The National Traffic Control Centre

1
The National Traffic Control Centre

• Your host is Geoff Bethel

2
Good Housekeeping

• Fire
• Accidents
• No smoking
• Security
• Cameras
• Welfare facilities

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Why are we here?
Safe roads

• Most congested roads in Europe
• Costs 20 billion a year (AA figures)
• Highways Agencys role as network operator

Reliable journeys
Informed travellers
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The Network

• About 7,300km of motorways trunk roads in
  England
• Just 2 of national roads but carries ? of all
  traffic and ? of all freight

5
NTCC Procurement

• Private Finance Initiative
• 160M, 10 year Contract
• NTCC operated by TiS
• Highways Agency sets policy and TiS implements it

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How NTCC Works
Collect traffic and event data from sensors on
the network, other systems and operational
partners

Analyse the data and formulate response
Advise public, operational partners and others in
HA about network conditions/advisory routes
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Collecting Data 1 Operational Partners

Met Office
Police
TfL, Scotland Wales
Significant Traffic Generators
NTCC
Travel media data feeds
Local Highways Authorities
Regional Control Centres
Managing Agents DBFOs
8
Collecting Data 2 Hardware

4,450 traffic sensors

• 1,030 ANPR cameras for journey times (448 sites)
• 700 CCTV cameras
• 1,250 MIDAS sites
• 1,470 other outstations to measure flow

9
Operations activity in December

• Total reported
• Unplanned Events
• Congestion
• Accidents
• Planned Events
• roadworks
• Weather
• Abnormal Loads

5,986 3,348 2,034 880 2,543 2,471 91 4
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Operations Unplanned Events
Accidents, congestion, livestock or people on the
road, spillages, floods or ice that last 15
minutes or more and have a material effect on
capacity
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Operations Planned Events
Also lasting gt15 mins with a material effect on
the network, planned events
include

• Roadworks and abnormal loads that reduce
  capacity.
• Major entertainment and sporting events that
  generate extra traffic.

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Response

• Receive alert
• Gather information
• Validate reports/readings
• Create Event
• Select best response plan
• Implement plan and communicate

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Unplanned Events - Interfaces

• NTCC sets signs at key decision point junctions
  (on the HA network only) to divert drivers away
  from an incident

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Unplanned Events - Interfaces

• while Regional Control Centres work with Police
  and Local Highways Authorities to agree a local
  solution.

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Information out
Travelling Public
NTCC
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Communicating 1 - VMS

• NTCC uses 350 variable message signs (VMS)
  covering all junctions that offer route choices
• Police have first call
• Regional Control Centres use VMS for tactical
  traffic management
• MIDAS sets VMS automatically

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Communicating 2 Traffic England

• Current and future views for journey planning
• Pan and zoom, select the features you want to see
• Roads colour-coded for delays
• Hover over any icon for details

• www.trafficengland.co.ukwww.highways.gov.uk/traff
  icinfo

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Communicating 3 Traffic England Telephone Service

• Live traffic information
• Voice recognition or keypad

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Communicating 4 HAIL
HA Information Line
Questions
Travelling Public
Advice
08457 50 40 30
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Communicating 5 National Incident Liaison
Officers

• Around the clock HA contact for unplanned events
  on the network
• Escalation of events to appropriate level of HA
  management
• Acting as HAIL advisors on alternate shifts
• Updating the HA website at night

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Communicating in the Future System Links
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Communicating in the Future Other channels

• More information points in Motorway Service
  Areas, Airports, Lorry Parks, etc
• Live broadcasts from NTCC
• Better use of VMS
• Travel time information
• Communicating event stories
• Advance signing for planned events

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Talk to us
www.highways.gov.uk
www.TrafficEngland.co.uk
HA Information Line - 08457 50 40 30
Traffic England phone service - 08700 660115
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My contact details
0121 625 0057 ex 4817 damian.morris_at_highways.gsi.g
ov.uk
Geoff Bethel
0121 625 0057 ex 4817 philip.treacher_at_highways.gsi
.gov.uk
0121 625 0057 ext 7131 geoff.bethel_at_highways.gsi.g
ov.uk
0121 625 0057 ext 7410 gary.stockbridge_at_highways.g
si.gov.uk
0121 625 0057 ext 7417 paul.hynes_at_highways.gsi.gov
.uk