London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions provider, MVIS, read with interest an article in last week’s Highways on Fridays, which reported on the way in which improvements in how the country’s busiest roads are managed have come about as a direct result of lessons learned from the games.

The article referred to the verdict of road bosses speaking at an industry event, London 2012 Lessons and Legacy, held by the Roads Academy, a new professional development programme designed to encourage innovation and best practice across the roads industry.

Industry leaders speaking at the event explained that ways of working pioneered while planning for last summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games have led to improvements in planning roadworks, managing traffic flows during busy times and how incidents are responded to, and MVIS’ intelligent transport system (ITS) was of a cruical element of the initiative.

Comenting on the project which incorporated MVIS’ intelligent transport system (ITS), TfL director of roads Dana Skelley said: “Moving millions of people across London was obviously one of the major challenges of the London 2012 games. Despite the scale of the challenge posed to London’s transport network, transport arrangements were enormously successful…. Investment in state-of-the-art traffic management systems played a vital role in keeping London moving. New technology systems, upgraded traffic signals and improved modelling are all leaving a legacy of better managed roads and smoother traffic flow throughout the capital.”

Highways Agency chief executive Graham Dalton added: “A relentless focus on performance and innovative solutions – like the ones we developed for the games – will be crucial in making maximum use out of our road network, a vital national asset, in the years ahead while ensuring we continue to deliver best value for taxpayers’ money.”

MVIS is one of UK’s leading intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions providers, working in partnership with traffic management organisations to create solutions to help the road network operate efficiently.

Its Olympic Route Network intelligent transport system (ITS) solution featured the supply of what is believed to be the largest single deployment of solar powered variable message signs (VMS) in the world, with almost 200 units employed for the network, enabling key participants, such as athletes and officials, to travel safely, securely and efficiently between venues and their accommodation, while also keeping London and the rest of the UK moving.