The motorway network monitoring and control system (Traffic Control Centre) serves to centralize and integrate in a single user interface all the viewing, communication and control functions currently available to the staff at the Palmanova Traffic Control Centre. The motorway monitoring system is a classic ITS solution(Intelligent Transport Systems) using technology (telematics, ICT) to manage traffic and respond to traffic needs.
The system’s key objectives are:
• Integration in one unit of all the monitoring and control functions available, to provide ease of use and uniformity.
• Flexibility and modularity to facilitate the introduction of new subsystems and equipment, to become a reference point for future suppliers of devices and applications.
As traffic increases and more people travel on the road, more and more safety-related issues are emerging: this calls for integrated systems and procedures that can help solve all safety-related issues, through an appropriate use of all the information potentially available, contained in the various subsystems.
• Improving traffic fluidity
• Decreasing the number of crimes taking place on the motorway
• Indentifying subjects believed to be responsible of events that have occurred outside of the motorway area.
The system consists of various components and subsystems.
Real Time Traffic Monitoring Subsystem: this subsystem acquires traffic data that will be stored and used by the regulating and monitoring system, viewed at a general control level, with a graphical user interface (GUI) to view and process statistical data.
Real Time Traffic Video Surveillance: this subsystem allows the monitoring of key points of the motorway through video cameras (exits, critical junctions). It consists mainly of a series of peripheral equipment such as remote motorised colour cameras, that send images of the motorway’s key points to the central units in the Traffic Control Centre. The images are then viewed on the system’s user interface (GUI) and also on the general control interface.
Variable Message Panels Public Information Subsystem: this subsystem provides information to the public through VMP panels, both automatically (acquiring data from the regulating, control and general supervision subsystems) and through user prompts (directly or through a calendar-based management system).
Environmental data collection subsystem (METEO) : This is a subsystem receiving all data concerning the weather conditions on the motorway surfacing (sensors).
Corporate fleet monitoring subsystem: This is the subsystem receiving all the data on the location of the company’s Traffic Assistance vehicles.
Emergency (SOS) subsystem: This is the subsystem that regulates the use of the Emergency (SOS) posts
Regulation, control, and general supervision subsystem: This is the subsystem receiving all the traffic data that is stored in a centralised database and processed to generate overall data on traffic conditions and to plan control strategies.
Subsystem for integration with the Venice-Padua motorway T-3 MARCO system: This subsystem is currently being designed to interface the T3 MARCO system and the Autovie’s control system for the exchange and management of the VMP (both in terms of text and carriageway use) installed by Autovie Venete. All other VMSs will be shared and updates will be managed through the Datex protocol.