News
- • SUNA - Sydney Traffic Visualisation
- • RMS takes over development of NGEN
- • New Roads and Maritimes Services
- • New era in transport
- • SCATS to ease congestion in Silicon Valley
- • SCATS version 6.8.1 released
- • RTA and SCATS at the 17th ITS World Congress in Korea
- • Amman SCATS project scoops Gulf Traffic Innovation award
- • SCATS version 6.7.1 released
- • Traffic Systems team changes
- • SCATS distribution changes
See how well SCATS works
SUNA has created a video that visualises traffic movements, congestion and traffic signal operations in the greater Sydney area.
This mesmerising visualisation uses data from SCATS and GPS tracked vehicles to show a birds-eye view of the Sydney road network over a 24 hour period. It gives a fascinating insight into the complexity and challenges of managing traffic in a busy urban environment and demonstrates how well SCATS performs.
The colours used in the visualisation represent three levels of congestion: red to signify significant congestion, orange for medium-level congestion and green for no serious delay. Because of the remarkable flexibility, coordination and adaptive nature of SCATS, the Sydney CBD predominately has medium levels of congestion or no serious delays.
SCATS helps to keep the beating heart of the Sydney economy moving.
- • The flickering traces in the video represent raw data from GPS tracked vehicle (over 3.5 million data plots).
- • The steady points represent SCATS traffic light sensors (over 3,600 intersections). Data is reported by sensors in each lane, on every intersection approach to the SCATS coordinated network of signalised intersections.
- • The icons shown at the end of the video represent traffic messages transmitted to navigation systems in real-time.
See the SUNA Traffic – Sydney Traffic Visualisation on YouTube©
RMS takes over development of NGEN
Traffic Application Software (TAS) informs its customers that Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) has acquired the company’s traffic application software business (including existing licences). Please see the attached letter from TAS informing customers of the acquisition.
RMS is delighted to assume responsibility for the ongoing development of NGEN personality software and would like to acknowledge the inventor Mr Nick Rubbi for all the effort he has put into this software. RMS can be contacted through scatshelp for general enquiries and attached is a letter from RMS to all existing and future NGEN customers.
New Roads and Maritimes Services
1 November 2011 marks the introduction of the new Roads and Maritime Services.
In July the NSW Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay, along with Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian, announced the RTA and the NSW Maritime Authority would be wound up and a new agency created.
The new Roads and Maritime Services will focus on service delivery, concentrating on delivering the key tasks of building and maintaining road infrastructure and the day-to-day compliance and safety for roads and waterways.
The safety brand NSW Maritime will continue as a Division of Roads and Maritime Services. The NSW Roads and Maritime Services agency will be led by Peter Duncan, who was recently announced as the new Chief Executive.
Mr Gay said the RTA and the NSW Maritime Authority shared key focus areas, including delivery of licence and registration services, regulating users of roads and waterways, managing compliance issues, providing critical input into innovative safety initiatives, the provision and maintenance of infrastructure, and provision of frontline services and web-based information for customers.
Read the full Media Release from the Minister for Roads and Ports.
New era in transport
A new era in transport planning and customer services starts on 1 November 2011 with the formal establishment of the new integrated transport agency – Transport for NSW.
NSW Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay said the occasion was a turning point for transport delivery in NSW.
1 November 2011 is also day one for the new Roads and Maritime Services agency, replacing the RTA and NSW Maritime.
Roads and Maritime Services will focus on service delivery, concentrating on delivering the key tasks of building and maintaining road infrastructure and the day-to-day compliance and safety for roads and waterways.
Read the full Media Release from the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Roads and Ports.
SCATS to ease congestion in Silicon Valley
TransCore has been selected by the city of San Jose in California to implement adaptive traffic control technology at approximately 50 intersections in seven areas of the city.
The SCATS (Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System) adaptive traffic control system operates in real-time to adjust signal timing in response to changes in traffic demand and system capacity, and provides immediate and historical traffic information. The company has previously installed SCATS in nearby Menlo Park, Sunnyvale, Santa Rosa in Sonoma Valley, and will also be deploying the system at another 37 intersections in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Hayward. The San Jose system will be phased in over the coming months and is expected to be fully operational by May 2012.
SCATS is currently one of the most widely used adaptive traffic control systems around the world, controlling more than 30,000 intersections globally and more than 1,000 intersections in the USA. It has an open architecture for communications, controllers and detection, which allows a city to utilize various manufacturers’ equipment. Michael Mauritz, managing director of TransCore’s western region, said, “An adaptive system capable of providing instantaneous analysis of traffic flow by adjusting signal timing on the spot, in real-time, is an enormous advantage to managing congestion. What makes SCATS appealing is each corridor can be configured differently, providing the best adaptive operation for that corridor. Other systems don’t have that level of configurability or flexibility.”
San Jose, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is the tenth-largest city in the United States and the third-largest in California. Silicon Valley has the largest concentration of technology expertise in the world with more than 6,600 technology companies located in San Jose.
See Traffic Technology Today news article
See Business Wire news article
Visit the TransCore website
SCATS version 6.8.1 released
The latest version of SCATS was released on 17 December 2010. SCATS 6.8.1 now supports 48 Detectors and 32 signal groups.
RTA and SCATS at the 17th ITS World Congress in Korea
The Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW and research partners will be presenting five technical papers at the ITS World Congress 2010 to be held in Busan, Korea from 25 to 29 October 2010.
RTA research partners include representatives from Azalient (Australia) Pty Ltd, Centre for Excellence for Mathematics and Statistics of Complex Systems (MASCOS) and NICTA.
The RTA and research partners - together as an expert panel - will be holding a special session at the conference titled “Evaluating Policy that affects Automated Traffic Control using Simulation”.
Congress papers and the special session are focussed on the topics of innovative traffic management technology and the advanced use of traffic microsimulation, and include:
- • Introduction to modeling experimental design when operating SCATS within simulation
(Chong-White, Millar and Johnson 2010) - • Towards a statistical framework to guide traffic simulation studies
(Shteinman, Clarke, Chong-White, Millar and Johnson 2010) - • Roundabout metering: simulation and reality
(Geers, Tyler, Chong-White and Johnson 2010) - • RTA and NICTA: innovating on successful traffic management
(Kilby and Johnson 2010) - • Evaluating policy that affects automated traffic control using simulation
(Chong-White, Duncan, Geers, Johnson, Shaw and Shteinman 2010)
See also Christian Chong-White's article on Operating SCATS in simulation in the August/September issue of Traffic Technology International.
Amman SCATS project scoops Gulf Traffic Innovation award
The Traffic Tech Group has scooped the Innovation in Transport – Traffic Management Award at the Gulf Traffic 2009 Conference in Dubai for its Central Traffic Management System Project.
"the Project's excellent demonstration of innovation along with benefits it has delivered in keeping traffic moving, saving lives and cutting emissions were the judges' consideration in giving the award"
SCATS version 6.7.1 released
SCATS latest release by RMS is version 6.7.1. Next release 6.8.1 is due in June 2010.
Traffic Systems team changes
The Traffic Systems team has recently undergone large staffing changes with the retirement of some of the "old guard" for SCATS. The contribution made to RMS and its clients by these dedicated professionals cannot be exaggerated as they developed SCATS into the world-renowned product it is today.
The new names and role changes for Traffic Systems include:
Steven Shaw - Manager, Client Liaison
Steven has been actively involved in SCATS installations internationally for the last 20 plus years and brings a thorough understanding of the client perspective to the role of Client Liaison Manager.
Fraser Johnson - Manager, Network Performance Development
Fraser has 12 years experience in the configuration, operation and management of traffic signals and SCATS in Sydney, including 10 years with the NSW Transport Management Centre. He has travelled to international destinations for SCATS configuration, training and support, including Tehran and Manila. As such, Fraser comes to the team with a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the management of traffic and SCATS.
Beth Thompson - Manager, Business Strategy and Requirements
Beth has worked with Roads and Maritime Services in various capacities for several years and is the driving force behind the management of knowledge transfer from the old guard to the new. Current priorities include coordinating the strategic direction for the SCATS portfolio of products.
Brian Smith - SCATS Project Manager
Brian is successfully leading the PAPL replacement program for NSW, and now manages the delivery of the SCATS portfolio of products.
Nick Rubbi - Principal Systems Analyst (Traffic)
With over 28 years experience in Traffic Systems, Nick's new responsibilities encompass the delivery of traffic signal controller software for RMS and its clients. Nick's long list of capabilities includes intersection design, controller configuration, traffic signal installation and maintenance, SCATS intersection setup, software development and adaptive engineering training.
Kamil Bagde - Principal Systems Analyst (SCATS)
Kamil is a real-time systems guru with many years' experience in the Defence sector. His knowledge and commitment to the SCATS portfolio will continue to provide the innovation, maintenance and support that is the benchmark for Traffic Systems development.
