| |
SANRAL Deploys NTCIP Ramp Meter Controllers in Pilot Scheme …
The South African National Roads Agency is progressing with an aggressive roll out of ITS technologies in the Gauteng (Johannesburg) area of South Africa. This program has included the deployment of Dynamic Message Signs, Cameras, Traffic Sensors, Lane Control Signals and a Network Management Center.
The latest part of the project to go “live” was the deployment of four NTCIP ramp meter controllers on four of the busiest on-ramps onto the Ben Schoeman Highway, which connects Johannesburg and Pretoria, and is the busiest road in Africa.
NTCIP Ramp Meters were selected, as this makes these devices consistent with the NTCIP standards based deployment of Signs, Sensors, Lane Control Signals and Central Software. Intelligent Devices were selected to supply this software, which runs on the IDI 1301 series of hardened ITS controllers.
SANRAL NTCIP Ramp Meter in Operation
Several interesting factors emerged during this deployment:
- The small footprint of the IDI 1301 controller was important in this case. Small European style traffic controller cabinets are used, as there is aesthetic objection to the large US style traffic cabinet. The small footprint of the IDI 1301 controller meant that the ramp meter controller could be mounted in a very small enclosure.
- The NTCIP Ramp Meter controller was connected to the Intelligent Control software, for central monitoring and control, without writing a single line of code in Intelligent Control. The user interface for Upload/Download of timing plan parameters was entirely configurable, and scheduling was handled by the standard scheduling interface. This example proved the effectiveness and utility of the NTCIP standards in the deployment of a new ITS technology.
- The South African Roads Manual had specific requirements. In the US, it is common for ramp meter signals to be “dark” when not in use. In SA, that would mean a “broken” signal which would require the driver to stop, and proceed with caution. Specific start up and transition requirements were also identified to comply with the SA Roads Manual, including a short period of “dark” followed by a short period of flashing red, on start up and at each plan transition. When the meter is off, the signal was required to rest in green. All of these requirements were successfully implemented in the NTCIP Ramp Meter, and the meters were successfully set to work.
SANRAL intends to monitor the effect of the meters over the next couple of months, and if they prove as successful as the initial indications, then SANRAL intend to move towards a wide scale deployment of Ramp Meters.
|
