Mimms, UK

restrictions on the disposal of spent units, too.

Mercury lamp projectors employ a rotating color wheel, which also needs regular replacement, albeit at much longer intervals.

LED illumination, on the other hand, has on average of 10 times the lifespan of a mercury lamp, and in some cases much more. In Mitsubishi Electric’s VS-WE120U, for example, LED light sources are rated for 100,000 hours of continuous operation. No other serviceable parts are required, and in Mitsubishi’s case, projectors are air-cooled and so require no routine maintenance.

The performance of a modern LED display is also greatly improved compared with the previous generation of technology.

Increased light output makes it less tiring for operators and allows for a good deal more flexibility in terms of the ambient light levels employed within the control room environment. Modern displays are quieter, and offer a much improved color gamut and stability. Higher resolutions are often available, allowing more data to be displayed, and behind the screen, connectivity has been greatly enhanced through the use of modern protocols such as DisplayPort and DVI, and in some cases the expandability of OPS slots or user-configurable input modules.

But while the latest technology very effectively addresses the limitations and drawbacks of the previous generation of devices, it offers cold comfort to users locked in to older display technologies that have yet to reach planned obsolescence. The toxic combination of the capital expense required

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

to transition from legacy mercury systems to a modern solution, and the business case justifying the early abandonment of an investment that is still functional, is a difficult hurdle to overcome. The reduction of running costs achieved by switching to LED is considerable, but the investment required to completely replace a working system years ahead of its planned obsolescence, plus the need to write-off of a substantial fixed asset value, has in many cases ensured that even though the upgrade to LED is both logical and inevitable, the decision has had to wait until the cost of early refurbishment drops below that of maintaining the status quo.

Clearly in this situation, reducing the ‘cost’ side of the cost-benefit equation is a game changer – and that is just what Mitsubishi Electric has done with its Universal Upgrade LED projection engines. As a direct slot-in replacement for older projectors, the Universal Upgrade engines employ the latest LED technology and offer a cost-effective

route out of financial purgatory, to achieve both a huge reduction in running costs and performance upgrades in terms of resolution and brightness. All the original cabinets and wiring are reused, saving expense and ensuring a fast, efficient installation, measured in hours rather than days.

Naturally, technology itself advances inexorably onward. Products and models that were common a decade or more ago have long since faded into obscurity.

To overcome this problem, Mitsubishi Electric now produces an extensive range of direct slot-in replacements for nearly every model and make of DLP rear-projection manufactured over the past 15 years. The solution has proved extremely popular, with many installations already completed across Europe, saving customers hundreds of thousands of euros annually. In terms of being cheaper, faster and more cost-efficient, Universal Upgrade engines from Mitsubishi Electric are ticking all the boxes. n

Unique Control Features !

■ Temporary intelligent traffic signal installations with direct radio link to the control center ■ Dynamic priority of public transport from the main operation system ■ Intelligent traffic control for intersections, constructions sites or temporary tracks ■ Light boxes with LED lights ■ Remote control and remote monitoring with GPRS modem Come and meet us on our booth 11.420, 20 – 23 March 2018 Kummler+Matter SA Région Romandie Chemin du Rionzi 52 CH-1052 Le Mont-sur-Lausanne

Tél.

Fax : e-mail: web:

+41 21 631 17 17 +41 21 631 17 18 info.lemont@kuma.ch www.kuma.ch

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Winning the battle against car crime Traditional license plates are easy to change or deface.

A more effective method of vehicle identification, now being deployed, uses tamper-evident stickers that make it much harder for criminals to avoid detection Words | Dr Kai Schnapauff, Schreiner PrinTrust, Germany

Vehicles without proper registration cause heavy damage worldwide, from tax shortfalls and car theft, all the way to increased risk of terrorist attacks. Every year, more than two million motor vehicle thefts are registered in Europe alone. Therefore, effective solutions that help to deter thieves and quickly solve car crimes are called for.

As a complement to the conventional metal license plates at the front and rear of a car, the Third License Plate from Schreiner PrinTrust can be attached to the inside of any vehicle’s windshield. Exterior license plates can easily be stolen, copied and illegally reused. As this is not possible with a security label located in a vehicle’s interior, the label provides tamper-proof evidence of registration. The self-adhesive label, which is about the size of a credit card, is provided with the vehicle data issued by the licensing authority. Sophisticated security features, which can be individually enhanced, protect the seal against tampering and theft. RFID (radio frequency identification) functionality for contactless data reading can also be included within the sticker itself.

The stickers are supplied as single pieces, or on a perforated strip, which means they can be easily be separated and dispensed. The license plate number is subsequently written on the sticker, which is then stuck to the inside of the windshield.

The sticker can be provided with one-color reverse side printing, thus serving as an advertising medium, a receipt, or containing instructions for use. Depending on the method of inscription, the following designs are available:

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

The Third License Plate is permanently adhering, UV- and temperature-resistant, and takes up very little space on a windshield 1

RFID and Security Labels On-Street Parking — Off-Street Parking Toll Collection — 3rd License Plate

2

1. Stickers for subsequent inscription by thermal transfer printing Registration authorities use thermal transfer printers to individualize Third License Plates by printing the license plate number on the inscription field.

Any attempt to remove the Third License Plate will destroy the base label with the pre-printed data.

2. Two-component solution

Customized Solutions for Your Needs

The product consists of a security base label and a corresponding transfer adhesive label.

This special compound offers an even higher security level and guarantees that, in the event of tampering, all data is destroyed.

Hidden void text Security slits for tamper evidence

3. Third License Plate with RFID functionality This sophisticated version of the Third License Plate contains a secure passive transponder. Besides registration data, individual data can be stored on the chip and read without contact. Different HF (13.56 MHz) and UHF (868/915 MHz) designs are available. Combinations with applications such as parking or road toll payment are also possible. n

UHF RFID high security chip with encryption (chip and data transfer)

*

170705001

Hologram stripe

Numerical code for serialization Datamatrix code for serialization

Customized design

Color-shifting inks for counterfeiting protection

* For your specific requirements please contact us!

3

Schreiner PrinTrust, a business unit of Schreiner Group GmbH & Co. KG Bruckmannring 22 · 85764 Oberschleissheim · Germany info@schreiner-printrust.com · www.schreiner-printrust.com

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Airport mobility data control The ‘El Prat’ airport of Barcelona, one of the most visited cities in the world, is now managing its inbound and outbound vehicle flow based on intelligent traffic data technology systems Words | Juan Campos Duró and Anna Michael, Sensefields, Spain

Analysis, monitoring and regulation of the traffic flow at both terminals of Barcelona Airport – El Prat, situated 13km (8 miles) from one of the most visited cities in the world, were the main challenges of the company that runs the airport. There was a fundamental need for traffic management improvement to enhance operations, as well as the visitor experience. Efficient qualitative and quantitative analysis of the inbound and outbound vehicle traffic at the airport demanded a sophisticated data collection and distribution solution, but that was not possible while the airport’s drop-off, parking and pick-up services were managed by on-site personnel communicating via radio transmitters or cell phones.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Based on these requirements, Sensefields wireless traffic data management technology was selected as the ideal tool for controlling the traffic at both the short stay parking area of the departures zone and the taxi passenger pick-up area at arrivals, as well as for reporting on quantitative and qualitative traffic data on the traffic as a whole. Ensuring data accuracy, easy and quick application, and very low maintenance costs, Sensefields technology provided three traffic solutions on the airport premises.

Taxi traffic flow monitoring To regulate the taxi traffic between the holding zone, where the taxis queue before passing through the airport terminal exit, and the passenger pick-up area, Sensefields designed

a customized solution that can efficiently handle the supply and demand of taxis, standardize the length of the queues, enhance security and facilitate the smooth flow of traffic.

Sensefields wireless magnetic sensors are installed in both the holding zone and the pick-up area and transmit traffic data to the data processing stations. This data is passed to the collector server, which is incorporated into the airport’s centrally controlled management software, and enables real-time communication between the two airport areas. This integrated data collection and bidirectional communication system is used to facilitate, report and monitor all taxi traffic processes in the area. These processes include: • Providing the real-time number of taxis waiting in each of the loading zones, the

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number of vehicles that have passed through each zone and the real-time number of the vehicles in the waiting areas; • Monitoring the exit time and the destination of the taxis parked in the waiting areas; • Automatically opening and closing the exit barriers of the waiting areas depending on vehicle demand in the loading zones; • Informing taxi drivers stationed in the waiting areas about the actual status of the loading zones, letting them know via LED signs if they are in need of vehicles and how many; • Calculating the minimum number of vehicles that should be available in each of the loading zones according to the time, demand and additional parameters, so that more taxis are requested from the waiting areas if required; • Interconnecting the Sensefields collector server with the Scena flight information system, so that if there are no scheduled flight arrivals, the flow of taxis to the loading area is paused; • Obtaining real-time data, statistics and reports, in conjunction with historical data, for all the waiting and loading zones.

times, and report daily and historical data and statistics according to time slot and terminal.

Controlling the ‘kiss and fly’ zones

The power of data

For the ‘kiss and fly’ short-stay parking area queue control system, control stations have been installed at the parking zones’ entrance and after the access barriers. The collected data, which is transmitted to the collector server, is processed using algorithms to identify the number of vehicles queued at each barrier, generate alarms according to the minimum or maximum number of vehicles and expected waiting

Recognizing the crucial role of data management for the airport, the client moved on with an advanced classification and quantification system to gain a complete and highly accurate image of all inbound and outbound airport traffic: real-time quantity, type and speed of the vehicles that access or leave the terminals, as well as daily and historical data, graphs, statistics and reports that give clear insights

Sensefields’s wireless magnetic sensor technology

about the traffic flow based on lane, time, terminal and type of vehicle.

With an application turnaround time of two months, El Prat can now efficiently handle the millions of passenger arrivals every year, and make well-founded management, operational, commercial and administrative decisions based both on experience and actual con ditions. The Sensefields product is expected to reduce congestion outside the terminals, ensure road safety and maintain continuous taxi availability for a unique service experience from the very first moment passengers arrive in Barcelona. n

The challenge for airport operators is to be able to manage mobility efficiently, in real time, while adapting to different traffic regulation patterns based on highly accurate data Antonio Lalaguna Lisa, chief technology officer (CTO), Sensefields Left: Fastrack – Sensefields’ cloud-based traffic management service integrates real-time and historical data, as well as alarm notifications, through sophisticated visualization tools in order to to analyze key traffic metrics

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

PIXEL PITCH 3.45µm

Full 5-Mega-Pixel resolution for 1/1.2” large imagers industry’s most compact solution employing a Compact Size of 𝝓 29mm lens

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Newly-released four additional models expand the current lens portfolio for 1/1.2" imagers to seven lenses that accomodate extensive focal lengths. *In machine-vision lenses that are compatible with a 1/1.2” imager and 5-MegaPixel resolution (survey by Tamron, effective as of May, 2017)

8 mm NEW

1 / 1. 2 " 1 / 1. 2 " 1 / 1. 2 " 1 / 1. 2 " 1 / 1. 2 " 1 / 1. 2 " 1 / 1. 2 "

8mm 12 m m 16 m m 25mm 35mm 50mm 75mm

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( M o d e l M 11 2 F M 0 8 ) NEW ( M o d e l M 11 2 F M 1 2 ) ( M o d e l M 11 2 F M 1 6 ) ( M o d e l M 11 2 F M 2 5 )

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Compatible with IMX174/IMX249 (1/1.2” 2.4-Mega-Pixel), IMX250/IMX264 (2/3” 5-Mega-Pixel)

www.tamron.eu/de/industrial-optics/

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Passports for cars At present, license plates can be easily misappropriated for dishonest purposes. Modernizing the system will reduce crime as well as provide many other benefits Words | Annamarie Neumair, Denkbar PR & marketing for Tönnjes E.A.S.T, Germany

There are more than a billion cars in the world – and the number is growing. It doesn’t matter whether it’s passenger or freight transport, urban traffic and public highways put official agencies and government to the test with ever-increasing challenges in traffic and vehicle management. Simultaneously, they are also assigned the task of registering automobiles reliably and efficiently. These are the problems that the German company Tönnjes E.A.S.T. has solved with its revolutionary invention, the IDePlate.

A passport for the car “It is a license plate with an integrated RFID chip so that the car has a unique number that can be called off electronically – like a passport for cars,” says Dietmar Mönning, the managing director of Tönnjes E.A.S.T. The areas where IDePlates are used depend upon infrastructure and political

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

specifications. In some jurisdictions there is a high number of vehicles without registration; others apply obsolete technologies. Germany, for instance, only uses the visual characteristics of the license plate to identify them, which is very inefficient and prone to abuse.

Looks can be deceiving At first glance, the IDePlate looks just like any license plate, but its built-in RFID chip contains a one-off encoded identification number, making it the electronic counterpart to the visible characters of the license plate.

But that’s not all: another component is the IDeStix windshield sticker. The holographic sticker also has an RFID chip with a one-off encoded identification number, so that both encoded numbers can only be decoded with authorized reading equipment – and should one of the elements go missing, the system will trigger an alarm.

Above: The IDePlate with the IDeStix provide a vehicle with its own unique passport details

NXP Semiconductors, an expert in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, produces the integrated RFID chip. The UCode DNA chip used links a read range of over 15m (49ft) with high-security encryption. Mönning says, “In the past, technicians were forced to decide between protecting data or being able to read from a distance. Happily, IDePlate and IDeStix can do both.

“Additionally, the identification and verification is done by Kathrein, the largest manufacturer of antennas in the world offering a groundbreaking link between RFID writing/reading equipment and what is known as the IoT gateway by uploading the data onto the cloud.”

Along with the IDePlate and IDeStix,

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Tönnjes E.A.S.T. can provide organizational assistance to official agencies. In Kenya, the company worked with local enforcement offices on the creation of a central database of vehicle and vehicle owners, with the intention that all vehicles will be equipped with an RFID windshield sticker by 2020. The technology is also used in Honduras, Latvia, Saudi Arabia and the Cayman Islands. “We can produce IDePlates that will meet the requirements of the local standard for any country.

And, since some of our products are manufactured locally, this also creates jobs in these areas,” adds Mönning.

The windscreen stickers, printed and encoded in Kenya, include a QR code, so with a smartphone can be scanned to verify the most important car features such as the license plate, color, brand or model via an app or the secure website of the National Transport and Safety Authority. This is useful when buying a second-hand car, especially in countries where there is an active black market.

could swiftly ensure that only official personnel would have access.

States lose considerable income at speed checks because many still employ the visual recording method with blitzers. However, more than half of the plate images on the radar trap that are supposed to make records cannot be read in inclement weather or limited visibility. A field test in concert with the Dutch Ministry of Defence showed that the IDePlate system records 100% of passenger cars – even if the license plates are dirty and visibility is bad. This excellent level of read rate is also due to the technology of the reading equipment used by Tönnjes E.A.S.T. that comes in mobile or stationary forms. That means that police can make checks even when the vehicle is moving – saving officials time. Border controls would also benefit from this development because cars that are searched or have cloned license plates could easily be discovered. Any country that wants to take a step in the direction of greater security and a more efficient future now has the means to do so. n

Above: The IDePlate technology provides benefits for restricting vehicle access on private land Below: Besides its RFID chip, the IDeStix can also be printed with a QR code that enables smartphone users to access vehicle information on their device

Significant amounts of money forfeited The IDePlate can bring benefits concerning vehicle identification and inspection, traffic management, automatic toll systems, speed measurements and border/access control. It also protects against license plate cloning and petrol theft. Private land owners, commercial grounds, and locations with special security requirements such as airports can also utilize the IDePlate system to improve organization and security. Many airports have an issue with illegal taxis that want to transport passengers after arrival, but do not meet any security standards and lower the income of legal taxi drivers. The RFID license plate

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The right lenses for new CMOS sensors The latest CMOS global shutter image sensors offer a step change in reducing blur in readouts of vehicles traveling at speed. For camera manufacturers and users to enjoy the full benefits of this new technology, however, the sensors must be matched with the correct lenses Words | Dr Ronald Mueller, Tamron, Japan

Modern traffic systems using automatic license plate recognition (ALPR, also known as automatic number plate recognition, or ANPR), for example in tolling, law enforcement or route tracking, require CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensors with global shutter technology. These are now available with larger optical formats and higher resolutions than previous chips.

New sensors, better performance Unlike previously available CMOS sensors with rolling shutter, the new chips read out all pixels at the same time. Thus, the blur of images due to the motion of a vehicle during readout is cut to a minimum. CCD (charge-coupled device) sensors, on the other hand, have always provided this feature. The new CMOS global shutter technology, however, provides much higher frame rates, lower readout noise, higher

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

dynamic range and digital image data, right from the sensor output. While this allows for a simpler and lower-cost camera design, the new sensors are, or will be, produced in much higher quantities than CCDs ever were, leading to significantly reduced unit prices. Since these sensors come with larger formats and resolutions, they demand new camera lens designs.

Benefits for traffic applications Tamron is one of the first major lens manufacturers to release new products specifically developed for the new global shutter CMOS sensors.

The new M112FM series with fixed focal length offers a cost-effective solution for all C-mount cameras, for example with sensors from the Pregius sensor family by Sony.

These sensors are especially well suited to traffic applications with and without artificial lighting, for several reasons…

Firstly, their global shutter and high sensitivity allows for short exposure times of just a few microseconds, which ensures blur-free images independent of the velocity of vehicles. Secondly, low readout noise, down to two electrons (the second Pregius generation), provides crisp images even under low-light conditions. Finally, their outstanding saturation capacity of up 30,000 electrons (the first Pregius generation) produces captures of high dynamic range (HDR) with clear grayscale resolution of details in both bright areas (e.g. number plates) and dark areas (e.g. drivers’ faces).

The M112FMs support all sensors of the first and second generation, such as: IMX174/249/302 (1st gen., 2.4MP, 1/1.2in), IMX250/264 (2nd gen., 5.1MP, 2/3in) and IMX252/265 (2nd gen., 3.2MP, 1/1.8in).

Despite the differences in sensor formats of up to 1/1.2in and pixel sizes as small as 3.45µm, the lenses of this series are suitable

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for all models. Thanks to their diameter of just 29mm, they are the smallest lenses of their kind on the market and integrate easily into compact weatherproof housings.

Tamron also offers a solution for applications such as multi-lane highway monitoring, which require higher resolutions, or scenarios demanding sensors with a larger optical format. The M111FM series delivers distortion and shading free images with C-mount cameras based on the all-new Sony Pregius sensors IMX255/267 (8.9MP, 1in) and IMX253/304 (12.3MP, 1in) as well as for CMOSIS CMV4000 (4MP, 1in) or ON Semi 5000 (5.3MP, 1in) cameras.

In machine vision applications in particular, where camera images need to be processed automatically, for instance for license plate recognition, distortion-free optical imaging by the camera lens is essential. As one of the market leading suppliers of machine vision lenses, Tamron’s optical devices are optimized for low distortion and high light transmission. Furthermore,

all lenses provide several threaded holes to fix focus and aperture, including finger screws as well as headless screws. To accommodate the varying requirements of different imaging systems in traffic, the M112FM series is available at focal lengths of 75mm, 50mm, 35mm, 25mm, 16mm, 12mm and 8mm.

Below: Tamron Europe’s M112FM series CCTV lenses

Conclusion The new CMOS global shutter sensors provide revolutionary imaging performance, which is especially beneficial for machine vision applications in intelligent traffic systems.

In the future, most new system designs – and retrofits – will feature cameras with these sensors, but it is essential that the sensors have optical camera lenses matching their format and pixel size.

The Tamron M112FM series is universally applicable to all Sony Pregius CMOS sensors, with a global shutter up to 5MP, making the choice an easy one for any system engineer. n

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How to design the best traffic lights Traffic signals look deceptively simple: just three lights on a pole to regulate the flow of vehicles. But, in fact, the design elements that must be considered are much more complex than this. And giving them due consideration will enhance any road network Words | Tomasz Górka, Spinnea, Poland

Different road layouts often present very different challenges. Is it possible to provide one universal product to meet all requirements? Are traffic lights, indeed, a simple, and not a complicated device?

What at first might seem to be a one-sizefits-all solution actually has many different design factors that must be considered. The requirements can include differences in the shape, mast fixings, servicing, methods of assembly and disassembly, as well as hoods, brackets, backing boards, LED inserts, radars and other sensors.

Often there are particular requirements concerning the type of materials used, and many countries also have specifications concerning the properties of traffic lights. In Europe it is common to adopt the EN12368 standard, but this can often be extended to include additional parameters. Also vital considerations are electrical requirements, power consumption and the dynamic control of signal brightness.

Modular design One product could not meet all these requirements, but traffic lights have a modular design that enables road operators to plan adequate solutions that can be adjusted to given specifications. Sometimes changing one element means changing the whole system, and sometimes it is possible to apply a few adaptations to an existing product in order to meet a new specification.

When designing new solutions, it is often useful to use elements that are already on the market. This minimizes the risk of compatibility issues, reduces the cost of purchase and production, and enhances the reliability of the system.

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It also is important to adjust the construction of a traffic light to meet the requirements given by the client. The shape, material and production technology that should be used are best considered at the design phase. The main materials used for the construction of traffic lights are polycarbonate, polypropylene and aluminum.

Lighting Usually, the specification of the lighting requirements is based on the standard EN 12368. This defines parameters within each class of light. The user chooses the

most appropriate class from those available, taking into account the local requirements.

The exterior lens influences the correct overall design of the device. It is responsible for light distribution in specified angles, reflection of sunlight and the viewer’s perception of the signal. A Fresnel lens is often used; it focuses light emitted from LEDs and the LED panel.

Power supply A well-designed power supply system considers input voltage, which can range from lows of 12V for portable and temporary

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signals, and 24V for energy-saving solutions, up to the standard voltages of 40V, 42V, 48V, 110V and 230V. Power supply must be managed effectively in order to control LEDs properly. The LEDs themselves need to be protected from damage that can potentially be caused by a power surge. This is done by eliminating the power supply before any surge can reach the bulbs – i.e. the LEDs can be effectively isolated. Achieving this while also remaining compatible with low-consumption 1-2W power supply systems means the system must be of a very high quality and often equipped with programmed microcontrollers, cooperating with the controller in real time.

Opposite and left: Spinnea considers factors such as cost and compatibility when designing new traffic signals, such as those pictured

A bright future Connected vehicle devices that transmit signal information to road users are now being used in many sectors. ITS systems are becoming very technologically advanced but, in the end, there is this simple device that is the most visible and the most vital element in communication with road users, and accordingly it is not one that should be constructed while trying to cut corners or save money. There are many cities that care about their image and road safety, and they often decide on more expensive solutions that are safer, more durable and better looking. n

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Improving safety in the city Increased congestion in cities around the globe requires traffic managers to have more advanced technologies to cope with myriad problems and violations Words | Ivana Hejzlová Černá and Lenka Trncová, A ŽD Praha, Czech Republic The worldwide increase in urban traffic calls for a strategic solution to control and regulate city transport. The goal is to ensure more effective use of the existing road network, balance traffic flows and, above all, increase the safety, awareness and comfort of all road users.

The answer is the centralization of intelligent transport systems management, in the shape of traffic control and information centers. In the Czech Republic it was developed by AŽD Praha in cooperation with Cross Zlín, and it provides a set of software tools, eDaptiva, which is both the heart and brain of the control and coordination of different technologies.

This control system can automatically and in real time create and implement the most suitable scenarios to solve city traffic problems.

The eDaptiva control system processes data from subsystems, such as strategic detectors, traffic intensity sensors, information collected from the onboard units of all public transport vehicles, camera systems and meteorological stations. All data is continuously validated and assessed by the system. Based on thoroughly preprepared algorithms, it influences, for example, the traffic light systems at crossroads. Preference is given to public transport vehicles; it provides information to the public via the internet and LED signs at public transport stops; it informs drivers about traffic by means of variable message signs (VMS), and guides drivers to car parking lots (P+R systems).

An important role for adaptive traffic control is to influence traffic lights at crossroads. If there is a problem or capacity limitation on the road, the control systems can adequately respond by optimizing the signaling plans to regulate the traffic flow.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

An example of such a comprehensive traffic control system can be found in the Turkish city of Izmir. In August 2017 an extensive project in this city was completed and handed over, including the creation of a comprehensive system of adaptive control and regulation of, and information about, traffic in the city. Izmir gained a unique tool for improving traffic smoothness and safety, and for optimizing crossroads control based on the current traffic flow. Through eDaptiva, the whole city transport system can be controlled from a single central place.

In real time, drivers can see information about the traffic situation, travel time and warnings about emergency situations in traffic by means of VMS located on the main roads in the city. Drivers can then adapt

their way of driving to the new conditions or change their route. Timely information provided to drivers makes driving through the city easier and traffic smoother.

A benefit of an integrated centralized public transport information system is a general overview of the movement of public transport vehicles as well as their use (calculation of the numbers of passengers thanks to special cameras above the doors of vehicles). This data is used, among other things, to inform passengers. Based on the traffic information provided by an internet application, citizens can plan their routes before starting their journeys.

They can also receive help during their journeys. Important information about public transport lines, public transport

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vehicles’ travel times and any unexpected situations is provided by multipurpose LED signs at stops (intelligent stops). This system supports passenger orientation, comfort and satisfaction. The camera systems recording the condition inside the public transport vehicles during operation as well as in depots also promote greater passenger safety.

Traveling by public transport becomes much more attractive.

The central connection of traffic enforcement camera systems is also a great benefit in these unsettled times. In Izmir, the systems MUR-07, RedCon and HVS-15 have proved effective. They are used to calm traffic and decrease accidents by using automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) during average speed measurement, during the red light trespass monitoring, and during vehicle height measurement. Traffic offense procedures have become much simpler thanks to automatic data processing. However, these camera systems can also be used to support safer living in the city.

Night vision and ALPR cameras, along with CCTV surveillance cameras, help to locate and track stolen or suspicious vehicles due to archiving the recordings for long periods of time. They are an important tool for crime reduction.

The adaptive city transport control system, which is a variable and advanced method of

control, has brought city inhabitants and visitors more comfort and safety, while the city’s administration gains an important source of data and information that can be used for further development of the city. Put simply, modern times need modern solutions. n

Opposite: The eDaptiva control system is used in a traffic management center in Izmir, Turkey Above: RedCon and HVS-15 camera systems in Izmir

AŽD Praha Traditional Czech supplier of modern road telematics systems   

Complex urban traffic solutions Highway control system Tunnel control system

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Improving traffic manager vision With more vehicles on the roads, managers of road infrastructure need a technological helping hand to ensure that traffic flows as it should and that problems are minimized Words | Roman Guerra Kroenberg and Roberto Ruiz Fernández, Lector Vision, Spain

The global increase of motorized transport, especially private vehicles, is putting extra pressure on the physical transportation infrastructures that accommodate them.

The problem is exaggerated by the additional factors of population growth, high density of population and industries in big cities, and the progressive industrialization of emerging countries.

Solutions that meet many needs Road designers and infrastructure managers have to provide solutions to issues that relate to a range of topics. Concerning sustainable mobility, they must tackle the issue of increased pollution and traffic congestion, while for road safety, reducing traffic accidents and numbers of victims affected is important. In terms of the safety of people, they must consider terrorism threats, thefts and vehicles without insurance. All of these issues also have, of course, a financial impact that must be considered.

To answer the mobility management challenge, the first step is to understand the problem in depth, as it is a complex issue that requires gleaning all the necessary information about the situation on our roads and in our cities before analyzing and diagnosing the problem.

Artificial vision systems applied to ITS allow for the collection of data in real time, for its immediate examination or for later analysis. Two main advantages of these systems are their capacity to detect uncooperative traffic and the possibility of generating graphic evidence of a situation when is needed, for example, as proof of an infringement.

Years ago, these systems had limited productivity, but with the generalization of deep learning algorithms, the increase

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of processing units capacity and their application In artificial vision systems (above all as non-linear classifiers) have experienced an extraordinary growth in their capacities and possibilities.

The Traffic Eye and Traffic Guard developed by Lector Vision are perfect examples of how artificial vision system capabilities and capacities for ITS data processing has developed.

The two products can provide the necessary tools for accurately identifying a vehicle – including its license plate number – and the counting and classifying of categories, tracking of its trajectory, detecting strange driving behavior (vehicles or people circulating on restricted areas or directions), and potentially dangerous situations such as jams, accidents, or objects on the road.

In the future, systems like these could assume many of the tasks previously performed by humans, but with better results than people ever could achieve.

Defining big data The term ‘big data’ is one that is worth mentioning at this point. A simple way to describe it is as a collection of data records, the size, complexity and velocity of which make their collecting, management and analysis very difficult using only traditional analysis techniques.

The use of different techniques such as associative learning, regression analysis, genetic algorithms or machine learning have allowed for the processing of information that, before, was impossible to obtain, facilitating the job of ITS designers and managers as a result.

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Opposite: A vast amount of data is collected from road traffic Left: Traffic Eye and Traffic Guard work together to accurately identify any given vehicle

To maximize the size of the traffic data given by real-time sensors, and to analyze the huge quantity of registers generated, requires applications able to easily manage the information obtained.

Key to the system’s usefulness is its immediate reaction to specific traffic events and the capacity

to efficiently process the data for road infrastructure designers and management decision making.

Lector Vision’s Traffic Manager application is a software example that combines real-time information management and traffic data analysis with big data techniques. n

www.lectorvision.com

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Increasing safety with ALPR Advanced license plate recognition technology is helping modern cities to protect all types of road users without the need for additional, intrusive infrastructure Words |Gábor Józsa and Pál Szemere, ARH, Hungary

A buzz phrase of our time is ‘smart city’.

What does it really mean? Essentially it’s about making better use of big data.

As an example, consider how tracking the movement of athletes via multiple sensors helps improve their performance.

Likewise, multi-sensor traffic monitoring systems have enormous potential power.

Unlike traditional ITS, an automatic license plate recognition (ALPR)-based ITS identifies each passing vehicle, and follows its movement through the city. It does not require RF tags or related infrastructure.

ALPR-based traffic information is very precise, yields 21st century route planning, and helps in making strategic decisions.

Creating safer cities To create safer cities, we need an enforcement system that automatically recognizes hazards that lead to traffic congestion – 100% based on image processing, without any road-intrusive technology. Video analytics measures the length of car lines and waiting time in busy intersections. Gridlock detection helps design and enable better traffic control.

“We have a past, present and future in developing intelligent transport systems,” says László Kis, CEO of ARH, which specializes in ALPR-based solutions, OCR and imaging devices. “ARH has accumulated vast experience in plate recognition. We are globally known as an independent developer of ALPR algorithms. Relying on field-tested experience and in-house know-how, it was a logical move into complex ITS. Our mission is to contribute to the safety and efficiency of high-speed life in the 21st century by giving simple answers to complex traffic problems.”

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

ARH’s proprietary Carmen is an ALPR engine with a difference: it can be used globally. Besides Latin characters, Carmen reads Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese and other alphabets. Carmen reads HazMat (hazardous material) codes, as well as UIC railroad codes, container codes and USDOT codes.

ARH’s TrafficSpot is a single-gantry, multilane lane controller middleware that can monitor free-flow/stop-and-go traffic with both doppler and lidar sensors and a set of purpose-made cameras. Benefits include 100% detection rate and 28 predefined vehicle categories.

Take a traffic point’s complex multi-lane monitoring capabilities and compress it into

a portable device. ARH’s S1 operates automatically: it collects, stores and forwards data as packages into a database center. S1 reads license plates up to 800m (2,600ft) detecting traffic violations such as speeding, solid-line crossing, wrong-way driving, and improper use of lanes. License plate recognition, ADR code recognition, congestion detection and traffic count – no rival product offers such complex monitoring.

Only the relevant images provided ARH’s Microcam M402 is an extremely compact dashboard/rooftop camera. A unique preselection algorithm running on board forwards only those image frames

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for ALPR that actually contain a vehicle. Combining this feature with ARH’s ALPR engine, Carmen, M402 monitors parked as well as passing vehicles, in urban or highway traffic settings.

Around 100,000 vehicles passing each traffic point means millions of data packages per day in a city. Relational databases cannot handle this and may easily collapse. This much data needs a back-end system specifically designed for the task.

Flexible, robust and super-fast ARH offers a flexible, robust and super-fast central system to store all records (including images). ARH’s GDS middleware is the heart of any ITS system.

A great, intuitive user interface provides self-check (health-monitoring) and real-time traffic data and statistics – instantly available for parallel queries. Users’ rights and access can be individually configured.

The relevant application areas are numerous, including; video toll enforcement, traffic violation detection, congestion charging, journey-time measurement, identifying wanted vehicles, finding drivers with unpaid parking bills and many others.

ARH offers platform-independent, multi-standard technology, which can work together with other systems. Traffic monitoring and enforcement

is a single solution – optimized and flexibly custom-tailored. To recap: ARH offers middleware solutions that can be integrated to any existing intelligent transportation system. Simple answers to complex problems. n

Above : The S1 detects road violations and recognizes license plate details

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TRAFFICSPOT®

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COMPLETE ANPR/LPR BASED ACCESS CONTROL SOLUTION

POWERFUL ON-BOARD ANPR/LPR IN A MOBILE, IN-VEHICLE CAMERA

LIGHTNING FAST DATABASE WITH INTUITIVE, MAP-BASED UI

w w w.arh.hu

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Back to the future Innovative license plate recognition technology and a customer focus are proving to be a successful combination Words | Mate Kiss-Gyorgy, Asura Technologies, Hungary

We live in an era where the customer is truly king; not even niche technology providers or manufacturers have the luxury to leave their customers to sink or swim after purchasing their products. Competition is fierce and companies who fail to listen to their audience are quick to fall. At least this is how it should be, but in truth, there are industries where this shift seems still a long way away – and the license plate recognition (LPR) industry is one of them.

Why, you ask? The reason is simple: most technology providers do not regard integrators as customers. Rather they are considered developers, who have the means, personnel, time and resources to develop their LPR application from scratch.

Which could not be further from the truth.

Change is on the horizon Up until now, the customer-oriented IT evolution of the past decade has avoided the LPR industry, but that is about to change.

Typically, an integrator purchases the optical character recognition (OCR) engine and from that point on, they are left alone.

This is the reason why integrators need creativity, time and lots of patience to learn

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

to use these products. Support is limited and no warranties are included – application programming interface (API) sample codes are provided but, unfortunately, in most cases, they will not get you a working LPR system.

The advantage of such a setup is flexibility in terms of usage, yet the integrator needs to do lots of system development. Why? An engine module is usually capable of processing one image at a time and returns the result in the memory (RAM) or as a database entry.

Several critical functions also need to be added. These include parsing the stream of the image source (IP camera), filtering irrelevant images to obtain reasonable and affordable resources, loading and processing images, implementing the

thread handling and license optimization, managing and validating events, and finally implementing a database solution.

A long time in the making Developing an application with all these features takes years, even for OCR software providers. It takes several years of work of 10 full-time developers to deliver just such a high-efficiency LPR solution Furthermore, the licensing model of such a solution will not match the integrator’s business model. Thread/CPU core-based licensing is unpredictable: too many variations for processing time and too many images handled per event. To make it failsafe, the technology provider will set up a costlier than necessary system, taking the worst-case scenario as the basis of their calculation.

An increasingly popular way to integrate LPR is to purchase cameras mounted with LPR software. Integrators choosing this option usually face performance and cost issues.

Saving setup costs and system design With smart design, a high-end CPU computer is capable of processing the footage of 16 cameras, in some cases even more. If image

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processing is performed using an IP camera, you have to say goodbye to that processing power. You will only get a fraction of a computer’s capacity, meaning that from a certain project scale you will need to buy more cameras. This brings us straight to cost.

When onboard units are responsible for image processing, an OCR license needs to be purchased for each camera – which is a waste considering that in a setup where a computer processes the images, only one or two licenses may be required for 16 cameras.

So why not leave out the server as it is not needed for processing – if it is done by the camera? The answer is easy: you need a server anyway. The data cannot be stored on these cameras permanently, so you need a server for centralized data collection.

This server can run the LPR application and perform the processing as well. Why would you unnecessarily duplicate the resources required for the operation?

Another downside of using such system design is that the maximum recognition rate you can achieve is 95%. In difficult regions or countries, this might drop down to 80% or less, even when using high-end, expensive products.

Customer oriented LPR solution An LPR solution is generally expected to perform three tasks: connect to an image source with a live

stream of the footage; maximize recognition rate with the least resources by optimizing performance; and provide validated results in database format that fit the integrators’ requirements.

Asura’s LPR does all this in one tidy package with recognition rates of 97-99%. It is cheap, easy to integrate, and has all the necessary functions embedded to be an attractive LPR system.

The increasing urbanization of many countries brings new challenges in fields relying heavily on LPR. These include tolling, ITS, surveillance, congestion charging, traffic violation enforcement, traffic monitoring and journey time measurement.

New service providers enter the market expressing an increasing demand for outsourcing the hosting and operation of LPR, paving the way for Software as a Service and other cloud-based, solutions. We are in the middle of a transition from product-based traffic to service-based solutions.

Asura Technologies believes that services must be designed to fit customer expectations. With a visionary mindset, things can be reinvented, (mis) conceptions can be changed and boundaries are only there to be expanded. Asura Technologies created LPR technology with integrators as its customers in mind. Its business model centers around the customer, who needs to be reassured by warranties, and must be provided the latest technology and high-end customer service. n

Left: Asura applies Software as a Service (SaaS) standards to its license plate recognition technology Bottom left: Even in cases of cloud-based services a recognition rate of over 99% may be reached in the SaaS model

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

Road Traffic Technology

CROSS WIM FOR TOLLING AND ENFORCEMENT CrossWIM is a cutting edge high-speed weigh-in-motion system.

It meets the most demanding criteria for traffic detection and dynamic weighing. It is designed for traffic statistics, pre-selection, tolling systems, and direct enforcement.

CrossWIM control unit

www.cross.cz

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Road scanners Inclement and variable weather can make for treacherous conditions on the road, but solutions are available to aid traffic managers with such challenges Words | Anders Björk, MetSense, Sweden

Higher demands for road weather monitoring and maintenance are being imposed, as a result of increasing traffic volumes and requirements for emergency prevention.

Technological developments aim to find an elaborate solution that makes road monitoring more cost-effective and eco-friendly, and can increase traffic safety.

Two key types of sensors have been developed to monitor road weather conditions: intrusive sensors that require physical installation into the road surface, and non-intrusive sensors that operate remotely without causing any damage. Both types of sensors have limitations, however.

Non-intrusive monitoring A new meteorological video camera, 2DRoad, developed by MetSense, has a unique non-intrusive sensor that provides a full multilane description of road friction and road surface conditions. In contrast to most widely used devices, the sensor can scan a broad road area instead of one particular point and it does not need to be physically installed in the surface of a road.

In a fast, easy process, the modern 2DRoad meteorological camera can take a number of near-infrared spectroscopy pictures, and an invisible flash can adjust light conditions in the area. Each picture is filtered to capture only part of the spectrum, and detection of the current state of the road is based on an analysis of the images. This

Left: The 2DRoad meteorological camera Below: The visual output from a meteorological camera

complete process can be carried out from a remote location, so no adjustments to the road surface are required.

The 2DRoad sensor can provide information about a road surface area of 2m2 (21.5ft2) to 6m2 (64.6ft2). This area is divided into 64x64 points – 4,096 in total.

The sensors of other non-intrusive devices can monitor only one point or just a few square centimeters. The area covered by 2DRoad can be set according to the requirements of the road. Subsequent outcomes can then provide an overview of the whole area selected.

For each point, the camera can determine whether the road surface is dry, wet or covered in snow or ice. This is calculated according to different wavelengths that correspond to a particular type of surface and its condition. The camera recognizes seven road surface statuses: dry, moist, wet, dark ice, bright ice, snow and slush. Using an integrated pyrometer, the 2DRoad platform can also remotely measure the road surface around the center of a point.

The outcome of a meteorological road scan is organized and structured into a simple, visual and data-based presentation with a clear view of the state of the road at each point that is monitored. These data presentations are particularly useful for winter road maintenance contract dispatchers and for other road maintenance workers.

Implementing sophisticated meteorological information systems with well-equipped sensors, such as 2DRoad, is key for reducing maintenance costs, making winter road maintenance more efficient, increasing road safety and being kind to the environment.

An eco-friendly solution Adverse weather conditions, whether snow, heavy rain or dry, can greatly influence the cost of road maintenance and affect overall safety. The potential outcomes caused by these elements can be reduced with the use of proper and up-to-date meteorological information systems. With adequate measures and suitable devices in place – for example, detailed weather forecasts – maintenance can be targeted at specific parts of the road. Prompt and efficient treatment of roads can lead to increased safety for road users.

Subsequent maintenance can be directed exactly to the area of road that is affected by natural, weather-related events and this in turn reduces the need for, and amount of, human resources required.

Another advantage of sophisticated meteorological information systems is that they are eco-friendly. With efficient road area targeting, which reduces the need for excessive and unnecessary interventions, a smaller amount of chemicals (such as road salt and brine) is needed to treat roads. n

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Saving lives with science Established scientific methods are being applied to traffic enforcement in a fresh way as the industry works to ensure violations are accurately recorded Words | Paul De Vocht, De Vocht, Belgium

Although the term ‘metrology’, the science of measurement, was first adopted in 1780 by the French, the science behind it dates as far back as Egyptian times. Initially used only to make common measurement units for weight and length, it has now evolved into a multidisciplinary science that encompasses all possible measurements of units. Today metrology and traffic enforcement regulations are intertwined.

Enforcement of traffic regulations is a key element in reducing road deaths and injuries. But traffic has become so dense and complex that simple visual observation by a police officer tends to be more frequently challenged by motorists. The police and highway management office now have all technical tools at their disposal to enforce regulation breeches such as speeding, red light jumping, tailgating and overloading.

But are these technological tools to be trusted? Can police, the prosecutor and the judge rely 100% on the accuracy of speed measuring equipment? Do motorists have to accept the measurement results or do they still have grounds to challenge these results?

When both sides accept measurement results, traffic regulation enforcement takes an important step forward. There are three stages to ensuring this can happen.

First of all, governments need to have a detailed list of the necessary technical functionalities and clear requirements regarding the precision (measurement uncertainty) of the speed enforcement. They should also describe the test criteria and procedures to check the compliancy with the technical requirements. These should be published as a public text to guarantee transparency toward all the stakeholders.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Following this, the next stage is to approve the model. To achieve this, law makers should specify that only equipment compliant with the technical requirements should be deployed. The proof of this compliancy is a document called Model Approval. It can only be delivered after rigorous testing of prototype equipment.

It is recommended that only national scientific institutes or ISO 17025-accredited metrological labs perform these tests.

The final stage is to verify or certify the model. When an approved equipment type has been manufactured, a guarantee must be given that the equipment is 100% similar to the approved prototype and that the

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measurements are exact and precise. This process is called verification or certification.

The best guarantee on independent testing is an ISO 17025-accredited metrological lab.

But as equipment is used frequently, sometimes in harsh conditions, a guarantee must periodically be given that the unit is still measuring within the legal tolerances. This periodic verification should be performed at least once every year, or even over shorter intervals.

For section control (point-to-point) the exact distance and average speed can only be measured with a special dedicated vehicle. This vehicle must be equipped with a calibrated measuring device, operating independently from the odometer.

All stakeholders, especially governments or traffic police, must be aware of these steps and must either have the necessary competencies to process all equipment, or use only ISO 17025-accredited metrological labs. Should any questions arise, a few global operating companies offer expert advice and testing/verification. One such is De Vocht, an accredited ISO 17025 metrological lab that is rigorously independent and operates in Europe and the Middle East. n

Opposite, main: Calibrated speed and distance measurement for section control Opposite, below: Legal verification of lidar Above: Legal verification of next-generation radars Left: A laboratory simulation for tracking radars

(Courtesy TEM)

we calibrate Calibration of mobile and fixed radar equipment - consultancy De Vocht Expert Services certification@devocht.be

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Improving ITS with solid-state lidars Lidar sensing technology continues to evolve, as new suppliers redefine optical detection and ranging capabilities with groundbreaking innovations.

New solid-state lidar technology is set to change the face of ITS Words | Stéphane Duquet, LeddarTech, Canada

Solid-state lidars deliver precise multi-target detection and measurement in applications such as e-tolling, vehicle counting and profiling and speed measurement

Lidar technologies have been deployed in specialized intelligent transportation systems (ITS) applications for a some time. Their benefits – including distance measurement precision, resolution, and resilience to changing lighting conditions – have justified their use in applications such as highway tolling, despite coming with a hefty price tag.

Laser scanners have limitations. Their mechanical components and complex builds can affect their reliability over time and can make them expensive to deploy, especially if the intended application requires sensors. Their collimated light beams also make them more sensitive to rain, snow, or fog.

Today, a new generation of lidars is available for ITS applications from vendors that use solid-state designs and flash illumination to produce highly efficient, robust lidar with no moving parts. These

lidars also drive sensor prices down from thousands to hundreds of dollars, making them appealing for broader deployments.

As one of the pioneering solid-state lidar (SSL) manufacturers, LeddarTech first introduced the technology to the ITS market 10 years ago and since then, the company has continued to improve its SSL product performances, filing more than 55 patents.

Its first commercial application was in advanced traffic management systems (ATMS), using lidar as a stop bar for traffic detection. Placed above ground on existing infrastructures, SSL indeed represented an attractive alternative to induction loops for traffic light automation.

While some forward-looking cities have been quick to adopt SSL sensing to manage critical intersections, the ITS industry as a whole has taken some time to embrace it.

But this mindset is changing, as integrators and operators realize the potential to

improve mobility through the implementation of cost-effective lidars in smart city, intelligent highway, and dynamic traffic monitoring applications.

SSL advantages SSLs are compact, robust, affordable, and easy to integrate into existing hardware and roadside structures, providing reliable detection and ranging data.

Compared to laser scanners, SSLs typically use diffuse light sources, which generate weaker return signals (the quantity of light reflected back from the object) and reduce the sensors’ performance and range. Through proprietary algorithms and advanced signal processing, LeddarTech can deliver performances that rival those of their scanning counterparts, with the use of low-cost, solid-state optical designs and components.

SSLs can be deployed in ITS as standalone units or in combination with

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Left: Beyond vehicle traffic, Leddar sensors excel at pedestrian and cyclist detection. This makes them a sensor of choice for automating crosswalk and bike lane signals at busy intersections

other sensors, such as cameras, radars, or induction loops, to provide complementary information and redundancy. Compared to radars, lidars offer distinct benefits, including higher resolution, more consistent detection of various types of objects (for example, pedestrians, still objects, etc.), better multi-object discrimination, and easier beam forming. Lidars also provide significant benefits over camera-based solutions, with robust detection in any lighting conditions, longer effective range, more accurate distance measurements, and better performance in inclement weather.

Intensive benchmarking of these different technologies is currently being performed in the automotive industry, where detection performance and reliability is paramount to ensuring the safety of vehicle occupants, particularly with the advent of autonomous driving functions. This industry has reached a quasi-unanimous consensus that lidars bring unique capabilities – and that they will be a key element in establishing the 360° ‘detection cocoon’ required around the vehicle.

Therefore, while radar and camera-based solutions are currently being deployed for basic driver assistance functions, upcoming generations of cars should increasingly rely on new combinations of cameras and lidars

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

for both short- and long-range detection.

The same cost and performance benefits seen in automotive applications apply to ITS, which faces similar challenges in the reliable detection of various types of traffic.

Using SSL in ITS applications SSLs are versatile sensors that capture a variety of traffic information, such as the location of vehicles, cyclists, or pedestrians; dimension measurements; and direction and speed data. This makes SSLs very attractive for use in various ITS applications.

As previously mentioned, SSL-based traffic management systems provide accurate stop-bar detection functionalities over multiple traffic lanes, for traffic light automation at busy intersections.

Above-ground installation makes SSLs easy to deploy and maintain. They can be combined with cameras and automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems for enhanced functionalities, including traffic violation enforcement. Consequently, SSL is increasingly viewed as a versatile alternative to underground induction loop sensors.

SSLs can also be used in automated tolling (e-tolls). Their highly accurate and consistent distance measurements make them ideal vehicle detectors for triggering ALPR systems.

SSLs’ precise beam-forming and customizable detection areas also make them particularly suitable for detection systems at pedestrian and bicycle crossings.

They have the potential to replace traditional pelican crossings and to enable advanced traffic light automation.

Speed enforcement and mitigation systems also use SSLs’ multi-object ranging capabilities to simultaneously measure the speed of several vehicles within a wide detection area. For such applications, the sensor benefits from having higher refresh rates, thereby ensuring maximum performance and responsiveness, even at very high speeds.

SSLs can be used to estimate the dimensions and shapes of fast-moving vehicles, thanks to their ability to measure multiple segments with high sampling rates within their field-of-view. Vehicles can then be classified by size and type against application-defined criteria. Such capabilities can be leveraged in applications including e-tolling, gated access control, public transit vehicle priority systems, and clearance warning for overpasses, tunnels and other structures. Smart cities looking to monitor high-traffic areas in real time will also be able to deploy a comprehensive network of SSL sensors to collect valuable data and optimize the use of their existing infrastructure.

A bright future for optical sensing As SSL technology continues to evolve, lidar is set for a bright future in ITS. Sensors will become an integral part of smart mobility and a key enabler in increasing transportation efficiency. It is foreseeable that all major roads will eventually be systematically monitored by an array of low-cost sensors, such as SSLs, with key traffic information being exchanged dynamically between passing vehicles that provide insights and relay information through vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications networks. This future may be much closer that we can envision, made possible by breakthrough innovations such as solid-state lidars enabling the high-volume deployment of versatile, cost-efficient optical sensors in ITS. n

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Two-in-one enforcement

A traffic enforcement system continues to adorn Berlin’s central square, improving traffic safety while combining red-light and speed-enforcement technology Words | Dorothea Janß, Vitronic, Germany

Image: Fotolia

Intersections within urban infrastructure are pivotal to ensuring safe and efficient traffic flow. They accommodate a number of vehicle types and pedestrians and, as a result, can be found in different designs, configurations and sizes. Wherever two or more roads meet, cross or converge in highly populated areas, the risk of accidents increases.

Intersections: points of conflict Crossing an intersection is one of the most complex traffic situations that road users encounter daily. Intersections constitute points of conflict in any roadway system, especially for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

Crossing and turning maneuvers at intersections create opportunities for many conflicts between the different types of road users, which may result in traffic crashes.

According to the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), 25% of traffic fatalities and roughly half of all traffic injuries

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in the USA are attributed to intersections.

The same goes for Germany. Almost half of all accidents in urban areas, involving the death or injury of a road user, happen at intersections. Speeding and violating a red-light signal are two of the most dangerous driving habits in these busy areas. Thus, the issue of traffic safety at intersections is of great importance – especially against the background of the Vision Zero goal.

Strategies to address intersection safety vary. Many of them are engineering- and infrastructure-based, and include geometric designs and the application of traffic control devices such as signs, markings and signals.

Another approach is the use of speed and red-light enforcement. These are effective prevention tools that mitigate the risk of blackspots at intersections and ultimately protect lives.

Traffic metropolis Berlin Berlin is taking a pioneering role in terms of traffic safety concepts at intersections. The

efforts of the metropolis are necessary, because the city is growing rapidly; the number of road users is increasing and road traffic is becoming denser. While around 1,091,000 cars were registered in the capital in 2008, this year (2017) there have already been 1,195,000 registrations.

The city of Berlin has also experienced a 2.5% increase in road traffic accidents from 2015 to 2016, with 141,155 road accidents recorded in the capital (in 2016).

In addition, from 2015 to 2016, the number of deaths related to traffic accidents increased by 16.7%.

According to a report from the Berlin police, mistakes made while turning, disregarding right of way rules and driving at inappropriate speed are the main causes of road incidents.

At traffic intersections there are often red-light infringements. In 2015 the number of red-light offenses rose sharply, by 13% (52,352 offenses). To counteract this behavior, the city is intensifying traffic

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monitoring and upgrading with additional stationary speed and red-light monitoring systems.

Accident blackspot: Großer Stern Every year, Berlin identifies the most dangerous blackspots in the city. Großer Stern in Berlin-Mitte district is one of them. Along with the Brandenburg Gate and the Fernsehturm, Berlin’s central square, Großer Stern, with its Victory Column, is one of the city’s best-known landmarks. Five major roads intersect here and at times, up to six vehicles travel alongside one another because of the outermost two-lane entry and exit points. Traffic lights are responsible for managing the traffic.

In 2016, with 225 traffic accidents (it saw 275 accidents in 2015), Berlin’s central square was ranked fourth out of the city’s top-10 traffic accident sites involving personal injury. The neglect of red-light turns, in particular, was found to be a key factor.

Effective enforcement systems Since October 2016, the capital city’s traffic at this important junction has been monitored by Vitronic’s ‘city design housing’. The system in use, Poliscan red+speed, offers a combination of red-light and speed enforcement. The monitoring of speed is in pace, regardless of the traffic lights’ phase.

The system meets the special requirements of the Großer Stern location. With its ability to measure multiple lanes simultaneously, it monitors all the lanes of the roundabouts. A single system enables the complete traffic monitoring of the complex crossing – without requiring road-embedded loops or piezo sensors. This means that traffic is not hindered during the system’s installation or servicing – an important advantage for the heavily used roundabout. Thus, the capital traffic can remain unaffected by the traffic enforcement in place.

The system is directly connected to the control system of the traffic light and can process up to three configurable light groups from yellow and red phases. Laser-based (lidar) measuring technology across the roundabout can continuously track all approaching vehicles on multiple lanes, simultaneously, and tracks their travel paths up to the stop line and beyond. This enables the system to capture red-light violations exactly at the time that the stop line is crossed – as well as a second time in the intersection’s danger zone.

Road users often run yellow lights at dangerously high speeds. To mitigate this, the Poliscan red+speed also detects speeding at all traffic light phases. It is equipped with twin cameras for optimum-focus photographic evidence. The system

documents all infringements digitally in an encrypted file, which contains all relevant data such as measured speed, time and place. Case data can be downloaded locally or transferred via network connection for evaluation. To fit into the intersection scene and blend in with the ‘Victory Column’ monument, the system is integrated into Vitronic’s ‘city design housing’ – a slender, functional column.

Thanks to the combined enforcement system, Berlin police are able to monitor traffic at one of the most critical blackspots in the city. Speed and red-light enforcement help to minimize the danger potential at this heavily frequented roundabout. This is an important step toward road safety and not least toward Vision Zero for the city. n

Opposite: The Großer Stern roundabout in the center of Berlin, Germany Above: Vitronic’s ‘city design housing’ for its traffic enforcement systems

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Intelligent smart city upgrades Adding extra capabilities to existing roadside infrastructure is a powerful way to roll out smart city solutions at an affordable price Words | Neil Dillon, MAV Systems, UK

MAV Systems predicts that automatic license plate recognition (ALPR – also known as ANPR) cameras will become the logical hub for a growing range of add-on environmental and analytic sensors that will revolutionize smart city deployments worldwide.

The emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is often associated with smart cities because it offers a massive array of modular sensors and communications devices. However, these devices are often proprietary and require their own communications channels and back-office

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

tools. They are also often logging devices with bulk upload of data rather than real-time analysis. Unification of these additional technologies, linked to an intelligent ALPR camera, not only makes sense financially by avoiding duplication of bearers, but also creates a depth of information that will improve the analytic capabilities of back-office systems.

Hardware add-ons MAV Systems is actively involved in using high-quality calibrated IoT devices to feed

information into smart city solutions with an extensive range of add-ons for its IQ ALPR camera range, to take the IQ to a higher intelligence level.

The IQ range provides edge-based analysis of multiple subsystems and sensors such as speed, pollution monitoring and weigh-in-motion (WIM) inputs that are associated with passing vehicles. This extra functionality is underpinned by the quality and performance of the IQ range and ensures that MAV’s partners are provided with the latest technology required to extend

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Opposite: The IQ ANPR cameras can cover one, two and three lanes of traffic Left: The IQ range of intelligent, fixed and mobile ANPR cameras Below: Safe-Speed System

This is an exciting time for MAV, providing smart city developers with intelligent ‘edge’ technology to build into their solutions Steve Walker, managing director MAV Systems

their market penetration and offer unique services to their end users.

The MAV IQ has built a reputation as the de facto multilane intelligent ALPR camera of choice in many markets. It performs all the functions associated with ALPR including plate reading, vehicle counting, direction of travel and multilane identification, but now has the potential for far more.

Radar integration MAV’s Safe-Speed range offers multivehicle radar-based speed information alongside the IQ’s ALPR metadata. Not only can speed information be used for enforcement, but equally, and more powerfully, it can be used to model road flow, safety and congestion. Spot speed data coordinated between multiple locations with anonymized license plate data also opens journey time, average speed and mesh analysis of traffic flow, both in real time and historically, to provide dynamic feedback options.

Emissions integration It is increasingly common to see an array of roadside sensors collecting data on the local environment. Steve Walker, managing director of MAV Systems, comments, “Air quality data without understanding the local factors that impact it is relatively worthless – it is telling you what, but not why. However, looking at the emissions information, ALPR lookup and radar data together provide a more complete picture of what combination of vehicle speeds, classification and traffic density caused those sensors to record dangerous levels.

This is an exciting time for MAV, providing smart city developers with intelligent ‘edge’ technology to build into their solutions.”

By adopting such a model with a live feed from calibrated sensors linked to the MAV IQ cameras, it is possible to see the direct impact of traffic on pollution levels in real time rather than by annual inspection or modeling. The ALPR data is vital in this solution, not only for understanding traffic flow, but also in using reference data for the specific

vehicles that are passing, in order to understand their published emissions data and how that compares with reality.

Multilane vision, low power consumption The IQ range provides opportunities to capture up to three lanes of fast-moving traffic from a single camera. MAV IQ solutions offer not only high performance but also low power consumption. The MAV IQ has been independently measured as the lowest consumption intelligent ALPR device on the market today. It can run from solar/wind solutions for fully off-grid outstations or by taking minimal power from available unmetered sources.

MAV offers customized hardware to meet solution demands for both technological and geographic variations. The company understands the need to constantly evolve its product range through consistent investment in R&D. This investment in product development and partner relationships has led to MAV becoming a key player across all ALPR-based applications. n

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A close eye on traffic Automatic license plate recognition software is being enhanced to control gates, monitor speed and even allow vehicles to access restricted or reserved parking spaces Words | Miriam Schreiber, Vision Components GmbH, Germany

Due to the many styles of license plates used across the world, the capabilities of automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) software are limited depending on where it is deployed.

Carrida from Vision Components, however, is open for international applications. The hardware-independent OEM software already integrates a wide range of national license plate styles, including different characters and two-line plates. Based on a neural network, it can moreover be adapted to read additional plate types comparatively quickly.

The software has been extensively tried and tested in various countries in a wide range of applications. It provides high accuracy, typically exceeding 96% in recognizing country-specific plates.

Comprehensive ALPR software Network Imaging Solutions (NIS), based in New Zealand, has developed the

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

comprehensive NIS ALPR software package for PC, based on the Carrida engine. It is an access management solution encompassing camera technology, server infrastructure and end-user customization.

Managing director John Hurford says, “Our database serves as a platform for integration with customer infrastructure.

We create a plug-in to connect it to existing on-site software and hardware.”

Among other features, NIS has enabled integration into Skidata systems. License plate data, time stamps and vehicle types can be automatically transmitted to Skidata back-end systems. The OEM has also developed a robust database system that is accessible through a web browser.

Operators can edit misread plates and receive email notifications based on non-responsive software, as well as IP notifications, and they can see a status report

with the customized ‘current occupancy’ software module.

Cost-efficient image processing In Bulgaria, atto-Systems, a provider of industrial image-processing systems, has developed a very cost-efficient comprehensive license plate recognition solution for the domestic market. It is based on a Vision Components PCB camera running the Carrida engine. Featuring low power consumption of less than 3W, this camera is ideal for remote applications.

“Using Carrida on the VC Z series embedded board camera enabled us to implement a compact solution very quickly in a cost-efficient way,” says Jörg Beutel, managing owner of atto-Systems. Four hundred traffic monitoring systems were installed in 200 locations across Bulgaria’s road network and were integrated into a

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comprehensive intelligent transportation system.

They perform a continuous traffic count, vehicle classification into 10 categories, speed detection and license plate recognition for vehicles traveling at up to 200km/h (124mph) in up to two lanes.

Congested parking facilities With road transport always on the rise, parking facilities are often congested. Truck drivers regularly try three or four parking lots before finding a free space. They will be happy about a new business idea that makes company parking facilities that are otherwise unused at night or on weekends available to registered customers. Slots can be booked online ahead of time. The control center sends the license plate information to the system in the field, enabling automatic access.

The barriers to the parking lots are controlled by Vision Components’ Carrida Cam, which is likely the world’s smallest standalone ALPR camera system, at just 88 x 58 x 36mm (3.5 x 2.3 x 1.4in).

The camera integrates a processor for full ALPR functionality, memory for black/white list access control, infrared illumination, and anti-condensation heating. Cameras at the entrances and exits enable standalone gate control and transmit data to a connected system for billing. The service, recently launched and operated from Germany, already integrates parking areas all over Europe.

Vision Components provides full-scale solutions for ALPR. The hardware-independent Carrida software has a typical processing time of 30ms and a recognition accuracy of over 96%. Applications include toll/speed control, traffic analysis and fleet management. The Carrida Parking Management software module for automatic access control adds blacklist/whitelist capabilities and integrates a web server for easy monitoring and control.

The portfolio is completed by sophisticated hardware solutions topped by the Carrida Cam network-compatible standalone camera. n

Opposite: Carrida automatically detects, reads and classifies license plates Above: A screenshot of the Carrida Parking Management software module

4.0

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CARRIDA combines the state-of-the-art camera hardware design with the powerful LPR engine, make+model module and a park management tool.

Visit us at Intertraffic Amsterdam, Booth 12.628!

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Vision Components GmbH Ottostr. 2 | 76275 Ettlingen Germany Phone: +49 7243 2167-23

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

5 - 7 June 2018 | STUTTGART, GERMANY Europe’s ONLY conference dedicated to the testing and development procedures for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems

The Autonomous Vehicle Test & Development Symposium 2018 will bring together the world’s leading engineers in the field of autonomous vehicle research, testing, validation and development. The conference will be held in Stuttgart alongside Autonomous Vehicle Technology World Expo 2018 and Automotive Testing Expo 2018, the world’s largest exhibition dedicated to new vehicle development and testing, and in conjunction with Traffic Technology International magazine, the world’s leading magazine for advanced highway and traffic management technologies.

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SAFETY | 179

Section 3

Safety

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180 | SAFETY

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Fighting death on our roads As UK road deaths rise, safety organizations are calling for new measures to reverse the trend. Could a new Geographical Information System be part of the solution?

Words | Tom Stone

While the long-term trend for numbers of road deaths in the western world is an overall reduction, road authorities and law enforcement agencies must be constantly vigilant and inventive in order to maintain this trend. The lower figures become, the greater the risk that they will plateau, or even begin to creep up again. This fear was reignited in the UK, in autumn 2017, when the Department for Transport (DfT) released the casualty figures for the nation’s roads in 2016, and they showed a marked increase on the previous year.

The DfT figures revealed that 1,792 people were killed in collisions in 2016, up 4% since 2015, and the highest annual total since 2011.

A further 24,101 people were seriously injured in 2016, a rise of 9% (from 22,144 in 2015).

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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SAFETY | 183

Left: The overall trend in road deaths in the UK since 2006 is downward.

However, recent years have seen a plateau and even a slight rise in figures

Many of the fatalities involved vulnerable road users, with pedestrian deaths up by 10% to 448, compared with 2015, and cyclist deaths up by 2% to 102. The number of children killed was also up – by 28% from 2015, with 69 under-15s dying in 2016.

However, the number of motorcyclists killed was down by 13% from 365 to 319, despite an increase in the number motorbikes on the road.

“When there’s an increase in traffic with economic growth, generally casualty statistics do tend to go up, but this in no way justifies these shocking figures,” says Nick Lloyd, road safety manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). “Britain traditionally has one of the best road safety records in the world, but we must focus our efforts through effective education, engineering and enforcement if we are to make our roads safer. More than 90% of road crashes involve human error, which demonstrates the need for drivers to concentrate at all times, watch their speed, and avoid distractions.”

How can the trend be reversed?

The news led to calls from several quarters for more detailed analysis and dissemination of road safety data. The idea being that if road authorities and drivers are better equipped with information about where accidents are likely to happen, then they can be avoided, through better road design, deployment of smarter infrastructure and speed enforcement hardware, and through more careful driving.

“The increase in road casualties reinforces the need for the establishment of a UK road collision investigation branch to gather and make available better data to provide the evidence base to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on our roads,” says Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) academy director Richard Cuerden.

His words are echoed by Jason Wakeford, director of campaigns for the UK road safety charity Brake. “Progress on road safety has stalled, pressing the need for a road collision investigation branch, so that lessons can be learned to prevent future crashes,” he says.

Data to the rescue But, ahead of any the establishment of any official investigation body, and just a few days after the traffic data was released, software engineers at Buchanan Computing announced they had uploaded all the new data onto their Geographical Information System (GIS) CollisionMap (www. collisionmap.uk), making the raw data much more easily understood through a visual geographic interpretation, and also making them the first to republish the new DfT data in its entirety.

The web application is based upon the latest Ordnance Survey mapping and Buchanan’s Traffweb web mapping tool. It has a detailed gazetteer to find the location a user is interested in, and a number of unique selection and display features. It shows all accident locations even when zoomed out, giving a full indication of safety issues

Progress on road safety has stalled, pressing the need for a road collision investigation branch, so that lessons can be learned to prevent future crashes Jason Wakeford, director of campaigns, Brake

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184 | SAFETY

Right: The GIS CollisionMap gives a comprehensive overview of all serious accidents in the UK since 2011 Below right: Only motorcyclists escaped the recent upward trend in UK road deaths

over a large area. This is particularly useful for rural locations or for looking at whole authorities.

All road traffic collisions between January 1, 2011 and January 1, 2017, which took place in Britain and resulted in an injury or fatality, can now be accessed on the platform.

The swift publication of the data was made possible in part by the UK government’s new open data policy. The data was released under the new Open Government Licence (OGL), which is designed to foster innovation.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

“We downloaded the files from the DfT’s site and imported them into our in-house-developed accident analysis system, AccsMap,” explains Alex Smith, managing director of Buchanan Computing. “We then processed and published the data on to CollisionMap’s staging site for checking, before making it live The whole process can be done quickly. Over the past three years, we have updated CollisionMap with the latest data within five working days.”

However, the initial development of the CollisionMap platform required many more hours

Intelligent System for Physical Speed Reduction

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The first thing that strikes you when looking at this data displayed over a map of Britain is that it looks like a comprehensive atlas of the country’s road network, defined by road traffic accidents Alex Smith, managing director, Buchanan Computing

Above: In the more densely populated parts of the UK, the CollisionMap view is crowded with accident information Below: But zoom in and the picture becomes much clearer

than that, and programmers had to overcome a number of challenges before it first went live in 2013. “A particular challenge was providing the data in a visually appealing way, overlaying national mapping, which allows users to zoom into their areas of interest,” says Smith. “This is combined with other navigation aids, such as an effective gazetteer to find places of interest. Also, as we have a long-term commitment to this work, we needed to ensure that it allowed for fast and efficient ways to maintain and update both the application and data.”

CollisionMap is a completely free service, something that Smith is proud of and hopes to continue far into the future. “The spirit and purpose of the open data set provided by the DfT is to help facilitate sharing of information, in order to better understand and reduce injuries and deaths that occur on Britain’s roads,” he says. “As a company, we share this view and are happy to contribute this application to the wider community. To make the data as open and accessible to all, we decided not

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

to require users to register, to track their use, or to give them one more password to remember. Now in its fourth year, we hope to continue to provide this service free of charge for many years to come.”

Practical ways forward Accurate data analysis can help to inform tangible improvements that can be made to roads in the form of upgrades such as advanced crash barriers, more visible signage, and speed enforcement.

“The first thing that strikes you when looking at this data displayed over a map of Britain is that it looks like a comprehensive atlas of the country’s road network, defined by road traffic accidents,” says Smith. “Any workable solutions to help reduce the number of accidents will be complex and may be applicable at a national, regional or local level.

“Our core accident analysis application, AccsMap, is very widely used by both police and local government road safety teams,” Smith continues. “By utilizing its analytical tools, a heat map showing accident rates for the entire road network can be achieved. This can be used to help access existing speed limits or the impact of new speed limits such as on rural roads.

Once generated, the resultant heat maps can be published for use within CollisionMap, or into one of its sister Traffweb applications.”

New speed limits are just one of the safety-enhancing road upgrades that can be implemented by authorities, and part of accident prevention charity Brake’s raft of suggestions it believes will help:“We are calling for the introduction of a graduated licensing system, including a minimum learning period and restrictions for newly qualified drivers; a review of speed limits on rural roads, where most deaths occur; and for Voluntary Intelligent Speed Adaptation to be fitted as standard to new cars,

For a safer life on the road Saferoad Group is a leading supplier of road safety and road infrastructure solutions in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.

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188 | SAFETY

Road safety software solutions Buchanan Computing is a leading supplier of software and training for traffic professionals and a specialist in web mapping and software hosting. It has over 20 years’ experience of computer mapping (GIS), software design and data management for the highway. Its range of products for highway and traffic engineers and the police includes SignPlot, ParkMap and AccsMap: the UK’s best-selling systems for traffic sign design, traffic order management and road collision analysis, respectively.

“All our applications provide traffic managers and their teams with IT-jargon-free applications attuned for their needs,” says managing director Alex Smith. ”Together, they have the greater potential to provide positive feedback loops, where each specialist can benefit from sharing their data.

For example, users can see if a new traffic order had a positive impact on accident rates, or use accident location to identify sites for passive safety signs.”

Above: The DfT stats reveal the breakdown of accidents by road and road-user type

as part of proposals being considered by the European Commission,” says Wakeford.

Smith agrees that, increasingly, auto manufacturers must play a role in helping to improve safety on our roads – particularly as we look to a future of connected and autonomous vehicles. “I believe that this data set, especially when processed with other data sets such as traffic flows and combined with information on the road network, will be used to help drive the sophisticated algorithms required for autonomous and connected vehicles,” he says. “In particular, they will be an input into the artificial intelligence required, where the vehicle’s alertness and responsiveness is set by its environment and the level of risk it may encounter. So autonomous vehicles can be programmed to behave in much the same way as a good driver does.”

Vision Zero As the UK’s KSI (killed or seriously injured) stats begin to creep upward, one could be forgiven for thinking that the drive toward Vision Zero should be abandoned as impractical. However, whether

or not such an aim is ultimately achievable, Smith is firmly of the belief that we must continue to strive for greater safety. “The visionary aim of zero deaths on our roads is a laudable goal, whether or not it is practically possible to achieve this,” he says. “Road safety is very important, but it is not the sole area where unnecessary deaths and injuries occur. And we do not live in closed, single-issue systems. I feel that risk encountered when using the highway should be no higher than the normal level of risk encountered in everyday life. If we were to lose sight of targets, it would be a detrimental step as there would be a loss of a very helpful form of incentive and structure.”

TRL’s Richard Cuerden agrees: “It is imperative that road safety is given the same level of attention as that of air and rail. It is essential that future casualty prevention strategies are informed by latest trends, such as the digital revolution and rapid development of vehicle technologies, change in mobility habits, and the rise in active travel. Only in this way can we ensure that casualty prevention strategies are not only fit for purpose, but future-proofed, too.” n

It is essential that future casualty prevention strategies are informed by latest trends, such as the digital revolution and rapid development of vehicle technologies, change in mobility habits, and the rise in active travel Richard Cuerden, academy director, TRL

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Safe and pleasant cycle paths Protected bicycle lanes are a simple concept: they’re sidewalks for bikes. They make riding a bike a pleasant and practical means of transportation. But getting the design right, including choosing the right barriers, is essential for maximizing safety and aesthetics Words | Irina Mella Burlacu, Vita International, Italy

Over the past 20 years, much attention has been paid to the use of bicycles in Europe and North America. It is an environmentally friendly, low-cost and healthy means of transportation. Typically, though, cycle traffic flows directly alongside motorized vehicles, thus dictating the need to carefully regulate the space used by different road users.

In North America, bike culture may seem more like a sub- or even counter-culture, popular among groups that differentiate themselves from the mainstream by touting healthier and more sustainable lifestyles.

In Europe, the culture is quite different, as cycling is more pervasive, and sometimes even constitutes the norm.

Pick up any American cycling magazine and you’ll see page after page of designer gear and accessory equipment championed by sponsored athletes. However, as the BBC’s online news magazine notes about Amsterdam riders, “The bike is an integral part of everyday life, rather than a specialist’s accessory or a symbol of a minority lifestyle, so Dutch people don’t concern themselves with having the very latest model of bike or high-tech gadgets.”

But although the American and European approaches to cycling are very different, safety is a common element that is certainly not in dispute.

Vita International focuses on making cycling safer, paying particular attention to infrastructure.

Defining ideal cycle lane design The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

published a Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, which defines a bike lane as “a portion of a roadway that has been designated by striping, signing and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists.” Bike lanes are a preferred facility type in European countries and nearly every major city has made an effort in recent years to install cycle lanes.

Cycle lanes serve the needs of all types of cyclists in urban and suburban areas, providing them with their own travel lane.

The minimum width of a bike lane should be 5ft (1.5m) against a curb or adjacent to a parking lane. Width measurements are taken from the curb face to the bicycle lane stripe.

Since cyclists usually tend to ride a distance of 2.5-3.5ft (0.8-1.1m) from the curb face, it is very important that the pavement surface in this zone be smooth and free of structures.

Where the minimum widths listed above cannot be met, it may be possible to provide an unmarked lane. Studies have shown that a cyclist’s perceived level of comfort is higher when a striped area is provided; thus this method can raise the level of service for cyclists on a particular street. An unmarked lane is a striped area of 2ft (0.6m) wide or more that contains no additional markings or signage that would denote it as a bike lane. Particularly on busy streets, narrow unmarked lanes will not adequately serve the needs of the majority of cyclists.

Grade separation Where it is not possible to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists with at-grade crossings (crossings at the same level),

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grade separation should be considered.

Grade-separated facilities (e.g. bridges) are expensive; they add out-of-direction travel and will not be used if the added distance is too great.

This can create problems if pedestrians and bicyclists ignore the facility and try to negotiate the interchange at grade with no sidewalks, bike lanes, or crosswalks. In some instances, a separate path can be provided on only one side of the interchange, which leads to awkward crossing movements.

The desirable bike lane width adjacent to a guardrail or other physical barrier is 2ft (0.6m)

wider than would otherwise be the case, in order to provide a minimum shy distance from the barrier.

On new structures (with railings), the minimum clear width should be the same as the approach paved shared-use path, plus the minimum 0.6m (2ft)-wide clear areas.

Opposite and above: Vita’s Cidneo barrier with cycle path protection applied, at an installation in Slovenia

A natural solution Road crash barriers are designed according to EN1317 for motorized vehicular traffic. When the carriageway runs along the cycle track, the bicycle is protected by the roadside barrier, but the infrastructure itself is dangerous because it

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PHOTOGRAPHS: WIRENCO BV

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Above: Vita’s Cidneo barrier with cycle path protection applied at an installation in the Netherlands

is typically made of steel, which can cause serious injuries if a cyclist crashes into it.

A solution is to install barriers that have sturdy steel frames, but are incased in a softer wood shell. Such barriers enhance road safety, while also helping to make the environment more beautiful, when compared with traditional steel-only barriers. For this reason, they are a particularly popular choice in areas of great natural beauty.

‘Safety of the road and respect for the environment’ is the philosophy that guides Vita International in its research and design of wood and steel safety barriers. The manufacturer boasts a comprehensive selection of barriers able to protect and enhance any kind of road.

The safety barriers manufactured by Vita International are designed to optimize cycle

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safety, while also improving the aesthetics of any cycle path. Furthermore they eliminate the danger posed to cyclists by the naked steel ‘blade’ of conventional safety barriers.

However, the wood structure does not interfere with the dynamic behavior of the barrier in the event of a vehicle impact, and it represents a minimization of the road space needed for the protection infrastructure.

If a bike path is not next to a busy road, it isn’t necessary to install full road safety barriers.

However, fences of some kind are useful, even if only to segregate pedestrians from cyclists. The wooden barrier, in this case, does not require approval, but nevertheless must comply with certain safety standards. In situations like this, Vita International offers a solution where the solid wood component exceeds the quantity of steel used. n

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Safety visions Improving traffic sign visibility is critical to improving safety for road users Words | Nikhil Agashe, Avery Dennison R&D director In 2016, according to a report from Macquarie Bank, 88.1 million cars and light commercial vehicles were sold worldwide, up 4.8% from a year earlier. This upward trend is expected to continue, and with that comes the critical need to ensure that roads remain safe for the millions of people that use them each day.

As people in most developing countries are now realizing their dream of car ownership, the additional burden on capacity is increasing. Construction of new roadways has failed to keep pace with this growth.

Shared space roadways In every country across the globe, the urban roadway is a shared space, with automobiles, public transportation vehicles, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians traveling side by side. In developed countries, there is a movement to research, develop and introduce alternate transportation options and greater safety measures as the roadways become more crowded.

In any of these scenarios, drivers must become more alert to, and aware of, their roadway surroundings, to improve safety on the roadways. States, counties, cities, townships and their road authorities also have an increased responsibility to provide better solutions to drivers facing more road chaos and congestion.

One such solution is the improved visibility of traffic signs. In many locations, fluorescent material is frequently used to mark pedestrian crossings, bicycle pathways, walkways and other informational signs.

Fluorescent colors are used widely because they improve the appearance of the sign, and because of their brightness, make it more visible. Fluorescence is a phenomena where radiation is absorbed by a fluorophore (usually a pigment, dye or other colorant), resulting in excitation of the fluorophore species. As the fluorophore returns to its original ground state, it releases a lower energy, or higher wavelength radiation.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

The choice of the fluorophore or the combination of multiple fluorophores is critical to the performance of fluorescent colors. ‘Performance’ is defined as the level of fluorescence, color or hue, and longevity or durability of fluorescence. Innovating to increase the durability of fluorescent materials used in traffic signage is especially important given the fact that fluorescent colorants have poor ultraviolet light stability.

Limiting light exposure In some instances, fading of fluorescent sheeting due to ultraviolet (UV) light exposure dramatically shortens the useful life of the sign. While UV screening or blocking is one solution intended to address the outdoor durability problem, several difficulties can arise.

One concern is that the UV light-absorbing compounds of these screening layers can leach out in time or can diffuse or migrate into the underlying fluorescent layer. This diffusion can actually accelerate fading of the fluorescent colorant in certain instances.

On the frontline of developments The engineers at Avery Dennison are at the forefront of solutions that maximize the fluorescent colors’ performance in international traffic signage. After continuing evaluations and regular trials, Avery Dennison optimized the pigment and dye chemistry for the most durable and visible traffic signage applications.

The fluorescent materials provide improved fluorescent coloration articles

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Customers have the flexibility to choose between OL-2000 UV-overlaminate or OL-1000 UV overlaminate, with its added anti-graffiti and moisture barrier properties. TrafficJet is also the only system available that provides fully warrantied, specification-compliant traffic colors with the benefit of a CMYK-process printing capability that is durable for up to 10 years.

Opposite: Durable traffic signs can help improve safety for road users Left: The time needed to create high-quality multi-colored signs is reduced with TrafficJet Below: The Avery Dennison system requires less hands-on labor than traditional printing methods

Testing for improvements

that achieve desired color shades. In addition, they offer durability attributes that are extremely well suited for exterior or outdoor usage, including under a variety of weather conditions.

Applying the appropriate color Avery Dennison’s patented, flexible technology allows for the use of multiple polymer materials according to the choice of application, with the correct fluorescent colorant to impart high visibility.

By combining fluorescent materials in multiple layers, Avery Dennison is able to design the correct shade of color – for example, fluorescent yellow for warning signs and fluorescent yellow/green or lime green for pedestrian crossing signs.

With this patented technology, Avery Dennison is able to offer industry-leading warranties of up to 12 years on fluorescent materials used in permanent traffic signage.

The company’s fluorescent traffic materials are also compatible with its TrafficJet print system, which provides an added advantage to customers.

With the patent-pending CMSpot6 ink configuration that replaces standard process yellow and black in a CMYK ink set with more durable spot yellow and black inks, it is a technological achievement in today’s traffic industry.

The CMSpot6 colors have been refined to provide optimal color and transmission, which comply with the strictest of the global retroreflective specifications.

With the proven pigment technical knowledge, the performance of the TrafficJet Spot colors is also warrantied for up to 12 years, matching the base sheeting warranties when protected

by UV overlaminates.

The TrafficJet print system continually undergoes testing in Avery Dennison laboratories to improve it and maximize its benefits to the company’s customers. This ability to design and test digital print systems with traffic signage products in one central performance center is a considerable advantage and allows proactive commercialization of new features.

As each year passes, with additional traffic on roadways across the globe, Avery Dennison reaffirms its commitment to customers to provide the most innovative, durable and safe technologies for roadway signage. Keeping motorists safe on the millions of miles of roads they travel each day is of paramount importance and the company will continue to create solutions to address changing needs. n

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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Safety in words Innovative technology is enabling traffic lights to speak to pedestrians, helping them cross roads safely Words | Ines Rösch, Langmatz GmbH, Germany

Safety and smooth interactions in traffic are priorities for all road users. Playing a key role are signal requesting devices that enable pedestrians to request a green signal at traffic lights. Langmatz GmbH traffic light push buttons have acoustic and tactile signals (vibration) that allow pedestrians, especially those who are visually impaired, to cross roads safely, and have proved themselves in real-life traffic situations.

Speaking traffic light technology The term ‘speaking traffic lights’ has become shorthand in the market for this technology. One municipality opted for this Langmatz product only recently and installed it near a primary school.

When someone presses the button on the pedestrian crossing, a friendly child’s voice says, “Thank you. It’ll turn green soon.” According to city officials, the voice recording is meant to encourage children and adults in future to cross the road only when the green light shows.

The Crossguide (EK 533) traffic light push button from the Langmatz portfolio is an innovative universal voltage device with proven properties that is used on traffic lights across Europe. What is special about the Crossguide’s technical development is that voice prompts and acoustic signals can be individually recorded and played.

This high-end device even allows you to set the volume of the acoustic signals according to time

Above: Langmatz’s Crossguide traffic light push button

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Left: A Crossguide located near a school plays a recorded child’s voice to signal when it is safe to cross Below: The push button is on the underside of the Crossguide

and traffic noise levels. All its functions and parameters can be adjusted and parameter sets saved and copied via a USB cable, serial cable or Bluetooth using a laptop.

Protection against vandals The Crossguide offers protection against vandalism due to its compact and sturdy design. The device’s technology is also designed for long-term use. You can even retroactively extend its functionality using an existing module slot without having to replace the devices when you require an extension. When retrofitting old systems, you can also make available additional functions such as visual feedback, acoustics and tactile enabling without having to open up the control unit. This is because these functions are set using software. As an option, devices can be equipped with a gold cap buffered clock. This allows for precise night-time sound reductions or even complete deactivation.

A large surface sensor or large surface push button is available for signal requesting. All top caps are interchangeable without having to make changes to the device. A red LED light provides visual feedback, which can also be generated internally without having to open up the signal control unit. You can choose between different flashing frequencies or continuous light. It is activated via the software. This allows for problem-free retrofitting of visual feedback on existing systems. Acoustic signal request acknowledgement is one of the special functions. The activation of the large surface push button and/or the vibration push button can be signaled by a short acoustic confirmation tone or, as

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

outlined above, a voice announcement can be played.

Feeling good vibrations Signals are requested using a push button on the underside of the device, integrated into the crossing symbol.

A vibration module provides tactile acknowledgement. Acoustic acknowledgement can be adjusted to traffic noise levels. The volume can be adjusted between 30dB and 90dB. The sounds can be selected, loaded and activated using software (standard 880Hz, frequency range of 800-5,000Hz possible with polyphonic tones and .wav files). The fine-tuning of the boost is done in 1dB increments from around -20dB to +20dB. As per DIN 32981, the crossing signal and/or guide signal is transmitted via a remote loudspeaker. The speakers are mounted at a height of 2.1-2.5m (6.9-8.2ft).

In addition to various special functions, the guide signal, pedestrian crossing signal, acoustic guide signal and vibration (among others) can be turned off or lowered at night.

Langmatz specializes in developing and manufacturing innovative products for traffic engineering, as well as in the power engineering and telecommunication sectors, and has more than 30 years of experience in this market. n

Traffic keeps the world moving. But who keeps traffic flowing safely?

Langmatz is the organising force behind modern traffic infrastructure. Ensuring safety.

www.langmatz.de

200 | SAFETY

Future sign supports A new passively safe sign support system has been developed that meets growing customer demands for shallower foundations, lower cost and easy setup Words | Johnny Sköld, Saferoad, Norway

Simple solutions are often the best. The Norsafe Mast passively safe sign support system from Saferoad is a case in point. It has now been deployed on roadsides for some years, and its simple but effective design has been proven to satisfy both safety requirements and customer demands for low pricing.

Furthermore, the system can be safely used in both rural and urban environments.

It can be deployed with hidden foundation bolts, which means that at ground level all that shows is a flat aluminum plate, which makes it ideal for use on sidewalks, etc.

Saving lives and money In the past, the design of roadside mast foundations has been virtually the same for all products. Saferoad realized that the fitment of passively safety masts needed a rethink. Customers were demanding shallower foundations, to avoid cables in the ground, and cheaper foundations that could be more easily assembled. But while meeting these needs, it was also important to ensure that such foundations were really safe in the event of a traffic collision – even if the ground around them was not perfect.

Following extensive testing, including many collisions, Norsafe’s shallow foundations have now proved to satisfy all customer requirements. They work in all conditions, even with poor-quality surrounding soil.

Specially designed for passive safe masts, Norsafe foundations are only 700mm (27.5in) in height and, with relatively low weight and low cost, are a vast improvement on traditional solutions. They also work perfectly on slopes, together with the specially designed Norsafe Mast baseplate.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Left and above: Norsafe Masts with concealed foundation bolts

Next-generation gantries Further developments with new passive safety gantries and cantilevers have now been tested on the road. The legs and transoms of these new gantries and cantilevers are made of a single extruded aluminum profile and, unlike old lattice masts, do not need any expensive machining. Neither do they

need any slip-base or other galvanized steel parts – only the lightweight aluminum baseplates and A4 acid-proof stainless bolts.

These support structures have also been much improved for use in tunnels. In addition, the new systems and all fixings are fully adjustable, thereby reducing the time needed for assembly. n

SAFETY | 201

Left: A passively safe cantilever Above: A new fully adjustable sign supports for tunnels

Above: A Norsafe shallow stable foundation for passively safe masts

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

202 | SAFETY

No more drunk drivers Breath testing technology that disables a vehicle’s ignition if a driver is impaired is becoming increasingly popular with commercial operators Words | Tony Power, Alcohol Countermeasure Systems, Canada

In-car navigation systems have become nearly as common as car radios. But another less well-known vehicle technology has also been growing in popularity since the 1980s – ignition interlocks. These prevent a vehicle from being started unless a specific test is passed by the driver, typically an alcohol breath test.

For the past 35 years such systems have been available in the USA and Canada as part of the regulatory system to combat impaired driving. Other countries such as Australia, Sweden and the UK have also implemented alcohol interlock programs to limit vehicle use by drink-driving offenders. .

Commercial interest growing While compliance monitoring programs are still the primary market for alcohol interlocks, many commercial organizations are now incorporating these devices into their fleet vehicles as a risk-management tool. Safety is a priority for commercial fleet managers and public transportation professionals, ensuring that their employees, clients and cargo are protected from the consequences of impaired driving.

Over the past 40 years, advances in breath testing technology have progressed

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

from basic semiconductor-type sensors to advanced ethanol-specific fuel cell sensors that are highly accurate and more reliable than their predecessors. Improvements in sensor technology, combined with innovations in data transmission such as wireless and cellular technology, have brought the capabilities of alcohol interlocks to the attention of the commercial sector.

Safety matters matter more As more and more safety-conscious organizations turn to ignition interlocks to ensure drivers are not operating fleet vehicles while under the influence, Alcohol Countermeasure Systems (ACS) has developed an innovative alcohol interlock solution to meet this growing demand.

Designed to enhance operational safety for commercial vehicle operators, the Alcolock L series eliminates the need for random alcohol testing of vehicle drivers, increasing road safety by preventing impaired driving and allowing fleet managers to monitor driver status and vehicle operations remotely.

The Alcolock L series is customizable and can be programmed to meet specific company safety policy requirements.

Drivers may be tested at the beginning of

their shift, or at intervals throughout the day, enabling companies to institute and enforce zero-tolerance policies. The devices can be installed in any motorized equipment, including trucks, ships, trains and heavy machinery, thus preventing the vehicle from being started if the breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) of the driver is over a preset limit.

Two independent fuel cell sensors are used to conduct the breath alcohol analysis, enhancing the reliability and accuracy of the measurement. Breath signature technology ensures that the sample comes directly from a human subject and has not been filtered or altered, and that the sample is not affected by environmental factors such as dust, humidity, or temperature.

After an approved breath test, the alcohol interlock engages a relay to enable the vehicle engine to be started.

The starter relay will remain engaged during the operation of the vehicle and for a preset restart period after the engine is turned off or the vehicle stalls. The vehicle engine may be started during the restart period, programmed according to fleet requirements, without the need for another breath sample.

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A standard alcohol interlock configuration features an interactive handset used to perform breath alcohol tests and communicate with the driver, and an electronic control unit (ECU) that controls the power and control circuits of the vehicle. The Alcolock L series features four ECU options designed to meet unique fleet management requirements.

Alcohol interlock requirements Light-duty commercial operations such as delivery vans or taxis require a full-featured alcohol interlock with a small footprint, such as Alcolock LT. Despite its small size, the LT device maintains high standards of robust construction and reliability. For fleets where driver monitoring is preferred rather than blocking of the vehicle starting mechanism, L Connect is a handset-only solution for integration of an alcohol interlock function into telematic systems or taxi meters.

Alcolock L with wi-fi communications is aimed at fleet operations where vehicles return to a central fleet garage or base of operations on a frequent basis, such as school buses and public transit vehicles. An authorized wi-fi waypoint with a 300m signal range is installed at the fleet base station, allowing the event log file to be automatically and securely transmitted to the server, ensuring effective data management.

For companies with vehicles that do not return to a central garage on a regular basis, such as long-distance transportation trucks or coach buses, Alcolock L with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) communications is the preferred solution.

Fleet managers may view real-time reporting of event log data, especially positive BrAC test results, system over-ride, or other violations. The frequency of data transmission may be configured to selected times of the day, or on the occurrence of any violation in real time.

All L series ECUs can be integrated with telematic systems to monitor and report on vehicle and driver behavior in real-time through R232 or CANbus wired connections, or Bluetooth wireless means, according to the ECU model variant. Events are logged in both the handset and ECU, enabling remote downloads while protecting the security of the event log file and enhancing anti-circumvention measures. The configurable device settings are passcode protected and only accessible to fleet management or authorized personnel.

Event log files and other data collected from the L series alcohol interlock devices are securely transmitted and stored on ACS servers. Fleet managers can view the information through the AlcoFleet web-based data management application, allowing for monitoring of positive BrAC results, system override, or other violations.

It also enables fleet managers to set up role-based access to authorized personnel within the organization, enroll vehicles, and change

parameter settings. Designed specifically for fleet management professionals, AlcoFleet can be accessed with any operating system or browser on a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone.

With countries like France, Finland and Sweden mandating the use of ignition interlocks in school buses and/or public transportation, commercial organizations are choosing to demonstrate that they are safety conscious and committed to providing quality service to their customers. By proactively installing alcohol interlocks in their fleet vehicles, safety-focused companies can ensure that their employees are always safe to drive, no matter where they are.

ACS’s vision is to be a leader in promoting road safety and preventing impaired driving. Its mission is to continue to research and develop innovative, high quality, user-friendly products and services that help keep people safe, while strengthening its commitment to environmental and social responsibility. n

Below: Alcolock ensures drivers are always safe to be behind the wheel

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Navigation for the visually impaired Street infrastructure can make getting around difficult for those with poor eyesight – but there are solutions Words | Markus Bechstein, JoBe Lighting, Germany

There are 285 million visually impaired people in the world. Diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and refractive errors are the main causes of visual impairment in upper middle- and high-income countries.

Visual impairment can limit people’s ability to perform everyday tasks and affect their quality of life and ability to interact with the surrounding world. The number of visually impaired people is increasing along with demographic changes, setting the requirements for traffic and pedestrian routing much higher year by year.

Infrastructure not up to scratch Public transport and streetscape design are usually equipped with standard pole lights, which create light islands and glare that particularly affects people with retinal

diseases. The contrast of different colored pavers, tactile systems and marking is poorly visible at night. Attempts to improve the situation with more light sources or increased lumen output make the blinding effect even greater.

The glare from billboards and typical in-ground lights makes orientation in public places difficult – sometimes even impossible – for the visually impaired. In addition there are also construction barriers with curbs and steps, and shared spaces for pedestrians, bikes and cars, which are difficult to see at night due to their overall low contrast.

All these factors set a barrier for visually impaired people, because sure-footedness and easy orientation are not supported by most design approaches.

DIN and ISO standards don’t usually reflect the most recent technology available.

At JoBe Lighting we discovered in 2011 that there are problems with bus stop, cable car/ trolley and train designs. We noticed this after an installation next to one of the biggest schools for visually impaired and blind people in Germany.

Wide variety of visual abilities Many people do not realize the broad spectrum of visual impairment. Naturally the completely blind found the tactile system beneficial in navigating public transportation stations, but what about people with less severe impairment? We were surprised to discover that for many of the rest of the seeing impaired spectrum, navigating and maneuvering through the bus terminal at night became much easier with the installation of our in-ground paver lights.

That turned some gears in inspiring our development department. Initially we

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

www.jobe-lighting.com

designed Beckstone paver lights for natural design and safety features for clear marking of roundabouts, drive lanes, entrance areas, traffic lane dividers and atmospheric lighting features. Our focus was always on a natural look and feel, with a concrete-like and natural stone-like surface texture that works well with the landscape design and does not disturb the architectural design.

A plus for public transport applications is our solid-polymer concrete bottom layer, which interlocks with the surrounding pavers. Thanks to the feedback of universities and schools for the visually impaired, we upgraded our new Beckstone LED module. Our new module creates non-dazzling safety lighting to mark hazardous spots in traffic, streetscape, landscape and public transport design.

A common issue we ran into was the conflict between safety needs and historic preservation.

Historic areas and landmarks are protected and should not be marred by modern obstacles. On the other hand, safety needs to be added to meet current mobility requirements. Keeping these needs in mind, we came up with a solution – Beckstone historic colors. This is daylight color option that makes Beckstone completely invisible during the day, matching dark basalt, gray granite, red porphyry and sandstone – natural stones often used at historic sites.

We hand-cast the LED modules into resin, leaving no air cavities to meet IP68 for waterproof longevity. Beckstone paver lights are easy to install as interlocking pavers and concrete slabs. They can be installed with a vibrating plate along with other pavers. The safe 12V DC technology allows an easy run of cable or empty conduits through the bedding.

This way existing paver installations can also be easily equipped with our safety paver light.

Beckstone creates affordable, easy to install visual guidance and barriers at any hazardous spot in urban streetscape design and improves attractiveness at the same time. n

Above: The Beckstone lighting is concealed during the day Opposite: But at night it is clearly visible

Beckstone Paver Lights • Natural Design • Easy Installation • Drive-over • IP68 • Made in Germany STYLE

NATURE

Visit us at Intertraffic 2018 in the SAFETY section, booth #01.541 E-Mail: info@jobe-lighting.com T:

+49 (69) 1532-40280 or +1 (800) 770-1794 (USA/Canada)

206 | SAFETY

Crossing streets without signals A new concept has been developed for 21st century road planning, in order to keep the aim of zero traffic injuries and fatalities, also known as ‘vision zero’, alive Words | Mac Edin, PrismaTibro, Sweden

There are many well-known tactics and strategies for improving safety on our roads. But to keep fighting the good fight against traffic injuries and fatalities, it is important to continue innovating by mixing the older tried-and-tested methods with new technology. This approach can result in improved traffic flows and lower energy consumption, as well as improved safety for those using our roads.

PrismaTibro has applied this concept to its new Street Aid pedestrian approach.

In the development process the company embodied its thinking using the acronym AID – three letters that stand for…

A: Activate In today’s connected world, sometimes you can activate something, but you may not be aware that you have done it. It’s one example of a smart system.

Sometimes, on the other hand, the activation can be made deliberately by someone who is well aware they are doing

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

it. Prisma Street Aid can be activated in both these ways. When we think of the word ‘activate’, it is important to remember that we are all a part of the same space and need to communicate with one another.

I: Interact In an optimum traffic situation – as in life – people are interacting with each other.

Indeed, they must be encouraged to do so.

For those who are reluctant to interact, we can build the environment in such a way as it helps them. If you want to find out more about the ‘activate’ and ‘interact’ concepts, visit the PrismaTibro booth during Intertraffic Amsterdam 2018. Regardless of whether you are focused on pedestrian safety, driver safety, or interested in the functions of service personnel, you will be an important part of the interactive development of Prisma Street Aid.

D: Deactivate When a device that is using power is not needed anymore, it should be turned

off. Traditionally this can be done by simply pressing a switch, but a smart system can also detect whether a person is actually present – and activate or deactivate itself accordingly.

With pedestrian crossings, a person who pushed the button to cross may change his or her mind and walk in the other direction only a few moments later. A smart pedestrian signal will notice this absence and deactivate the request automatically, so it is ready to serve the next pedestrian at any moment.

Other environmental factors can also help to control a smart system.

For example, when the sun is shining traffic can appear much lighter than when it is raining, so smart roadside infrastructure can be programmed to adapt to changes in the weather.

PrismaTibro’s innovative solutions are already creating great interest, and will continue to do so at the Intertraffic Amsterdam event and beyond. n

All the product partners in Prisma Street Aid: Prisma Daps (left), Prisma Button (above), Prisma Light (below)

D E S I G N A | C l i n t on N at i on al A i r por t

Safer credit card payments with Integrated Intelligence The Clinton National Airport (USA) relies on Integrated Intelligence by DESIGNA. Their newly installed parking system includes PCI-certified EMV credit card readers with fully compliant end-to-end 32-bit encryption. Client payments are now even more secure thanks to the online clearing system and the extra protection against skimming.

Get your ticket for a bright future! Find out more at www.designa.com.

info www. des i g n a . c o m

PARKING | 209

Section 4

Parking

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210 | PARKING

Space man Donald Shoup is the world’s best-known parking theorist. Here, ahead of the publication of his new book, he talks exclusively to Intertraffic World about how his ideas, once thought radical, are beginning to be accepted around the world, and are making parking provision fairer, more predictable… and more profitable Words | James Allen As urban population densities continue to rise globally, the issues around parking provision are also increasing. However, it is fair to say that those involved in solving such challenges remain unknown to the vast majority of people, barring traffic managers and city planners.

Breaking into the mainstream Regularly featured in national newspaper features and even depicted in cartoon form for a popular US television series, Donald Shoup is, arguably, an exception to that norm. While it would be hyperbolic to say the Distinguished Research Professor of urban planning at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a ‘household name’, he – or at least his proposal – has certainly seemed to strike a chord with a wider section of society than is typically associated with an urban planner.

The theories on parking laid out in Shoup’s seminal 2005 book, The High Cost of Free Parking, have gone on to shape many of the world’s major cities – including Intertraffic World hosts Mexico City and Amsterdam.

To briefly summarize the 800-page tome, there are three main tenets to better urban parking provision. First of all, drivers should be charged the right price for on-street parking – the lowest price that will always leave several free spaces on every block.

This means dynamic pricing, so as spaces fill up the price of parking gets higher until

it becomes so expensive the last space is unlikely to get filled unless in an extreme emergency. The second is spending the generated revenue on improving the area affected in a way that appeals to local residents and businesses. The final, and possibly most controversial, proposal is removing all off-street parking requirements for property developers. This last point was the drum that Shoup banged the loudest, unequivocal in his belief that such requirements were detrimental to all of a city’s stakeholders.

Positioned in the line of fire “When the book came out, half the planet thought I was crazy and the other half thought I was daydreaming,” says Shoup. “But as people looked more closely at the issues, they realized these ideas were sensible and are now adopting them – it was slow at first, but it’s now starting to happen.”

Much of the book’s content he had already outlined in various articles over the

When the book came out, half the planet thought I was crazy and the other half thought I was daydreaming Donald Shoup, Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Urban Planning at UCLA

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Donald Shoup has become so well-known for his parking theories, he has even starred in an animated short in the hit US TV show Adam Ruins Everything (inset). You can watch the cartoon at traffictechnologytoday. com/shoup

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In London, some very rich people are getting some of the most valuable land for next to nothing, and we wonder why there’s a traffic problem and why housing is so expensive Donald Shoup

course of his 40-year career but, as Shoup self-deprecatingly jokes, “Nobody reads academic papers!”

If you’re going to San Francisco…

Compiling his thoughts and presenting them in a readable, even humorous style was key, and a few years after the publication of the book, San Francisco began implementing its SFpark venture, which became a real-world showcase for some of Shoup’s theories.

Starting as a small-scale pilot project in 2011, SFpark adjusted meter prices in the city depending on the popularity of the corresponding parking lots, with the aim of ensuring that at least one free space per block was always available in all locations. It was such a success that it has now been implemented across much of San Francisco permanently, and a similar scheme has since been introduced in Calgary, Canada. Shoup was singled out by SFpark’s founders for special recognition in influencing the project.

Above: Residents of Mayfair, central London, pay similar prices for parking permits as those on the city’s outskirts Right: Each SFpark parking meter charges according to the popularity of the spaces it covers Far right: SFpark was heavily influenced by Shoup’s theories, and led to wider interest

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

It is now 12 years since the book’s launch, and while watching his theories being put into practice, the urban planner’s thinking on parking has evolved.

“The three policies have not changed, but what cities spend the revenue on – for example, free wi-fi or transit passes for residents – has surprised me.

Cities are very flamboyant about what they spend the money on as they advertise it very clearly, and if people start identifying parking meters with free wi-fi, then that will change the world.

“I think I can also say I’ve become more… self righteous,” he says hesitantly, before laughing at the absurdity of the notion.

The intervening years have certainly given Shoup greater clarity on the subject of urban parking, and spring 2018 will see the launch of his follow-up book, Parking in the City.

His latest bugbear is that of on-street parking, particularly in the residential districts of large cities. While the American has much praise for the parking policies in London, UK, specifically the removal of all off-street parking requirements, he is critical of the UK capital in regard to its on-street parking – residents of busy and upmarket neighborhoods like Mayfair pay a similar, relatively low rate for a yearly parking permit as those living on its fringes.

He says, “London has about three million on-street parking spaces, with close to 95% of them not being metered.

“These spaces would cover an area of about 13 square miles. In London, how much would that land be worth? It means you have some very rich people getting some of the most valuable land for next to nothing. And we wonder why there’s a traffic problem and why housing is so expensive…”

A radical solution Shoup’s radical idea is to auction the permits under a so-called uniform price option. An example of this would see anybody who wanted one of 20 parking spaces on a block to put in a bid; the bids are then

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Right: Sensors at each parking space update the SFpark system of usage Far right: Parking meter charges are updated regularly to ensure one or two spaces are always available Below: An app directs SFpark shows users exactly where spaces are available and how much they cost

Change is happening very rapidly. It’s partly because technology has now enabled ideas to be put into practice Donald Shoup

ranked from high to low and the top 20 bidders all pay the lowest accepted price.

This auction would then be combined with power equalization – a concept more common in the USA – which sees the revenue distributed equally across the city.

“So you propose an average cost across London for an on-street parking permit – and remember how valuable land is – and say it’s about US$2,000 a year, with it being US$10,000 in Mayfair and US$100 on the outskirts.

“The people who are able and willing to buy a permit would do so, which could finance public services for everybody on the block, so people who couldn’t afford to have a car would suddenly live in a better neighborhood. It would shift money from Mayfair and the like, to the outer boroughs, as each borough would get the same amount of money to spend, but Mayfair residents would pay a lot more,” explains Shoup.

The inevitable retort is that it is unfair making Mayfair (for example) permits more expensive than those in other areas, but Shoup is ready for it.

“Would you disagree that central London residents should pay more for some of the most valuable land on Earth? Do you disagree with the idea that it shifts money from rich to poor?

“Another criticism I’ve heard is that this is privatization – a dirty word to some – but if the government owns the land, uses the market to set prices for private cars on public land, and spends that money on public services, that’s not privatization, it is market socialism.

“We use the market to make socialism work,” he laughs, adding, “It would be one of the few places socialism really would work because the government owns the means of production – and look how badly it manages it – but with parking, done right, it would be a spectacular example of market socialism.”

He has had to fend off verbal attacks from the left and right of the political spectrum, but maintains that paying for public services at prices set by market rates, and freeing property developers from

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

parking quotas, will reduce air pollution and traffic congestion – and have broad appeal.

Such a proposal, Shoup believes, would be appropriate for cities across the globe, but he notices that, barring a few exceptions, his homeland is no longer at the forefront of parking innovations.

A global marketplace “The USA has, for many years, fallen way behind in developing technologies,” he says. “The parking meter was invented here, but a lot of the subsequent technology was developed in Canada, Britain and Europe. One exception is the pay-by-license-plate concept. The meter says the full price, but local residents pay a lower price, so tourists think they’re paying the same as everyone else.”

Miami Beach has introduced this technology and Shoup is convinced that it will be rolled out widely that eventually there won’t even be physical parking meters, with license plate data providing the necessary information to automatically charge the relevant driver the appropriate price.

Considering the many years he has spent passionately advocating for a fairer, if not radically different approach to city parking, it is perhaps surprising that Shoup continues to be so enthusiastic about it. It’s the changes he witnesses in the industry that are holding his interest.

“Change is happening very rapidly. It’s partly because technology has now enabled these ideas to be put into practice.

The technology available enables cities to manage parking much more efficiently and comprehensively.

“When my first book was published, I just assumed that the technology, like occupancy sensing, was there, when it was really in its infancy. Now cities want to manage parking much more than they did before, so they’re buying a lot of technology and this has stimulated its development. I hear it’s a nightmare to sell anything to a city, but if they want to manage parking, they need the technology. So I think there has been this virtuous circle because good parking policy requires better technology, and the technology requires better parking policy.” n

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Big ideas Big data is already helping drivers and road authorities to find and plan parking spaces more efficiently, but the revolution is only just beginning. How much further can it take the transportation world?

Words | Dan Hubert, AppyParking, UK

Below and right: AppyParking’s software can tell drivers not only where there are free parking spaces, but also how much they will cost Far right: Dan Hubert, founder and CEO of AppyParking

Technology in transport has been advancing rapidly in the last few years, with the race to autonomous vehicles dominating the headlines. But many have ignored the smaller, less flashy technology that is making it all possible. While autonomous driving has been taking center stage, transport companies have been quietly investing in big data, installing sensors and trackers to collect information that can provide better insights into the future of our roads. This can range from an app collecting data on parking spaces to a dashboard-based traffic-light countdown, linked to a road authority database.

Regardless of the method, the benefits of this data are huge.

Big data analytics can be applied in all sorts of contexts, including to social media and real-time traffic information, and recent advancements in analytical techniques have allowed us to extract insight from data sets with previously unattainable levels of sophistication, speed and accuracy.

This insight and advancement means valuable information gleaned from big data can now be applied a wide range of industries beyond the computer and science labs, with a global study by IMB revealing that companies that have implemented big data projects were around 15% more likely to report a significant advantage from information and analytics than those relying on traditional business analytics alone.

Big data in transportation One benefit of big data is capacity optimization, which enables traffic and parking systems to effectively forecast demand. By analyzing data, algorithms can draw out patterns and correlations from current and historical data.

This is something being studied

by UK-based smart parking company

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AppyParking. It is currently collecting data, via sensors in cities throughout the UK, that allows it to see if spaces are available. Over time, it hopes to share this insight with road authorities to help them plan where future parking spaces should be built. Being able to see which areas are in highest demand, planners will gain a better understanding of their cityscape, which will be essential during planning stages. As more data is mined, the accuracy of the forecasting and planning models will improve.

Smart asset management Capturing and analyzing transportation data will also help authorities and transport

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companies manage and maintain their current systems and improve safety, performance and equipment life through predictive maintenance analytics. Transport for London (TfL) has been leading the way in this sphere for a number of years, utilizing the 20 million interactions that are captured through its ticketing system every day.

The organization recognized The number of UK drivers that simply having the data predicted to be using dash cams wasn’t enough, and has used by the end of 2018 it to build a comprehensive Source: Aviva picture of travel patterns across its rail and bus networks. This allows TfL to improve its networks, design interchange planning and review the impact of closures and diversions – making the experience more streamlined for the Right: AppyParking uses big commuter. These solutions can be achieved by data algorithms to identify using real-time sensor data alongside data from and predict space availability manual measurements, performance videos and operational data to create a complete picture of transportation demand across the capital.

19 million

Eyes on the road Technology is already heavily used in vehicles, with 74% of motorists using tech devices to aid their driving. This is set to increase, with research from Aviva suggesting that 19 million UK motorists could be using dash cams within the year, providing a wealth of data sources. The dash cams themselves can analyze video information, and also provide a great resource for analytics solutions and reporting, which will help companies improve service levels and reduce the risk of unplanned delays.

However, this information will only be effective if it is used in the right way. At the moment, the technology is only being trialled and applied in isolated areas, creating virtual roadblocks to future innovation. Governments and businesses need to share the information and insight they are collating to make sure the solution is applicable for everyone.

Open data There has been a move toward this, with the creation of the Transport Sector Transparency Board in the UK in a bid to encourage open data, but a large number of data sets remain inaccessible, incomplete or inaccurate, due to the fragmented industry approach to the sharing of data across multiple service providers.

Global digital mapping company Here is encouraging businesses to share data through its Real-Time Traffic system. With time and money being lost by a driver every time they sit in

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

traffic, Here wanted to create a smarter driving experience, to give the driver access to information about congestion and incidents in order to help them adjust their routes. The company has designed a collaborative model that it hopes will become an industry standard, as it recognizes that a richer data pool for all will ultimately help improve traffic and roads across the world.

This in turn would also help speed up the progress toward autonomous cars. These vehicles will only be as powerful as their surroundings, but if we can get smart communications systems in place before these inventions hit the streets, we will be better prepared to monitor them and ensure a smooth transition. As more cars become connected, more sensors will be in place and better data will become available. n

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Multimodal solutions

The Green Center’s research and development department has recently focused on the development of solutions for the multimodal transport of people – one of the key aspects of smart cities Words | Petr Fejfárek, Green Center, Czech Republic

In multimodal transport systems, different means of transport are used to ensure maximum effectiveness of the whole system. Smart applications can, after parameters have been entered, determine ideal routes, points of transfer, means of transport, etc. This assessment also includes information about how financially advantageous and time-efficient individual transport options are. Then the user can decide which route is currently the best for him or her.

In an ideal world, such applications can also be used to book related services. For example, it may enable the reservation of tickets for public transport, the ordering of a taxi or reservation of a rental bike. All services can be paid for easily via a single non-cash payment.

A system based on parking Parking lots and garages are an integral part of multimodal transport. Therefore, parking lot technology must be prepared to connect to

the system. Green Center products are fully prepared for integration into multimodal transport systems.

The GP4P parking system can become the basis of the multimodal transport parking segment. This parking system was developed with a special focus on its maximum possible openness so that it could be integrated easily into third-party systems. A standardized application interface is used for the interconnection. This interface allows two-way communication with other systems.

The data interface can also be used for the exchange of data between the parking system and the multimodal transport portal. For the multimodal transport, the most important data is primarily the data on vacant parking spaces.

Via the application, drivers can obtain information on the present occupancy situation of individual parking lots. The application can guide drivers to specific parking facilities, and is also able to

Above: Smart technology enables remote reservation of parking spaces as well as real-time information about availability

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predict the number of vacant parking spaces on arrival, based on historical data.

Easy booking The parking system’s interface enables online reservation from any electronic device that has an internet connection. After the booking has been made, a barcode is generated, which is used in the place of a standard parking ticket. The code can be delivered to the customer by email or displayed directly on the mobile device.

The related parking fee can be paid immediately in the application or later in the automatic or manual pay station.

A more user-friendly option for entering a reserved car lot is to use a PIN. After the reservation has been made, the PIN is sent to the customer’s cell phone or email address. The customer enters the code via a numeric keypad installed at the entrance to the parking lot. The terminal prints a parking card featuring the parameters entered during the reservation.

A chip using near-field communication (NFC) contactless technology can be used as an alternative identifier. Nowadays, many devices are equipped with NFC chips, including credit cards, cell phones and wearable electronic devices. The device can be matched with the reservation, enabling the customer to use it as an alternative to a parking ticket upon entering the parking lot. The device can also be used for other

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

services, with payments added up and then made together when paying for parking.

If the parking system is also equipped with a camera system designed for license plate recognition, customers can be offered a highly convenient way of using a reserved parking space. Drivers who enter their license plate number during the reservation process can enjoy fully automated entry and exit, without having to use parking cards or codes.

Points of transfer Other elements can be added to the parking system to develop parking lots into multimodal points of transfer – places where travelers switch between modes of transport.

At these places, users can be offered an extensive range of services and they can decide from several transport alternatives.

Lately, the number of electric-car owners has increased. To cater for these drivers, a charging station could be installed in the parking lot. It can be integrated into the existing parking system and controlled by a parking media reader.

Another perhaps overlooked group is motorcycle drivers, but a specialized solution can be applied to provide them with a more advantageous tariff. Motorcycles and cars share an entry lane with built-in induction loops. These can detect and recognize one- and two-track vehicles, enabling different tariffs to be allocated to them.

Above: Users of Green Center’s parking system can reserve a parking space online, using an electronic device that is connected to the internet

The parking lot can also become a hub for bike sharing, with the installation of stands for individual bicycles. Each stand would be equipped with a media reader identical to the one used for car parking. If an NFC identifier is used within the system, car-sharing services can be integrated.

Information regarding all the service offerings is recorded centrally on a multimodal transport database. All the data held is considered when assessing optimum transport alternatives. It also enables users to reserve, order and pay for services immediately.

Green Center has been working on the development of its own portal for the multimodal transport system.

When making calculations, the portal should consider variables including historical transport data, the current traffic situation and different transport options. To obtain an optimum transport solution, various input parameters can be entered using a highly intuitive user environment. Third-party portals can also be used, because Green Center products use standardized communication interfaces, meaning they can be easily and conveniently integrated into virtually all existing installations. n

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Cash-friendly technology

While some countries are moving to cashless environments, a vast number of people in the developed world still rely on physical monetary transactions, so cash-friendly systems are being enhanced and modernized Words | Paul Doukas, SuzoHapp, USA

The facts speak for themselves. Over half of the world’s population – billions of people – is without access to a bank account or a smartphone. Although cashless and digital payment methods are increasing, cash still has its place. The importance of accepting cash varies, based on many factors, among them demographics, social habits and cultural norms. Scandinavians are known for The compact ICS can process up to eight different coins without pre-sorting

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

their move away from cash. Yet Germany, for example, is one of the most cash-focused nations in the world. The USA is another country where cash plays a dominant role.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Cash Product Office, 32% of all transactions in the USA in 2016 were made in cash. When it comes to small payments, cash is often preferred across

all demographics. For micropayments of US$15 or less, Americans used cash 66% of the time. Cash remains very important for the public transportation sector as well, as it ensures that payment terminals remain accessible to everyone.

Diverse and competitive market The cash handling market is diverse and competitive. Market players have a broad choice – not only in terms of the specific cash handling provider but also when it comes to the various cash handling components each company offers. Such is the variety on offer that the task of finding the correct mix is not an easy one for the transportation machine manufacturer. Both cash elements – notes and coins – often have to be taken into account.

When we think of long-standing practices in the transportation market, such as parking meters only accepting coins, we are reminded of the continued need to be able to accept coins.

The greater the payment choice available, the higher the customer satisfaction levels.

This applies just as much to cash handling solutions. The experience, knowledge,

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variety and flexibility that SuzoHapp brings to the market enables it to help deliver increased customer satisfaction. Ideally, a customer should be able to pay with any of the coins they have with them – from the lowest to the highest denomination. This presented a challenge for many years, as often each coin type had to be paid out by an individual coin hopper.

Paying back more coin types increased not only the machine cost, but also the machine size, as there needed to be room for all of the coin types in the payment machine. SuzoHapp developed a solution.

Multiple coin processor The Intelligent Coin System (ICS) is a compact unit that can process up to eight different coins without the user needing to pre-sort them. The ICS therefore combines eight hoppers and a sorter – all in one product. The compact design makes it easier for manufacturers to incorporate. The high capacity – of up to 1,600 coins – reduces the refill rate. The eight tubes already have the coins stored for payout, meaning that customers receive their change immediately, in up to eight different denominations. This is a real step forward in multidenomination coin payout technology. Payout speed is even more assured as coins from up to four tubes can be dispensed simultaneously.

Note recycling often offers a better service – it accepts, stores and returns the banknotes from a single product. The benefit for the customer is that change is also provided in banknotes (paying back a handful of coins is a thing of the past). What this means for the operator is that less capital is required to float the ticket vending machines (TVMs) and fewer cash-in-transit (CIT) pick-ups. By adopting bill recycling, the operator adds incrementally to capital expenditure but reaps substantial annual recurring cost savings as a result. Other benefits include:

•R educed staff and CIT costs due to minimized coin change replenishment and bill cash box collection calls to the TVM •L ower financing costs due to lower start-up cash float in TVMs •R educed cash shrinkage because of fewer banknotes and coins flowing between the operator and the bank.

But the case for bill recycling is not simply about delivering cost savings. It also involves providing a better service for the customer by making cash an effective payment option for those that either prefer it or lack an alternative means of paying.

Again, manufacturers and operators are found with a broad and increasing choice of cash recycling products. SuzoHapp offers a complete cash recycling solution for both coins and banknotes. Its Bill-to-Bill solution validates, stores and recycles banknotes. It includes sensor technology to allow for advanced security and multi-escrow ability to ensure all notes can be returned if the sale or payment is canceled.

The solution is backed by many years of experience, ensuring the range meets the market’s needs in full.

Accepting cash means that operators need to look at how to best manage the cash collection process. Having the right solution saves time and money. Consider bus drivers who have to deposit their takings quickly and safely at the end of their shift. Statistics show that, with the right collection process, an operator running 100 drivers can gain 16 man-hours a day. SuzoHapp has dedicated solutions here. Its Scan Coin CDS-9 and CDS-820i offer a complete cash handling service for coin and note transactions, including bulk coin deposits, note bundle deposits and withdrawals. This provides an efficient, safe and transparent method, providing measurable cost savings over the long term. n

Below left and center: The CDS-9 and CDS-820i are capable of processing bulk coin deposits Below: The Bill-to-Bill recycler includes sensor technology to ensure all notes are returned if required

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Airport parking solutions

Copenhagen Airport Kastrup is one of the fastest-growing airports in Europe, reaching a passenger volume of more than 29 million in 2016 at an average of 79,500 per day Words | Ilaria Riva, HUB Parking, Italy

Copenhagen Airport Kastrup (CPH) airport has established itself as the preferred Northern European hub for both tourist and business travelers, with European traffic up by 1.7% and intercontinental traffic up by 6.7% year-on-year, thanks to the opening of 22 international routes including Boston, Groeningen, Yekaterinburg, and Miami.

Such a constantly positive trend makes CPH a true gateway to the world, sustained by an excellent quality of service delivered across all the functional areas of the airport.

An ambitious plan has recently been presented to expand the western part of the airport, creating the capacity and facilities to handle 40 million passengers a year and more new routes, including 17 long-haul routes.

In 2017 CPH was named the third-best airport in the world for business travel, a rating that honors its multifaceted services for passengers, including the parking systems that help them access and exit the facilities easily and contribute to a pleasant, flawless journey.

Copenhagen Airport: background With over 11,000 spaces for hourly and daily parking, CPH operates the biggest parking

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

installation in Denmark. The parking complex features a total of 19 separate areas, including off-airport parking and parking for employees. To swiftly handle the growing demand and enhance its multiple services, the airport management has launched a comprehensive plan to modernize the parking facilities and equipment while maintaining uninterrupted operations and delivering an excellent customer experience.

HUB Parking installed a comprehensive and technologically advanced parking system back in 1999. Over the years the system has been expanded with new peripherals and upgraded several times, benefiting from the flexibility and the scalability that are one of the company’s proven hallmarks. As of mid-2017, the entire parking system consists of over 100 devices, seamlessly tied into the client-server management architecture.

Infrastructure and access Copenhagen Airport has always been a pioneer, with the implementation of innovative technology and functionalities.

For instance, it was one of the first operators

to offer parking pre-booking and pre-payment services to its customers, dynamically keeping up with the demands of the fast-paced travel industry. In order to accommodate current and future requirements, a substantial set of new services and digital technologies has been defined, introducing new revenue control equipment and management software functionalities.

HUB has been identified as a strategic technology partner to provide a new parking management system as well as a series of complementary systems, embodying an all-encompassing and upgradeable solution that will ensure the viability of the airport in the future.

Project requirements CPH airport needed a scalable management system with the ability to run in a virtual environment, including servers and substations, and an intuitive graphical user interface to allow the easy import and export of data so that business-driven decisions could be made in real time.

The system includes a fully integrated space count and guidance system for

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reduced search and transit times, which contributes to better traffic flow. Among the latest technology deployed, the parking installation offers full IP integration of peripherals, cameras and intercom (VoIP) over Ethernet and in-lane automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) to prevent ticket fraud, recognize pre-bookers and enable the search for specific license plates, further improving users’ experience and security.

The system is completed with the interface to the BroBizz toll road system, widely used in Denmark, Sweden and Norway; enhanced pre-booking with multiple media (ALPR, barcode, credit cards and other media); and a valet parking system that provides access and payment through the installed parking system. CPH staff handle and track the car, while the payment process is managed through the HUB parking system.

The system fulfills the heightened legal requirements for security in public places, thanks to the integration of security lock areas with two barrier gates and anti-terror wedge barriers.

including the integration of a technology-driven parking guidance system and a sophisticated ALPR solution, in order to facilitate the capture of license plate data for inventory and audit purposes. This increases the ability of the parking operator to perform a timely inventory of the data acquisition, thus improving both customer service (helping clients find their car) and parking revenues (in the event of lost or swapped tickets).

The airport will soon implement a fully integrated valet parking system, replacing the existing standalone system. HUB Parking Technology has extensive expertise in interface implementations for large and small airports, gained through multiple installations in North America and around the world, where it is crucial to ensure frictionless integration into the overall parking solution to enhance the services offered to customers.

CPH has confirmed a comprehensive maintenance contract with HUB, which will assure direct and prompt support at all times and ultimately guarantee the highest level of system availability.

Delivering all requirements

Janus Management System

Living up to its status as Europe’s most-effective airport due to automation, self-service and technology, CPH turned to HUB to secure a turnkey solution with the greatest scalability for the management of its parking infrastructure, offering efficient monitoring, industry-proven reliability and an excellent level of service.

The existing system has been updated to full IP integration, allowing for further future expansions and upgrades. The same infrastructure is shared by the building infrastructure, parking system and intercom, as well as ALPR and CCTV cameras.

After the initial upgrade, a multitude of additional complementary systems have been specified,

The current parking system will be upgraded to innovative Janus Management System (JMS), the most user-friendly, flexible web-based software solution, to control all the lanes and equipment in several lots from one centralized control panel.

Providing immediate access to relevant information, anytime and anywhere, JMS offers real-time reporting and analysis of complex operational data to bring extremely useful business insights.

With JMS, parking customers are constantly assisted thanks to its remote audio and video controls, and operators can easily and centrally manage all business processes, thus maximizing efficiency and minimizing efforts. n

Opposite: Copenhagen Airport Kastrup Below: HUB Parking offers secure, advanced and reliable parking solutions

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Unexpected shopping experience A new parking guidance system brightens visitors’ experience at Europe’s biggest shopping and leisure center Words | Patric Weis, CUR Systemtechnik, Germany

Offering the best shopping and leisure experience has top priority for the operators of the CentrO mall in Oberhausen, Germany.

One important aim is to provide sufficient and easy-to-find parking spaces close to the stores and recreational facilities. To achieve this, CentrO is using a parking guidance system from CUR Systemtechnik to quickly guide visitors to free parking spaces in the mall’s eight parking lots.

Managing the volume of visitors The CentrO is the biggest shopping and leisure center in Europe, with 14,000 free parking spaces used by more than 20 million people a year. To manage the large numbers of visitors, the operators

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

decided to install a parking guidance system, which helps drivers navigate by means of displays, signals, colored lights and single-space sensors. This saves time, takes stress away from visitors, helps minimize traffic jams and optimizes occupancy rates of the parking lots.

Controlling the traffic A key feature is that the system can react quickly to critical traffic situations using automatic traffic control. At CentrO, the guidance system uses traffic-flow detectors and monitors parking occupancy rates to control flow. It detects traffic jams inside the parking lots and automatically redirects drivers to less busy parking areas. It also

optimizes the occupancy density of parking areas by controlling access depending on fill levels.

All this is done automatically by configurable system tasks in the parking guidance software – the CUR Visual Control Center (VCC). These tasks are triggered by traffic and occupancy situations, by predefined time schedules or by manual intervention from parking managers.

To recognize a traffic jam, CUR Systemtechnik developed a traffic-flow detector that signals the flow status to the monitoring system. Critical occupancy states in parking areas are quickly recognized in the system software by SmartButtons. They generate alerts if

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parking areas exceed a certain fill level so that traffic can be redirected.

Keeping an overview Keeping on top of the situation in eight parking lots at rush hour is a challenge for any operator in a control room. At CentrO, operators are using the software VCC Panel, which combines the parking lot servers in one user interface. VCC Panel is a new, cross-platform software from CUR Systemtechnik that needs only a web browser to operate. It can be used on desktop computers, laptops and any mobile device, independent of the underlying operating system. It provides a graphical interface for viewing the occupancy situation and for managing reservations and the traffic flow in parking lots. It enables the operator to quickly control manual and automatic interventions in the traffic flow.

Unexpected parking experience For CentrO, using a parking guidance system to direct the stream of visitors goes very well with its slogan ‘Unexpected Shopping’. According to this motto, reaching shops and facilities quickly and easily is also the visitor’s ‘Unexpected Parking’ experience and guarantees relaxed customers arriving at the stores. n

Opposite: A digital guidance system helps reduce congestion in the CentrO mall in Oberhausen, Germany Above: CUR Systemtechnik’s Visual Control Center (VCC) in operation at the CentrO mall

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It pays to recycle cash

Cashless payments are often seen as the parking payment method of choice, but with new technology enabling machines to return banknotes as change plus reduce running costs, cash is staging a comeback Words | Andrew McArdle Booker, Crane Payment Innovations, UK

Cash payments can be easier and cheaper for operators to manage than card payments

In the global push toward fully automated parking, more operators are examining the impact of different payment options on efficiency and profitability. In recent years, cash has been in the spotlight as an increasing number of electronic payment methods promise to reduce the challenges and expenses associated with managing it.

As recent cases of data breaches at parking facilities across the USA and elsewhere have demonstrated, paying for parking by card brings potential security risks. Studies have shown that people

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typically prefer to use cash for moderately priced transactions. Also, as PaymentEye reported, cash transactions have seen a steady decline in the UK, from 52% of all transactions in 2014 to 47% in 2015 – although they still make up a large portion of payments. According to MasterCard, 85% of transactions worldwide are made with cash.

Although limiting the number of payment options that customers can use may seem like a good idea, it can actually be a very risky decision. Cash payments may help operators to save money for as long as a

cash machine is installed and in use. The initial cost of the cash technology, together with ongoing operational costs, may actually work out less than the combined transaction fees when accepting cashless payments.

Functional rather than practical Until recently, money used in banknote payment solutions was stored – rather than reused – inside the machine. Standard parking pay-on-foot machines had to accommodate them. As banknote payment solutions didn’t recycle notes as change,

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cash boxes had to be emptied frequently.

Fortunately, cash payment technology has improved dramatically over the past two years and these new solutions can easily be integrated into smaller payment machines to offer rapid transaction times. In fact, the typical cash transaction today can often be completed just as fast as a card transaction.

Low-maintenance system So, how does recycling technology help?

Cash recyclers accept and store banknotes for use as change in future transactions. As a result, rather than having to be emptied every day, they can run for days, even weeks, at a time with minimal float levels before having to be emptied. The compact CPI SCR Advance banknote recycler can store up to four different banknote denominations to be used as change inside a two-denomination recycling architecture, as well as having a 600- or 1,200-note cashbox for safe storage of other denominations. It is also unique in offering multi-note escrow that enhances the customer experience, as well as an additional locking module for security-cautious customers.

An analysis of data extracted from two pay-on-foot machines in the UK over a

three-day period – which equated to just over 1,500 transactions – demonstrated that switching from a note acceptor to an SCR Advance banknote recycler would achieve savings of more than £1,000 (US$1,350) per machine per year.

More than 10% of transactions would involve banknotes being paid out as change, which would mean no pockets full of coins for customers. The operator would also benefit from being able to reduce the volume of coins stored for use as change, as well as drastically cutting back on its cashbox collections/operational costs and associated CIT fees, especially when using the 1,200-note cashbox. The analysis also showed that the operator could free up a significant amount of assets tied up as float in coins.

Parking technology is constantly evolving and improving, and city parking managers have more options than ever before when it comes to tools that can make parking more user-friendly, manageable and profitable.

Today, cash recycling technology makes it easier and more efficient for parking facilities to accept cash payment for parking and, as a result, helps them to be more user-friendly and profitable. n

Above: Crane Payment Innovation’s SCR Advance banknote recycling machine Left: The ability to recycle cash means the machine can be serviced less frequently

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Managing parking payments with smarter solutions As we move toward a cashless society, with ‘traditional’ credit and debit cards now being joined by contactless and smartphone payments, the right software will enable parking operators to manage them all – and it can even help with smarter occupancy and enforcement Words | Paul Fratila and Tilo Krebs, Hectronic, Germany

We live in the midst of the digital revolution, with new transportation technologies such as autonomous vehicles often grabbing the headlines.

But while fully self-driving vehicles are still some years off, new technology for transforming on- and off-street parking is available today.

Cities now often rely on these new technologies, which promise to increase convenience for drivers.

Certainly the income from, and expense of, parking must always be optimized.

Hectronic, an established company in the field of on-street parking, already offers services that provide drivers with greater comfort, as well as improving the efficiency of cities, municipalities and new stakeholders, such as the automotive industry. Hectronic offers intelligent, integrated and centralized solutions.

Cashless society Cash is losing its importance as a payment method. Bank notes are used more rarely

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and even some vending machines now operate on a card-only basis. Contactless payment methods are rapidly increasing and are already well accepted for small-value payments. Today’s technology enables card-payment receipts to be managed in the cloud. If a receipt is required, it can be sent via email or SMS to the user or could even be picked up on a web-based service.

As a consequence of this cashless revolution, parking machines can now be constructed without coin and note acceptors.

A printer is no longer needed as tickets are now only one of several options for parking enforcement. Stronger connections to back-office systems are therefore essential, to enable full control by traffic wardens of the actual parking situation.

Today, usability plays an important role in our lives. Smartphones are becoming more intelligent, enabling processes to be automated, customized and quick. So the form factor and user friendliness of parking machines must adapt to new behavior.

In addition to the above payment solutions, payments via smartphone are increasingly accepted by users. Parking

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time can be bought with a few taps on the way to a destination, by using a mobile payment app. A reminder informs the user about the expiration of the parking time and simultaneously offers them the option to extend the time. The graphical layout of the mobile app is determined by the expectations of the cities and parking operators.

The Hectronic payment app is highly integrated with its back-office system – all mobile payments can be analyzed together with other payments in one place. On demand, data is also passed to third-party systems, such as enforcement platforms or ERP systems.

Cities can even integrate functionality into existing apps. Once parking time is confirmed, credit card data must be given, to complete the payment. A secure e-commerce portal is integrated into the app to always guarantee safe payments and satisfied customers. Most commonly used cards, such as MasterCard/Maestro and VISA/V-pay, can be accepted.

Cloud-based back office The integration of individual components and sensors plays an important role. The information must be accessible from anywhere at any time.

By combining different and new information

sources, new services can be generated, which can also be marketed.

Hectronic’s back-office system, CityLine, has an important role. This is where all data from the various sensing devices and parking ticket machines is brought together and prepared for the user. Depending on occupancy, time of day, environmental conditions or other manual requirements, dynamic charges based on supply and demand can be calculated centrally and returned to the vending machines.

By recording the parking lots with sensors and/or cameras it is also possible to identify car drivers who do not have a valid ticket for their stay.

A service guides supervision personnel direct to the offending vehicle. Drivers can also be guided to available parking spaces. Such technologies make predicting occupancy in different areas more precise than ever before, which benefits not only the driver, but also the cities authorities themselves.

Thus macroscopic traffic control is more reliable and the search time for free parking spaces can be greatly reduced.

By combining various products and services, Hectronic can offer a range of solutions. See for yourself at Hectronic’s stand, 02.310, at the Intertraffic Show 2018 in Amsterdam. n

Above: License plate numbers can easily be entered into the Citea Touch parking ticket machine Opposite: Hectronic’s app for its CityLine management software

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How to become smarter It seems as though everyone is talking about smart cities, but how will we actually benefit? Parking is one everyday activity that technology can make more efficient and become a smart city solution of the future Words | Vanessa Amat, Quercus Technologies, Spain

“A smart city is a city that has developed some technological infrastructure that enables it to collect, aggregate and analyze real-time data and has made a concerted effort to use that data to improve the lives of its residents,” says the USA-based National League of Cities.

Big data and the Internet of Things are changing our cities and making them more connected, with all strands of information becoming increasingly interrelated. This has changed the parking industry. Smart parking plays an important role in building an intelligent city, while revolutions in technology, innovation and sustainability have completely transformed what is expected of parking facilities. To keep up with changing times, parking facilities need to improve the quality of their services by using innovative solutions, being aware of the mobility challenges in cities and adopting responsible policies for environmental protection.

The quality of parking facilities will affect people’s decisions on where to park. A relaxing experience begins with convenience. Parking is no longer an afterthought – it is now clear that parking underpins the overall customer satisfaction in any type of facility, be it an airport, shopping mall, hospital, university, private residence or public institution.

Better parking, better life Society has much to gain from building smart parking facilities in our cities.

Mainly, the well-being and quality of life of citizens will be improved in the wider environment because congestion and emissions caused by the search for parking

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will be reduced. Studies estimate smarter parking can lead to drivers spending 43% less time on the road, and to a 10% reduction in congestion.

Smarter parking facilities improve the customer service experience. They bring customers great satisfaction from the minute they arrive at their destination to the moment they exit. Providing a better service is the chance to grow a business: satisfied customers come back!

It is the operator of a smart parking facility who stands to enjoy the greatest benefits. Smarter parking can increase turnover (20-30%), maximize efficiency, increase profits, improve occupancy, promote greater rotation, lower costs, and optimize price and parking policy.

Turning a normal parking facility into a smart one increases overall security

by helping to prevent vehicle thefts. It also helps to reduce fraud through false insurance claims.

The data gathered on lengths of stay, occupancy and overall use of the parking facility can be used by the management to further enhance the parking experience by offering promotions to strengthen customer loyalty.

The operator can set a dynamic pricing system with different price rates depending on the parking spot location or time of day.

A differential pricing system boosts operators’ revenues. If the current entry rate is slower than expected, discount prices can be given. If the entry rate is higher than expected, premium rates can be set.

How to get smarter parking now Quercus Technologies is a specialist in license plate recognition and computer-vision technologies. Its BirdWatch Smart Parking Suite is a web-based platform that integrates interconnected technologies and scalable capabilities. Scalable capabilities such as Car Access, Image Review, CCTV, Spot Control, Lighting, Mobility and more. It is designed to provide full control over and security of any parking facility. BirdWatch is designed to turn any parking facility into a smarter one.

With BirdWatch, you know the license plate, the time and vehicle condition at entry and the parking spot occupied. All the movements taking place around the parked vehicle are viewable, together with footage of the exact exit time from the facility.

Car Access records the entry and exit data for each vehicle and provides accurate license plate recognition, giving better

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control of all the events that occur on the entry/ exit lanes. It helps manage lost tickets and detect fraudulent ones, avoids claims regarding stolen vehicles and car thefts, and enables checking of movements, control of incidents and management of white and black lists.

CCTV links video recordings of vehicle profiles at entry/exit points with the license plate information.

Spot Control is a parking guidance system that provides information about the occupied and unoccupied parking spots. Video recording is triggered by motion detection around each parking space and license plate recognition of vehicles occupying each parking spot. Vehicle detection provides the exact location of vehicles in each parking spot and complete occupancy information.

Lighting controls the energy efficiency inside the car park, schedules automatic lighting and sets

Mobility provides information about the traffic flow around the car park, queue occupancy rates and traffic statistics on the entry/exit lanes outside the facilities.

BirdWatch is a parking suite solution that brings together software- and hardwarebased information on a single, user-friendly web-based platform.

The complete integration provided by the Suite gives you the big picture of vehicle movements within the facility and achieves the highest customer satisfaction.

Smart parking is a key way in which technology can change our society by making cities better places to live in and easier to get around. Equipping car parks with high–tech devices is the key to smarter parking, bringing greater security, control and comfort to all. n

Above: Spot Control can inform drivers of available parking spaces

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Automated parking system solutions Current car parking practices at residential, commercial and public buildings can be greatly improved with automated parking systems Words | Jan Kristof Noll, Lödige Systems GmbH, Germany

Based in the German town of Warburg, the Lödige Industries Group is developing fully automated, space-saving and convenient car lots of the future. Lödige’s specialists have more than 60 years of expertise in handling and storage technology to draw on when developing and implementing these solutions.

Interest from Danish cities In the summer of 2015, Lödige Industries installed the largest automated parking system in Europe. The Cubile S system was part of the recently constructed Dokk1 library and community center in Aarhus, Denmark. So far, over half a million cars have used the automated car lot that has almost 1,000 parking spaces. Lödige’s turnkey solution included delivering the mechanical and electrical equipment, carrying out the steel and concrete work, and installing the transfer cabins, as well as the payment, control and IT systems.

Parking in the Cubile S facility is stressfree and convenient for drivers. They simply park their cars at ground level in a well-lit and spacious entrance cabin, and take a parking ticket. After that, their car is parked automatically in a ‘park and hide’ operation.

The cabin’s roller shutter closes and the car is transported underground in a lift. There, the Lödige Shifter, an ultra-flat robot, drives underneath the car and lifts it up at the wheels. The transfer vehicle then carries it from the lift to the actual parking space. To retrieve the car after the parking ticket has been paid, the whole process operates in reverse. When the car appears in the cabin at ground level, the driver can climb in and drive away. Only a chauffeur could make the process more convenient.

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Cubile S car lots are quick and efficient thanks to Lödige’s palletless Shifter technology. Less space is required for the same number of cars compared with conventional car lots. Drivers benefit too: they no longer need to park their car precisely, because the platform automatically aligns it.

The fully automated Cubile S parking system is particularly suitable for office blocks and public buildings with a parking capacity from 50 to more than 1,000 spaces.

A Cubile S car lot also provides approximately 320 parking spaces at Blox, the new Danish Architecture Centre in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. Lödige has optimized the use of space in this car lot even further by accurately measuring the cars. Jan Noll, responsible for car parking systems at Lödige Systems, explains, “We actually measure every car. This means that we know whether we are dealing with a small vehicle or a large limousine. Our management software then decides whether to allocate two parking spaces to two large cars, one behind the other, or to use these two spaces to park three small cars. This

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Opposite: Lödige’s Cubile P parking system uses pallets to transport the vehicles to parking spaces Left: Lödige’s Cubile S system parks cars by using palletless shifter technology

means that, because we measure the vehicles accurately, we can make dynamic use of the available parking spaces.”

A pallet-based parking system The Cubile P parking system can be used to create up to 50 parking spaces and is characterized by its extremely compact design. This parking system, which makes flexible use of space, is also particularly suitable for retrofitting into existing buildings. The modular system allows all the individual components to be ordered as required.

This means that Cubile P can also be integrated into small spaces.

The vehicles are transported on pallets that use a plug-and-play principle to park the cars side by side on driven conveyors – like a sliding puzzle.

Many more conveyors can be added, depending on the layout of the building. They transport the vehicle pallets in two, three or four directions.

Parking using the Cubile P system could not be easier for drivers. They can simply park and leave their car on a pallet in a cabin. The cabin door closes and a lift automatically transports the car down into the parking system.

An alternative solution to the entrance cabin is also available in the form of a canopy, which allows the system to be hidden completely. When the car is parked or retrieved, the transfer cabin is only briefly visible as a canopy type roof, which then retracts to form a platform that can be driven over.

Individual parking solutions One of the strengths of Lödige Industries is building special machines. Individual solutions are produced to customer requirements, which may later become a standard option. The most recent development for a specific customer is in the process of being created under an apartment building in Sydney, Australia. Lödige’s task was to install an automated

system into the space occupied by a conventional car plot, and thus save space and excavation work – but with the same number of parking spaces. This challenge produced a car parking system on six levels that makes use of the stacker crane technology found in air freight applications.

The first step in this solution is still to drive the car into a cabin. Due to the spatial constraints, once the vehicle has been driven in, it is rotated 180°, so that the driver does not have to reverse the vehicle out later. A door then opens in the rear section of the cabin to a lane containing the stacker crane.

While the Cubile S solution in Aarhus has a transfer vehicle on each horizontal level, the stacker crane in the Australian solution moves both horizontally and vertically (for example, it lifts and transfers in one unit). The stacker enters the cabin from the rear and proven shifter robots move underneath the car, pick it up, and place it on the stacker, which takes it to the relevant parking place where it is unloaded by the shifter.

Electric mobility is a rapidly expanding sector.

Lödige Industries is working on solutions such as being able to park electric cars in an automated car parking system and charge them at the same time.

For example, pallets can be fitted with electrical connections for type 2 IEC plugs.

One-stop parking solutions shop Lödige Industries provides solutions, planning, higher-level IT development, system integration and machinery, all of which is manufactured in-house. In addition, the company provides on-site commissioning, service, maintenance and 24/7 remote support to ensure maximum reliability and safety for its customers.

Lodige’s Cubile S, Cubile P or other customized car parking systems offer benefits over conventional parking lots and garages, and Lödige believes its systems are the car lots of the future. n

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IoT: the enabler for smart mobility The Internet of Things is rapidly changing the market of smart city concepts – an evolution that will have a huge and lasting impact. Is this the enabler that will lead to a large-scale rollout of wireless parking sensors?

Words | Milou Post, Nedap, Netherlands

Over the years, Nedap has contributed to the optimization of traffic flows in hundreds of cities and other environments, such as university campuses, large airports and retail shopping centers. The company has developed a smart parking sensor that detects in real time whether or not a specific parking bay is occupied. This can help to reduce time spent by motorists searching for available parking spaces in cities, as well as enabling full utilization of existing parking capacities. Less ‘search traffic’ and optimized navigation can also lessen pollution and contribute to a sustainable and cleaner city environment, which is important because more than half of the world’s population already lives in urban areas. Many people living in these areas are already familiar with the enormous levels of congestion – some of which is caused by drivers looking for

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available parking spaces – in large cities and public spaces.

One urban district that has identified and is acting upon this problem is the Turkish city of Izmir. As part of a city-wide implementation of a smart traffic management system, 2,000 parking spaces in Izmir are equipped with Nedap’s smart parking sensor system, Sensit.

Thanks to this system, the vehicle occupancy of individual parking spaces in the streets of this Turkish city can be closely monitored.

Motorists are guided to available spaces based on real-time information. In addition, all paid, time-restricted and disabled parking zones are monitored to ensure that they are not violated.

New trend: Internet of Things The development of wireless sensors to enable smart parking solutions is still limited.

The main reason that this technology has not yet been fully embraced by the majority of cities is unfamiliarity with the benefits that the technology can offer and the great return on investment that can be achieved. Most municipalities are looking for solutions that are cost effective as well as future proof, but reviewing all available technology and advantages and disadvantages of products and services on the market is challenging.

Nedap also follows technological advancements in the industry and continuously seeks options and opportunities for product improvements.

One of the current trends is the emergence of several dedicated networks for battery-operated sensors and devices that are part of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Equipping these networks with smart sensors potentially turns a city with a traditional infrastructure into a smart city, without a great deal of effort. Common city issues such as traffic jams, the time-consuming search for parking facilities, damaged streetlighting, overflowing waste bins, and other challenges, are typical complaints mentioned by authorities who are contemplating the potential benefits that IoT can bring to their cities.

Connected data Cities have to become smarter and more connected in order to keep up-to-date with the technologies that their residents and visitors use in their daily lives. The IoT may very well be the enabler for this. With the IoT, wireless communication and data can be exchanged between devices without human interaction. Data can then be collected and converted to relevant information for city representatives.

Nedap strongly believes that this enriched information will be vital for managing cities in the near future. If all

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relevant devices in an entire urban environment are connected to an omnipresent and standardized network, everything – including public parking spaces, public bins, traffic signals and home fire alarms – can be monitored in real time. Data collected from these devices could be made available to city planners, individual citizens, emergency response teams, and other authorities.

Embracing the future Nedap understands the importance of interoperability between systems and the potential that standardized IoT networks bring to market.

Nedap Sensit has always been suitable for integrating with other systems.

To understand how to use new IoT networks, Nedap works closely with telecoms companies that are investing in long-range IoT networks.

Technologies such as Narrowband IoT and LoRaWAN are thoroughly tested to weigh them against the network requirements that are needed to deploy successful on-street parking solutions.

With more than 10 years of experience developing parking sensors, Nedap has learned that the behavior of the network depends on numerous factors. Firstly, the requirements for on-street parking sensors cannot be compared to sensors for public bins, streetlighting or other sensors. Secondly, the

impact on the sensors’ battery life, network performance, uplink and downlink costs are just some of the critical aspects to further evaluate.

Currently, Nedap is evaluating both IoT and LoRaWAN technologies with business partners and city authorities. Various proofs of concept conducted

by Nedap for on-street parking will reveal if these technologies are fit for purpose. These proofs of concept have provided expert technological advice to cities, telecoms companies and end users on how to face current and future mobility challenges. n

Far left: A Nedap Sensit parking sensor Above: Nedap parking solutions are used in Izmir, Turkey

DUBAI, IZMIR, HAMBURG, TORINO, SINGAPORE, BELGRADE...

VEHICLE DETECTION

WHAT DO THESE SMART CITIES HAVE IN COMMON? These cities (and many more world-wide) are using Nedap’s smart parking sensors to improve the mobility within the often congested city areas. Nedap’s wireless SENSIT sensors detect the occupancy of individual parking spaces in real-time. The obtained parking data enables smart parking in any Smart City, ITS or retail environment.

Are you wondering how? Join us at Intertraffic or visit www.nedapidentification.com.

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RFID: innovative parking and tolling New high-security products for automatic vehicle identification in two applications: efficient monitoring of parking permits and toll collection Words | Kai Schnapauff, Schreiner PrinTrust, Germany

The family of RFID-windshield labels from Schreiner PrinTrust enables contactless automatic vehicle identification (AVI) for multiple applications. Reliable access control and electronic billing for toll roads or parking facilities are matched by equal efficiency in vehicle identification in fleet management or in innovative car-sharing systems.

Secure performance for tolling Customized developments are currently in progress primarily for major tolling projects in the Arab region, Spain and South America.

User fees for infrastructure such as roads, tunnels or bridges will become increasingly important to support new construction projects or to maintain existing traffic routes. Besides standard vignette solutions, Schreiner PrinTrust offers a portfolio of RFID labels for AVI and tolling purposes for which multi-level security concepts are available, depending on customerspecific requirements. Maximum security is delivered by the ‘Global secure’ version, with encryption and anti-counterfeiting technology. Holograms, void effects and color-shifting inks are just some examples of diverse integratable security features in a portfolio of solutions that take the

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protection of the label’s physical integrity into account as well as ensuring the security of data storage and transmission.

Dynamically encrypted radio transmission across several meters enables efficient processes and absolute confidentiality. Using counterfeit-proof security chips, vehicles are clearly identified for reliable access control.

Efficient monitoring of parking Schreiner PrinTrust’s RFID-Windshield Labels are an ideal identification solution for modern parking management systems covering both off-street and on-street parking. The reliable technology and numerous user benefits of its ((rfid))Parking Permit development made it appealing to Vienna’s city administration.

In use since September 2016 for on-street parking throughout the Austrian capital, this solution has considerably reduced the administrative workload for the city, its inspectors and vehicle owners, who can simply stick the high-tech label on the inside of the windshield in a one-step process.

The label can remain there for years, even if parking authorizations change, for instance when permit owners move within the city limits or sell their cars. Annual extensions can be issued more efficiently too, because

Above left: The newly designed ((rfid))Windshield Label Global Secure from Schreiner PrinTrust with its security chip meets the most demanding security requirements Above: The ((rfid))-Parking Permit for the city of Vienna can be applied to vehicle windshields

the ‘sticker’ no longer has to be replaced.

Stored on the chip is an ID number that inspectors scan using handheld readers and automatically match with the license number, type of vehicle, the permit’s scope and expiration date stored in the database.

As the database contains no personal data, privacy protection is consistently guaranteed. Thanks to ultra-high frequency, vehicle identification is contactless across a distance of a few meters without line of sight, which enormously reduces the effort spent checking parking permits. n

DRIVING HIGH SPEED SOLUTIONS ...

Driving Your Digital Future – Welcome to SKIDATA 4.0 Parking services are no longer only present within your gates, but in the cloud! SKIDATA’s sweb Services provide web based access ranging from Reservations, Mobile Payments, Contract Parker Management, Reports, Validations, and Control from virtually anywhere!

SKIDATA 4.0 means 40 years of SKIDATA, 40 years of innovation, and 40 years of customers who have positioned themselves as pioneers.

We’re here to help you navigate the ever changing world of parking.

www.skidata.com

ViiK Vehicle Detection Sensors

Don’t break into a sweat! No digging required Whatever the weather

Vehicle counting

Whatever the vehicle colour and material

No in-ground device

Vehicle detection for gate/barrier automation

Human cancellation

Vehicle parking presence

Come and see this new technology at stand 07.102B or visit us at www.optex-europe.com

Intelligent solutions for modern parking services

Be in control of your entire parking operation with Hectronic!

Hectronic GmbH Allmendstrasse 15 79848 Bonndorf, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 77 03 - 93 88 0 Fax: +49 (0) 77 03 - 93 88 60 mail@hectronic.com www.hectronic.com Colour_advertisment_Hectronci_Intertraffic World Showcase.indd 1

Learn more about Hectronic!

Come and visit us at

Intertraffic 2018 20 - 23 March 2018 RAI Amsterdam HALL 2 - BOOTH 02.310

21.08.2017 10:30:58

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Get out of the loop Inductive loops are expensive and cause massive traffic disruption when they need to be installed or repaired.

Modern solutions do away with the need for them by installing vehicle sensors at the roadside Words | Sandrine Cocks, Optex, EMEA

A series of vehicle sensors developed by Optex operate, without the need for ‘in-ground’ devices, in three important applications: gate automation, parking management and vehicle counting.

The most popular way to detect vehicles through gate or barrier activation is to use an induction loop installed at roughly 4in (10cm) under the road surface. When a vehicle drives over the loop, the metallic body generates a variation of inductance within the loop, triggering the detection.

Although reliable and well-established, this method of detection presents some challenges.

Among these is the disruption and cost involved during installation and maintenance, as the road or lane needs to be closed while the surface is dug up. In some areas, such as historical sites with cobbled stones, unsurfaced roads or areas with

drains underneath, loops can’t be installed.

In recent years, more cars are made of carbon fiber rather than metal, making detection using an induction loop more challenging.

To make the installation process easier and to detect vehicles without installing any device in the ground, Optex has developed pole- and wall-mounted vehicle sensors that use a combination of microwave and ultrasonic technologies. The ViiK sensors detect both moving and static vehicles, while ignoring pedestrians. Installation is much quicker and less disruptive than inductive loops and they can be moved or replaced easily.

Three models are available: barrier/gate automation; vehicle counting, to analyze traffic; and presence sensor, to identify which parking spaces are vacant. n

Above and below: Optex sensors are used in applications including gate automation. One advantage of the sensors is that they do not need to be installed into pavement surfaces

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Driving your digital future Digital innovations can be of huge benefit to parking operators, helping them to streamline operations and incentivize customers so that ultimately space is used more efficiently and revenue is boosted Words | Florian Schneeberger, Skidata AG, Austria

Skidata’s web-based services and businessenabling platform offer parking operators multiple advantages on top of the standard PARCS (parking and revenue control system) solutions in the areas of centralization, reservations and validations.

With advances in digitization, new business models are emerging and technology is revitalizing the way we organize and run our companies. Digitization is making it possible for parking operators to optimize systems and processes through the seamless integration of system solutions.

Under the motto ‘Driving Your Digital Future’, Skidata offers a broad portfolio of software solutions that will enable you to reap the full benefits of digitization: from a cloud-based multichannel sales platform enabling online reservation and contract parking, to web-based reporting and centralized monitoring of facilities, online validation management, and customer loyalty programs.

Driving efficiency with Swebs Sweb (Skidata’s web-based services) extend parking management solutions to include web-based services for greater control, visibility, convenience and independence.

They use individual Software-as-a-Service modules that can be combined precisely to a customer’s needs. From the remote management of facilities and multisite reporting, to validation management and access to web-based operating information, for the dedicated operator, data is available anywhere and at any time using a cell phone, tablet or PC. Skidata’s new cloud-based Business Enabling Platform raises the effective

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management of multichannel sales to a new level. Parking operators can use the Skidata portfolio of e-commerce Swebs to create online channels for parking space reservations or to sell contract products on a fixed contract or pay-per-use basis.

Or, it can be used to connect a variety of other pre-integrated service providers such as parking sales aggregators, counters and apps. With this platform, it is possible to sell through chosen channels, everywhere a parking operator wants, in order to maintain control and gain momentum with loyal customers.

Centralized monitoring and control Sweb.Control helps to reduce staff costs in garages by centralizing operations in control rooms, while still managing devices, customer issues and incident workflows in real time. This web-based service with its optimized user interface provides data availability online at any time and everywhere, without extra hardware or software requirements.

Investment costs and maintenance overheads are also reduced,

as Skidata also takes care of continuous software updates.

Web-based reports and statistics Sweb.Report is a centralized reporting solution for parking facilities – whether they are distributed throughout a single country or the entire world. With Sweb.Report, users can manage and optimize their business efficiently by consolidating data from multiple parking lots, and over several years, into informative, graphical and instantly usable reports.

It offers flexibility, with the ability to create customized reports tailored to particular business needs. Operators can

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access data at any time and from anywhere by web browser.

Online validations management With the web-based service Sweb.Validate, it is possible to increase garage utilization and turnover through online sales and marketing of parking validations by partnering with surrounding businesses. Shops, offices or hotels can provide convenient electronic discounts to parking customers. Sweb.Validate offers full transparency and traceability with validations and prevents fraudulent use. More than 100 validation solutions have already been implemented in the USA alone through Skidata.

Customer loyalty programs Loyalty.Logic highlights positive relationships between parking operators and customers. It enables the development of customer loyalty programs. Through increased interaction with customers, parking operators can understand their purchasing habits while gathering data for marketing purposes.

Guests register on the platform and collect points – online or on-site – for interactions such as online reservations or the use of a charging station. The loyalty points can be exchanged for predefined offers. In this way, loyal guests enjoy special incentives that cannot be bought with money and which incur minimal cost: a VIP parking space upon their next visit, for example, or having their car parked for them.

Left: Skidata’s loyalty scheme mobile app Above: Skidata’s Sweb.Control service centralizes control room operations

Loyalty scheme benefits Parking operators can get to know their customers and generate valuable data for targeted marketing that could include special email promotions or birthday vouchers. Additionally rewards can be used to help steer the behavior of customers.

Offering bonus loyalty points can put specific additional offers and services in the spotlight to increase revenue while reducing advertising costs.

Customers can interact with the loyalty program by using an app or over the internet. Mobile plug-ins can be efficiently integrated to match the look and feel of a company’s branding. n

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246 | PARKING

More than just parking payment Technological developments are enabling automatic parking payment systems to carry out much more than their basic function, bringing significant benefits to the managers of the products Words | Luca Zanzon, El-tra Srl, Italy

In spite of all the problems in the world, the global economy appears to be continuing to push forward. Its growth is underpinned by technological developments and innovation.

In the parking industry, the automatic pay station represents the key element in modern parking systems and reflects the evolution of the technology. It is very important that it includes all the main specifications requested from the market in terms of functionality, reliability and esthetics. But there are some extra features that are always more common on demanding shopping mall-type parking projects: • The ability to dispense RFID paper tickets or RFID cards for transport systems; • The potential for parking lots to act as an effective way of contributing to the reduction of city traffic and pollution through being set up as park-and-ride services and encouraging use of other modes of transport; • The ability to interact with end-users to supply additional services. In this instance, automatic pay stations act like a real kiosk to issue and update loyalty cards, update personal data, redeem points, load money on RFID/magnetic cards acting like electronic wallets, re-charge card, pay bills.

All information accumulated in this way will allow the operator to know more about their customers and tailor offers to them to make sure their experience in the shopping mall or other type of establishment is positive and worth being repeated.

Learning more about customers The act of paying for parking becomes not just the exchange of money for a parking space, but also an incredibly useful opportunity to learn more of the habits of final customers, and so to market services or sales adapted to consumer behavior.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

The ELG9000 dispenses disposable RFID tickets (fanfold or roll), and can read and encode RFID cards inserted at the mouth

Such parking systems are very modern and are perfectly in line with the information society in which we live today. Converting the parking charges into data for more and more sponsors who are prepared to pay a small fee in exchange for precious customer information would be the obvious next step.

This data has been available before, but this new approach, now possible thanks

to technological innovation, represents a smarter and more efficient way to improve end-user experience and at the same time increase revenues for parking operators. It will also increase turnover and revenue for all stores and businesses directly or indirectly involved with the parking structure.

Italian company El-tra Srl is a recognized manufacturer of OEM motorized ticket and card solutions, and can count among

PARKING | 247

The ELR10000 dispenses PVC RFID cards, and can read and encode them when inserted at the mouth. It then captures the cards or gives them back to the end-user

its partners more than 300 clients in over 70 countries worldwide.

Available in El-tra’s range of products are specific models suitable for demanding projects that fully comply with legislation requirements. They include the ELG9000 dispensing unit for disposable RFID paper tickets and the ELR10000, which is able to store and dispense up to 1,000 cards. n

.:Visit us at:.

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Stand: 03.103

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

248 | PARKING

The future of parking systems Future parking systems will comprise fully integrated functions – including parking management – in smart buildings, and they will have the capacity to manage complex solutions in the most intuitive way – in mobile apps and smartphones Words | Nikolaus Hübner, Polchip, Poland

The CarFlow parking management system, created by Polchip, uses the latest technological, IT and communications solutions from a variety of fields in order to provide the best user experience – from the point of view of the owner of the investment project, to the parking or building administrator, and to every single driver.

Big Data Mining Analytics and statistics

A spectrum of integration possibilities The cornerstone to the efficient operation of a modern parking system is the ability to integrate it with a technological and business environment, such as the building’s automation or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. One example of integration with the access control system is the CarFlow installation in the parking lot of a large Polish university, where the system of entry permits is based on data collected from an external, that is, university-owned database of 20,000 staff and students.

Operation is performed automatically via license plate recognition (LPR).

CarFlow software’s extensive integration capabilities, resulting from open system architecture, have been used during its installation as part of an intelligent transportation system (ITS) in Pozna ń, one of the major agglomerations in Poland, with one million inhabitants. The CarFlow system has been installed there in four park-and-ride facilities, and has been integrated with the city parking information system and parking-spot reservation system. All of Pozna ń’s ITS parking lots are managed via a central server. Thanks to this solution, drivers receive real-time parking information and are automatically directed to a designated parking lot. They can also reserve a parking

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Parking access

Groups and tariffs

Payment and bills

Billing and invoicing

Reservations

Ad hoc discounts

Remote control

Access control

Lighting

Remote configuration

Automatic pay stations

LPR, CCTV

Remote recovery

space in advance. Similar functions may be supported in the near future for self-parking cars, and in several years for autonomous cars.

A flexible and customized service In the CarFlow system, static code was replaced with a custom event-driven engine, which allowed the system to be customized to suit individual parking-lot processes without the need for software changes. Dashboard content management

Terminals

Ultrasonic sensors

is based on roles, and therefore users have the freedom to define the layout and content of their desktop. A practical example of this application is the Technical University in Łód ź (the third largest city in Poland), where the parking lot staff can access basic functions, including a preview of the equipment status and the option of manually raising the barrier, whereas the tariffs and other elements of the system are managed by the system administrator.

The management of complex parking systems and parking lot networks is also facilitated and enhanced by the latest web technologies, which permit dynamic response of several interface elements to data changes across multiple users’ application windows.

Multisite parking management in one administration center provides convenience for the user – for example by servicing a single customer account across a whole network of parking lots, and also for the administration – for instance, through global tariff management and creating sales policies for customer groups across the network.

Thanks to the system’s responsiveness, parking management can be carried out via mobile devices.

Opposite: The parking management processes of CarFlow Below: The dashboard of the CarFlow system, which shows an example of the integration of external CCTV

Cloud solutions and process automation Parking system management software may be made available in the Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Using cloud solutions with a central repository makes it possible to store and retrieve the configuration of individual parking equipment units as well as the entire management system from the central server. As a result, the resumption of operation, the installation of new equipment, and the development of the system by adding new functionalities, are all performed smoothly and in an automated way.

The most significant advances anticipated in the development of parking systems include further, enhanced automation and increased system complexity (catering for automated cars, biometric identification of drivers, further automation of payments), coupled with increased personalization and customization, and a greater importance of value-added services for end users.

The open architecture of software, the readiness for technology adaptations from a variety of areas – which forms the foundation of systems such as CarFlow – seems to be the key feature of modern parking systems. n

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250 | PARKING

Streetwise parking and ITS How can the new NB-IoT communications protocol revolutionize on-street parking and other ITS applications?

Words | Anders Hagen, Q-Free, Norway Below: Q-Free’s NB IoT sensor Opposite: The sensor’s long battery life enables deployments of up to 10 years

For three months at the beginning of 2017, Q-Free was involved in a joint research project with Norwegian telecommunications provider Telenor in the Norwegian city of Trondheim. It looked at the utility of the Internet of Things (IoT, see sidebar) and the use of a new wireless communications protocol, NB-IoT. The project involved Q-Free sharing its expertise in narrowband communications, which the company uses in its sensor technology for outdoor parking solutions.

New narrowband technology NB-IoT is a new narrowband communication technology. Standardized under the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP), it is based on LTE (4G) wireless telecommunications. In most cases, all that is required to achieve deployment is for a telecommunications provider to upgrade the software in its base stations. The base stations then provide a number of narrowband channels with a relatively low data rate, but much better link

Internet of Things

The IoT proposes a future in which even everyday objects have internet connectivity and are able to communicate their status and needs. The result will be a world that is inherently smarter.

However, there is also a desire to make communications systems leaner and fewer in number. If many of the objects that will be part of the IoT, and need access to centralized servers or the cloud, can use existing rather than bespoke communication networks, realization and operation of the IoT can be greatly simplified.

margin (range). Compared with LTE, the new protocol is simplified and the transmitted power is lower. This enables battery-powered sensors and other devices to be employed.

Ease of use As part of its evolution from a tolling systems and services supplier into an all-aspects intelligent transportation systems (ITS) partner, Q-Free has looked for ways to use its specialist knowledge from different domains in ways that will revolutionize how we travel and, just as importantly, what happens when we stop.

A good example of this approach is ParQ, the company’s versatile new central parking management system. Featuring a cloud-based architecture that can be configured to meet a client’s specific business needs and integrated with third-party hardware and software, ParQ incorporates some of the technological features of a free-flow tolling system. This includes the use of automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) and onboard units – which employ standardized short-range communications protocols – to identify both stationary and moving vehicles.

Strategically, Q-Free promotes the use of open standards and therefore ease of installation,

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

PARKING | 251

Hamburg adopts NB-IoT smart parking

maintenance and operation – for both systems owners and travelers. In ParQ’s case, a key distinguisher is how its Intrada ALPR software can integrate with existing barriers, access systems, screens or other hardware in a parking facility, but can also support barrier-free parking where desired.

This option to go barrier-free strongly challenges traditional ideas of parking. It revolutionizes the customer experience, improves convenience and, where already deployed, has demonstrated how fears over revenue leakage are misplaced.

Long battery life NB-IoT fits well within this easy-to-deployand-use philosophy. Application to Q-Free’s smart parking sensor solutions will allow replication of current narrowband communications solutions via a cellular telephony network. This includes the availability of adequate bandwidth and also extends to power consumption. NB-IoT’s much reduced power needs enable battery life of up to a decade; the in-ground sensors can be installed and effectively forgotten about for the rest of their working lives.

Huawei, Telenor’s infrastructure developer, released a small number of first-generation NB-IoT chipsets for use in the Trondheim project. In the very near future, NB-IoT chipset manufacture is set to increase dramatically. Early involvement in application development has allowed Q-Free and Telenor to achieve a market lead in terms of deployment strategy development.

Proof of concept The test involved the installation of radar-based, in-ground sensors at a park-and-ride scheme in the Ranheim area of Trondheim, and the upgrade of a nearby Telenor base station to support NB-IoT. It was a great success, demonstrating 100% accuracy of detection and data communication. Between them, Q-Free and Telenor proved that once NB-IoT base station technology achieves wider deployment, system designers will enjoy a protocol with fuller coverage than GSM-based networks. Roll-out of base station upgrades has started (see ‘Hamburg adopts NB-IoT smart parking’ sidebar) and we can expect to see it accelerate.

In June 2017, Deutsche Telekom announced that it was launching an NB-IoT-based smart parking service in Hamburg, Germany. Combining sensor data with information from other sources, including parking meters, it will provide drivers with real-time information on parking availability in approximately 11,000 spaces within the city. There will also be an option to book in advance. Five more cities, including Dortmund, plan to launch the service in their centers.

These developments in Germany are part of a broader European roll-out of NB-IoT by Deutsche Telekom, which cites a range of advantages for the protocol. Among them are its low cost due to low bandwidth demand, good in-building coverage, the extremely long battery life of connected devices, and its use of licensed spectrum and approved standardization by the 3GPP.

A more commonly used communications protocol that does not need a bespoke network will enable the deployment – at a reduced cost and greater speed – of many mobility applications that do not require zero latency. Parking is a very good place to start. Key aspects of the smarter cities of the future will include the better management of the availability of spaces and a reduction or elimination of the congestion and emissions associated with drivers looking for somewhere to park.

For its part, Q-Free’s next step is to bring an NB-IoT-based parking sensor to the market. Excitingly, it has developed such a sensor; it is now production-ready and its release is imminent. n

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

nfra is now

We take take a a seat seat We in your your world world in

Meet us in Hall 8 8 Smart Smart Mobility Mobility Center Center at atStand Stand08.524 08.600

20.21.22.23 MAR

2018

Group Headquarters Group Headquarters Basicweg 16, 3821 BR Amersfoort The Netherlands Basicweg 16, 3821 BR Amersfoort The Netherlands

Contact us Contact us info@dynniq.com, +31 33 454 17 77

info@dynniq.com, +31 33 454 17 77

SMART MOBILITY | 253

Section 5

Smart mobility

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254 | SMART MOBILITY

Taming automated vehicles

Fully automated vehicles will soon be ready for public use. Rather than arguing about exactly when, now is the time for policy makers and road authorities to begin planning for this disruptive change Words | Luis Willumsen, director, Willumsen Advisory Services

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

There is little doubt that the prospect of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs or simply AVs) on our roads is one of the most challenging, and also attractive, disruptions to our existing transportation systems. This new technology will have a transformative effect on most aspects of mobility.

Vehicle manufacturers are competing with each other to be the first to offer such vehicles and not be left behind by technology companies such as Google. Governments and regional authorities also compete with each other to be the most open to testing and development of such vehicles. There is an abundance of academic papers and trade news extolling the benefits of AVs. There are also a few articles expressing concern about some of the unintended consequences of such vehicles.

It is worth considering the likely positive and potentially negative impacts of different levels of vehicle automation, and then explore

SMART MOBILITY | 255

Impact of AVs

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Impact on society

Good

Better

Optimal

Major benefit

Main impacts Reduction in road accidents Driver and related unemployment

No

Some

Total

Large problem

Increase in urban road capacity

Small

Better

Maximum*

Benefit

Increase in motorway capacity

Good

Better

Maximum*

Large benefit

New users (non-drivers)

No

Local

Yes

Benefit

Undertaking other activities while travelling

Allowed?

Yes

Yes

Benefit

Second order impacts Trip induction (hired)

No

Some car trip reduction

Some car trip reduction

Benefit

Trip induction (owned)

Unlikely

Some

More

??

Increase empty running (hired)

No

Some

Some

Disbenefit

Increase empty running (owned)

No

Some

More

Disbenefit

Shift demand from Bus to AV

No

Yes

More

Disbenefit if less efficient

Smaller car fleet

No

Limited

Yes

Benefit

Emissions reduction

Limited

Some

Some

Small Benefit

Lower revenue from tax, parking and fines

Only fines

Parking and fines

Tax, parking and fines

Financial problem

Risks Technical failure

Driver response

Possible

Possible

Disbenefit

Hacking of personal data

Possible

Possible

Possible

Disbenefit

Larger shift to AV from other modes

No

Possible

Possible

Disbenefit if less efficient

Larger increase of empty running

No

Possible

Possible

Disbenefit

Use in crime

Not specially

Possible

Possible

Disbenefit

Increase in technical and social inequality

Yes

Yes if owned, no if hired

Yes if owned, no if hired

Support MaaS to reduce inequality impacts

AV induced urban sprawl

Not likely

Minimal

Some risk

Some risk

* To achieve maximum capacity benefits, AVs should be connected and reach very high levels of L4/5 adoption

how AVs will be used and what policies can manage and guide their deployment.

The impacts of automated vehicles Automated vehicles will be owned or hired to deliver Mobility as a Service (MaaS). They will have a number of impacts and some may depend on the usage model. The most important contributions to welfare will be a considerable reduction in traffic accidents, followed by potential improvements in road capacities and traffic flow. They will eliminate some jobs, for example professional drivers, and reduce others: parking assistants, traffic wardens and perhaps vehicle insurance personnel.

They will also generate new trips, a ‘traffic induction’ effect: individuals previously unable to drive now will; vehicles will have to sometimes move around empty to serve or to park; average trip distances will grow as passengers can perform other activities while traveling. A few of these trips will be transferred from other modes.

These impacts will vary depending on the level of automation and whether the vehicles are owned

or hired as a service. Table 1 summarizes these effects, including others that have been less thoroughly researched, together with known risks.

Expectations To get a better understanding of what can be expected from the early years of AVs, a Delphi poll was undertaken involving 45 international experts, and their views analyzed by region. Considered here are only the responses most relevant to influencing positive and negative impacts of AVs and these are highlighted in Table 2 (overleaf).

A number of usage models are possible and some of them can be identified in advance.

Companies such as Uber will run AV fleets offering MaaS; this may be for a single user or as a ride-sharing service for travelers with compatible origins and destinations. Individuals owning AVs at Level 4/5 will use them as a better car that allows them to perform other activities while traveling and simplifies parking. Owners may also be able to send their AVs to perform other journeys for family or even friends. Owners may also make their AV

Table 1: The impacts and risks of AVs at increasing levels of automation (3-5).

Definitions of levels of automation are listed in Table 3

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256 | SMART MOBILITY

Table 2: The results of a survey of 45 international transportation experts, predicting the future of AVs

“Owners may make their AV available, when not needed, for use by MaaS companies, Airbnb style”

Region

World average

USA and Canada

Western Europe

Latin America

Australia and NZ

Rest of the World

Respondents

45

10

13

8

7

7

Year AVs will be 20% of the fleet

2037

2033

2039

2045

2037

2035

Ratio: new freeway capacity to now

1.1

1.2

1.1

1.0

1.1

1.0

% of AVs owned

42%

45%

33%

56%

47%

37%

Trip induction ratio

AV owner

1.1

1.1

1.2

1.0

1.1

1.0

AV hirer

0.9

0.9

0.9

0.8

1.0

0.9

AV value of time ratio

Journey to work

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.8

0.8

1.0

available, when not needed, for use by MaaS companies, Airbnb style. Some types of ‘ownership’ may restrict this – perhaps leasing or company cars.

Each of these forms of use is likely to generate different levels of zero-occupancy movements.

Several MaaS fleets operating without coordination and competing with each other are likely to be less efficient and to generate more empty movements.

Authorities may need to develop policy tools to promote greater efficiency in these operations.

Sharing versus ownership Europeans are most likely to adopt AVs as MaaS, whereas Latin Americans seem to be more attached to owning them. Overall, more than 60% of the answers to the Delphi survey stated that the majority of the AV fleet would be hired. It was also noticeable that the expectation was that owned AVs would generate between 10% and 20% more vehicle miles

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

traveled (VMT), some of them at zero occupancy.

In contrast, those relying on hired AVs are likely to reduce VMT compared with trips made in conventional cars; this is partly due to the difference between objective and perceived costs.

Car owners have only a vague understanding of the costs of using their vehicles. The decision to buy a vehicle may depend on total motoring costs per mile. The decision to use it for a particular journey depends on a lower marginal perceived cost: some fuel, plus tolls and parking.

Car owners still fail to perceive the actual cost of providing the infrastructure plus the externalities of congestion and emissions that they impose on the rest of the traveling and local population. The economic case for a good system of road user charging to bring these costs to the fore is well accepted by most professionals, but the political and social obstacles to implementing such a scheme are painfully well known.

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Table 3: Levels of automation SAE International (the Society of Automotive Engineers) defines the levels of automated vehicle technology as follows: Level 0 – No automation The driver is in complete and sole control of the primary vehicle controls – brake, steering, throttle and motive power – at all times.

The Delphi poll identified some additional issues.

AV hiring was seen as available to all, whereas owning was perceived as elitist and less equitable.

Replacing workers with machines and computers was also perceived as an ethical issue more taxing than replacing local workers with foreign ones.

The new policy framework All indications are that Level 4/5 AVs will be available within the next five to seven years. Policies should be in place in advance to guide their development and deployment. The rate of adoption can be quite fast so policies should be deployed early. There were almost no cars in London in 1900, but they had practically eliminated horse-drawn carriages by 1915.

Testing AVs on public roads is one thing; allowing them for general public use is another.

Most of the safety benefits of AVs would be achieved with Level 3 vehicles, but sanctioning their public use is not straightforward; Levels 4 and 5 require an even greater reworking of legal and policy frameworks. These, in turn, may depend at least partially on whether the AVs are owned or hired as MaaS. It will be necessary to prepare specifications for the type approval of vehicles from Level 3 and up. It will also be necessary to clarify the assumed liability for Levels 4 and 5. The drivers of Level 3 vehicles will need a license and should be ready to take charge; therefore, they will at least share liability and will require insurance. For Levels 4 and 5 liability is more likely to be retained by suppliers of the vehicles and no insurance may be required for users; perhaps there would be minimum training

Level 1 – Driver assistance The driving mode-specific execution by a driver assistance system of either steering or acceleration/deceleration using information about the driving environment and with the expectation that the human driver perform all remaining aspects of the dynamic driving task (for example, lane keeping or emergency braking or cruise control) but not all at the same time.

Level 2 – Partial automation The driving mode-specific execution by one or more driver assistance systems of both steering and acceleration/deceleration using information about the driving environment and with the expectation that the human driver perform all remaining aspects of the dynamic driving task. This could enable a vehicle to travel on a highway with little intervention from the driver, as with Tesla’s Autopilot.

Level 3 – Conditional automation The driving mode-specific performance by an automated driving system of all aspects of the dynamic driving task with the expectation that the human driver will respond appropriately to a request to intervene. In this case, the driver can relax more as the vehicle should always give an alarm in good time if it needs human assistance.

Level 4 – High automation The driving mode-specific performance by an automated driving system of all aspects of the dynamic driving task, even if a human driver does not respond appropriately to a request to intervene. Such a vehicle would probably still need a steering wheel for occasional use, but in a worst-case scenario would be able to stop safely in any given situation.

Level 5 – Full automation The full-time performance by an automated driving system of all aspects of the dynamic driving task under all roadway and environmental conditions that can be managed by a human driver. Such a vehicle would not need a steering wheel or pedals, much like the prototypes Google has been working on.

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258 | SMART MOBILITY

“The more transformative the technology, however, the easier it is to miss opportunities.

Authorities have a role and duty to achieve maximum benefits and efficiency with this new mode”

and a simple test to ensure the vehicle is used as intended, especially for Level 4.

Fast-tracking the benefits Although most of the safety benefits are achievable with Level 3, the major individual benefits are achieved with Level 5: removing parking problems, allowing new users, performing other activities while traveling, and eliminating liability issues. These will speed up Level 5 adoption but bring, at the same time, some of the unintended consequences that the policies should seek to manage.

Once Levels 4 and 5 are available, there will be a need for improved demand management. It is expected that the policies will favor for-hire AVs over owned ones. Empty AVs circulating on congested roads will be a sore sight, creating universal irritation and rejection. Therefore, it will be relatively easy to justify road user charging (RUC) as a measure to manage use. Collection of such a charge will be simplified by the instrumentation of such vehicles including accurate location history. Any RUC will have the additional benefit of allowing bespoke pricing to encourage the use of more efficient forms of transport and discourage urban sprawl.

Automated buses, minibuses, trucks and vans will also need specific policies to satisfy similar requirements to those of car AVs. As such, they will affect an important group of stakeholders: professional drivers and their assistants. It will be necessary to design complementary measures to address the equity impacts of AVs. In some countries the process of replacing drivers with AVs will be slower because of the different costs

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

of capital and labor. But all countries will need to devise effective means of up-skilling those displaced by automation; AVs will be a major and early case requiring resources and ingenuity.

Conclusions With good policies and regulations in place, the future with automated vehicles looks disrupting but very promising. The more transformative the technology, however, the easier it is to miss opportunities. Authorities have a role and duty to achieve maximum benefits and efficiency with this new mode. Therefore, they should use policy instruments not only to minimize the adverse effects of AVs, but also to identify and manage opportunities to improve mobility, equity and welfare.

Unregulated and uncoordinated competition between MaaS operations will not achieve all the benefits available with this new technology. The advent of AVs will also create new opportunities for transportation and urban planning and traffic management. AVs will generate considerable amounts of data and some of that can be transmitted wirelessly and in real time. It will be important to ensure good coordination and availability of these data sources to support better intelligent traffic management and create a more robust base for transport modeling and planning. It would be a loss if these data sources were allowed to become proprietary and unavailable. n Luis Willumsen, Director, Willumsen Advisory Services Kineo Mobility Analytics, London & Madrid, luis.willumsen@kineo-analytics.com www.kineo-analytics.com

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SMART MOBILITY | 261

Smarter traffic solutions

A number of projects across the Netherlands are showing the capabilities of innovative technologies in reducing congestion and improving safety on roads Words | Annette Frijns, Dynniq, Netherlands

A number of projects across the Netherlands are demonstrating the capabilities of innovative, efficient and sustainable technologies. These technologies are helping to reduce congestion and improve road safety, as well as reducing the environmental impact.

In Helmond, a city in the south of the Netherlands with a population of 90,000, Dynniq has equipped traffic lights with smart technology to improve the flow of traffic in an unusual way. Twenty-five crossings communicate with heavy trucks and turn the lights to green sooner or more often.

André Meijer, managing director at Dynniq Mobility, says, “The trucks do not have to stop and accelerate as often, which results in considerable reductions in time, fuel, wear, noise and emission of particulate matter. On top of that, these traffic lights are programmed to take into consideration the city’s policy regarding other traffic, such as cyclists, public transport and pedestrians. A so-called adaptive traffic control system balances all traffic participants’ interests against the desired priorities.”

Helmond is one of the major logistics hubs in the south of the Netherlands, which results in a lot of truck traffic. To prevent this heavy traffic from affecting the surroundings, smart mobility technology has been applied. Civilians can thus profit from the improved business climate and still

live in a nice area that has been relieved of heavy goods transport, while that same transport receives additional support from smart cooperative traffic lights along its route.

An even wider and more ambitious Dutch initiative is the national project Talking Traffic.

Some 20 companies, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, as well as the provinces and many city councils, have jointly invested €90m (US$106m) in a smart mobility open ecosystem.

This ecosystem enables the marketing of new smart mobility services on an unprecedented scale and without technical barriers, providing services for both consumers and professional users. Meijer continues, “Dynniq makes a substantial contribution at all levels with technology as well as new services.”

Talking Traffic is not restricted to car traffic.

Traffic lights with smart technology recognize cyclists, for instance, who get priority green lights. On cycle highways, cyclists are detected earlier and will therefore have to stop less often, increasing the appeal of the bicycle as a means of transport. The traffic lights can also ‘see’ those who have difficulty walking and are able to adjust the duration of the green light accordingly, making it safer and more comfortable for elderly and disabled road users, thus allowing them to remain mobile for much longer. Furthermore, smart traffic

Above: Cyclists can download an app that detects them approaching a crossing. This increases their chance of a reaching the crossing when the light is green

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Above: When approaching an equipped traffic lights, the app in the car will give speed advice to the driver in order to reach the intersection when the light is green Below: A parking garage in the Netherlands with state-ofthe-art parking equipment, ensuring optimal circulation

lights recognize full buses and can switch to green sooner than for less crowded ones, allowing public transport to improve its performance and increase customer satisfaction.

Meijer says, “We also relay information about traffic situations to individual road users, warning drivers about approaching emergency vehicles, for instance. In the near future, cyclists and motorists can be warned about unsafe traffic situations ahead, such as cars approaching at high speed, ensuring a timely response. Thus, smart technology contributes to traffic safety and a reduction in the number of road accidents.”

Meijer continues,“We currently use this technology on the island of Texel in the north of the country, where the street lights turn on when traffic drives onto the island from the ferry, and turn off again as soon as the flow has passed. In this case, smart technology not only saves energy but also reduces light pollution, which is an important consideration on a tourist island.”

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Through smart technology, the fields of mobility, parking and energy are becoming increasingly integrated. Erik Dijkshoorn, managing director of WPS Parking, a Dynniq company, says, “We are developing technology that can inform the motorist where best to park to be closest to the intended destination. Through automatic license plate recognition, barriers can be opened automatically, ensuring optimal circulation. When cars are leaving the car park en masse, for instance at the end of the day, the traffic lights automatically adapt to the changed traffic flow, preventing unnecessary congestion.”

With the electric car winning ground, a number of new features are being developed in the fields of mobility, parking and energy, among them electric power lines in parking lots tailored to the number of cars that may (suddenly) need to be charged at any one time. Dijkshoorn adds, “The integration of traffic mobility, parking solutions and energy supply enables us to support traffic mobility even more directed at and based on individual needs.”

The reduction of fuel consumption also reduces the emission of particulate matter and carbon dioxide. In this way smart technology contributes to the solution of important social issues, such as liveability in inner cities and related health and safety issues.

Many of these smart mobility, parking and energy supply applications are relatively new to the market. “It is important to stimulate further integration,” Dijkshoorn says. “The pace, thoroughness and creativity with which that happens has a major impact on liveability in the whole of Europe, both economically and in terms of the environment and safety.” n

Connect to the world with your Amano parking solution

In 1967 Amano Corporation Japan introduced the first parking machine to the market.

By rigorously combining quality with innovation ever since, Amano Group has managed to become the biggest manufacturer of Parking Equipment worldwide. Since its introduction in 2008, Xparc expanded upon this success story by following the same guidelines and Amano Europe now offers Xparc in over 30 countries.

Whether integrations of new auxiliary hardware, the introduction of very specific operational aspects into the management system, or interfacing with specialized third party applications in a cloud environment are concerned, the open system architecture allows for flexible adaptations to the needs of various vertical markets and enables Xparc to comply with all possible requirements.

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Enhancing mobility with IoT

New solutions are enabling the easy combination of smart parking and smart city access solutions Words | Michael Kaiser, Kathrein RFID Solutions, Germany

As a result of an increasing global population, it is becoming more and more difficult to live in urban areas, where space is often limited.

This is also true for mobility and parking.

Fortunately, the Internet of Things (IoT) acts as a solution to this limitation of living and parking spaces.

Access control systems for parking lots will get smarter, thanks to a new generation of Internet of Things (IoT) gateways. The detection of vehicles is carried out by means of wireless RFID technology, which allows accurate identification of vehicles and vehicle users over a distance of several

meters. For this IoT gateway purpose, respective vehicles receive a clearly identifiable RFID UHF ISO 18000-63c transponder integrated within the vehicle or in a personal ID card. These passive transponders work without batteries and fulfill the highest security standards, such as ISO/IEC 29167-10, which is based on an AES 128bit high-security encryption.

In the past, barriers were managed by a simple controller board. These can now be replaced with new IoT gateways that have already proven themselves in IoT and Industry 4.0 applications. Kathrein Solutions’

experience in the areas of industry, logistics and retail directly meets the needs of these ITS applications.

Installed sensors produce an alert when a vehicle is positioned in front of the barrier.

These sensors can be read directly by the Kathrein reader. The process of opening the barrier can also be executed directly by the reader, which eliminates the need for additional hardware components, which in turn, can help to avoid errors.

Integrating into the IoT In order to easily integrate the readers into an existing IT network, the Kathrein ARU 35xx reader series is available with PoE+ and WLAN/Bluetooth or 3G/4G interfaces on board. This allows for wireless integration

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of the readers, which can keep the cost of the infrastructure low. Practical assignments have shown that these two features have reduced the cost of the network infrastructure by more than 35%.

In addition to a high-performance RFID reader, Kathrein ARU 35xx reader devices have a powerful Linux computer on board. When used in combination with Kathrein CrossTalk, a powerful IoT suite, it is possible to control, maintain and easily manage large numbers of RFID systems. Thanks to the modular software platform, CrossTalk with a remote CrossTalk Agent CT, an integration into an existing operations layer or other OMC solutions is possible. This innovative solution can incorporate an old infrastructure into the new IoT, turning cars and vehicles into smart objects. Based on this, access to a parking garage can be made simple and effective.

Kathrein is now developing its clients’ vision for a more mobile future. CrossTalk, Kathrein’s integration software layer, is a modular IoT suite for different identification applications. It can process passive UHF RFID, barcode, GPS, real-time locating systems (RTLS), sensors and other technologies.

CrossTalk is the most advanced software suite for AutoID and IoT device management, and track-and-trace visualization.

CrossTalk device management delivers plug-and-play integration for most AutoID devices and back-end systems on the market. It allows a mix of technologies from major RFID/AutoID, RTLS, barcode and sensor providers.

The CrossTalk app center provides visual track-and-trace applications. CrossTalk’s highly configurable, modular and customizable approach fits into any customer scenario. n

Opposite: CrossTalk device management delivers plug-andplay integration, and visual track-and-trace applications for most of the AutoID devices and back-end systems available on the market Above: Kathrein offers solutions that can incorporate objects, including infrastructure and cars, into the IoT

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The path to smarter mobility Near-term developments in V2X technology will accelerate the arrival of next-generation mobility Words | Oliver Brandl, Kapsch TrafficCom, Austria

Very soon, we will see several decades of work come to fruition. Government agencies at all levels have had in progress a series of programs that will finally start to deliver real-world V2X/connected vehicle solutions.

The result will be societal revolution because, although initial V2X-related applications will focus on improving road networks’ safety, environmental and congestion performance, the follow-ons will make their effects felt right across our future, smarter settlements.

We now have some firm dates in the diary when we can expect to see fully integrated V2X technology, as distinct from in-vehicle mock-ups and prototypes. In Europe, for instance, Volkswagen says that it will have examples on sale from 2019. Other vehicle manufacturers are in step, or else racing to catch up.

Stakeholders in agreement With the coalescing of communication standards, stakeholders in the V2X space now have common goals to work toward, and can get on with delivering solutions that can communicate with each other at the global level.

In Europe, a catalyst has been the C-roads platform. Launched in late 2016 by the European Commission, representatives of 12 European Union (EU) Member States and industry, this is supported by €150m (US$177m) of funding. At its heart is the use of hybrid communications based on ETSI ITS-G5 wireless short-range communication and existing cellular technologies. C-roads will harmonize the EU’s existing cooperative ITS (C-ITS)/V2X pilots and provide the baseline for real-world roll-outs.

Again, 2019 is the date from which we can expect to see those wider deployments start, although progress will obviously be governed by economic and other factors.

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An important European trend is the interest in how V2X can be brought further into the urban space. There are numerous proposed projects to help bring this about.

Road authorities are also keen to know what and how much data will be needed to cope with the advent of autonomous vehicles. V2X technology provides a fine basis for such exploratory efforts.

The EU’s approach to V2X realization is to pump prime with funding to encourage the private sector to innovate. The USA has somewhat clearer goals. It has focused more

on the urban environment, with particular interest in signal phase, timing and map data (SPAT/map) type applications intended to improve safety at intersections.

The USA is also taking a very much more structured approach to connected vehicle and infrastructure roll-out, with programs running at both the federal and state DOT levels. The levels of overall funding commitment on both sides of the Atlantic are broadly comparable, although the scale of the three major US testbeds is notable in terms of numbers of participants and

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overall commitment. These are located in New York City, Tampa (Florida) and Wyoming, and there is also fast-track funding available to support further innovation at the city/municipal level.

The revolution is imminent The ITS sector is about to undergo a major evolution, but not everything will happen at once. A relatively concise set of C-ITS/V2X day-one applications will deliver safety-related improvements via localized protocols – either ITS-G5 in Europe, or wireless access in vehicular environments (WAVE) in the USA – while comfort applications such as navigation will use wide-area, cellular technology.

How this new environment and its hugely enriched, expanded and complementing data set is brought into traffic management centers (TMCs) needs careful consideration. Upgrading all TMCs to a point of full integration will be a huge undertaking, and initially we can expect to see a multi- or dual-screen environment.

Outside the TMC, the C-ITS/V2X technology and the applications supported initially will provide a springboard for a whole new range of services.

The application set will grow to number hundreds or even thousands and will provide travelers with a wide and often very niche range of location-based, tolling/payment services.

Within just a few years, we can expect most vehicles to be equipped with V2X in some form, whether via a new-build/integrated, aftermarket or smart device. This paves the way for inclusion of vulnerable road users – cyclists and pedestrians.

This will expand safety and comfort applications to include individuals, not just vehicles, and it coincides nicely with the rise of the Mobility as a Service sector.

Progress toward automated driving will move us toward an environment in which the information gathered by individual vehicles’ sensors will be shared widely. Traffic managers, individual vehicles and even individual travelers will enjoy vastly increased situational awareness.

Detection systems will also evolve. For example, machine vision-related development will see greater levels of intrinsic intelligence at the roadside, with individual cameras also providing incident-detection and -management capabilities.

These will be able to decide for themselves at a highly localized level whether or not to generate warnings or initiate traffic-management plans, while still communicating and coordinating with TMCs. Near-term developments within the C-ITS/V2X environment will attract some major new players to the mobility sector. However, the established names still have a great deal to offer and it is often their roots within the earlier generations of ITS that make them the most useful potential partners.

For example, although Kapsch has grown in recent years to become a full-service ITS systems

and services provider, its electronic tolling heritage and related experience of at-the-roadside communication means that it is, in many ways, ideally positioned as a V2X solutions provider.

For more than a decade, the company has been closely involved in the work to define the international standards relating to V2X. This enshrined a profound understanding of current and future needs and has resulted in a comprehensive product offer designed to support testing and development of V2X deployments, as well as in-service roadside and in-vehicle environments.

Below: V2X equipment from Kapsch can be built into new vehicles or added as an aftermarket option

A broad and comprehensive V2X portfolio The Kapsch V2X portfolio includes: an evaluation kit that enables OEM and Tier 1 development engineers to proof vehicle system integration, and which shortens development times and reduces risk; embedded electronic control units that are readily integrated into vehicles by OEMs; and modular roadside units that support the full range of day-one V2X use cases and which can expand to accommodate emerging applications.

An aspect of all of these products is compliance with both ETSI ITS-G5 and IEEE WAVE protocol stacks. This is important in a global market, as it enables vehicle manufacturers to build universal products that can be sold in any geographical market without modification.

Uniquely, all of these solutions – including hardware, software and enclosures – are designed and made by Kapsch in its own facilities. This involvement from development through to manufacture underlines how the company is involved at, and has an understanding of, all aspects of V2X system development and realization.

However, these are not the only advantages that Kapsch offers. The modular, expandable nature of its roadside systems means that new communications protocols can be added as necessary or required – not just V2X-related protocols, but also Bluetooth, wi-fi, and both current and future generations of cellular protocols.

This can turn Kapsch’s V2X solutions into full smart mobility platforms, capable of supporting a whole range of smart city applications. n

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Cities of the future

Creating a smart city is a massive challenge for any urban manager. But some trailblazers have already set a path that can be followed for easier implementation Words | Lukas Duffek, Cross Zlín, Czech Republic

With more than 20 years of experience in developing traffic devices, Cross Zlín defines its smart city project as two distinct procedures. First is the production of traffic technology hardware such as road traffic stations, traffic light controllers, weigh-in-motion systems, parking systems and traffic counters. Second, there is the development of a software platform for integration and interoperability between on-field technology and end users, which is the main endeavor of the Incinity software branch of the company.

Changing city operations As it lacks an official definition, it can sometimes be difficult to understand exactly what makes a smart city, so Cross Zlín’s Invipo platform defines it in the simplest terms so that the ordinary users can understand it easily.

A smart city is one that uses modern technologies and their data to create

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services that contribute to the efficient operation and control of the city, while increasing operational awareness. Or, to put it another way, a smart city is a city that transforms data into information that helps citizens live better lives in their urban environment.

For every municipal area, the method of smart city technology implementation remains similar, regardless of the size of the area.

First, on-field hardware must be delivered. The technology must be integrated with existing local data sources

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and other data providers. Other steps include deploying a network capable of interconnecting all devices. This should be made up of a server housing and hardware environment, and big data storage with the capability of storing as much data as is required.

Once the basic data infrastructure is in place, the implementation process is finalized with the installation of an integration platform for monitoring, maintenance, control and analysis. This enables the city to develop ‘intelligence’ in form of smart scenarios, rules and verifications. In this last step, Incinity delivers a public web portal and mobile application to the citizens.

The particular success of technological cooperation proved itself in the smart city project that Cross Zlín recently undertook in the Turkish city of Izmir.

A real smart city With a population of four million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, Turkey’s third-largest city, Izmir, presented a great opportunity to implement smart city technologies and to observe improvements experienced by the local population.

The joint venture between Cross Zlín and AŽD Praha delivered more than 4,000 devices, plus the integration platform. The project began in 2014, finished in 2017, and was not only the largest project in the region but has also developed into becoming the largest project of its type in the world.

The project was launched with the aims of consolidating the traffic situation; improving public transport services; supplying the public with information about their city via a mobile app; and establishing new city services, making it the first ‘smart city lab’ in the region.

Technologies that made it happen Part of the project was the delivery of more than 400 traffic light controllers, 100 red light and other enforcement systems, more than 200 traffic counters, 107 pedestrian-zone bollard entries, 1,500 GPS-tracked buses, 2,000 on-street parking spaces, more than 30 monitored parking lots, 110 CCTV camera devices and 108 variable message signs.

The functionality was provided by establishing the adaptive traffic control system, public transportation prioritization, violation registers, management of parking spaces and pedestrian zone access, statistics and reporting tools, an online public City Dashboard, and a mobile application for users to access data and reports.

The results The most visible ameliorations brought by the smart city implementation became apparent shortly after the project had begun. The local traffic flow improved significantly, which can be demonstrated

by comparable measurement of the test rides with and without adaptive lights control on the selected roads with heavy traffic. The time savings were in the range 30-60% on short and long routes.

The smart city project also provided new data and statistics for reporting, which consists of a complete set of historical data enabling the comparison of previous and current status. This data range doesn’t just serve traffic managers, but can also be used in a wider context.

The project has also shown improvements in the area of city intelligence, providing notifications of failures and unexpected behavior. The improvement of city intelligence is calculated and measured by a complex rule engine controlling the city, which enables interoperability between systems and enabled devices. n

Opposite: Cross Zlín recently collaborated with AŽD Praha to turn Izmir, Turkey, into a smart city Above: A screenshot of Cross Zlín’s Invipo smart city platform

Eight steps to creating a smart city

Creating an intelligent urban area is a huge challenge. Experts at Cross Zlín have identified eight steps that might be helpful: 1) Be prepared for big data. Data is constantly growing, and coping with this volume requires detailed groundwork.

2) Be prepared for change and remain flexible, otherwise the project can freeze.

3) Acknowledge that the first version of the schedule won’t survive, no matter how precisely it was created.

4) Embrace invention within the city. Even though the city can’t tell you how to make it smart, those implementing such a project must be prepared to be innovative.

5) Use common sense in implementation and attempt to keep a bird’s-eye perspective.

6) Simplify everything.

7) Use prototypes.

8) Measure, measure, measure. Measure everything that is measurable.

Sometimes it is the only way how to show the difference between the previous and current states.

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Operation: future mobility Automated and connected driving will radically change the world of mobility.

For better or worse, automated and connected vehicles will depend on the ‘intelligence’ of transportation technologies that have already been implemented Words | Daniel Hobohm, Siemens, Germany

Today, self-driving vehicles (SDV) may seem magical to many people, but they could a become reality faster than we expect. Not least because for the car industry, SDVs promise to be the biggest game changer since the Ford Model T. Many expect self-driving taxis to quickly replace driver-conducted taxis – simply because they do not ask for a salary. In the process, they will most likely also become cheaper and more convenient than most public transport services. Already today, Uber,

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Lyft and Gett collect and drop off customers in many major US cities.

Meanwhile, the number of traffic deaths is rising. In the first six months of 2017, Germany counted 6.2% more road fatalities than in the years before. Worldwide, traffic kills more people than wars and terrorist attacks combined. Self-driving cars can react much faster than humans and they have permanent 360° vision. Visionary cities have recognized that SDVs have the potential to be more attentive than humans,

and see it as their responsibility – and opportunity – to support their development.

These visionary cities are starting to manage traffic holistically, taking both the citizen’s perspective and the city’s budget into account.

The cities focus on three key goals. Firstly, autonomous cars must also be connected cars, in order to facilitate traffic management and guidance. Connectivity is available already today, enabling bidirectional communications between transportation

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Opposite: New technologies are improving the ways in which we travel, including public transit Left: Products from the Siemens ITS portfolio will be on display at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2018

infrastructure and vehicles, as well as between different vehicles. This makes driving safer and more efficient, and helps to reduce environmental damage.

Secondly, traffic is generally a mixture of different fleets, each with specific needs and subject to specific regulations. If self-driving delivery fleets threaten to swamp our streets, why not use car-to-everything (Car2X) technology for usage-based road charging, or to create incentives for switching to night-time deliveries? Public transit vehicles are just as important – and many modern cities have already implemented measures to make them more attractive, including traffic signal prioritization and integrating public transit vehicles into city traffic management. Bicycles continue to grow in importance as a means of locomotion and smart cities are supporting this development by creating bike highways or eBike-sharing stations.

Thirdly, tomorrow’s cities are going to focus on citizens’ needs – with platforms that enable optimized intermodal travel on road and rail. Today, these platforms still serve as a source of information, but soon they will also offer their users convenient ways of calling their desired means of transport.

The portfolio of Siemens ITS reflects this focus.

On one hand, it supports city managers in making life as enjoyable for their citizens as possible. On the other hand, it provides operators of private fleets with advanced solutions for their innovative concepts.

At the show At Intertraffic Amsterdam 2018, the Siemens stand offers visitors a fascinating look into the future of

traffic engineering – on the basis of products that are already available today. The company’s showcase includes: an overview of the latest state of technology in the Car2X field; best-in-class systems for advanced traffic management, as well as the world’s biggest cloud-based traffic infrastructure platform, smartGuard; the latest generation of traffic controllers, called sX, which has advanced functions like remote access and maintenance and a web-based GUI – and can be perfectly combined with groundbreaking digital 1-Watt technology and revolutionary detector systems; integrated safety and security systems for tunnels and bridges, or strategic communication solution Canto 3S (safety, security, system); efficient fleet management tools, such as the award-winning Stream prioritization system for buses and emergency vehicles, and a new eBike sharing solution on the basis of big data analyses; the innovative SiBike app, which enables coordinated green phases for cyclists; and pioneering solutions for the smooth coordination of logistics fleets, developed in cooperation with customers such as Duisport or ThyssenKrupp.

In addition, for the first time ever, the Siemens stand will present smart systems for intermodal travel information developed by the new Siemens subsidiary HaCon. This young company, and a number of startups, can use the Innovation Corner, powered by next47, the Siemens technology incubator, as a forum for getting their message out. These newcomers may be the big players of tomorrow – and tomorrow will be here faster than we think. n

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Driving fleets in the cloud Powerful new processing software is enabling bus operators to provide a greatly improved service Words | Zeljko Loncaric, Congatec, Germany

Public transport operators want to monitor and manage their fleets in real time to optimize service quality, reduce costs and improve security. To achieve this it is necessary to get all relevant information – including video surveillance– from the vehicles into the cloud in real time. Stable connectivity and high bandwidth are required, as well as a computing platform that is reliable and can be tailored.

Most modern cities and urban areas provide at least 3G with up to 7.2Mbps or even Long Term Evolution (LTE) with up to 3.9Gbs mobile bandwidth. This is sufficient to stream even high-bandwidth data from multiple surveillance cameras to the cloud.

The major challenge lies in tailoring the fleet application’s setup and providing a powerful edge-computing platform that can host all required services so that operators can freely choose from a wide range of services, as well as variable configurations within these.

Datik, a Spanish provider of cloud-based public transport solutions, chose a modular approach for its fleet services design as well as the underlying hardware platform

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that handles all the computation and communication in its buses. Operators can pick the services they need. For punctuality tracking, arrival times can be displayed on the driver console and accessed via the management cloud, and also on screens in the vehicles and at bus stops. An additional app for iOS and Android can round off the service offerings for conductors and passengers, with flexible display and video camera configurations for up to four infrared cameras possible as well.

To address all these needs with only one low-power and rugged edge-computing platform design, Datik was looking for a RISC-based (reduced instruction set computer) architecture capable of the easiest engine switching. The company found it in computer-on-modules (COMs) based on the Qseven form factor.

COMs are standardized computing cores for customized systems. The benefits are not only a reduced bill but also massive time and cost savings compared with full custom designs. They come with an application-ready board support package and often with a

printed circuit board and interface layout samples for the custom carrier board that only need to be adapted to the application.

This enables OEMs to take advantage of the customization capabilities of a full custom design paired with the fast time to market and cost efficiency of COTS solutions.

Scalability and longevity The modularity of COMs brings high scalability and longevity to a solution because they can easily be exchanged, regardless of the module and processor vendors. This makes COMs more attractive to designers of RISC- or ARM-based (advanced RISC machine) platforms than proprietary modules or processor-specific evaluation platforms. COMs also reduce effort through the life of the system, as connected devices need constant updates.

To power its platform, Datik chose Conga-QMX6 Qseven modules with NXP i.MX6 processors. The ARM Cortex 9-based processor family offers broad scalability with single-, dual- and quad-core options. The processors further provide high computing capabilities combined with a powerful graphics solution for multiple displays, and integrate a hardware-based video decoding/ encoding engine, important for video

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surveillance. Moreover, the i.MX6 processor family is qualified for automotive applications.

User-friendly processors To be able to run all tasks on one Qseven module, Datik chose the quad-core option with 4x 1.0GHz performance. The processors are supported by several operating systems, including Android and the Yocto Project, which makes developers independent from the processor architecture. This support also paves the way for using modules with other processor technologies. Qseven’s options include Intel Atom, Celeron and Pentium processors as well as AMD embedded G-Series APUs. Vendors can offer products in various performance shapes simply by swapping off-the-shelf modules.

The fanless system has the quad-core Datik Computing Brain (DCB) running embedded Linux from Yocto. The passenger infotainment displays are connected via HDMI and the driver console with touchscreen uses VGA. An audio I/O connector is dedicated to passenger information, driver announcements and communication with the control center. Two vehicle connectors offer relevant vehicle interfaces including three CANbus and one K-line for vehicle diagnosis, two RS232/RS485 for peripherals such as displays and printers, an odometer as

well as 12 digital inputs and four digital outputs with diagnosis. Dedicated interfaces connect the GPS, wi-fi and 3G antennas. In addition, the system provides three USB ports as well as 1Gb Ethernet for validators and further connectivity. The OS, applications and system data such as the navigation software are stored on 4Gb solid-state drives (SSDs) and the video streams from the surveillance cameras can be stored on a second 250Gb SSD. Datik chose Congatec because it is well known in the business and has a great local distribution partner in Spain with Matrix. “Congatec and Matrix are highly professional,” says Datik CTO Iñigo Etxabe. “The availability and consultancy of both companies is excellent and their end-of-life and upgrade management is very convenient. They make it very easy for customers to test and validate new solutions and we have always had comfortable lead times to manage any transition.”

Datik’s cloud-based fleet management solution iPanel, with the DCB edge-computing platform based on Qseven COMs from Congatec, is on the road in France, Spain and Latin America, with more regions to come. It is built to withstand high temperatures and humidity, specified for operation in environments from 0-60°C (32-140°F), and is protected against shock and vibration. n

Main: Congatec’s modular computing cores are used to build customized real-time fleet monitoring systems Left: Datik’s DCB solution is used by fleet operators in Spain, France, Poland, Mexico, Chile and Peru Below: Datik chose a CongaQMX6 Qseven computer-onmodule for the DCB

www.congatec.com info@congatec.com Phone: +49 (991) 2700-0

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Smarter city management With urban population densities continuing to rise, the need for intelligent traffic control systems is ever more apparent Words | Antonio Marques, Grupo Etra, Spain Left: The status of mobility in a specific geographic location can be easily located on Etra’s new platform

The world population in 2030 is expected to be about 8.4 billion, 60% of it in cities.

One of the main challenges faced by these cities is the increase in congestion and the resulting effects: noise, accidents, greenhouse emissions, energy wastage, pollution, premature deaths, and, of course, the economic costs derived from all of this.

Unsustainable transport models The vehicle-centered, fossil fuel-based mobility model is no longer sustainable.

Instead, a people-centered, sustainable energy-based mobility model is needed.

Mobility must serve the city, not the other way around.

Answering this challenge requires overcoming the private vehicle versus public transport battle. The future is multimodal, with new modes of transport expected to play a key role and traditional, sustainable modes predicted to radically increase their importance in, and share of, urban mobility.

Advanced technologies are, and will continue to be, key in achieving efficiency, integration and ease of use.

The electric vehicle allows transportation without pollution, and autonomous vehicles offer endless possibilities for optimal management of travel and the traveler’s time.

Alternative modes of transport, such as bicycles, electric bicycles and a host of other vehicles – some powered by electricity and others by human energy – boost mobility and minimize the carbon footprint.

Other agents, such as logistic operators, fleet managers, Mobility as a Service managers and navigation application managers generate a wealth of information and, in addition to offering various services to the travelers, can collaborate with the public agencies that manage mobility.

V2I systems enable vehicles and infrastructure to share information between

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them. Autonomous vehicles in particular will rely on and are capable of processing significant amounts of information and able to respond to the inputs from the various agents.

The information provided by these agents allows an accurate knowledge of the behavior of mobility. Independent agencies that act on different aspects of mobility and cover the same area of influence, such as a city or a corridor, have the opportunity to share this information and to cooperate in the implementation of the best strategies of action.

New possibilities available The Mistral platform from the Etra Group offers the potential for greater management of the city’s traffic flow. Mistral incorporates a set of functionalities that allow the different agencies of the smart city to manage it.

Among them is the set of functionalities, born from Etra Group’s 30+ years of experience in the management of traffic and transport, which have been conceived especially for the management of mobility.

Mistral is a collaborative platform that integrates and elaborates mobility

information generated by different agents such as traffic managers, public transport, fleet management, parking, mobility-asa-service operators, logistics operators, navigation applications, electric vehicle recharging infrastructure managers, vehicle rental companies, and so on. This information is processed and interpreted by the platform and made available to all these agents.

Doing the basics, and then some Mistral provides basic mobility information to the rest of the smart city components, along with additional information on the mobility status of each geographic or control area and the strategies that are active.

Mistral allows the visualization and analysis of the basic information available as well as the information elaborated, using specific tools for mobility. The managers of the different agencies share precise and easily interpretable information.

The management of mobility requires, in addition to having the appropriate information, the ability to make decisions quickly to respond to the evolution of

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mobility in real time. Mistral Expert System, based on a library of rules, makes decisions and carries out actions capable of directing the operation of the control systems of the different agencies. Its strategic manager, through pattern recognition and machine learning techniques, establishes the strategies of coordinated action of these control systems.

Coordinated and independent As a collaborative tool, Mistral enables agencies to be completely coordinated even if they belong to independent organizations. Actions are coordinated between the different agencies by activating shared strategies. This collaboration can be extended to other agents involved in mobility services. The actions can be deployed directly through V2I, especially when the recipients are autonomous vehicles.

Mistral is a platform that uses the latest technologies (it’s open source and open data-enabled), and is scalable, highly reactive and interoperable with the main market standards.

Mistral integrates its own vertical systems (traffic control, public transport, fleet management, parking, electric vehicle recharging, etc), but is also open to the integration of third-party systems and with other smart city platforms.

Mobility is rapidly changing with the emergence of alternative forms of transport and the new technologies that support them. This transformation will have profound consequences on the management of cities. The Mistral platform offers city managers the opportunity to take advantage of this opportunity before the anticipated changes take effect.

The platform integrates, elaborates and manages the information of the city, especially the mobility information. It enables managers to interpret abundant and complex information, and its scalability means that it can cover all kinds of cities, metropolitan areas and even specific areas such as corridors. Mistral allows collaboration between the different agencies and is able to give automated responses to detected situations, activating coordinated strategies of action. n

Above: Mistral provides extensive mobility data in a well-designed and simple-to-read platform

@grupoetra www.linkedin.com/company/etra

www.grupoetra.com

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276 | SMART MOBILITY

Drivers of urban mobility management Advanced data analytics is the key to meeting the challenges of making our cities smarter, helping them become safer, less congested and more efficient for the future Words | Ignasi Vilajosana, Worldsensing, Spain

By 2030 nearly five billion (61%) of the world’s 8.1 billion people will live in cities.

To manage this rising tide, cities will need to respond to unexpected situations faster and manage congestion and inner-city traffic more efficiently than ever. Our ability to extract meaningful insights from data will transform urban mobility entirely, but to get there we need to build tools that enable real-time decision making.

Historically, city services such as traffic management and first responders have been reactive to disruptive events, without the means to plan proactively and foresee unexpected situations. Due to rising complexity in urban operations, cities must evolve from mere data collection and visualization, to decision-making support tools that recommend actions and show

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

potential outcomes before critical events occur and operational decisions are made.

Here are three key drivers behind the adoption of new ways of managing mobility, in descending order of importance to city officials:

1. Safety and security New geopolitical realities pose strong challenges regarding societal protection, stability and well-being. This has not gone unnoticed. Leaders are understanding that managing the mobility of individuals and identifying anomalous mobility patterns can also be a powerful tool in improving overall safety and security. Indeed, they can’t afford to risk citizens’ safety by implementing an imperfect solution. Therefore, urban leaders are also increasingly seeking solutions that

facilitate citizen engagement, such the ability to report real-time incidents or give instant feedback to citizens. Important information already exists within traffic management systems such as traffic cameras, Bluetooth and wi-fi trackers, but siloed (self-contained) data centers offer limited visibility on such data, and solutions that provide more insights are necessary. You can’t make life-impacting decisions if you can’t see the full picture.

2. Urban mobility Beyond safety concerns lies an emphasis on enhancements to city mobility. Mobility and urban parking management are crucial to managing economic development and the lifeblood of our cities: everyday transport systems bring people to work and to

SMART MOBILITY | XXX

socialize; vehicles deliver essential goods such as food, and carry away waste.

New mobility solutions and smart parking innovation will be critical to keeping our urban centers functioning. City managers face the challenge of dealing with increased density, more interactions, higher demand for transport, and potential security threats within the same budgets.

There’s a correlation between the importance of mobility solutions and city development. Emerging markets feature a rapidly growing middle class, producing a ‘congestion phenomenon’. More people can afford cars, placing unsustainable strain on outdated infrastructure. This is less pronounced in developed cities, where the gap between safety concerns and mobility demands has widened.

3. Economic impact Close behind is the impact of new urban mobility solutions on city budgets. Reducing costs and creating more value is very important. Managing efficiency is critical because many modern cities are far more accountable for budgeting than ever before. The rise of the smart city is in part due to city leaders seeking new solutions to this issue.

This last driver resonates strongly since city officials are ultimately accountable to their citizens.

However, a mayor’s economizing won’t necessarily ensure re-election. What will get them elected is their improvements to everyday quality of life for citizens.

Conclusion Today, cities need to manage growing complexity, denser populations and global talent attraction, while still ensuring the safety and well-being of all of their citizens. However, most cities face common inhibitors to efficient urban operations: fragmented work processes, disconnected departments, and legacy systems with siloed data pools that do not intuitively link with one another. Breaking down these barriers will help urban managers to build the smarter cities of the future.

In response, over the past few years smart city solutions have flooded the market, mostly they are aggregating multiple sensor data and presenting it in graphical user interfaces that can be thought of as digital dashboards. While this illuminates decision-making, operators still suffer from what’s sometimes known as ‘swiveling chair syndrome’: a kind of ‘paralysis by analysis’ that happens when an individual is confronted with too much data for the human mind to process effectively.

To truly improve city operations, we must continue to create solutions that help city officials see the complete picture and enable real-time decision making. For traffic flow management, smart parking, emergency and security response, and critical infrastructure monitoring, we must focus on building new solutions that connect sensor-based data, systems and people to generate real-time, geo-located insights. ■

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

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ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY | 279

3M Traffic Safety and Security Division (page 19) 3M Connected Roads will help bring automated vehicles to the road by harnessing science to make transportation safer and more efficient.

Building off its 78-year history in road safety technology, its goal is to continue to improve safety through enhanced infrastructure for both human drivers and automated vehicles.

Contact details: Web: www.3M.Com/ConnectedRoads

Applied Turbine Technologies (page 45) Applied Turbine Technologies (ATT) is the manufacturer of Zirocco – a leading equipment for surface and road drying and surface cleaning.

Zirocco is utilized in airports, road and bridge construction for efficient surface drying ,crack repairs, road markings, line markings, safety road taping, and asphalt paving.

Headquartered in Belgium, the Automatic Systems (AS) group has been a leading player in the area of access control for pedestrians and vehicles for almost 40 years. Automatic Systems designs, manufactures, distributes, installs and maintains equipment and systems, allowing and denying access to controlled areas.

Contact details:

Tel: +32 10 23 02 11 Email: media.asgroup@automatic-systems.com Web: www.automatic-systems.com

Contact details:

Tel: +45 74 88 58 01 Email: info@zirocco.dk Web: www.appliedturbinetechnologies.com

Avery Dennison (page 178) ARH (page 159) Alcohol Countermeasure Systems (page 189) Alcohol Countermeasure Systems (ACS) is an international group of companies with over 40 years of experience developing innovative technology to prevent impaired driving. A leading designer/manufacturer of ignition interlocks and breath alcohol testers, ACS provides products and services to law enforcement, automotive, industrial, public and personal safety markets.

ARH, established in 1991, drives innovation in intelligent transportation systems. As an independent developer of the software and hardware components of imaging devices, ARH designs, manufactures and delivers innovative yet field-tested systems that help traffic management authorities monitor traffic, optimize traffic control, collect road toll and streamline transportation.

Contact details:

Tel: +36 12 01 96 50 Email: requestinfo@arh.hu Web: www.arh.hu

Contact details:

Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY) is a global leader in labeling and packaging materials and solutions.

The company’s applications and technologies are an integral part of products used in every major market and industry. With operations in more than 50 countries and more than 25,000 employees worldwide, Avery Dennison serves customers with insights and innovations that help make brands more inspiring and the world more intelligent. Headquartered in Glendale, California, the company reported sales of US$6bn in 2015.

Contact details:

Tel: +1 877 214 0909 Email: reflective.orders@averydennison.com Web: www.reflectives.averydennison.com

Tel: +1 87 72 27 71 12 | +1 41 66 19 35 00 Email: sales@acs-corp.com Web: www.acs-corp.com

Asura Technologies (page 93)

Amano Europe (page 263) Amano Europe NV is positioning itself in the global mobility market as a solution and service provider for parking, and has been successfully installed in 36 countries worldwide in a variety of business segments such as airports, hotels, hospitals, retail, leisure and municipalities.

Recently, Amano introduced its SMART-line, focusing on cloud solutions and mobile services.

Ease of integration, low cost of ownership, fast time to market and quality assurance are the four cornerstones to drive success.

Contact details:

Tel: +32 89 323920 Email: info@amano.eu Web: www.amano.eu

Asura Technologies is driven by a single idea – to make ALPR software integration simple. The Asura team excels at creating customer-oriented applications for integrators that makes ALPR integration as easy as installing an app on your smartphone. The company offers solutions for integrators in the fields of tolling, ITS, surveillance, congestion charging, traffic violation enforcement, traffic monitoring and journey time measurement. Asura Technologies is a young and potent Budapest-based technological development company of 15 employees, creating the next generation of ALPR software.

AŽD Praha (page 155) The greatest Czech producer and supplier of complex road and rail traffic solutions in the field of control, safety and automation technologies.

For cities, AŽD Praha provides products and solutions that optimize the traffic flow management and improve the effectiveness and safety of traffic on the roads.

Contact details:

Tel: +420 724 554 111 Email: stm.info@azd.cz Web: www.azd.cz

Contact details:

Tel: +36 1 803 6698 Email: request@asuratechnologies.com Web: www.asuratechnologies.com

Betamont (page 105)

Automatic Systems (page 26)

Betamont has been globally affecting traffic management more than 25 years and it has gradually shifted from integration to development of its own systems and applications. The product portfolio is formed by

Annual Showcase 2018 | Intertraffic World

280 | ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY

The aim is to obtain the largest possible set of relevant data on the road or railway vehicle itself without obstructing the transport continuity at the measuring site.

Contact details:

Tel: +421 908 740 131 Email: betamont@betamont.sk Web: www.betamont.eu

Crane Payment Innovations (page 220)

Delta Light & Optics (page 11)

As the world’s leading provider of money handling technology, CPI offers the most comprehensive portfolio of cash management solutions in the transport and parking industry.

Customers can be confident that CPI’s solutions are robust and efficient, and that they will deliver the ROI that makes a big difference to business.

Delta, a part of Force Technology, is a leading global supplier of retroreflectometers for roads and airports. It offers robust mobile and handheld instruments that are easy to calibrate and operate. Delta’s instrument brands are well known – the current models being LTL-XL, LTL-X Mark II, LTL-M and RetroSign GRX.

Borum (page 17)

Contact details:

Contact details:

Borum is one of the world’s leading suppliers of high-quality line marking machines. It offers a full range of application methods within cold paint, hot thermoplastic and two-component cold plastic. The product range also includes related equipment such as preheaters for thermoplastic, hand screed boxes, trailers for handwork, trailers for transportation of machines, line erasers and road dryers.

Cross Zlín (page 162)

Designa (page 208)

Cross Zlín is a Czech-based company that covers a wide range of traffic product areas with several unique products for traffic control, weighin-motion, traffic detection, traffic violation systems, road weather systems and parking.

Invipo the flagship product of its subsidiary company, Incinity, is a lightweight integration and monitoring platform for smart cities. Invipo won the Intertraffic Innovation Award 2016. Its ITS Izmir project managed by Invipo received the Smart City Service Award 2017 at World Smart City Week in Korea.

Founded in Germany in 1951, Designa’s parking systems are now used across the globe. More than 16,000 systems have been installed so far.

Designa’s customers include hotels, hospitals and municipalities, as well as airports, shopping malls and private facility operators.

Contact details:

Tel: +45 87 613 213 Email: info@borum.as Web: www.borum.as

Congatec (page 273) Headquartered in Deggendorf, Germany, Congatec AG is a leading supplier of industrial computer modules using the standard form factors COM Express, Qseven and SMARC, as well as single board computers and EDM services.

The company’s products can be used in a variety of industries and applications, such as industrial automation, medical, entertainment, transportation, telecommunication, test and measurement and point-of-sale. Core knowledge and technical know-how includes unique extended basic input/output system (BIOS) features, as well as comprehensive driver and board support packages. Following the design-in phase, customers are given support via extensive product lifetime management.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 991 270 00 Email: info@congatec.com Web: www.congatec.com

Tel: +41 0 22 884 0505 Email: transport@cranepi.com Web: www.cranepi.com

Contact details:

Tel: +49 4 3153 360 Email: info@designa.com Web: www.designa.com

Contact details:

Tel: +420 577 110 211 Email: info@cross.cz Web: www.cross.cz

CUR Systemtechnik (page 229) CUR Systemtechnik has been successfully developing and producing electronic equipment and devices for more than 20 years. In the traffic sector, the company has a complete parking guidance solution, including visualization and control software, single space detection, counting, LED signs, and many more components to fit every parking garage. CUR Systemtechnik is working on projects in more than 20 countries and many partnerships with companies worldwide.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 6834 4097 0 Email: info@cur-systemtechnik.de Web: www.cur-systemtechnik.de

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Tel: +45 72 19 40 00 Email: kaa@delta.dk Web: www.roadsensors.com

De Vocht (page 165) With roots in computer forensics and expert witnessing, De Vocht is a lean organization that helps police and private organizations with independent testing and calibration of speed measuring equipment. As an accredited international standards organization (ISO) 17025 and 17020 laboratory, De Vocht manufactures lidar, point-to-point, induction and piezo, laser guns and CW/CWFM radars. It also offers consultancy and RFT preparation advice.

Contact details:

Tel: +32 928 10 110 Email: certification@devocht.be Web: www.devocht.be

Dynniq (page 252) Dynniq is a dynamic, high-tech and innovative company developing integrated mobility, energy and parking solutions enhance the flow of everyday

ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY | 281

life. Its mission is to enable people, data and goods to reach their destinations efficiently, sustainably and safely through advanced technology solutions.

Contact details:

Tel: +31 33 454 1777 Email: info@dynniq.com Web: www.dynniq.com

Easylux Reflectometers (page 69) Easylux specializes in the design and development of precision optoelectronic measurement systems. The company has reinvented the handheld retroreflectometer with an innovative, compact and lightweight technology. Easylux offers advanced handheld solutions for accurately measuring the retroreflectivity of road markings, road studs, traffic signs and safety clothing.

Gardasoft (page 115) Gardasoft, part of the Optex Group, is a leader in the design and manufacture of LED illumination and LED control solutions for intelligent traffic applications and machine vision. Gardasoft’s LED pulse controllers lead the field in LED lighting control, and the VTR and VTS series LED strobes are an innovative solution for the ALPR traffic sector. The Triniti intelligent lighting platform provides a seamless, easy-to-use connection between OEM traffic software, cameras, system hardware and lighting.

Contact details:

Tel: +44 1954 234970 Email: vision@gardasoft.com Web: www.gardasoft.com

EFKON (page 113) EFKON specializes in intelligent transportation systems (ITS), electronic toll collection (ETC), enforcement and traffic telematics solutions. It is a subsidiary of the Strabag Group. Its headquarters are in Raaba, Austria; further sites are in Belgium, Ireland, India, Malaysia and South Africa. EFKON provides innovative tolling technologies and traffic law enforcement solutions.

Etra is an international industrial group providing turnkey solutions and services in the fields of traffic, transportation, smart lighting, energy efficiency, security, water management and communications. Etra covers the whole value chain, from technological research and innovation, to development, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and operation. The company combines innovative technologies with a pragmatic approach, providing advanced, environmentally friendly solutions and services for both smart cities and technological infrastructures.

Contact details:

Tel: +34 9631 34082 Email: grupoetra@grupoetra.com Web: www.grupoetra.com

Contact details:

Tel: +55 11 3438 3448 Email: vendas@easylux.com.br Web: www.easylux.com.br

Grupo Etra (page 275)

Geveko Markings (page 71) Geveko Markings is a supplier of marking materials. The product portfolio consists of all types of marking products, from paint, cold plastic and thermoplastic, to pre-formed thermoplastic. The company’s well-trained staff guide customers to the right product for their marking projects. Geveko Markings has local sales people in 20 countries around the world, and sells to more than 70 countries globally.

Contact details:

Tel: +45 635 17171 Email: sales@gevekomarkings.com Web: www.geveko-markings.com

Contact details:

Haenni Instruments (page 121) Haenni Instruments is a leading supplier of mobile wheel load scales, with more than 45,000 units sold worldwide. Its mission is to provide the best solution for the mobile weight enforcement.

Haenni’s scales are thin, light, robust and reliable.

The variety of types, sizes and ranges enables their use in different applications.

Contact details:

Tel: + 41 31 506 5400 Email: info@haenni-scales.com Web: www.haenni-scales.com

Tel: +43 316 69 900 Email: office@efkon.com Web: www.efkon.com

Green Center (page 9)

El-tra srl (page 247) El-tra srl is an Italian manufacturer of motorized modular equipment (dispenser, validator and reader) for tickets and cards suitable for several applications: parking, highways, public transportation, and access controls. Typical partners are international and local integrators from over 70 countries worldwide. The company’s main technologies are: magnetic, barcode, chip and RFID.

Contact details:

Tel: +39 011 2202545 Email: info@eltrasistemi.com Web: www.eltrasistemi.com

Green Center is a producer and developer of smart parking technologies, automated barrier parking systems, license plate recognition technologies and parking guidance systems, verified by thousands of satisfied customers and 25 years of experience. The company also focuses on new trends in software solutions and smart applications.

Contact details:

Tel: +420 266 090 090 Email: export@green.cz Web: www.green.cz

Hectronic (page 242) Hectronic is an international provider of parking and refueling management solutions.

The company offers a complete product range in the parking market segment and has tremendous world standing in terms of quality and innovation. Hectronic’s parking technology meets diverse customer requirements in terms of communication, mobility and cost-effective metered car parking.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 7703 93 88 0 Email: mail@hectronic.com Web: www.hectronic.com

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282 | ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY

HUB Parking (page 213) HUB Parking Technology is the FAAC Group (pedestrian and vehicle access control systems automation) business unit that develops smart software and mobile solutions for the parking industry, manufactures and installs parking revenue control systems and provides pre- and after-sales services. As it deploys its offerings, Hub Parking Technology remains keenly focused on enhancing its technology differentiation and expanding its digital expertise.

Contact details:

Tel: +39 051 61 724 Email: info@hubparking.com Web: www.hubparking.com

International Road Dynamics (page 135)

J.H. Tönnjes E A S T GmbH & Co. KG (page 84)

IRD’s traffic monitoring/management products and solutions measure traffic, collect data and provide information on operations and performance of transportation infrastructure and systems. Along with providing advanced technologies to detect and weigh vehicles at highway speeds, IRD integrates other ITS technologies into web-based solutions to improve safety and mobility.

Tönnjes E A S T offers its customers vehicle identification solutions for a wide variety of requirements. These products are used to protect cars from manipulation, fraud and theft.

Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, the company comes up with modular systems that meet individual specifications in security, organization and logistics.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 4221 795 251 Email: pr@toennjes.com Web: www.toennjes.com

Tel: +1 306 653 6600 Email: info@irdinc.com Web: www.irdinc.com

Contact details:

JoBe Lighting (page 205) Image Sensing Systems (page 33)

Janus (page 129)

Image Sensing Systems is dedicated to helping improve safety and efficiency for cities and highways by developing and delivering above-ground detection technology, applications and solutions. It gives intelligent transportation systems professionals more precise and accurate information – including realtime reaction capabilities and in-depth analytics – enabling them to make more confident and proactive decisions.

Janus Traffic Management Software is a set of applications designed to improve traffic and municipal security by using video analytics. It was developed in Spain to provide a solution to control pedestrian areas, and it is continually evolving by adding new applications. In the past few years, application developments have focused on improving safety within cities. The company has also developed its international network of distributors and already has a presence in Europe and Latin America.

Contact details:

Contact details:

Tel: +1 306 653 6600 Email: info@imagesensing.com Web: www.imagesensing.com

Beckstone paver lights were invented and designed by Friedrich Schneider, an innovative and detail oriented creative from Bad Arolsen, Germany in 2003. JoBe Lighting has taken full advantage of the LED technology, designing solid rock resin and polymer concrete around the LED module. It manufactures 100% in Germany, shipping internationally with short lead times.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 6915 324 0280 Email: info@jobe-lighting.com Web: www.jobe-lighting.com

Tel:+34 932 700 200 Email: janus@janus-traffic.com Web: www.janus-traffic.com

Kamber (page 65)

Intercomp (page 127) Intercomp is the world’s largest manufacturer of portable vehicle weighing solutions and has been serving the industry for more than 35 years. It manufactures weigh-in-motion, wheel load, axle load scales and complete systems for weighing and classifying vehicles.

Contact details:

Tel: +1 763 476 2531 | +1 800 328 3336 Email: info@intercompcompany.com Web: www.intercompcompany.com

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Kamber is a leader in spraying systems for road-marking machines. It offers a large range of products for spraying cold paint, hot thermoplastic, two-component and glass beads.

Kamber listens to its customers and offers its services with innovations in more than 60 countries via an international network of distributors, including the major road-marking machine manufacturers.

Contact details:

Tel: +41 21 691 69 51 Email: info@kambersa.ch Web: www.kambersa.ch

ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY | 283

vehicles, improving management and increasing road safety and infrastructure efficiency.

Kapsch (page 259) Kapsch TrafficCom is an internationally renowned provider of intelligent transportation systems in the fields of tolling, traffic management, smart urban mobility, traffic safety, and connected vehicles. As a one-stop solutions provider, the company offers end-to-end solutions covering the entire value creation chain of its customers, from components and design to the implementation and operation of systems.

KoPab (page 61) KoPab specializes in designing and manufacturing customized, new-generation, truck-based road marking equipment. KoPab provides its customers with effective, secure, user- and environmentally friendly road-marking equipment boasting the latest technology.

Contact details:

Tel: +46 708 754 866 Email: jari.kopab.se Web: www.kopab.se

Contact details:

Tel: +43 50811 0 Email: ktc.office@kapsch.net Web: www.kapsch.net

Kummler + Matter (page 141) Kathrein Solutions (page 260) The Kathrein IoT business unit provides AutoID turnkey solutions, including hardware, software, services and support. The ability to offer all the necessary components and tools from one source enables it to offer its customers the most powerful solutions. It provides radio frequency (RF) simulation, application support, software integration and implementation, as well as operation and maintenance – all from a single source.

For more than 100 years, the specialists at Kummler + Matter Switzerland have ensured that electrotechnical systems work reliably in the infrastructure sector. Whether electrical power transmission, telecommunication by fiber optics, overhead line and railway safety systems, or traffic control systems – the customer can rely on them.

Contact details:

Tel: +41 21 631 17 17 Email: info.lemont@kuma.ch Web: www.kuma.ch

Contact details:

Tel: +49 89 286 7436 07 Email: iot-info@kathrein-solutions.com Web: www.kathrein-solutions.com

Langmatz (page 199)

Kistler (page 23) Kistler is the global leader in dynamic measurement technology for measuring pressure, force, torque and acceleration.

Customers benefit from Kistler’s weight and speed enforcement solutions as well as weight based charging and data collection solutions.

With some 1,850 employees at 61 locations worldwide, the Kistler Group posted revenue of US$364m in 2016.

Contact details:

Tel: +41 52 224 11 11 Email: info@kistler.com Web: www.kistler.com

Langmatz is an innovative plastics and metal processing firm. Its customers include companies in power engineering, telecommunications and traffic engineering sectors throughout Europe.

Langmatz’s core competencies are the design, development, production and marketing of cutting-edge products. A high degree of in-house manufacturing ensures flexible and cost-efficient production of its systems.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 8821 9200 Email: info@langmatz.de Web: www.langmatz.de

Lector Vision (page 157) Lector Vision designs, develops and manufactures automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) systems and other applications based on computer vision.

Its systems are used in different environments related to traffic management and car parking, providing the ability to monitor and control

Contact details:

Tel: +34 91 651 06 44 Email: info@lectorvision.com Web: www.lectorvision.com

LeddarTech (page 166) LeddarTech is a worldwide authority in solid-state lidar. Its patented sensor technology is used in several mobility-related industries, including intelligent transportation systems, drones and autonomous driving. With expertise developed through more than a decade of R&D, LeddarTech delivers lidars with unmatched performance and reliability at highly competitive prices.

Contact details:

Tel: +1 418 653 9000 Email: admin@leddartech.com Web: www.leddartech.com

Lindsay Transportation Solutions (page 34) A recognized global leader in the transportation industry, Snoline by Lindsay, a division of Lindsay Transportation Solutions, is dedicated to developing products and services that reduce road hazards. With safety as its top priority, Snoline designs, produces and installs innovative, cost-effective solutions for road safety, road marking and road mobility.

Contact details:

Tel: +39 02 90 99 61 Email: info@snoline.com Web: www.snolineuk.com

Lödige Industries (page 26) With over 20 years’ experience, Lödige Industries Group delivers comfortable and space-saving parking solutions. Its product portfolio features both car lifts and car parking systems with hundreds of parking spaces. Lödige supplies materials-handling solutions for a broad range of industries and specializes in providing complex material flow systems for logistics tasks. In summer 2015, the company delivered Europe’s largest fully automatic car park system in Aarhus, Denmark.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 5642 70 20 Email: systems@lodige.com Web: www.lodige.com

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solutions. For 35+ years, Optex has been trusted by over a million of customers worldwide for the accuracy and reliability of its detection systems.

Lumenera Corporation (page 99) Lumenera Corporation develops and manufactures high-performance digital cameras. Specializing in custom and OEM imaging solutions, Lumenera’s cameras are used worldwide for industrial and scientific applications. The company provides an extensive range of high-quality digital cameras with custom combinations of speed, resolution and sensitivity to satisfy the demands of today’s imaging applications.

Contact details:

Tel: +1 613 736 4077 Email: info@lumenera.com Web: www.lumenera.com

MAV Systems (page 169) MAV Systems is a specialist ALPR camera provider to users worldwide. Over the past few years MAV Systems has grown in its range of products and is now recognized as a key provider of intelligent ALPR cameras for ITS applications. Its in-house design and manufacturing capability ensures full control over quality and delivery times, enabling MAV Systems to respond to its customers’ particular needs.

Contact details:

Tel: +44 333 800 3050 Email: anpr@anprcameras.com Web: www.anprcameras.com

Contact details:

Tel: +44 1628 631 000 Email: marketing@optex.europe.com Web: www.optex-europe.com

Parifex (page 137) Parifex is a specialist in the design of speed control systems (lidar or Doppler in mobile, or fixed traffic radar equipment) for road safety purposes. It has developed a range of innovative and highly efficient speed control systems, from the captor to the supervision.

Contact details:

Tel: +33 1 39 20 80 60 Email: ndeguen@parifex.com Web: www.parifex.com

Macq (page 133) Macq, a Belgian company founded in 1923, is an uncontested authority in the development and manufacturing of fully automated ALPR camera solutions for traffic management. Its innovative hardware and smart software systems are successfully used by the most demanding clients worldwide (governments, +70 police areas, nuclear industry) with extreme high reliability (100% proven technology) and low maintenance.

Contact details:

Tel: +32 491 71 03 50 Email: sales@macq.eu Web: www.macq.eu

Mitsubishi Electric (page 3) Mitsubishi Electric is a world leader in control room display solutions, offering the latest technologies for maximum efficiency and total reliability. Products include digital light projector (DLP) video wall, ultra-narrow bezel liquid crystal display (LCD) and direct view LED, all of which are designed and built specifically for demanding 24/7 applications such as ITS and traffic management.

Contact details:

Tel: +31 297 28 24 61 | +1 888 307 0349 Email: info@mitsubishielectric.nl Web: www.mitsubishielectric-displaysolutions.com

Parking Telecom (page 219) Parking Telecom offers a full scope of seamless, end-to-end parking solutions, including a mobile application to connect parkers to parking owners, hardware, management software, and cloud services. Designed to cover all parking needs, including off-street, on-street and parking exchange, Parking Telecom proposes the very latest technical innovations available on the market, in terms of access control, payment solutions and more.

Contact details: Nedap (page 239)

Margaritelli Ferroviaria (page 58) Margaritelli Ferroviaria is an Italian company that operates in the railway sector, as a supplier of concrete and wood sleepers for RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) and SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français), and in the wooden safety barrier sector. Margaritelli Ferroviaria – with its Esterni Eterni division – is a leader in high-quality wooden safety barrier production.

Nedap Identification Systems is a leading specialist in systems for wireless vehicle detection, long-range identification and vehicle access control. Nedap’s smart parking sensors, readers and controllers optimize, monitor and control the movement of vehicles and people.

Safe, secure and efficient.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

Pexco (page 7)

Tel: +31 544 471555 Email: info@nedap.com Web: www.nedap.com

Pexco’s Davidson Traffic Control products division is a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-quality traffic safety solutions, including the new sleek, ultra-high impact City Post, FG 300 channelizer posts and lane separator curb systems, roadside delineator posts, guardrail and concrete ‘Jersey’ barrier reflectors, and temporary pavement markers.

Optex (page 242)

Contact details:

Contact details:

Contact details:

Tel: +39 075 597211 Email: jacopo.moretti@margaritelli.com Web: www.esternieterni.com

Email: sales.NA@parkingtelecom.com | sales.EMEA@parkingtelecom.com Web: parkingtelecom.com

Optex, a world-leading sensor manufacturer, provides high-performance sensing technologies for security, entrance and vehicle detection

Tel: +1 253 284 8000 Email: peter.speer@pexco.com Web: www.pexco.com/traffic

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Polchip (page 249) Polchip is a leading company in the field of design, installation and maintenance of parking systems in the Polish market and the creator of the stateof-the-art CarFlow management parking system.

For over 20 years Polchip has been implementing and servicing technologically advanced parking systems in prestigious locations, including international airports, shopping centers, hotels, office buildings, hospitals and municipal venues.

solutions include ALPR, parking guidance and ALPR-based spot monitoring, video recording, and the software BirdWatch that relies on these smart technologies and provides total parking control.

Contact details:

Tel: +34 977 300 377 Email: info@quercus.biz Web: www.quercus.biz

Reflective Measurement Systems (page 74)

Tel: +48 22 644 88 08 Email: info@polchip.pl Web: www.polchip.pl

PrismaTibro (page 207)

Contact details:

Prisma Teknik, Prisma Light and Prisma Care are all part of the PrismaTibro brand. PrismaTibro has three decades of experience in developing and manufacturing unique, high-quality products with advanced and reliable technology: pedestrian signals, deflection indicators, push buttons and LED streetlights. ISO 9001-certified.

Contact details:

Tel: +46 504 400 40 Email: contact@prismatibro.se Web: www.prismatibro.se

Tel: +353 1 254 9261 Email: joeturley@reflective-systems.com Web: www.reflective-systems.com

As a leading global supplier of products and solutions within the global ITS market, Q-Free provides class-leading tolling, parking, traffic management and connected ITS (C-ITS)/connected vehicle solutions. These solutions, together with a broad, and in many cases unique, range of sensors for infrastructure, vulnerable road user and environmental monitoring, enable Q-Free to supply ITS that addresses all road infrastructure financing, operating and condition-monitoring needs.

Contact details:

Tel: +47 73 82 65 00 Email: info@q-free.com Website: www.q-free.com

Quercus (page 235) Quercus Technologies manufactures advanced detection solutions for parking facilities and is known worldwide for its ALPR technology. Quercus

Sernis (page 185) Sernis is a Portuguese company that manufactures and supplies a wide range of high-quality road safety solutions. Its efforts in continuous research and development have been recognized and awarded several times worldwide. It is the world’s leading road studs specialist and develops and manufactures flexible bollards, ITS, LED signs, controllers and variable message signs (VMS).

Contact details: Saferoad (page 187) Saferoad is a leading supplier of road safety and road infrastructure solutions in Europe. The Group’s core business comprises design, manufacturing, sales and installation of a wide range of products and solutions that improve the standard of road safety and road infrastructure.

Contact details: Q-Free (inside back cover)

Contact details:

Tel: +34 932 50 45 98 Email: sales@sensefields.com Web: www.sensefields.com RetroTek technology is a new generation of dynamic retroreflectometers, collecting road marking/ striping data across lane widths in one pass. Efficient and safe, it identifies essential maintenance areas with interactive mapping and video for analysis.

It categorizes roads suitable for safe operation of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and is evaluated to CEN EN1436 and ASTM E1710.

Contact details:

on wireless sensors to collect and locally process data regarding urban and interurban traffic conditions, as well as single and grouped vehicle status and movement behaviors, Sensefields’ technology is designed to provide an end-to-end integrated solution in a great variety of single and combined mobility data applications.

Tel: +47 70 06 40 00 Email: mail@saferoad.com Web: www.saferoad.com

Schreiner PrinTrust (page 143) Schreiner PrinTrust specializes in the development and customization of advanced functional, security and authentication label solutions for system suppliers. Its portfolio is focused on RFID solutions for automatic vehicle identification, vignettes, stickers and transfer seals serving as proof of payment of official fees or as access authorization.

Tel: +351 253 300 440 Email: sernis@sernis.com Web: www.sernis.com

SGGT (page 39) As a manufacturer of classical steel safety systems, SGGT Straßenausstattungen has been successfully operating in the market for more than 40 years. It supplies mobile steel barriers (‘gates’) that are used on construction sites and can also be implemented for permanent use in central reservations or median crossings, offering horizontal or vertical opening options.

SGGT is focused on continually developing its products, problem-solving, and its customers’ needs. The quality of SGGT’s production is guaranteed by the certification in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 6821 3080 Email: export@sggt.de Web: www.sggt.de

Contact details:

Tel: +49 89 31584 5428 Email: info@schreiner-printrust.com Web: www.schreiner-printrust.com

Sensefields (page 145) Based on the latest needs of the mobility landscape worldwide, and using solutions based

Siemens (inside front cover) As a world market leader in traffic technology, Siemens can look back on almost 100 years of experience in the implementation of suitable technologies and solutions. Siemens takes innovation seriously. Its systems are continuously redeveloped. As far as sustainability is concerned, its new technology can be combined easily

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286 | ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY

with existing installations. Siemens supplies all elements required for the effective control of urban traffic from a single source, to cities and conurbations all over the world.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 8963 600 Email: magazine@siemens.com Web: www.siemens.com

Signal Group (page 102) Signal Group is one of the industry’s largest intelligent traffic solutions manufacturers in North America, with operating companies providing industry-leading technologies in intelligent transportation systems, traffic signaling, traffic control and management, data collection and classification, access control and detection. The Signal Group family of companies includes Peek Traffic and Rayolite in the USA and SEMEX in Mexico.

Contact details:

Tel: +1 281 453 0200 | +1 800 245 7660 Email: sales@peektraffic.com Web: www.peektraffic.com

Skidata (page 241) An international leader in the field of parking management solutions, Skidata has more than 8,500 installations in the parking industry and more than 10,000 installations in total providing secure and reliable access and entry control.

Skidata places great value in providing solutions that are intuitive, easy to use and secure.

Contact details:

Tel: +43 6246 888 0 Email: info@skidata.com Web: www.skidata.com

Spinnea (page 153) Spinnea is an independent manufacturer of traffic lights. Its mission is to support the growing mobility of society and to increase customer safety with high-quality and eco-friendly products.

Spinnea offers stable and reliable products for the lighting industry, as well as cooperating with individual clients to meet their particular needs.

Contact details: Tel: +48 77 4211 932 Email: info@spinnea.com Web: www.spinnea.com

Sprinx Technologies (page 125) Italian software development and engineering

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

company Sprinx Technologies, Spirit of Research and Innovation, is focused on designing and providing intelligent video surveillance systems for the traffic and transportation industry.

Sprinx is one of the few market players able to provide total solutions for video monitoring of roads, highways, tunnels and smart cities. The company has supplied intelligent video solutions to monitor and detect events in more than 200 tunnels and more than 1,500km (932 miles) of roads and highways.

Contact details:

Tel: +39 0362 341040 Email: info@sprinxtech.com Web: www.sprinxtech.com

Squalio Cloud Consulting (page 96) Latvian IT company Squalio Cloud Consulting provides dedicated, certified and experienced IT professionals who believe in passionate work and sincere care of each client. Continuously investing in improving the quality of IT and business process, tools and technical training, Squalio Cloud Consulting has proven capabilities in delivering secure and progressive solutions that meet customer expectations on time and on budget.

Contact details:

Tel: +371 67509912 Email: info@squaliocc.com Web: www.squaliocc.com

SuzoHapp (page 215) Technology company SuzoHapp provides software and hardware for cash handling automation and self-service solutions to more than 25,000 customers across the world.

SuzoHapp’s solutions include cash deposit, recycling, processing and payment systems and a broad range of self-service component technologies. The brands of Scan Coin, Comestero and CashComplete are united under the SuzoHapp Company.

Contact details:

Tel: +44 161 873 0505 Email: steve.fitton@suzohapp.com Website: www.suzohapp.com

Swarco (page 25) Swarco supports the growing mobility needs of society with products, systems, services and turnkey solutions in road marking, urban and interurban traffic control, parking, public transport, infomobility and streetlighting.

Cooperative systems, V2I communication, electromobility and integrated software solutions

for the Smart City are the latest, future-oriented fields in the group’s portfolio.

Contact details:

Tel: +43 5224 58770 Email: office.ag@swarco.com Web: www.swarco.com

Tamron Europe (page 147) Since its establishment in 1950, Tamron has emphasized creativity and originality in its activities as a manufacturer of precision optical equipment. This stance has guided its relentless challenge to the limits of possibility in every facet of its activities from R&D, production engineering to quality assurance. The same is true today as the company adapts to the increasing sophistication and diversity of image technology.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 221 97 03 25 0 Email: info @tamron.de Web: www.tamron.eu/de/industrial-optics

Telegra (outside back cover) For more than 20 years, Telegra has been establishing itself as a leading supplier of advanced traffic management systems (ATMS) for highways and tunnels worldwide. The company offers design, supply and maintenance of complete ITS solutions for inter-urban and urban traffic and tolling requirements, with its all-inone completely customized integrated system solutions.

Contact details:

Tel: +385 1 33 88 500 Email: info@telegra-europe.com Web: www.telegra-europe.com

TIBA Parking (page 223) TIBA provides innovative parking solutions and emerging technologies. The company’s robust, open architecture system is highly scalable and easily addresses interface requirements, whether LPR or AVI hardware; general ledger, hotel and university systems software; online reservations systems; mobile payment systems; chip and pin; and NFC. Smart tools for easy integration results in lower costs and quicker time-to-market.

Contact details:

Tel: +1 614 328 2040 Email: info@tibaparking.com Web: www.tibaparking.com

ADVERTISERS’ DIRECTORY | 287

enforcement, red light enforcement and license plate reading. Toll system operators use TollChecker to automate toll collection and enforcement.

TripleSign (page 83) TripleSign VMS can be installed in projects for tunnels, highways, toll stations, bridges, traffic management vehicles and portable traffic signs for road work. The company has active partners in Poland, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Italy, Scandinavia and the Middle East. The most important benefit is that the natural security of the message compared with LED VMS can save lives. Other benefits are the extreme reliability and the long lifetime of the system, lower investment, a flexible PLC-based internet control system, lowest power consumption of all VMS on the market and excellent prerequisites for solar.

Contact details:

Tel: +46 8 6267350 Email: info@triplesign.com Web: www.triplesign.com

Aimsun (page 122) Aimsun is an international team of technologists, scientists, and transportation engineers with a singular focus on solving the world’s most complex mobility problems: modeling the interaction of public and private vehicles; simulating the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning; testing autonomous vehicles; or offering insights into smarter multi-modal transportation choices.

Val Plastika (page 51) The main area of operation for Val Plastika is the manufacture of road safety products. Its main products are delineators, snow poles, beacons and other accessories for optimal visibility and functionality.

Contact details:

Tel: +386 1 422 85 880 Email: info@valplastika.si Web: www.valplastika.si

Vision Components (page 175) Vision Components provides full-scale solutions for automatic license plate recognition (ALPR).

The hardware-independent Carrida software has a typical processing time of 30ms and a recognition accuracy of >96%. Applications include toll/speed control, traffic analysis and fleet management. The Carrida Parking Management software module for automatic access control adds blacklist/whitelist capabilities and integrates a web server for easy monitoring and control. The portfolio is completed by sophisticated hardware solutions topped by the Carrida Cam network-compatible standalone camera.

Contact details:

Tel: +49 7243 21670 Web: www.vision-components.com

Contact details:

Contact details:

Tel: +49 611 7152 0 Email: sales@vitronic.com Web: www.vitronic.com

Waterblasting Technologies (page 46) Waterblasting Technologies is a leading provider of ultra-high-pressure water blasting systems for roadway marking removal and airport runway rubber removal.

The award-winning Stripe Hog Waterblasting System is changing the way all forms of durable markings are removed from asphalt and concrete pavements in 51 countries around the world.

Contact details:

Tel: +1 772 223 7393 Email: marketing@waterblasting.com Web: www.waterblastingtechnologies.com

Worldsensing (page 277) Widely recognized as a global IoT pioneer, Barcelonabased Worldsensing was founded in 2008 and delivers operational intelligence to traditional industries and cities. With more than 80 employees and offices in Barcelona, London and Los Angeles, Worldsensing is globally active and has customers in more than 50 countries across five continents.

Contact details:

Tel: +34 933 171 693 Email: info@aimsun.com Web: www.aimsun.com

Tel: +34 93 418 05 85 Email: press@worldsensing.com Web: www.worldsensing.com

Vita International (page 193) Vaisala (page 141) Vaisala is a leader in environmental and industrial measurement. Building on 80 years of experience, the company helps decision makers of all forms of transportation around the world to keep transportation networks safe and efficient. For the highways and roadways, Vaisala is there to help customers identify problems, and help them produce long-term sustainable solutions using the very best consulting team, sensors, display software, and real-time decision making and alerting.

Based in Northern Italy, registered company Vita International is one of the leading manufacturers of timber-coated road safety barriers in Corten steel.

There has been a family tradition in road safety for 25 years. Vita distributes its environmentally friendly CE-marked and FSC-certified products worldwide, either directly or through distribution partners.

Contact details:

Tel: +39 030 777 7949 Email: export@vitainternational.it Web: www.vitainternational.it

Contact details:

Tel: +358 9 894 91 Email: sales@vaisala.com Web: www.vaisala.com

Vitronic (page 5) A world leader in machine vision, Vitronic’s core competency in traffic technology is the monitoring of vehicles. With the PoliScan family of products, Vitronic offers lidar-based systems for speed

Zehntner (page 63) Zehntner devices and software are designed for maximum compatibility with existing systems and procedures. Measuring reports in several languages can be generated as PDF or XLS files and data can be imported to external GIS. In conclusion, raised retroreflective pavement markers have to be seen as an asset – both economically and socially. By applying structured maintenance management using Zehntner technology, a reasonable application of the available budget to improve and maintain road and traffic safety can be assured.

Contact details:

Tel: +41 61 953 05 50 Email: zehntner@zehntner.com Web: www.zehntner.com

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Having been commissioned by the DfT and Highways England to carry out the first real-world truck platooning trials in the UK, can you explain how communications technology is used to connect the vehicles?

The project team is using wi-fi, but not the type of you and I might associate with our homes. Instead it is a bespoke industrial version, with additional cybersecurity. It has been developed to function seamlessly, providing a local network around the platoon when the vehicles are in the convoy, and when they couple or decouple. But what really makes it stand out is its ability to multichannel, meaning that it will always be possible to establish a ‘strong’ wi-fi signal between the vehicles, regardless of weather conditions and in remote geographies – it can operate with poor mobile network signals or where they are non-existent.

Richard Cuerden, director of the TRL Academy, on why the transportation consultancy is a key player in delivering game-changing mobility breakthroughs… such as truck platooning How do you ensure that the Academy continues to be at the forefront of advanced transportation innovation?

There are a multitude of functions that I administer, but in my role, there are three which take priority.

The first is to ensure the organization is ‘match-fit’. In other words, I making sure our staff have the relevant skills and experience and fit into a collaborative multidisciplinary environment. Part of the Academy’s role is to nurture talent so our people can fully realize their potential. Secondly, it is imperative that we invest our annual research budget strategically into real-world projects where our skills and experience can make a difference. Thirdly, like all research laboratories, from an accountability and governance perspective, we have a responsibility to the client to provide and maintain a regime of rigorous and exacting quality controls testing, and one of my tasks is to oversee the technical review process.

Intertraffic World | Annual Showcase 2018

TRL’s main commercial partners are DAF Trucks, Ricardo (a UK engineering consultancy) and DHL. What are their roles?

DAF will be supplying custom-made right-hand drive versions of their market-leading commercial trucks for use in the trial and will be working closely with Ricardo utilizing their specialist engineering knowledge to modify and adapt these trucks to work with the state-of-the-art technology required for the platooning trials. Both companies bring with them a wealth of knowledge and practical experience gained from the European Platooning Challenge and Ricardo also worked with us closely on the development of the initial HGV Platooning feasibility study in 2014. DHL are our commercial partner and their support is essential in providing the ‘real-world’ aspect to this trial. We will not only be demonstrating platooning technology but using it day-to-day, embedded in the logistics of DHL’s freight deliveries.

Some have raised concerns that the technology could lead to truck drivers being made obsolete. Are these fears justified?

I certainly don’t see platooning impacting negatively on driver’s prospects in the short to mid-term. You will always need a driver at the wheel for security reasons. Secondly, platooning will only work on A-roads and motorway networks, meaning drivers will still be required to manually operate their vehicles on local road networks, which are the origin and destination points of each delivery run.

Thirdly, drivers have an encyclopedic knowledge of freight logistics and supply chain operations, which machine learning and AI systems simply cannot match, at present. Personally, I see platooning as a technology that will work alongside drivers and assist them in their role rather than replacing them.

They will become more like pilots, in that they will take on a very active role at the beginning and at the end of a journey, with the ability to switch their vehicles to an autopilot setting on motorways. n

Intertraffic 2018 Amsterdam

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