6 September 2009
Peak hour delays can be cut by more than a third – saving
motorists millions in lost time and fuel costs – by simply
fine-tuning the traffic lights, a new study by leading consultants
GHD shows.
Route optimisation trials carried out by GHD transport systems
specialists Blair Monk and Tim Booth found that better coordination
of traffic signals could reduce fuel consumption by at least 10
percent and cut travel time by more than 13 percent for city road
users.
Mr Monk, who manages the GHD intelligent transport systems team
in New Zealand, will present his work at the International Public
Works Conference in Melbourne tomorrow.
The avoidable cost of congestion is estimated at almost $10
billion a year in Australia, and could rise to more than double
that by 2020, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport
and Regional Economics. Traffic congestion in Auckland is estimated
to cost the local and national economy more than $700 million a
year.
“Route optimisation, which is essentially the more efficient
coordination of a corridor of traffic signals, can significantly
cut travel time, and reduce stop-starts and idling time,” Mr Monk
said.
“All of these factors have an effect on vehicle fuel
consumption, CO2 emissions and safety.
“Our work shows that route optimisation can contribute
positively to economic development, accessibility and mobility
without major infrastructure works, and at a greatly reduced
cost.”
One trial, on five adjacent intersections in Auckland, was
estimated to have saved road users a total of 63,453 hours over one
year and more than 214,660 litres of fuel. The trial showed
potential savings of more than $1 million a year.
A second trial, on nine intersections, reduced peak hour delays
by more than 50 percent in one direction, and by as much as a third
in others.
But it is not just reducing congestion that is of interest. GHD
has also been helping clients to achieve other objectives through
route optimisation, including improving the safety of pedestrians
and cyclists and promoting public transport use.
For example, signals can be configured to reduce the amount of
traffic through a town centre by encouraging an alternative route,
or to give pedestrians priority over cars by making crossing times
more frequent.
In one city, where a new cycle lane was
disrupting traffic on a key arterial route, route optimisation
helped improve safety and reduce traffic delays.
Route optimisation can also be used to give
priority to public transport – without delaying other traffic. An
innovative solution gave priority to buses, but only when they were
running late, improving travel times for all road users.
Mr Monk said governments were beginning to see to the economic
and environmental benefits of investing in route optimisation, but
he said ongoing funding for route optimisation needed to be
identified to reduce traffic congestion and energy use in the
transport sector. He said more funds should be allocated to route
optimisation programs.
“This is another way to meet ongoing demand and a realistic
alternative to continuing to physically build capacity. Why not
improve the performance of what we already have?” Mr Monk said.
Mr Monk will present his study at the International Public
Works Conference at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
on Monday at 2pm.
For further information, contact:
Sonia Adams