Intelligent traffic control and software development for Management Centre of Mobility (MOVIMA)

Summary

The measure aims to improve the traffic flow, by means of implementing advanced traffic control tools focused on reducing stop-and-go traffic, reducing and/or adapting average speed, and maximizing the reduction of emissions through traffic control (NOx, PM10).

Implementing sustainable mobility

The integrated traffic control centre in Malaga (MOVIMA) is responsible for supervising and controlling the traffic due to the different traffic situations. This includes intervention because of accidents, construction sites and events.

The city of Malaga presents high emission levels in all the three air pollution measuring stations in the inner urban city. Due to the impact of private motorized traffic in air quality and emission levels, and to the even higher European limits as of 2012 in this matter, traffic control measures are required to contribute to a reduction of emissions.

On the other side, the municipality would need new tools to reduce the number of incidents caused by traffic, especially in order to accelerate the interventions of police and aid services.

The concrete objective of the measure is to improve the traffic flow, especially focusing on:

• Reducing stop-and-go traffic.
• Reducing/adapting speed.
• Maximizing the reduction of emissions through traffic control (NOx, PM10).

The city of Malaga intends to develop the following tools:

• A traffic incidents control system in order to reduce “stop & go” traffic, and thus reduce air pollution and emissions.
• Software to control sustainable mobility indicators related to the sustainable urban mobility plan (PMMS 2011-2025).

Technology systems for traffic congestion prediction will be included within the system for the dynamic control of vehicles traffic. The traffic congestion prediction will offer a new conceptual approach for traffic management, which will allow making forecasts and planning preventive measures instead of carrying out solutions after the congestions formation.

Progress

A study on traffic flow intensity and congestion in the main road network of the city has been already made, taking as a reference indicators such as the average trip duration of private motorized vehicles, average trip length, average number of stops during the trip, and average circulation speed, etc. In addition, a benchmark study on ITS solutions used by other cities at European level has been carried out, identifying those technological options and traffic control solutions which could be better implemented according to Malaga objectives.

The specific technological tools to be adopted - such as cameras and associated software for traffic intensity prediction - still have to be approved. Those tools will be finally selected and installed by 2014 and will be tested and operative by 2015.

Outcomes

The general outcomes expected through the measure implementation are the following:

• Reduction of the CO2 emissions linked to private vehicles traffic at a city level.
• Reduction of annual fuel and energy consumption due to motorized trips.

More concretely, the measure main objective is to improve the traffic flow aiming at:

• Reducing stop-and-go traffic.
• Reducing/adapting speed.
• Maximizing the reduction of emissions through traffic control (NOx, PM10).