BTRAC - smart traffic lights are coming

30 December 2007 - 11:40pm — silkboard

Hope you still remember BTRAC-2010, the nice sounding traffic management project for Bangalore. Seems like KRDCL has started the process of putting up new traffic signals under this project. This bidding document talks of 204 locations for these signals. Thankfully, this document contains the specifications of these new signals as well, and they do seem smart - vehicle detectors, remote control from a Traffic Management Center, pedestrian crossings with audible alarms, and more. Have a look:

"The new system shall comprise of outstation units (OU) at each intersection and an in-station unit (IU) located at the Traffic Management Center (TMC) in Bangalore city. Out station unit at any intersection shall comprise of a Vehicle Actuated Signal Controller with backup power resourses, vehicle detector and detector module, polycarbonate vehicle and pedestrian signal lamp heads with LED lamps, countdown timers, audible alarm, interconnecting cables, an appropriate interface to connect the OU with IU through a wireless or wired communication system. The in-station unit shall comprise of servers, a workstation, communication system and an operating system".

Read section 4 of that document if you are curious for more. The list of 204 proposed locations is in there as well.

If implemented well, these 10 crores would be worth more than a few of those instant flyovers. Anyone disagrees? Synchronized signals help much more than flyovers. Flyovers on city roads, in fact, complicate matters by creating thicker and fewer chunks of traffic.

Now, some trivia for you. As per the BTRAC website, there are 40000 intersections in Bangalore, and only 167 of them are signalized!

Comments

key issues not addressed

murali772 - 1 Jan 2008 - 1:38pm

I went to the BTRAC website. They have hardly addressed the problem of unchecked growth of vehicle population in the city, which has been dealt with in greater detail at http://bangalore.praja.in... Without that, everything else is short-term at best. Muralidhar Rao

Muralidhar Rao

true - BTRAC and mass transit

silkboard - 1 Jan 2008 - 2:20pm

Going by the info on website, BTRAC is a pure traffic management initiative. There seems to be no direct relation or coordination with mass-transport projects. BTRAC is solely focused on making the best use of whatever surface transport resources Bangalore has. But, don't say that BTRAC like thing is not needed. You got to have a parallel move to check vehicle population growth, like you and other members (cvikash, vasanth and more) have been discussing here.

marginal effect only

murali772 - 2 Jan 2008 - 3:08pm

I am certainly not belittling the efforts of BTRAC. But, like I have already stated, unless effective checks on usage of personal vehicles is instituted, these measures will have marginal effect at best. Muralidhar Rao

Muralidhar Rao

reuse signal equipment?

tsubba - 4 Jan 2008 - 1:31am

what will they do with the 167 signals that they will replace with the new ones? i mean they perfectly good working signals only that they have no control interface.
if they reuse these ones then we will have 204+167= 371 signalized intersections, no? sync signal better than fixed signal. fixed signal better than no signal.

i didnot find any mention of the control software for vehicle actuated signals.
but the hardware specs are quite interesting. 3 modes of controller, fixed time, manual control, vehicle actuated.
instation control perhaps can be used remotely control the signals. can this be used for giving emergency vehicles like ambulances priority? say if a amblance gets stuck at a signal, can they override the normal signal cycle and give green till the ambulance is freed?
i didnot understand what the gps is for. perhaps it is to syncronize the clocks of all the signals. i doubt it for detecting bmtc buses and giving them preferential signals.

Part of the controller specs from the document

Programming Facility	(a) Inbuilt key pad in controller (b) Plug in key pad (c) Remote operation from IU using Ethernet interface
Modes of Operation	1. Vehicle Actuation. 2. Fixed time. 3. Cable and GPS synchronization. 4. In-station Unit Control 5. Manual Control 6. On/Off
Communication Ports	RS232 / RS485 Ports 2 USB ports Ethernet interface
Interfaces	GPS Ethernet interface
Signal Plans	16 Nos including VA plans
Day plans	7 Nos
Daily Plans	Min of 12 Nos to Max of 16 nos
Green Time setting	01 to 199 Sec
Amber Time seting	01 to 10 Sec
Pedestrian Flash Time setting	01 to 10 Sec
All Red Time setting	01 to 10 Sec
Start Up All Red Time setting	01 to 10 Sec
Start Up Flash Time seting	01 to 10 Sec
Cycle Time setting	01 to 250 Sec

here is a starter article on traffic signals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_light#Controller_system

co-ordinated signals of pune

tsubba - 4 Jan 2008 - 1:34am

A presentation by v muralidharan of CDAC on the signal systems of pune. http://www.slideshare.net...

I think their project is

jollivee - 2 Jun 2009 - 1:43pm

I think their project is really good including the audible pedestrian alarms. This could trigger a prompt response on safety and security of the citizens in Bangalore City. Alarms

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