Journey Time System Archives

NTIS DATEX II Portable Travel Time VMS: Pioneering and HE Compliant

Posted on 10th August 2018 at 2:43 pm.

In 2016 we were proud to become the first ITS solution providers to have real-time journey information from the National Traffic Operations Centre (NTOC) displayed on VMS, improving the commuter’s journey experience.

We are proud to say that as well as being the first to offer this pioneering solution, we fully comply with Highways England’s (HE) stringent criteria.

Our NTIS DATEX II Portable Travel Time VMS (TTVMS) was created in partnership with HE as part of its Travel Demand Management (TDM) pilot for use on its Manchester Smart Motorway (MSM) initiative.

It’s since gone on to feature in HE’s largest scheme, the £1.5bn A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon upgrade. Displaying journey times on 26 portable Bartco VMS, the system helps inform 85,000 drivers on average each day of their predicted journey time, assisting them to choose a different route.

During the MSM project, HE issued its supply chain with a new Major Project Instruction, MPI-54-062016, ensuring that schemes of longer than 4km must not only display TTVMS legends on portable VMS to let customers know the travel time to the end of the works, more importantly that consistency is achieved between the information displayed and Strategic Road Network (SRN) fixed VMS.

The data we use is provided by the National Traffic Information Service (NTIS), which validates all data collected from GPS probe devices, ensuring quality and accuracy by comparing the measured journey times and speeds with ANPR and MIDAS data.

Compared to fixed traffic monitoring devices such as ANPR to generate journey time information, there are many advantages to using data from in-vehicle GPS devices, allowing real time monitoring and low latency, granularity of traffic data, improved coverage and less roadside equipment.

To find out more about how MVIS can offer an excellent service across your traffic management system get in touch with our team on 01629 580 570 or email sales@m-vis.co.uk

Intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions: Highways Aug/Sept 2013

Posted on 12th September 2013 at 9:43 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

The intelligent transport system (ITS) sector is one of the fastest growing in the highways industry.

As the number of vehicles using the UK’s roads grows, so too does demand for intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions to help the network operate efficiently.

In his June spending review, George Osborne announced the government’s biggest programme of roads investment for 40 years. £28 billion of investment, including a trebling of funding for motorways and major A-roads, will lead to the biggest ever upgrade of the existing network.

Long-term, the investment will result in a more efficient road network, and the enhanced infrastructure will have beneficial ramifications throughout the economy. But short-term, the immediate consequence will be a proliferation of roadworks, the potential for a rise in the number of disrupted private journeys, and an impeded commercial distribution system.

In order to minimise the disruption anticipated, highways managers are looking to a new generation of temporary journey time intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions to provide road users with an effective real-time information service.

A market leader in temporary intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions, Mobile Visual Information Systems Ltd (MVIS) is well placed to comment on the booming intelligent transport system (ITS) and signs market.

Said MVIS’ managing director, Tony Price: “As the volume of traffic on the UK’s road network grows, permanent intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions are being utilised to help increase the capacity of our highways.

“The M4M5 managed motorway project is one such case in point. The Highways Agency is working to improve journey times between the M4 junctions 19 and 20 and the M5 junctions 15 and 17, by converting the hard shoulder to a running lane for use during peak periods.

“It involves the installation of an intelligent transport system (ITS) solution including cameras and VMS on gantries, which will be used to vary speed limits and permit the use of the hard shoulder as a running lane at peak times.

“MVIS worked in partnership with Vysionics in the development and implementation of a temporary journey time system to inform drivers of the anticipated delays at key decision points prior to the works area, keeping them informed of journey times and enabling them to plan an alternative route when necessary.

“As the government’s new investment in the roads network comes into force, the demand for temporary intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions, incorporating VMS, will grow, and with this in mind, we’ve developed a new temporary real time monitoring system, the Portable Solar Powered Journey Time Solution (SPJTS).

“The SPJTS was developed in response to interest from a leading infrastructure services supplier, reflecting our ongoing dedication to develop innovative intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions in partnership with public and private sector traffic management organisations.

“It enables road users to make informed decisions regarding how to minimise journey disruption, warning of delays and advising of their extent, providing users with the opportunity to take an alternative route if necessary, and comprises a range of intelligent transport system (ITS) products, including Vysionics’ SkyHawk ANPR cameras, our new Solar 2012 multi-use trailers and VMS.”

As the demand for intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions grows, so too does the significance of issues surrounding the sector. Said Price: “There are many examples of colours other than amber and white being used for road signs around the country. Chapter 8/MS4 style pictograms incorporating red, white and amber are commonplace in many local authorities and on managed motorway networks, and A-one+ is currently using our VMS to provide strategic MS4 style pictograms and speed roundels to support A1 Allerdene Bridge northbound refurbishment works.

“Constant advances in LED, battery and solar technology mean that legislation will always be playing catch up with the latest intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions available. I am pleased to say that In my opinion there has been a noticeable positive change in approach to using new technologies in our industry over the last year. When a product becomes available that can only enhance road worker and road user safety a common sense approach to use appears to be the order of the day.”

New intelligent transport system (ITS) journey time solution

Posted on 6th August 2013 at 9:03 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

Short-term, the immediate consequence will be a proliferation of roadworks. In order to minimise the disruption anticipated, highways managers are looking to a new generation of innovative temporary journey time intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions to provide road users with an effective journey time information service.

Mobile Visual Information Systems Ltd (MVIS) is a market leader in temporary intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions, and has developed a new temporary journey time system, the Portable Solar Powered Journey Time Solution (SPJTS).

The SPJTS intelligent transport system (ITS) solution incorporates the latest software and hardware technology, providing users with a comprehensive cost-effective and stand-alone solution for short-term road works projects.

MVIS’ SPJTS intelligent transport system (ITS) solution is portable and solar powered, and so may be quickly and easily installed without the need for civil engineering or external power provision. As such, it is a cost-effective and stand-alone solution for short-term road works.

This intelligent transport system (ITS) solution enables road users to make informed decisions regarding how to minimise journey disruption, warning of delays and advising of their extent, providing users with the opportunity to take an alternative route if necessary.

The SPJTS intelligent transport system (ITS) solution comprises two Vysionics’ SkyHawk ANPR cameras mounted on MVIS’ new Solar 2012 multi-use trailers and a Bartco VMS-A. When deployed the system converts information gathered utilising the SkyHawk ANPR system into a message which is viewed by the road user and gives prior notification of journey times through a roadwork scheme.