5G utilised to cut congestion in West Midlands
Transport bosses are harnessing the power of 5G technology to cut traffic congestion on some of the West Midlands busiest roads.
A congestion-busting network of 5G sensors will relay live traffic information to the regional control centre to enable swift action to be taken as queues build up - diverting buses, implementing diversions and issuing instant warnings to motorists.
The traffic data will also be used to spot traffic trends and help plan future transport development.
West Midlands 5G (WM5G) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) have joined forces to work on the project to demonstrate how 5G technology can make a major impact on our road network.
The project centres around the Key Route Network, a set of A and B roads equivalent to 7 per cent of the available network but which carry over half of all traffic within the region.
This has resulted in congestion hot-spots affecting drivers and bus passengers alike something which the Road Sensor Networks project hopes to alleviate.
In its first phase, the project aims to capture a more granular picture of traffic flow through the deployment of various of 5G enabled sensors, radar and cameras across the key route network.
This insight will prove critical in reducing congestion and predicting and managing increasing levels of traffic particularly during major events or incidents.
TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has been working with partners such as WSP, Siemens, Earthsense and Vodafone in delivering the project.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “5G is far more than just quicker streaming of movies, and this works shows the difference it will make to people 's everyday lives across the region.
“The Road Sensor Network project will form a key part of planning and developing our future transport network, allowing us access to data that would otherwise have not been possible without 5G. Projects like this show how critical it was we got ahead of the game and won the right to be the UK 's first regional 5G testbed back in 2018. ”
The project supports the Regional Transport Coordination Centre (RTCC) and Local Authority Traffic Control Centres to provide real-time anonymised insights about traffic flow and capacity on the roads.
The project will also allow us to develop better traffic models or “digital twins ” allowing better understanding of changes in travel behaviour as the region comes out of lockdown. These models also allow us to prioritise road improvements and support new developments, key to “building back better ”.
To date the region has relied on manual surveys of traffic flows using pneumatic tubes or limited coverage of CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to gauge the number of vehicles and journeys being undertaken on the region 's roads.
This approach is limited in terms of the data and information it provides, making it difficult to accurately predict or model transport activity on the road network.
The Road Sensor Network will deploy environmental sensors to gain greater insight into noise levels, particulates, CO and CO2 counts, as well as weather and humidity data.
This kind of information will support the TfWM in meeting air quality objectives and help the region reduce its emissions footprint; which in turn will improve the health and wellbeing of local citizens and road users.
Chris Holmes, transport programme director for WM5G said: “The Road Sensor Network project is a great example of how deliberate application of connected technologies can provide the insights necessary to solve some of our biggest transport problems.
“Better connected roads will ultimately support local financial growth as it will be quicker and easier to travel for business, leisure, or academia. ”
The next stage of the £5.8 million Road Sensor Network Project will see around 280 sensors provided by Vivacity and Vaisala deployed across the seven constituent authorities of the West Midlands Combined Authority area, before its conclusion in March 2022.