Knowledge Resources

As part of the European TABASCO (Telematics Applications in Bavaria, Scotland, and Others) project, traffic-responsive urban control (TUC) strategies were developed and applied to the M-8 corridor in Glasgow, Scotland. Between 1997 and 1998 TUC strategies were deployed. Aaptive signal control, highway ramp metering, and dynamic message signs (DMSs) were used to balance network traffic loads on arterials and freeways during periods of heavy congestion.

• Traffic signal timing at intersections were optimized every 2 minutes using linear-quadratic programming to balance the number of vehicles traveling on urban links.
• Ramp meter wait times were adjusted every 60 seconds using the ALINEA (Asservissment LINeaire d’Entrée Autoroutière) strategy to maintain freeway flow downstream of merging locations.
• DMS boards were used to provide alternative route information and equalize travel times between competitive routes.

The evaluation project considered the impacts of TUC on the entire urban network as well as areas in and around the deployment area. The evaluation was completed in March of 1998.

SURVEY RESULTS

Three hundred and forty-five (345) mail-back post card questionnaires were received to evaluate user acceptance. Fifty-nine (59) percent of respondents found ramp metering very or fairly helpful, 29 percent found it not very helpful, and less than 1 percent found it not helpful at all.

Notes

See Also:
Tarry, Steve and Martin Pyne. UK-M8 Motorway Ramp Metering (TABASCO Project). European Commission Directorate General Energy and Transportation, TEMPO Secretariat, (Document No. SW0203). 13 February 2003.