Intelligent Traffic Systems. Intelligent concepts for today s traffic and tomorrow s

Transcription

1 Intelligent Traffic Systems Intelligent concepts for today s traffic and tomorrow s

2 Contents 4 Getting there faster on the world s roads Dr. Thomas Stetter on goals and opportunities for Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems 6 Intelligent ways out of the traffic jam There are many methods to make traffic flow more smoothly. Siemens ITS provides support to local authorities in a variety of ways. 12 Linking information intelligently Those with better information make better decisions. We ensure that technical systems and road users are always as well informed as possible. 18 Overcoming limitations with technical innovations From paying for parking tickets by mobile phone to car-to-car communication Siemens ITS is advancing traffic engineering by continually breaking new ground in technology. 24 Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems: a value added partner Our portfolio and some of our company s strengths that have made us the preferred partner for municipal authorities throughout the world. Photo title page: Our Falcon traffic management system has got the traffic flowing again in Dubai, despite enormous increases in volume. It is the first such system in the United Arab Emirates 2

3 Who are Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems? At ITS, 2,700 people are working to help road users get to their destination faster on the world s roads in great cities, small towns and on highways. Our goal is to make roads and tunnels safer while minimizing environmental impact and of course to ensure that the solutions remain affordable. Our efforts have been rewarded with wide-ranging success: today, with a worldwide installed base of over 1,000 traffic management centers and more than 170,000 traffic controllers, Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems is market leader and sets the pace in the sector. On the following pages, we will try to give you an idea of our main activities, illustrated with examples from across the world. 3

4 Mobility Safety Environment The magic triangle : three essential elements of intelligent traffic management Transporting people and goods to their destination safely and in an acceptable time, while limiting the environmental impact of traffic this is one of the greatest challenges of our time. And it is ever more pressing: in 2007, for the first time in the history of mankind, more people are living in the city than in the country. By 2030, over two thirds of the earth s population will live in urban areas. In industrialized countries today, overloaded roads are already causing costs of US$810 billion every year. Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) provides the technical solutions to meet the challenge of creating a better balance between mobility, safety and the protection of the environment. 4

5 What we want is the best solution for every city. No matter whether the city is small, medium-sized, large or mega. Dr. Thomas Stetter, head of Intelligent Traffic Systems Modern road traffic engineering has obviously moved on from the red-yellowgreen of the old days. Today, Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) offers a portfolio covering the entire range of infrastructure technologies for road traffic from classic traffic control systems through to very innovative, satellite-based toll collection systems. A particular challenge for both us and our clients is to limit the build-up of traffic jams. Overloaded roads are extremely expensive: in the industrialized countries, traffic jams already cause costs in the magnitude of three percent of the gross domestic product every year. Every kilometer less will bring direct economic benefits and reduced emissions! Our work is defined by a set of key topics. One such key area is that of integration, which is of increasing importance. We have created solutions that provide an overall view and thus control of the different flows of traffic. The Ruhr Pilot project shows just how comprehensive this integrated approach can be. Information is another key topic. For example, our dynamic route control systems reduce the accident rate on highways by around 35 percent, illustrating how effective it can be to make the right information available at the right time! On the technological front, too, our target has been integration and we have developed completely new approaches. Because the old concepts are no longer useful. We must exploit all the new technologies that are available to us. Our new video, radar and infrared detection products are clear proof of the success of this policy, and our entirely new way of acquiring traffic data by means of Floating Car Data is also developing well. We are also entering new territory with our custom-made solutions for financing and operating traffic systems: in fact, in Berlin, we actually operate the new traffic management center, while in other cities, the costs of modernizing old facilities are paid for through an energy savings contract. Energy saving is, by the way, another of our key topics. Our new LED traffic lights can take a lot of pressure off a city s budget. A German town with a population of 42,000, for example, can save 66,000 per year by installing just 25 new LED traffic lights. In essence, our goals are very simple: we are working hard to allow people and goods to move faster on the world s roads. And we make sure that each city s specific traffic problems are solved in an individual, customized way. 5

6 Overloaded roads are extremely expensive: in industrialized countries, traffic jams already cause Intelligent ways out of the traffic jam 6

7 costs in the magnitude of three percent of the gross domestic product every year. Hong Kong has one of the highest traffic densities in the world. Our technology contributes to preventing the jams from stretching into infinity. Currently we are installing the latest traffic control systems in the administrative districts of Tuen Mun and Yuen Long 7

8 A target can be reached in many ways. We support all of them. Traffic jams have many causes but there are also many ways of reducing them substantially or even preventing them entirely. Which solution is the most promising one? This varies from city to city and from country to country. And of course it is always a question of the budget. Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems helps municipal authorities throughout the world in finding the most sensible solution and implementing it in the best possible way, whether in conurbations or on interurban routes. Our contribution to a solution always extends exactly as far as the client wishes. We can supply and install the technology required, take responsibility for turnkey solutions and even take our part in operator models. Because the same fundamental flexibility applies here too: a target can be reached in many ways. And we support all of them. Since our intelligent motoring information and control systems have started operating on the highways in the Tyrol, Austria, there have been 40 percent fewer accidents and substantially shorter travel times In the Swiss Canton of Zurich, our innovative system for metering the traffic flow entering the highway has led to a reduction in traffic jams In Santiago de Chile, Siemens technology controls about 2,000 intersections. Up-to-the-minute traffic information is displayed on the city s website 8

9 Making traffic flow more smoothly Handling more and more traffic on the existing road network this is the task facing the majority of cities today, because in city centers, the existing infrastructure cannot be simply expanded at will. Our traffic control systems optimize the switching programs for all traffic lights so as to get traffic flowing even in congestion-prone sections. A good example of this is the city of Piraeus in Greece. With a population of 200,000, the city has to cope with enormous traffic flows, something that is now working much better thanks to our traffic control systems. Overall, travel times have fallen by around 8 to 12 percent (depending on route), while traffic-generated air pollution has been reduced by some 10 to 17 percent, and traffic jams have shrunk by about 20 to 50 percent, depending on time of day. Public transport has the right of way Getting more people to switch to buses and trams means that the pressure on roads is relieved considerably. Munich is an example of how successful well-targeted measures can be in this respect. Over ten years, the city has invested a total of 43 million in modernizing its mass transit systems. Among other things, Siemens ITS modernized the traffic light installations, implemented a public transport priority service program for buses and trams, and improved passenger information. With remarkable results: during the morning rush hour, trams now carry around 20 percent more passengers, while the punctuality rate has risen from 58 to 80 percent, and the average speed has improved by 22 percent. Individual traffic is also moving faster after all, every single driver who switches to public transport takes pressure off the street network. Green wave for a megacity in the Gulf region: in Abu Dhabi, our central traffic regulation system has conjured up green waves that keep the ever growing traffic volumes flowing On British highways our variable message signs are so effectively regulating traffic flow that traffic jams have become shorter 9

10 In the north of the Netherlands, our parking guidance system helps drivers find a free parking space as quickly as possible The next chapter in a special success story: in London, the successful city center congestion charging zone is being expanded to the west, with Siemens ITS as the industry partner Budapest: in step with the growing traffic volume, the traffic control and management system has kept growing over the years. Today, over 500 intersections are connected to the system Modernization on schedule Every city already has a traffic infrastructure. Usually there have been various investments and expansions over the years, using a range of different systems and technologies. The challenge of bringing such a gradually developed and mostly inhomogeneous system landscape up to date so that it can accommodate today s traffic volumes is enormous. We are taking on such highly complex and long-term tasks for cities all over the world. One of the most recent examples is Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. In 2007, we received the go ahead to modernize Prague s entire traffic infrastructure. With a budget of 156 million, we will be equipping all of the city s ten zones with modern traffic control centers and traffic lights over the next 15 years. This will make it possible to control traffic according to its actual volume, to give priority to trams and buses and provide a road space environment with fewer traffic jams and better air quality. Of course, all new traffic lights will use energy-saving LED technology. Toll charging for certain areas, at certain times The implementation of a toll zone is one way of reducing traffic in the city center. Since the introduction of the congestion charge in London, in the area between Tower Bridge and Hyde Park, there are now 18 percent fewer cars, 30 percent less congestion and 15 percent less particulate emissions. The city receives an additional 100 million annually, allowing a rapid amortization of investment costs. We supplied the technology for automatically recording all cars entering the zone and collecting the charges. Everyday, our 850 cameras installed at 127 locations register about one million number plates, while our software ensures that everyone receives the correct bill and pays it too! 10

11 A standardized Freeway Management & Operations Handbook applies to all motorways in the USA. We took the leading role in compiling it Bangkok is also introducing a road pricing system. We are currently equipping one of the big beltways around the city with a complete system for toll collection and traffic management One extra lane but only when it is needed It is not always possible to build new roads or make existing ones wider. But what can be done when rush hours simply cause so much traffic that even the most modern traffic engineering system is powerless to help? In the Netherlands, a creative solution to this problem has been devised: the rush-hour lane. On particularly overloaded highways in the east of the country, special traffic signs transform the emergency lane into a parttime additional lane in function of traffic volume. For this purpose, we developed a radar detection system that collects the required data, which are then processed at the highway control center to provide instructions for road users. Every 700 meters there is a panel with variable message signs informing drivers if the additional lane may be used and at what speed. Transport authorities in southern Bavaria are among those relying on the rush hour lane system: for several years already this modern technology supplied by Siemens has helped reduce congestion on the A9, A8 and A99 motorways by increasing throughput during rush hours. The fastest way to a free parking space In peak periods, one fifth of drivers in a city center are merely driving around looking for a parking space. (On pre-christmas Saturdays in Germany, this proportion can even reach 80 percent!) By informing all drivers in good time where they can find the next free parking space, cities can reduce parking-related traffic by around one fourth and also help reduce traffic congestion considerably. That s what our dynamic traffic information and car park guidance systems and control centers are already doing in many cities in the world. Making fee collection simple and safe By 2011, around 43,000 parking spaces will have been created in Moscow s downtown area. We supply the required 1,800 pay-and-display machines and technically really advanced ones, to boot. Each has an integrated GSM module that exchanges information on parking time and tariffs directly with the control center. Payment is cashless using smartcards, which can be recharged, rather like pre-paid cards for mobile phones. For the city this means a secure source of revenue without any of the costs involved in collecting cash. 11

12 Information is a key topic. The accident rate on highways In the German highway network alone we have installed over 2,000 traffic data acquisition systems. They supply the data to our control centers, where it is used to generate warning messages and speed limits for display on the sign gantries. In the Munich area, this has led to a reduction in the number of accidents by around 35 percent! 12

13 can be substantially lowered by measures such as dynamic variable message signs. Linking information intelligently 13

14 Our technology collects the data Detector loops in the asphalt surface, recently complemented by special roadside video devices, are able to register precisely how many vehicles are on the road and how fast they are traveling. They provide a valuable database for all the systems that can be used to influence traffic. A totally different type of data collection but one that is just as important is carried out simultaneously in the inner workings of the technical landscape. Our control centers use information from many different sources such as the databases of municipal authorities (providing data on which road works are planned and when, where and when large-scale events are taking place etc.), of police headquarters (with data on when the state visit cavalcade will be passing by and on which route) and of public transport control centers.... turns it into information Our traffic control centers act as information hubs. Here, all data flows are concentrated, evaluated and processed to provide the input for concrete switching instructions for traffic lights, the traffic information for radio bulletins and the Internet, the content for roadside display panels and much more. In this way, a minor rear-end collision on one of the beltways, for example, can automatically trigger the closing of the relevant lane at the third intersection preceding the accident location and the display of a traffic jam warning at the two intersections before this one. All completely automatically.... and can even bring an entire conurbation under one roof on the traffic engineering level As we demonstrated in the German Ruhr area in the run-up to the 2006 Soccer World Cup, it is possible to cleverly manage even very high traffic volumes in extremely large conurbations. The Ruhr traffic management project was aimed at integrating the widest range of traffic infrastructure components, from roads, multi-storey car parks and highways to buses and railways. The Ruhr area has 53 cities, 600 km of highways and 70 railway stations, accommodating over 6 million commuters and 1,200 trains every day. When the starting whistle blew for the championship games, all public transport passengers as well as all car drivers were guided quickly and safely to the game venues and arrived precisely at the predicted times. In Berlin, our traffic control center is the basis for efficient mobility management. Here it is of prime importance that the data flows originating from thousands of sources are linked together and processed in an intelligent way How do I get to my destination as fast as possible? In many cities across the world, our systems are able to answer this question via the Internet, for example In Houston, Texas, our traffic management system brings together all important information 14

15 Those with better information make better decisions. That includes both drivers and technical systems. Our navigation systems lead us reliably to where we want to go, automatically taking account of traffic jams and road closures. We receive correct information about our planned route and even our expected time of arrival via the Internet, the radio or the telephone. Dynamic display panels recommend alternative routes, warn us of ice, fog or traffic jams, and set speed limits. Everything just as you would expect? All these services amount to a significant victory of innovative communication technology, as making this kind of information available involves a large number of technical systems for collecting, processing and exchanging data. Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems plays an important part in providing meaningful information so that the right traffic control decisions are made to match the current situation. As leaders in a consortium, we established the Ruhr Pilot traffic management center in the German Ruhr area, which for the first time provides an overall view of the entire regional traffic infrastructure The Aberdeen tunnel in Hong Kong was entirely renovated during ongoing operation. Now a video surveillance system keeps the control center personnel informed of incidents in real time 15

16 De Informatieve Weg a completely new approach to driver information What would happen if real-time information was provided directly at the roadside, indicating current travel times, approaching emergency services, defective traffic lights, speed limit vs. actual speed, and dangerous tailgating? Would there be fewer accidents? Would the road be a safer place? Authorities in the Netherlands are currently running a pilot project with the goal of finding answers to these questions. Special LED panels at the roadside display a wide range of information, providing drivers with real-time information. For this project, we developed the INFORM platform to integrate all the systems involved, so that information from a wide range of different sources can be used. Drive through the city or take the highway? In the Bregenz area, drivers are told which route is better at any particular time Some cities suffer tremendously from transit traffic, although it would often make more sense for drivers to take the highway around the city as this is the faster route. That is also the case for the city of Bregenz in Vorarlberg, Austria. Especially during the tourist season, many road users on their way to Austria or Switzerland tend to choose the route along Lake Constance right through Bregenz, with unpleasant consequences for inner city traffic. Ever since information has been made available by a traffic information and control center on the German section of the highway, giving estimated travel times for the different routes, traffic volume in the city has decreased. Up-to-date information is simply vital to making good decisions. The Athens traffic management center gathers information from 275 cameras and 2,000 induction loops, among other sources. This provides an overall picture of the traffic throughout the whole region How "thick" is the air? Our wireless measuring equipment provides information that helps ensure that pollution limits are adhered to 16

17 The future of traffic management has already begun. Information plays a key role Cologne on the Rhine, with a population of around one million, is Germany s fourth largest city and a traffic intersection of unusual proportions: six national highways and seven federal roads run through the city. In order to reduce travel times and pollution levels, a traffic management solution, including an integrated area-wide information system, has been created for the entire conurbation with its approximately 4 million inhabitants. The Siemens ITS solution brings together data from all systems and subsystems involved. For example traffic control centers, parking management systems, the Internet portal, the roadworks management system, variable display boards, information and media management and numerous others. In many of the world s conurbations, it is now possible to access information on current traffic conditions in a variety of different ways by mobile phone, via the Internet, using a navigation system and on the variable display panels directly at the roadside. And most often, technology provided by Siemens ITS plays an important role. Berlin is an example of how comprehensive such solutions can be. In the German capital, we have established Europe s most modern traffic control and information center, integrating data provided by 22 traffic computers, around 2,000 traffic lights, 7 traffic guidance systems, and about 100 video cameras. In Oslo, we implemented the largest toll collection ring in the world. Data flow is extremely fast, allowing the charge collection system to operate especially efficiently INFORM informs: special display boards provide drivers with real-time data as part of a pilot project in the Dutch province of North Brabant An excellent aid to decision-making: our traffic control and information center in Vorarlberg provides drivers with information in time, thus relieving the transit traffic pressure on Bregenz city center 17

18 Old concepts are no longer constructive. We must take advantage of all the new Overcoming limitations with technical innovations 18

19 technologies that are available to us. In 2004, we installed the first satellitesupported wide-area toll system based on mobile radio in the greater Seattle area. It has proven that it is possible to use road pricing effectively even in a densely populated area of 16,000 square kilometers 19

20 The Mrazovka tunnel in the Czech Republic is packed with the latest Siemens technology. The responsibility for maintenance is in good hands with Siemens Our new, energysaving LED signal heads take pressure off the budget: The town of Weiden saves 66,000 per year thanks to 25 new LED traffic lights Our traffic detectors transmit all their data via mobile radio and have their own solar power supply. In the German highway network alone, 2,000 of these devices are in use To break new ground, limits must be overcome. We do this in all kinds of ways Today it is already very difficult to ensure adequate mobility without neglecting safety requirements or negatively impacting the environment. In spite of an expected continued rapid growth in traffic, nobody wants to suffocate in traffic jams. That is why we must leave the concepts of the past behind us. These concepts were often characterized by very rigid boundaries. The technological landscape was divided in separate technical sectors, strictly differentiating between traffic control and traffic management, urban and interurban traffic, and so on. Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems keeps overcoming these limitations every day with new ideas. This approach enables us to create integrated overall systems with high added benefit for projects of any size. 20

21 In Hamburg, we set up Germany s first pedestrian traffic light with red-light remaining-time indicator It is of ever greater importance to integrate public and private transport more closely. Here we have already made good progress Galileo helps us locate vehicles precisely. An essential tool for toll solutions, transport companies fleet management and many other applications Using the Internet and mobile radio technology to create new solutions Today s new, wireless transmission technologies make it possible to achieve what until recently was virtually inconceivable. So these days parking fees and bus tickets can be paid for by means of a mobile phone, traffic light control no longer requires any cables, solar panels and data transmission by radio makes fully stand-alone traffic data acquisition devices possible, navigation equipment guides us around traffic jams and roadworks; Internet portals keep us informed of the current traffic situation and estimated travel times, while PDAs reliably pilot people to mega-events in time, suggesting the most suitable means of transport. Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems has developed the technical know-how as well as the hardware and software products for all these applications and many more. Satellite support brings fair mobility pricing According to the experts, by 2010 almost all industrialized countries will have introduced road pricing with the twofold aim of managing traffic and financing the infrastructure. This means that heavily used roads will be more expensive at peak times than at other, quieter times. Taking smaller roads or traveling at a different time will cost drivers less and thus lead to reduced traffic jams. Our pilot project in Seattle, USA, has demonstrated that this is already feasible today. The basis of such innovative toll systems is satellitesupported communication. No work needs to be done on the roads themselves. Environmental monitoring helps ensure adherence to pollutant limits Air pollution caused by traffic is associated with nearly 700,000 deaths per year, and is on the increase. That is why in the majority of countries, limits have been introduced to control the amount of particulates and carbon monoxide in the air. If these limits are exceeded, intervention measures must be taken. We have optimized our traffic management systems in such a way that they automatically take account of data from environmental monitoring systems and thus ensure that the legal limits are adhered to. Intelligent cars bring greater safety Our research and development departments are already working on the fascinating topic of car-to-car communication. This technology allows the vehicles themselves to collect safety-relevant data, e.g. on the presence of black ice, extremely tight bends, obstacles that appear suddenly on the road (heavy applications of the brakes) and to pass this data on to following vehicles. That certainly opens up interesting prospects for making roads safer in the future. 21

22 What we want is the best solution for the From the installation of Germany s first traffic light in 1924 to the implementation of Europe s most modern traffic control center in 2006 road traffic engineering has always been an area of intensive and innovative activity for Siemens. In Berlin, we are even partners in the first operating company for a traffic management center based on a publicprivate partnership model in Germany! traffic And 22

23 city in question. No matter whether the city is small, medium-sized, large or mega. With us, your project is in safe hands. that s how it has always been. 23

24 A world leader in quality and the technologies of the future All products and systems from Siemens ITS meet the highest requirements, in respect to both technology and quality. That is hardly surprising, since every year Siemens spends more than 5.7 billion on research and development, registering 6,500 patents annually. 50,000 people out of our worldwide workforce of 475,000 work exclusively on developing new, enhanced technologies. Standardized control center technology lowers costs For our traffic and tunnel control centers, we use the latest, highly standardized hardware and software modules, thus creating very flexible platform solutions. This reduces the costs considerably while still allowing us to customize the system to exactly meet the project requirements and legal regulations. Wide-ranging experience in all aspects of traffic Integrated total solutions are the key to success today. Municipal authorities benefit from Siemens many years of experience and our comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of traffic, from rail transportation to private and public bus fleets, from the application potential provided by car electronics to the logistics systems of carriers and mail companies. Working with us an end-to-end solution partnership Right from the outset of any project we cooperate closely with our clients. Planning, project engineering, installation and commissioning are all carried through in intensive collaboration with our customers. If desired, we also take over the integration of components from different suppliers, creating an overall system that functions reliably; we also train operating personnel, take over maintenance of technical equipment and even become involved in financing and operation everything exactly as the customer and the project require. By 2009, the world s largest multi-storey car park control system will be in operation at Munich airport, with over 15,000 monitored parking spaces Worldwide, 280 million people already live in megacities such as São Paulo. In a wide variety of ways, we contribute to making life safer, simpler and more pleasant in these cities It is not only about technology! We also offer our customers new kinds of agreements, energysavings contracts and publicprivate partnership operator models 24

25 A value added partner: Siemens Intelligent Traffic Systems Siemens is one of the world s most successful suppliers of innovative technical traffic infrastructure and the company with the largest portfolio by far. Around the globe, people are using facilities for which we have provided the technical equipment. Sometimes we even take responsibility for the entire construction project, acting as consortium leader. Trains, trams, subways, airports, toll roads, tunnels and bridges, roads equipped with control technology and traffic lights When you are looking for a reliable partner for a road traffic engineering project and want to be sure that the solution will be a success in both technical and economic terms we are your partner of choice. In the megacity of Shanghai, we have not only built the Transrapid route to the airport, but by 2020 we will also have constructed a 540-kmlong subway network with 16 lines At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, our traffic management system helped everyone reach their destination quickly and safely 25

26 Our traffic engineering portfolio Interurban traffic Urban traffic Parking Tunnel systems Highway control centers Detector systems for traffic data acquisition Dynamic traffic information and control systems Emergency call systems Traffic control systems Traffic forecasts Environmental data acquisition Weather data logging Traffic control systems and centers Traffic management systems and centers Detectors and detector systems for traffic data acquisition Intersection controllers and traffic light installations Traffic-actuated controls Public transport priority systems for buses and streetcars Pay stations Mobile phone ticketing Car park guidance systems Parking space management systems Pay-and-display machines Modular tunnel control centers Automatic incident detection Detection of NO 2, CO and reduced visibility Lighting Ventilation Fire alarm and fire fighting systems Power supply Lane allocation Ramp metering systems for highway access control Solutions for variable direction signs, lane closure, opening of hard shoulder lane, etc. Environmental monitoring Vehicle height control Emergency call systems Safety and security technology Video monitoring 26

27 Electronic toll systems Services Control centers Toll systems in free traffic flow Satellite-based area-wide toll systems Lane-based toll systems City toll zones based on video, DSRC or GPS/GSM technology Systems for charge collection and administration Operator models Financing models Planning Construction Installation Training Maintenance Turnkey projects Consortium leadership 27

28 For further information, please contact: Siemens AG Industrial Solutions and Services Intelligent Traffic Systems I&S ITS Hofmannstraße Munich Germany The information contained in this brochure comprises only general descriptions and performance features of products and systems, which may not always apply exactly as described in every realized application or which may be subject to change due to further development of the products described. Performance features are only to be considered binding if they have been explicitly agreed in the contract. Order No.: E10003-A800-A41-V Printed in Germany Dispo No.: K-No.: /3770 C-TSRT5207M18 WS Subject to change without notice Siemens AG Siemens AG 2007 All rights reserved