From the Netherlands, with love.
All busy freeways now have automated monitoring and signaling. Which includes speed loop detectors every lane every 500 meters and speed, X and arrow signs over every lane every 700-1200 meters. The rest of the freeways is getting monitoring stations every 3 — 8 kilometers for flow monitoring.
Ramp metering is implemented gradually and studies on effectiveness show the need for tailor-made programming.
A program to give information about queue lengths on different sections were drivers have a choice of freeway routes is being converted into one were delay information instead of queue length is given.
Section speed enforcement where drivers’ travel times over sections of many kilometers length are measured rather than (radar) spot speeds have proved to be very successful. On a freeway were 20% of the drivers violated the maximum speed of 120 km/h continuous use of radar traps at changing locations reduced that percentage to 6. The use of fully automated video systems were travel time over a trajectory was used led to a further reduction to 0.6% violations in flows of more than 100.000 AADT. Capacity increased a few % and most important the number of accidents with injuries was reduced by 40%. This has led to the decision to install such systems permanently on a series of freeway sections.
As part cooperation within Enterprise a mobile version has been developed with and successfully tested in Iowa. This MOSES, MObile Speed Enforcement System will be operational momentarily.
The European program KAREN on ITS System Architecture for which Dutch DOT was the project leader is finished and a cd-rom with all relevant information is available. Including an Italian example of an urban version. France has completely redesigned its ITS to comply with KAREN. A National version is worked out by and for Dutch DOT with a totally open systems design. Just like Christine Johnson stated at the 79th TRB most of the work goes into getting all stakeholders working with the same agenda. The European Commission will continue to support the work on architecture, a helpdesk facility will be established and detailed descriptions of architectures for transit and other modes will be worked out.
A new white paper shows a major change in Dutch DOT policy in which mobility is regarded as an asset for anyone, not for free, one has to pay for quality. Public transport will provide a baseline transportation service to everyone but it is no more promoted by DOT
to achieve a mode shift. Providing information on traffic will be a market issue.
Some years after Trafficmaster started to cover the UK’s network, private companies are installing on the continent, starting in Germany,
their own freeway monitoring network.
Denmark is testing a GPS-based in-vehicle system to record two parameters;
length of time and geographical sector in which a vehicle travels. This system could be used for a extensive flexible road-pricing scheme that does not need roadside beacons.
The on-board navigation systems have caught on and sales figures for Europe overtake those of the USA and except for the cheaper versions now include the automatic presentation of traffic information which is commonly broadcast by FM radio via RDS-TMC.
A workinggroup chaired by the Dutch National Police was started by the European Commission to select the location reference system for emergency calls. An automated solution shall be available Europe-wide by 2003
Intelligent Speed Adaptation, a system where the driver is suggested or forced to comply with the maximum speed has been tested out widely both in Sweden and the Netherlands. The idea is that in collisions with vulnerable road-user the risk of severe injuries practically rises from zero to hundred percent with an increase of the speed from 30 to 50 kilometers per hour. The outcome that can be effective, and accepted by both public and industry is a system where the driver is forced to use considerable extra pressure on the accelerator for exceed the maximum speed, the so called intelligent throttle.
Job J.Klijnhout
Dutch DOT