Archived decisions

Contact: Jerry Sharpe, ext 7515

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That the Project Appraisals for the installation of Intelligent Transport Systems - Central Systems be approved as follows:

(i) Bus Departure Information;

(ii) Real-time Bus Information; and

(iii) Urban Traffic Control.

2. Reason

2.1 To put in place the necessary over-arching systems to support any of the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) applications which may be implemented as part of the County Council's individual area transport strategies, to enable the further deployment of ITS in Hampshire.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected

3.1 No other options are considered appropriate for delivery of the scheme objectives.

4. Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Decision Maker or a Member or Officer Consulted - none.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the Matter being dealt with if Urgent - not applicable.

Approved by: Date:

Councillor K B Estlin

7. Background

7.1 The County Council has been at the forefront in utilising and developing traffic control systems and techniques, beginning with the introduction of Urban Traffic Control (UTC) systems in the early 1980s with one of the first SCOOT (UTC) systems in the United Kingdom (UK) to be introduced from the outset. The introduction of UTC into Southampton was closely followed by installations in Portsmouth and Winchester. The Winchester UTC has been extended and includes links to Eastleigh, Gosport, Havant, Fareham and Basingstoke. It will be extended to Farnborough and other parts of the county as new developments come on line and more complex junctions are required. The original systems included a number of features, such as car park information, emergency vehicle priority, etc and were a forerunner to the more complex and multi-modal intelligent transport systems that are now emerging. These will form the basis for traffic control and information systems in the future.

7.2 ITS utilise the latest development in technology and communications to provide traffic control and travel information, building on the systems that are already in place, ie UTC. It was through the emerging transport policies and the sound foundation of the UTC systems that Hampshire was in a position to become involved in the European Commission's research and development programme which led to the ROMANSE (Road MANagement System for Europe) project being formed. The project is a unique example of the way in which traffic and travel information and control systems can be incorporated as part of an integrated transport strategy and the research and development aspect is showing the benefits that can be achieved by such systems. Many of the systems that have been developed are forming the basis of ITS within Hampshire.

7.3 The vision for ITS in Hampshire is to "utilise Intelligent Transport Systems within an overall integrated transport strategy to make the best use of the transport network more effectively and to deliver traffic control and a traffic and travel information service to the benefit of the citizens of Hampshire". The Strategy for ITS in Hampshire was developed building upon this vision, the County Council's policies, the Transport White Paper and the existing systems, infrastructure and expertise already established within the County Council.

7.4 The County Council has already started to implement the strategy and reaffirmed its commitment to ITS by establishing the ITS Group as a permanent element of the County Surveyor's Department in January 2002. The formation of this new group enabled the establishment of a Hampshire Traffic and Travel Information Centre (TTIC) based in Winchester. The ITS Group is building on the information systems developed through the ROMANSE project and the existing traffic control systems throughout Hampshire, making the most effective use of the investment already made by the County Council.

7.5 A major objective for the deployment of ITS throughout Hampshire is to ensure that for any of the applications implemented as part of the individual transport strategy areas, the overarching systems are in place utilising the latest technologies. The capacity for future expansion and the availability of adequate communications and dissemination facilities must also be an important consideration. Such a strategy will ensure a consistent approach to the development of ITS within each transport strategy area throughout Hampshire and will enable appropriate ITS facilities to be provided to meet specific objectives, form part of an overall ITS framework in Hampshire and make the implementation of ITS easier to achieve. The strategy aims to ensure that an integrated approach is taken in order to maximise synergy and produce a cost effective solution.

8. Central ITS Systems

8.1 The central ITS systems now required to enable the deployment of these facilities and techniques throughout Hampshire comprise a number of independent systems, ie Bus Departure Information System (BDIS), real-time information at bus stops (STOPWATCH), Urban Traffic Control (UTC), CCTV, Variable Message Signs (VMS), car parking information, traffic and travel information, ROMANSE on-line website, etc. Some of the systems (eg VMS) have been established with the necessary capacity and communications already in place to enable a plug and play approach as funding becomes available to install the facilities on-street as part of the individual area strategy or county-wide programmes. However, other elements need these central systems to be put in place to facilitate this comprehensive deployment throughout Hampshire.

8.2 For approval purposes, the project appraisals for three of these central systems have been included within this report. As such they can be considered as discrete elements which are independent of each other but collectively will contribute towards an improved traffic and travel information service throughout Hampshire.

8.3 The three central elements which are now being included are:

(i) Bus Departure Information System (BDIS);

(ii) Real-Time Bus Information (STOPWATCH); and

(iii) Urban Traffic Control System (UTC).

The funding for these schemes is included in the 2001/02 and 2002/03 Capital Programme.

7256/JS