ARCADY 7 and AutoTrack working in sync

w w w. t r l . c o . u k i s s u e n o . 5 3 A p r i l 2 0 1 1

D e l i v e r i n g T r a n s p o r t S c i e n c e t h r o u g h S o f t w a r e

Roundabout design innovationARCADY 7 and AutoTrack Junctions Link released!

TRL Software and Savoy Computing Services have now released an innovative new process for designing

roundabouts; linking two market leading products, ARCADY 7 and AutoTrack Junctions and radically reducing the time required to design roundabouts.

AutoTrack Junctions, a new CAD program that allows engineers to interactively design roundabout geometry to UK or US standards, allows users to model roundabouts with up to eight arms and caters for splitter islands, pedestrian crossings, rumble strips and traffic control. Additional options let the user analyse driver and pedestrian sightlines, stopping distances and fastest line speed. AutoTrack runs in AutoCAD, MicroStation or standalone in Windows 7.ARCADY 7 is industry standard roundabout capacity analysis software which assesses

roundabout performance taking into account geometry and pedestrian crossings. The program predicts capacities, queues and delays for single or linked roundabouts and mini roundabouts. ARCADY 7 is the direct result of over three decades of development and is fully supported on Windows 7.

Roundabout geometry is designed according to the considerations and constraints of the site; a traffic engineer would then analyse the design to assess its operational efficiency. The final design process involves adjusting geometries and re-analysing until both geographical and operational requirements are met. By dynamically linking ARCADY 7 and AutoTrack and combining the two operations, the time taken to produce efficient and robust roundabout designs is significantly reduced. The link is initiated automatically from AutoTrack and the two

programs communicate seamlessly to each other ensuring that whichever is in use, the data is synchronised with the other; values may be changed in either program and data integrity will be preserved. ARCADY 7 results such as RFC, Level of Service and values of Queues and Delays are displayed in Autotrack and updated in real time as changes to geometry are made.

Using the link between these two programs one single interactive environment has been created in which all relevant parameters are constantly updated. This allows an engineer to see immediately the effects that any changes made to geometry will have on traffic capacity. The iterative nature of the job has been removed with the added benefit of a reduced design time, improved design efficiency and ultimately reduced cost too.

DESIGN INNOVATION

2 s o f t w a r e A p r i l 2 0 1 1

This one day workshop will be teaching delegates

the fundamentals of traffic signals design. It assumes no knowledge of traffic control, and offers an ideal first step for new engineers. Currently, it is envisaged that this course will be run prior to the two day TRANSYT workshop to help less experienced signal engineers get the most from the TRANSYT training. However, subject to demand this course can be run independently, either at TRL headquarters in Crowthorne or at customer’s offices.

The course aims to cover a range of topics, both theoretical and practical, see panel, right

Traffic Signal De sign...the basicsTo meet customer demands, and complement our existing range of training courses, TRL are pleased to offer a one day workshop titled Introduction to Traffic Signal Design.

• Fundamentals of signal control

• Phases and stages

• Conflicts and intergreens

• Phase delays

• Overview of different modes of

control (VA, CLF, MOVA, UTC)

• Overview of different detection

• Design theory, saturation flow

measurement, Y value

calculation, PCUs

• Pedestrian crossings

• Ducting and cabling overview

Traffic Signal Design

International signingsNew Distributors signed up in India and Ethiopia.

TRL Software has once again expanded its global distribution

network with two new signings in India and Ethiopia.This move highlights and reinforces the importance TRL attaches to having authorised distributors to provide a local contact point as a way to maintain a productive relationship with their international customers. The feedback received through this route is vital in ensuring models can be calibrated and adapted to accurately analyse local scenarios.Microsharp has signed up to become a TRL Software Authorised Distributor in India.

They have been fulfilling the software requirements of engineering professionals in India for over 15 years, with their customers focus primarily on Network Traffic, Highways and Construction projects. Microsharp already work with regional authorities and have a large existing customer base to which TRL Software will be promoted.

Mohammad Alam of Microsharp says of becoming a TRL Software distributor: “The traffic in Indian cities is increasing at a much faster rate than anticipated by the authorities. As a consequence, our current traffic control system just fails to address this. We feel that TRL Software will help to provide a solution to this problem.”Avicom Trading PLC is TRL Software’s latest authorised distributor. Avicom is a software distribution company that was established in 1993. They have an existing customer base in Ethiopia consisting of Local and National Road Authorities and are in an ideal position to offer a local contact point to the growing interest that exists for TRL Software. The Ethiopian authorities recognise that the use of innovative modelling solutions proves cost effective when delivering transportation infrastructure improvements.Biniam Hiwet of Avicom says: “We are looking forward to representing such an esteemed organisation as TRL and are very much interested in selling TRL’s traffic and transportation software.”TRL is delighted with the results its partner channel is providing and with the capture of customer feedback and requirements from its expanding customer base, which will help with future product development.

‘The traffic in Indian

cities is increasing

at a much faster rate

than anticipated by the

authorities...’Mohammad Alam of Microsharp

NEWDISTRIBUTORS

Traffic on India’s roads

A p r i l 2 0 1 1 s o f t w a r e 3

Traffic Signal De sign...the basicsTo meet customer demands, and complement our existing range of training courses, TRL are pleased to offer a one day workshop titled Introduction to Traffic Signal Design.

Begin designingFollowing this course delegates will be familiar with traffic signal design principles, as well appreciating the signal design process. Delegates will be made aware of current design practises and national guidance, leaving them well placed to begin producing traffic signal designs with minimal supervision.

Tailor to your requirementsThis course is written using UK traffic signal design principles; however, due to our international experience it is possible for us to tailor this course to your country’s standards and guidelines. Please contact us for further information.

Traffic signals are such an integral part of our day to day infrastructure that we only ever notice them when things go wrong. Design and implementation requires highly skilled signal engineers.

Now in its eleventh consecutive year of data

collection, the PBI collects a whole host of information from member Authorities, which cover all aspects of parking operations including but not limited to:

PBI websiteWe collect data from members with tailored questions being posed for each enforcement type. The information is easily gathered from member Authorities by way of TRL’s new PBI website, which enables data to be uploaded swiftly and securely.

Parking trendsUnderstanding that parking information is extremely sensitive, all information is given anonymously before thorough analysis is undertaken between member Authorities. Each member can see their results, and how they compare to similar Authorities. Those Authorities who have been with the scheme for a number of years can also track their own data trends, as well as identifying where potential savings can be made. We also undertake our own research into parking

TRL’s Parking Benchmarking InitiativeWith the need for Local Authorities to make savings across all transportation service departments, it’s no wonder that TRL’s Parking Benchmarking Initiative is in high demand.

trends and member Authorities are provided with tailored information from their closest neighbour Authorities.

For example, an authority may identify that in comparison to other members, they have adversely high operating costs for residential permit schemes, or that retention rates amongst notice processing staff have increased over two years. It might also be noted that a member’s 1 hour car parking charges are treble that of neighbouring authorities charges. Such information is invaluable for identifying where costs can be reduced, where pricing strategies may require a rethink for the better or where successful policy measures can be highlighted.

Not too lateWhilst this year’s data collection process is already underway for members, it’s not too late to commit to the next cycle, which will cover April 2010 to March 2011 and starting this summer. We’re also keen on ensuring our members get maximum value out of our PBI Steering Group, so we’re strengthening links to the BPA and inviting new Authorities to take a leading role in informing how the initiative can better suit the challenges faced by members today.

If you’d like to talk to us about becoming a member of the Initiative, please get in touch with us for details of our affordable rates of membership, otherwise come and have a demo of the new site at Traffex and tell us your thoughts.

• On-street and off-street

operations

• Number of Parking Acts by

bay type

• Notices, representations

and removals

• Costs

• Revenues

• Staff data, including sickness

and security

• Feedback from members of

the public.

4 s o f t w a r e A p r i l 2 0 1 1

TRANSYT needs accurate average traffic flows in order to providegood predictions of network performance. Often other systems, models or products exist, from which suitable flow data can be extracted. Two such products are SCOOT and SCATS. TRANSYT 14.0.2 allows custom-ers, for the first time, to import flow data from either SCOOT or SCATS and assign it to links within a pre-defined network. TRANSYT also outputs a range of signal timing information relevant to SCOOT and SCATS users, e.g. interstages and con-troller stream offsets. These include both positive and nega-tive relative offsets, which are of particular usefulness to SCATS (see Figure 1).Making this change to auto-mate and allow TRANSYT files to use existing data that many customers already hold, is just one example of TRL’s commit-ment to the reuse of data and the joining up of traffic engineer-ing tools. These changes appeared in the November release TRANSYT 14.0.2 - Free of charge to existing TRANSYT 14 customers.

TRANSYT 14: Now in tune with SCOOT and SCATSTRL continues its on-going program of enhancements to TRANSYT, and in particular the establishment of links with other third-party products.

How it worksAlthough the general functionality of the traffic flow import facility is the same for both SCOOT and SCATS, these two UTC Systems have different methods of report-ing flow data, so differ somewhat in their implementation. TRANSYT makes use of SCATS Volume Flow Data files (see Figure 2), while the import from SCOOT is achieved by reading flow data from SCOOT M02 messages (Figures 3 and 4). Both imports allow multiple flow data items to be summed to provide TRANSYT with average total flow values. Erroneous data is automatically ignored as part of the import process.TRANSYT links can now be associated with particular Detectors. This is how the TRANSYT link structure can be matched up with SCATS flow data associated with particu-lar detectors. Multiple detec-tors can be associated with a single link where this is needed. SCOOT messages are already link based so don’t require the same matching system – a simple matching of TRANSYT Link IDs is all that is needed.

To find out more about MotorGraph and how to obtain a licence, please contact us.

MotorGraph is a near real-time web-based tool for visualising motorway events, congestion and traffic. MotorGraph provides the data in plot format, making it possible to quickly absorb and interpret a vast amount of information about current traffic conditions and signal settings.

Two types of rolling 24-hour plots are available through the web portal – one showing traffic and signal data and one showing Variable Message Sign data – enabling the user to obtain a complete picture of what is occurring on a motorway stretch. MotorGraph also has an archive of older plots. This information allows users to assess and track operational performance of control systems on motorways; monitor live and historic traffic patterns; optimise traffic control systems and identify sources and causes of congestion.

MotorGraph provides plots for all major stretches of motorway across England with traffic detection and signalling installed. This unique facility provides all available real-time and historic data in one place, allowing users to access and interpret information about all systems on instrumented motorways. This is used to ensure that any signalling is consistent, coherent and appropriate for the traffic conditions in order that traffic systems operate optimally.

PCMOVA is the implementation of the MOVA signalcontrol strategy within a PC environment allowing connection to microscopic simulation models. Version 1.0 of PCMOVA enabled MOVA 5 junctions to be simulated within S-Paramics. PCMOVA 1.1 later added support for VISSIM and included MOVA 6 control.

To coincide with the release of MOVA 7, TRL are pleased to announce the release of PCMOVA 2.0. Not only does this include support for MOVA 7 control (details of which can be found in a separate artice), but a number of improvements in response to customer feedback.

The first is a change to the signal control frequency in VISSIM, which will be 2Hz for PCMOVA 2.0, down from 10Hz in previous versions. This enables VISSIM to be configured with a simulation rate of any multiple of 2 steps per second, allowing greatly increased simulation speeds, particularly with large networks.

Command line syntax has been introduced for VISSIM connections, enabling users to initiate simulation runs from batch files in a similar method to that already available with S-Paramics. This has also allowed common Windows functionality such as double-click a PCMOVA connection file to open the application and load file with a single action.

It is common practice for users to make copies of simulation files, for example to apply a change to a base scenario, and to change folder or file names through the life of a model. Any such changes previously resulted in either “File not found” prompts asking the user to locate the MOVA or simulation data files, or, in some cases, a prompt to recreate the connection from scratch. Such occurrences could naturally lead to user frustration.

PCMOVA 2.0 will attempt to locate data files without user interven-tion if the folder name has changed. Furthermore, non-structural changes to the simulation file will also be accepted without requiring the connection file to be recreated. Compatibility with PCMOVA 1.1 connection files is also maintained.

PCMOVA 2.0 Released LATESTRELEASE

Motorgraph

‘Moving’ forward with Motus Traffic.TRL announce tie up with Motus Traffic for MOVA 7 integration.

TRL have recently shipped MOVA 7 to the signal companies. They are now busy integrating MOVA into their controllers and prod-uct portfolio for shipment to customers. With over 300 junc-tions going live with MOVA every year and close to 4000 junctions now under MOVA control, TRL has decided that now is the time for

an additional route to market.Motus Traffic will now integrate MOVA into their controllers and their plan is to have site trials by end of Q3 2011 and commence sales end Q4 2011 or Q1 2012.Motus will join the MOVA Devel-opment Group which consists of the signal companies, Siemens, Peek and Telent and works with

NEWDISTRIBUTIONAGREEMENT

A p r i l 2 0 1 1 s o f t w a r e 5

TRANSYT 14: Now in tune with SCOOT and SCATSTRL continues its on-going program of enhancements to TRANSYT, and in particular the establishment of links with other third-party products.

Further changes in TRANSYT 14.0.3The most recent release of TRANSYT (v14.0.3) contains a number of bug fixes and even more new features. The enhancements

Figure 1 – Relative Offset Data Table Figure 2 - Import Dialog for SCATS

Figure 3 - Import Dialog for SCOOT Figure 4 – Example of SCOOT M02 Messages

sis and demand sets can now have their data locked to protect them from being mistak-enly edited. The addition of an asterisk in the data outline to indicate the current analysis

include an enhanced Timings Diagram with the optional display of minimum stage lengths and the permanent display of stage start, stage end and duration times. Analy-

and demand sets will also help prevent editing of the wrong set.

The cell transmission model (CTM) has also been improved as it can now make use of quick flares, meaning that im-ported older TRANSYT files which contains flares can now be run straight away using CTM without the immediate need to change the network structure to match the CTM flare method.

TRANSYT 14 and the SCOOT kernel are developed by TRL.

SCATS® is a registered trade mark of New South Wales RTA.

TRL to ensure that we take their needs into consideration when developing future Kernels.Gavin Jackman Head of Software at TRL said” In discussions with Motus Traffic we realised that they were passionate about MOVA and wanted to work with us to drive further innovation in the product to their customers. We did not

hesitate to move forward and are now pleased to announce this distribution agreement”Jim Booth Managing Director of Motus Traffic said “Integra-tion of MOVA is our next step in our expansion strategy and demonstrates our commitment to serve our customers at the highest level”

‘In discussions with Motus Traffic we realised that they were

passionate about MOVA and wanted to work with us to drive further

innovation in the product to their customers...’Gavin Jackman, Head of TRL Software

You can visit TRL on stand C30 or Motus Traffic on stand J42 at Traffex, NEC, to find out more.

SCOOT and SCATS T14 timimg diagram

6 s o f t w a r e A p r i l 2 0 1 1

CERS:the

You spoke – and TRL listened! After receiving overwhelming interest in CERS, TRL’s Cycling

Environment Review System, we’ve developed the software package,

on-street manual and data collection forms to support the

investment in cycling across the UK and around the world.

Many of our TSN readers will be familiar with the runaway success of PERS, TRL’s methodology for assessing the

performance of any pedestrian environment. Used as the defacto standard for justifying investment in walking by numerous Local Authorities, PERS has been used for a whole host of applications including:

In a similar way, CERS seems set to take the cycling world by storm, with a number of Local Authorities having pre-ordered the software before its official launch at the end of March 2011! CERS slots in seamlessly into TRL streetaudit, the specialist software package for

realising the maximum value of on-street audits. With easy to use tools for showing individual deficiencies and network-wide failures, an in-built GIS mapping module and data analysis functions, the CERS module will become a key tool in your arsenal for better providing for cyclists.

With a greater need to demonstrate value for money becoming a reoccurring theme in facility design and implementation, it’s never been more critical to truly understand the performance of current infrastructure before considering the need for investment. The objective framework used in CERS supports this exact aim; ensuring that wider principles of cyclist safety, comfort and attractiveness are all considered as part of any assessment.

TRL has been using the CERS methodology since its inception over a decade ago, across a whole variety of projects including identifying safe cycling routes to schools, contextual facility design, cycling masterplan implementation and better understanding the

ycling nvironment eview ystemC E

• Audits of over 170km of London streets

• Measuring levels of legibility and wayfinding

• Assessing walking routes for the 2012

Olympics

• Supporting pedestrian realm upgrade designs

• Catering for pedestrians at major trip attractors

including stadia and transport interchanges

• International deployment in countries such as

Australia, Canada, South Africa and Ethiopia

A p r i l 2 0 1 1 s o f t w a r e 7

behaviour of cyclists at various types of facility. It can be easy to forget that cyclists are vulnerable road users, especially now that demand for cycling is increasing – but higher levels of ridership mean it’s even more critical to ensure that cycling networks are actively designed rather than developed as an afterthought behind other road users. After fielding calls from Local Authorities, consultants and international governmental organisations, we’ve recognised that CERS is a secret which shouldn’t be kept to ourselves and we’ve worked hard to ensure that we deliver a low cost, innovative and invaluable solution to market in time for the new financial year.

We’ll be following the release of CERS with basic and advanced masterclasses in understanding how best to provide for cyclists using CERS and we’re expecting demand to be huge for our summer cycling workshops. So, if you can’t wait for our first update in the next issue of TSN then get in touch with us now, and together we can get the wheels in motion for improving cycling provision today, tomorrow and for the enduring future.

ycling nvironment eview ystemR S

8 s o f t w a r e A p r i l 2 0 1 1

T he past few months have been a busy period for TRANSYT training staff. Following the launch of TRANSYT 14, TRL staff have been busy running

numerous workshops both in the UK and overseas. TRL currently offer two different training courses for TRANSYT 14, both having been fully revised for this latest version ;

Both one-day and two-day courses were run at TRL’s headquarters in Crowthorne, Berkshire during October and November with delegates from UK local authorities and consultancies as well as overseas customers. An additional one-day course has also been run in February.

Here’s some of the feedback we received…“Instruction excellent, help in exercises very useful”“Liked the explanation of traffic behaviour with regard to modelling in TRANSYT”“Well presented”

TRL’s TRANSYT Certified Trainers cover the globe

T

UNITED KINGDOM

‘Instruction excellent, help in exercises very useful’

Training course feedback

TRANSYTGlobe Trotters

• The ONe-DAY uPgRADe WORkSHOP is aimed at

bringing TRANSYT users up to date with the

advances made in TRANSYT 14 – suitable for

existing TRANSYT 12 or TRANSYT 13 users

• The TWO-DAY WORkSHOP is aimed primarily at

new TRANSYT users, but also suitable for those

returning to using TRANSYT after an extended

period, and who need a comprehensive ‘refresher’.

A p r i l 2 0 1 1 s o f t w a r e 9

Three courses were run in Australia over a two week period. The first course was carried out for VicRoads (the road authority for the state of Victoria), VicRoads have recently rolled out TRANSYT 14, and it has been met with some really positive feedback from their engineers.

Australasia-Aurecon-Melbourne one day courseA one-day upgrade course was held for TRL’s local resellers in Australasia – Aurecon - and delegates from other consultancies in Melbourne. This course yielded some really positive comments on the new feature in TRANSYT 14 that allows the traffic model selection (PDM, CTM or CPDM) to be allocated on a traffic stream basis rather than over the whole network. This was seen as a critical tool for their current and future traffic models.

New South Wales two day workshopFinally a two-day workshop was held with engineers from New South Wales Road and Traffic Authority. It is anticipated that TRANSYT 14 will become a very valuable tool for them once rolled out across the Authority, and used alongside microscopic modelling and alternative macroscopic packages.

In October we ran a two-day TRANSYT course for the Land Transport Authority in Singapore, arranged through our reseller network and presented by TRANSYT’s own product manager – Jim Binning. Thanks to the fact that local expertise was on-hand to assist in the administrative arrangements our clients were assured of a well-run course for our eager delegates who were keen to know what TRANSYT could do for them. The opportunity was taken to digest and relay any new localisation opportunities back to base that had cropped up during the training and by experiencing first-hand the local traffic conditions and rules of the road.

SINGAPORE

AUSTRALIA

For future TRANSYT workshops please see the back page of this issue of TRL Software News - new dates for 2011 public training courses have now been published. Privately arranged bespoke courses are also popular and can be arranged by contacting the TRL Sales Team.

Below left: Delegates in Singapore

1 0 s o f t w a r e A p r i l 2 0 1 1

Left: The Waste Plan summary screen

TRL was contracted to design, develop and mar-

ket the website, which was part funded by CPI-Renew through the European Regional Development Fund, and delivered for Bluewise Limited.Using the website, organisa-tions can prepare a Site Waste Management Plan, procure waste services, engage directly with their supply chains and report on their carbon footprint.Waste is an ever increasing cost on construction projects due to increases in landfill tax. There is an increasing public expectation that construction projects, and the resulting waste, are handled responsibly and sustainably. Site Waste Management Plans are a way in which construction professionals can plan for waste on their projects and identify new opportunities for recycling, reuse and other ways of minimising waste. It is a legal requirement to prepare a plan in England and so it makes sense that contractors make good use of them. The new website allows users to engage their supply chain on their projects and to procure waste services directly. It combines site waste management planning with a carbon calculator, giving the user

a one-stop shop for carbon and waste reporting on their construc-tion projects. It includes corporate reporting functions so that the tool can be used to produce corporate reports and contribute to Corpo-rate Social Responsibility reports. New users can register for a free subscription, or choose one of several paid subscriptions, depending on the number of features required. Typically, a Site Waste Management Plan will be initiated by a Client or Principal Contractor (or Project Manager on their behalf). They will enter the basic details of the project along with an initial waste minimisa-tion strategy, waste forecast and the options for segregating waste on site. The user can generate invite codes to alert designers, architects and subcontractors to log in to ConstructCLEAR; these users can then contribute to the waste planning phase. The Project Manager can also use the website to invite organi-sations to tender for waste serv-ices. By using the information that is developed for a waste forecast, waste contractors can provide an accurate quote. This can be for some or all of the vari-ous types of waste that have been forecast. ConstructCLEAR is aimed at Waste Contractors and

Material Reuse Oganisations; once registered they can view and respond to these invita-tions to tender. The Construct-CLEAR Waste account gives these users access to all current tenders within their chosen geographi-cal regions: bidding for a con-tract is all handled through the website. Project Managers can view responses to their tenders and then appoint contractors based on their overall total cost and estimated carbon footprint. Once a project enters its con-struction phase, all Construct-CLEAR users with a role on the project can easily enter actual quantities of waste produced; the Project Manager can also view ongoing summaries of how this compares to the original forecast. Users can also enter detailed carbon footprint data. This ranges from quantities of electricity and gas consumption, the types of vehicle used for transport and

ConstructCLEAR An online Resource Management tool

TRL Software recently developed a resource management website aimed at construction professionals and waste management contractors.

Left: The system includes tendering capabilities for Project Managers

For more details, browse to www.constructclear.co.uk where you can register for a free account, or email enquiries@constructclear.co.ukThe website and associated databases are hosted by TRL on behalf of our client. Please contact us if you would like to know more about our website, database develop-ment and hosting capabilities.

chemical emissions, to journeys in taxis, planes and many more. All this data is used to automati-cally calculate totals of CO2 due to the project, which the Project Manager can further group by company business unit, project classification, and so on. Some of this carbon footprint data is derived automatically by the system using data entered for waste forecasts and waste contractor transactions.

Approaching 4,000 installa tions with more every month,

MOVA has proven itself to be a very effective signal control strat-egy at a wide range of isolated signal–controlled junctions and linked systems.TRL continue to develop MOVA in line with customer needs and the products strategy, and MOVA M7 will be released to coincide

with TRAFFEX. The developments include features that fall into three categories: • The first, Traffic Management Act (TMA) logs. These have been designed to help Network Manag-ers observe and review junction operation, allowing problems to be identified more easily and al-lowing analysis of improvements to be made.

• The second is an extension of the feature first made available in MOVA M6: that is the measure-ment of saturation flow. In MOVA M6 the information was available in a log and the engineer could use the information to improve MOVA operation. In MOVA M7 a statistical analysis is carried out on the data and there is the option to feed statistically robust values

back to the working configura-tion data, further improving MOVA performance.• There have also been changes to the messages to improve the layout and provide fuller informa-tion and improvement to the way CANDeT (the bus priority cancel detector) behaves.VISIT STAND C30 TO FIND OUT MORE. www.trl.co.uk

TRL announce MOVA 7 NEWPRODUCT

A p r i l 2 0 1 1 s o f t w a r e 1 1

Local Authorities have a duty under EC Directive 99/30/

EC to monitor the level of pol-lutants in the ambient air and to manage these levels within set maximum limits. Measure-ments are taken from high pre-cision monitoring stations typi-cally costing tens of thousands of pounds to purchase and requiring regular maintenance to ensure calibration remains accu-rate. As a result, cities will only have a small number of these units at selected fixed locations.

The Automatic Urban and Rural Network (AURN) consists of approximately 150 such monitor-ing stations across the UK. Data is collated, ratified, and made available as hourly averages. The AURN data provides a good general indication of air quality in a city, but it is not possible to accurately associate pollution with specific traffic congestion on the network. That would need many more pollution monitoring units placed much closer to the roads and junctions of interest.

University challengeNewcastle University, as part of the MeSSAge (Mobile environ-mental Sensing Systems Across grid environments) project, developed a low cost, low power, wireless environmental sensor, known as a mote. Following the project, the prototype sensors have been further developed into a commercial product in conjunc-tion with a spin-off company EnviroWatch.

Motes sensorsThe motes currently contain sen-sors for NO, NO2, CO, noise and temperature. A solar cell provides sufficient power for the device, backed up by a lithium battery for those days when sunlight is mini-mal. Communication is by IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee) protocol, oper-ating in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band. Once deployed, the motes

Managing traffic pollution with low cost sensors and SCOOT

WIth this system traffic pollution can be monitored and strategies put in place that will counter the air quality problem before it arises.

TRL is happy to announce the plans to re-release the ever popular BUNDLE.BUNDLE was a popular application for the mobile traffic engineer that greatly assisted in data collection. Judging by the amount of requests TRL gets for the product it has been missed. When BUNDLE 3 was out, we supported various PDA devices, largely these PDA devices have now been replaced with iPhone, iPads, Android and Windows Mobile devices – to name but a few!

So it comes with great pleasure that TRL announced that Bundle is coming back.

At the time of writing the full list of operating systems / devices that will be supported are not fully known, but by Traffex at the end of March, TRL will have at least a prototype to show on at least one platform.BuNDLe 4 will include MOVASPeeD, SATFLOW, and CFP (Cyclic Flow Profile) and its more than likely STC (Synchronised Traffic Counter):Email software@trl.co.uk with the subject BUNDLE tell me more and we will confirm all the details when its available, and why not pop along to the TRL stand c30 to talk to the guys behind it!

TRL, Siemens and Peek Traffic announce SCOOT MMX, the latest version of the SCOOT adaptive control software operating in the Siemens and Peek uTC systems. The SCOOT urban Traffic Control system is now operating in over 200 cities and towns worldwide. SCOOT has been continuously developed since its original release through ongoing research and development to take into account new technology and policies as well as the changing priorities of traffic managers. Recent releases have incorporated many new features aimed at providing priority to public transport and in the last release (SCOOT MC3) new strategies to provide benefit to pedestrians at pedestrian crossings were included. In SCOOT MMX the multi modal theme is central to the system with additional facilities to prioritise pedestrians at junctions as well as new features to improve operation during low flow periods. These changes improve the performance for pedestrians as well as provide the ability for SCOOT to operate more effectively under low flow conditions – maximizing the benefit of the system investment.Future developments of SCOOT are planned to continue this theme and ensure SCOOT remains the world’s leading adaptive traffic control system.

To find out more, visit TRL Stand, C30

Bundle 4 can it be true? LATESTRELEASE

SCOOT MMX announced!

configure themselves into the network and automatically find the best route to send data back to the gateway. The low power gives a maximum range between motes of 100m. The motes are mounted to any available street furniture, typically lighting columns or signal poles.

First commercial useThe first commercial deployment of the motes is in Medway. The motes are complemented by a dedicated database, also devel-oped by Newcastle University and maintained by TRL, which inte-grates data from the Met Office, AuRN and SCOOT with the mote data. The statistics produced will be presented to opera-tors through the Envitia UTMC common database.

Air Quality MonitoredThis system will allow traffic pollution to be identified on a link by link basis in real time, with the possibility of then modifying SCOOT parameters or triggering strategies that will counter the air quality problem before it arises. Furthermore, the mote data can be used to calibrate emissions prediction models based on SCOOT and meteorological data. The motes can then be redeployed to a different part of the network.

NEWPRODUCT

A p r i l 2 0 1 1 s o f t w a r e 1 2

2011 TRAINING COURSE SCHEDULETRL’s 2011 training programme has now been published. This year we have a wide range of workshops and courses all scheduled at our headquarters near Crowthorne, in Berkshire. Alternatively, our training courses can be tailored for your needs and conducted at your place of work, whether in the UK or overseas, or at TRL on a date convenient to you.

All delegates earn points towards the award of the IHIE Professional Certificate, which is widely recognised as a qualification within the transportation industry. Continuing professional development (CPD) is becoming more important in the global marketplace, and planning and documenting CPD enables professionals to improve their performance at work, enhance career prospects and increase learning.

All prices exclude VAT. All bookings are subject to places being available. TRL reserve the right to cancel the course if there is insufficient demand.

One Day TRANSYT 14Upgrade

One Day ARCADY 7/PICADY 5

One Day Introduction toTraffic Signals

One Day TRANSYT 14 Upgrade

Two Day TRANSYT

SCOOT

SCOOT

One Day TRANSYT 14 Upgrade

One Day ARCADY7/PICADY5

Engineers’ MOVA Training

One Day introduction to Traffic Signals

Two Day TRANSYT

10th February 2011

25th March 2011

5th April 2011

8th April 2011

6th & 7th April 2011

10th & 11th May 2011

4th & 5th October 2011

13th October 2011

18th October 2011

10th November 2011

16th November 2011

17th & 18th November 2011

The course is ideal for existing users of TRANSYT who would like to learn about the new features in TRANSYT 14. The workshop is ideal for those who have already upgraded, and for those who are planning to do so.

Covering ARCADY 7 (including our innovative new link to AutoTrack Junctions) and PICADY 5, a one-day course aims to give delegates a comprehensive grounding in using the programs.

Suitable for those new to the industry, the course will cover the basics of traffic signal design from first principles. Delegates will learn how to produce basic Traffic Signal Designs with minimal supervision as well as gaining an understanding of the design process and the key industry guidance literature. An ideal introduction to the two day TRANSYT workshop which follows.

The course is ideal for existing users of TRANSYT who would like to learn about the new features in TRANSYT 14. The workshop is ideal for those who have already upgraded, and for those who are planning to do so.

Aimed at beginners, the course will benefit anyone involved in the design or operation of traffic management and control. It is also suitable for anyone evaluating designs of individual or linked traffic signals and fully or partially signalled networks, including signalised roundabouts. The aim of the course is to provide delegates with grounding in how to use TRANSYT correctly and effectively. N.B. Familiarity with basic traffic engineering terms and ideas is assumed.

The objective of the course is to enable delegates to understand and apply SCOOT. The course is aimed at engineers who have had some experience with UTC systems and / or TRANSYT.

The objective of the course is to enable delegates to understand and apply SCOOT. The course is aimed at engineers who have had some experience with UTC systems and / or TRANSYT.

The course is ideal for existing users of TRANSYT who would like to learn about the new features in TRANSYT 14. The workshop is ideal for those who have already upgraded, and for those who are planning to do so.

Covering ARCADY 7 (including our innovative new link to AutoTrack Junctions) and PICADY 5, this one-day course aims to give delegates a comprehensive grounding in how to use the program.

The course will explain in detail how MOVA works and how to set up sites.By the end of the two days you will be in a position to design and configure MOVA sites and begin to understand what areas to concentrate on and what to do if MOVA is not working as expected. It includes the use of the latest version of MOVA Setup.

The course will cover the basics of traffic signal design from first principles. Delegates will learn how to produce basic Traffic Signal Designs with minimal supervision as well as gaining an understanding of the design process and the key industry guidance literature. An ideal introduction to the two day TRANSYT workshop which follows.

Aimed at beginners, the course will benefit anyone involved in the design or operation of traffic management and control. It is also suitable for anyone evaluating designs of individual or linked traffic signals and fully or partially signalled networks, including signalised roundabouts. The aim of the course is to provide delegates with grounding in how to use TRANSYT correctly and effectively. N.B. Familiarity with basic traffic engineering terms and ideas is assumed.

£270per delegate

£270per delegate

£225per delegate

£270per delegate

£540per delegate

£775 per delegate

£775per delegate

£270per delegate

£270 per delegate

£575per delegate

£225per delegate

£540per delegate

course date information fee

TRL will be out and about attending various events and exhibitions both in the UK and worldwide – why not catch up with us in person? We’d be pleased to see you and to discuss your software requirements – here’s a list of what we have planned this year so far:

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Traffex 2011 NEC Birmingham, UK 29-31 March 2011

International Roundabout Conference Carmel Indiana, USA 18–20 May 2011

8th ITS European Conference Lyon, France 6-9 June 2011

Modelling World 2011 Chelsea Football Club 16 June 2011

Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Edmonton Alberta, Canada 11-14 September 2011

JCT Symposium and Exhibition Event University of Hertfordshire, UK 21-22 September 2011