Thinking Highways Europe/RoW November 2007

THIN KING
HIG HW AYS
EUROPE/REST of the WORLD EDITION
Volume 2 • Issue 4 • Q4/2007
THROUGH THE
LOOKING GLASS
Manfred Swarovski
reflects on a life
spent saving lives
LOUDER THAN WORDS

Phil Tarnoff’s call for
increased productivity
PAY AS YOU DON’T GO

Six different views of urban
congestion pricing
PLUS: Green ITS • DARPA Urban Challenge • Human

Factors • Active Traffic Management • EU Finance & Funding •
Australia • South Africa • POLIS • EUROCITIES • Chris Skinner
the
INTELLIGENT
Advanced transportation management
policy • strategy • technology
finance • innovation • implementation
choice integration • interoperability
TH EU Dec Cover.indd 1 30/11/07 21:52:11

! !
# " !
!

! !
!

!

Ad Q-FREE.indd 1 27/6/07 09:49:39

Foreword Thinking
Come on down,
Kevin Borras is
publishing director
of H3B Media and
Pete Price is right
editor-in-chief of H3B Media’s UK Road Pricing Think Tank was truly
Thinking Highways
Europe/Rest of the memorable - thankfully for all the right reasons...
World and North
America editions. For those of you that read my event. The ITS industry in the well back as he heads off, safe
last foreword and were now UK would be a far poorer and in the knowledge that all
hoping to be put out of your smaller place without Eric. His manner of sparks and
misery - sorry, I still can’t thought-provoking “who are explosions are going off in the
talk about what I did a we selling the idea to, room he has just left.
reasonable job of not talking exactly?” gambit perfectly set Many people vehemently
about last time. the tone for the two days. We disagreed with much he had to
I have been told that I can tell are currently in the arduous say. London First’s Tim
you more in the first issue of but fascinating throes of Hockney asked “What London
2008, by which time Project X editing the 12 hours of video was he talking about?”, Ian
will have been underway for a that Shoot You Productions Catling called one of Norris’s
couple of months. This is recorded at the event and a statements “outrageous” and
actually quite handy as Selling highlights package will find its Consulting Stream’s Simon
The Idea, our UK Road Pricing way onto our website in Albutt joked that we might as
Think Tank, which we staged January. well go home now if road
on 27 and 28 November to a It’s no surprise to announce pricing is doomed to failure.
sell-out crowd, provided far that Eric Sampson will feature However, provoking thought
too many talking points to not quite heavily, as will Steve was the whole objective, not
be the subject of this foreword. Norris, who announced providing a platform to
A year ago we set out to run himself as “the former next promote products. A case in
an event that would provide Mayor of London” in what point was the TIF Roundtable,
two days worth of genuine proved to be his sole paean to which due to some last-minute
debate about road pricing in self-deprecation. Norris is a political fudging threatened to
the UK and, I think it’s fair to superb orator, as the audience become a non-event as only
say, that by and large that’s will testify, but so much so that one TIF bid council were able
precisely what we did, judging it’s only after he has left the to take part. A frantic round-up
by the amount of congratul- building that you can hear of three willing experts not
atory emails we have had since people saying “Hang on a only salvaged the session but
we returned to the office after minute, did he just...” And yes, also provided Derby’s Pete
seemingly taking over the he very probably and Price with exactly what he
small, affluent Surrey town of purposefully did say “National came to the event for: the tools
Weybridge. road pricing just ain’t going to with which to do his job.
You can never go too far happen”. That’s the point of Information, direction and
wrong by inviting Prof Eric inviting him - he lights a inspiration. And that, I think,
Sampson, CBE to open your firework, lobs it in, then stands says it all. TH
Thinking Highways is published by H3B Media Ltd.
Editor-in-Chief
Kevin Borras Visualisation ISSN 1753-433X
Sales and Marketing
Luis Hill, Tim Guest Tom Waldschmidt (tom@h3bmedia.com)
Thinking Highways is published quarterly in two editions – North America and
Design and Layout Conferences and Events
Europe/Rest of the World - and is available on subscription at £30/€40 (Europe/RoW) and
Phoebe Bentley, Kevin Borras Odile Pignier (odile@h3bmedia.com) US$60 (North America). Distributed in the USA by DSW 75 Aberdeen Road, Emigsville,
Sub-Editor and Proofreader PA 17318-0437 USA. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address
Subscriptions and Circulation
Maria Vasconcelos changes to Thinking Highways, 401 S W Water Street, Suite 201B, Peoria, Illinois 61602, USA.
Contributing Editors Pilarin Harvey-Granell
Website
Managing Director
Bruce Abernethy, Richard Bishop, Lee J
Nelson, Andrew Pickford, Phil Sayeg, Phil Code Liquid Luis Hill Although due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this publication is accurate
and up-to-date, the publisher can accept no liability for errors and omissions. Unless otherwise
Tarnoff, Darryll Thomas, Harold Worrall, luis@h3bmedia.com stated, this publication has not tested products or services that are described herein, and
Amy Zuckerman Financial Director
Martin Brookstein their inclusion does not imply any form of endorsement. By accepting advertisements in this
Contributors to this issue publication, the publisher does not warrant their accuracy, nor accept responsibility for their
Barbara Bernardi, Gary Bridgeman, Ruth
EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING Publishing Director contents. The publisher welcomes unsolicited manuscripts and illustrations but can accept no
Bridger, Hannah Budnitz, James Burgess,
Phil Charles, Janina Freitag, Al Gullon, H3B Media Ltd, 15 Onslow Gardens, Kevin Borras liability for their safe return.
Wallington, Surrey SM6 9QL, UK
Matt Hardey, Tara Kazi, Andreas Kossak,
Tel +44 (0)208 254 9406
kevin@h3bmedia.com © 2007 H3B Media Ltd. All rights reserved.
Malavika Nataraj, Margaret Pettit, Peter The views and opinions of the authors are not necessarily those of H3B Media Ltd.
Plisner, Phil Sayeg, Mike Sena, Chris Fax +44 (0)208 647 0045
Email info@h3bmedia.com Reproduction (in whole or in part) of any text, photograph or illustration contained in this
Skinner, Phil Tarnoff, Paul Vorster, publication without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Johanna Zmud www.h3bmedia.com
Printed in the UK by Stones the Printers
www.h3bmedia.com Thinking Highways Vol 2 No 4 1
01 Foreword copy 2.indd 1 30/11/07 19:58:59

Contents
COLUMNS 36 Mike Sena, on the other hand, wonders if

04 Eurocities’ Mobility Forum anyone has come up with a better congestion-
busting alternative in the last two millennia
08 Prof Phil Charles’ Australian Update
44 Is India’s congestion problems hampering its
COVER STORY economic growth, wonders Malavika Nataraj
12 Kevin Borras finds Swarco’s chairman Manfred
Swarovski in ebullient mood - especially when 48 Dr Andreas Kossak looks at how road pricing
the conversation turns to China has taken off in Germany
THE THINKER DARPA URBAN CHALLENGE

18 ITS guru Phil Tarnoff on what sounds like stating 54 Janina Freitag and Matt Hardey focus on a
the obvious but unfortunately isn’t: increasing British company’s significant role in last month’s
your productivity can improve effectiveness Californian battle of the ‘bots
ROAD PRICING GREEN ITS

24 Johanna Zmud on what would make the idea of 58 ERTICO’s Gary Bridgeman and James Burgess
road pricing publicly acceptable... on how ITS is helping to improve transport’s
environmental impact
28 ...although according to Al Gullon, congestion
is all a matter of personal choice SOUTH AFRICA
64 ITS South Africa’s CEO, Dr Paul Vorster talks
32 Ruth Bridger presents a history of road pricing about a novel scheme that is entirely without
in the UK merit. But in a good way...
02 Contents copy 2.indd 2 30/11/07 20:34:24

D rg
on
of e N
To in W
fo
lin
T O
on et
re in at
h
ce g H ww
k
iv ig w
’t !
e
fu hw .h3
HUMAN FACTORS
tu ay bm
68 Integrating human factors into ITS is vital,
re s
according to Dr Tara Kazi
is reg dia
su is .
es te co
ACTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
72 Peter Plisner examines how hard-shoulder
e
running is proving to be a surprising success
r m
in the UK
THE THOUGHT PROCESS

78 Chris Skinner, ITS consultant and adjunct
lecturer at the University of Sydney’s Institute
of Transport and Logistics Studies
POLIS NETWORK
82 According to Hannah Budnitz of POLIS
member Reading, ITS doesn’t necessarily
stand for Intelligent Transport Systems
FINANCE AND FUNDING

86 Margaret Pettit’s EU roundup turns its attention
to Poland
88 Advertisers’ Index
p72
02 Contents copy 2.indd 3 30/11/07 20:35:04

Eurocities’ Mobility Forum
Keep it
all in
Internalising the external costs of transport is
occupying the collective minds of EUROCITIES
So, what is the problem with us and you’ll see things humankind would be much
here? Why should we be will get more and more happier. Besides, policy,
talking about internalizing interesting) resulting from the politics and society tend to
the external costs of relation between who or what complicate our beautiful
transport? produces the costs and the mathematical equation.
As much as transport cost paid by the users does not
benefits the worldwide always work correctly. Q&A
economy, transport activities Is there a reason for that? To First of all we need to find an
are still generating nuisances/ make our concept even more answer to the questions - do
costs not only to other attractive we can tell you that we need to take into account
transport users but to society there is not only one single the revenues gained from the
in general. Examples of such reason, there are millions. Why collection of charges,
costs are ones generated from is that so? “If the universe was congestion taxes, tradable
congestion, accidents, written in mathematical permit or electronic charges?
environmental costs (i.e. language, and the letters were If so, do we need to create a
climate change and pollution), triangles, circles and other link between the internal-
infrastructure and land use. geometrical figures, and it was isation of these costs and the
The mathematical equation, humanly impossible to use of those revenues? In an
(that may sound dull, but bear comprehend a single word”, ideal world, these should
4 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com
Eurocities Column(2) copy.indd 1 30/11/07 20:07:29

Xxxxx
simplyADVANCED ADVANCED TECHNOL OGY THAT M ERGES

SIM P L ICITY AND SOP HISTICATION
Introducing Autoscope Terra Technology > High-performance

video detection employing sophisticated technology to simplify installation, setup
and use. > Streaming digital video via Ethernet for system and traffic monitoring.
> Web browser communications to connect from virtually anywhere. > Highway
and intersection Wizard for easy setup. > Fewer wires for quicker installation.
®
> All of this results in safer, enhanced traffic flow and improved air quality.
Find out more at autoscope.com/terra
© 2007 Image Sensing Systems, Inc.

Robert
Eurocities’
KellyMobility
and MarkForum
Johnson
finance public transport,

mobility management
measures or other
environmental friendly modes.
Secondly (and a much more
difficult question to find an
answer to): what do we want to
achieve by collecting these
charges? The opportunity to
tackle climate change using
this model sounds like it would
be a fantastic Christmas
present. Al Gore has been
saying for quite a while that we
need to act now. The deadline
for the European Commission
consultation on 31 December
2007 might even be too late.
Warming to the idea

Having understood the
urgency of the situation, we are
still not clear about the goals of
internalizing these costs.
Without resorting to any
difficult mathematical
calculation, it is clear enough
that this model will not stop
“Sceptics ask ‘If not mistaken this sounds like
the title of EUROCITIES
cars contributing to the +2C° this is going to contribution to the European
temperature threshold.
If, as committed readers,
happen anyway Commission Green Paper,
“Towards a new culture for
you will take the time to go why should we urban mobility”?
through this very brave piece
of EU legislation (we say
pay more for A third way
brave, because to picture the polluting?’” Most of our political leaders
worst scenario and really have been trying to find the
think about it, you really need Brecht once said: “Unlucky third way, as the ideal solution
to be brave!), you will not would be the world that would for all kinds of problem. As
hesitate for a second in need heroes!” Are we in need much as our charges problem
picturing this scene: a giant of heroes? Or do we simply is concerned we would only be
wave submerging beautiful need a rational way to happy at the point when we
pieces of history such as influence travel behaviour? It’s found what lies in the middle
Venice, Amsterdam or Athens. amazing how we always end between the “good for all”
up at the same solution legal framework and nothing
Why bother? whichever angle we’re at all. Are we reaching the
Sceptics will ask: “If this going approaching our problems conclusion that this model will
to happen anyway, why should from. It is like in Italy - no be totally useless? Not at all,
we pay more for polluting?” matter the road you take, you we hope.
Unfortunately we do not have a will always end up in Rome. You need to internalize your
mathematical equation to Talking about Rome, can we external costs of transport in
answer that question. Do you find the ideal charging the same way that you need to
have an answer? solution for Rome that can be breathe to remain alive. And
It is a pity that Galileo (that’s successfully transferred to wouldn’t it better if the air you
him on the opening page) is no other cities such as Warsaw, breathed was clean? TH
longer with us, he might have Kaunas or Brno? For more information please
had one. To give a considered Definitely not. This is another contact Barbara Bernardi,
reply we would need to problem which has not yet EUROCITIES’ mobility policy
assume political responsibility been accounted for in our officer at
for having made a political mathematical equation. barbara.bernardi@eurocities.eu
choice in the first place. “Strength through diversity” or visit the website at
Describing Galileo, Bertold might be the solution. If we are www.eurocities.eu

Intertraffic 2008, HallXxxxx
1, Stand 01.416
Ralf Schmitz, Area Sales Manager, Australasia
“Our networked
technologies globally
create better road safety.”
With TraffiNet, the latest road safety technology ROBOT Visual Systems GmbH
data for GPS-based traffic monitoring can be recorded, Opladener Strasse 202
retrieved and analysed centrally. Easy handling meets 40789 Monheim, Germany
the high demand: the innovative system communicates Tel. +49 (0) 21 73 - 39 40 - 0
via a self-explanatory, user-friendly network management Fax +49 (0) 21 73 - 39 40 - 169
software and easy-to-operate devices on site. export@robot.de
www.traffipax.com
Visit us at the Intertraffic 2008, 1st-4th April,
Hall 1, Stand 01.416.

Charles & Sayeg’s Australian Update
The toll
road out
of Eden
PROF PHIL CHARLES is joined by fellow contributor

PHIL SAYEG to discuss Australia’s toll road challenge
Rapid population and and is estimated to more than system is used excessively,
employment growth in double by 2020 to A$20.4 compared to a situation where
Australia’s major cities plus billion. they perceive all costs
changing travel patterns is A number of measures are including externalities.
expected to increase the available to mitigate Traffic congestion itself may
demand for travel. congestion, encompassing moderate demand to some
In addition there are demand reduction and extent and encourage shorter
constraints on transport management, improving trips, but is an inefficient
infrastructure expansion due management of traffic and means of travel demand
to limits on public funding increasing capacity. The most management.
available and community appropriate response would Charging for road use is
pressure to restrict building be to employ a combination of recognised as a key tool for
new roads. measures, including road user achieving optimal use of the
This forecast growth in traffic charging and public-private road and broader transport
will increase congestion partnerships in the funding network to signal to motorists
pressures, significantly and operation of toll roads. the actual costs of their travel
increasing transport costs, There is a generally on the community.
reducing travel time reliability accepted need to moderate Road tolling is a form of road
and increasing vehicle transport demand, which tends use charging that is applied in
emissions and energy use. The to rise faster than population major capital cities on the east
recent report by the Bureau of and income growth. Motorists coast, which have toll roads. It
Transport and Regional do not take into account the full is normally applied not to
Economics estimates the cost costs of their transport optimally manage demand,
of congestion for Australian decisions, which leads to a but as a means of funding road
cities was A$9.4 billion in 2005 situation whereby the road infrastructure, which is
Charles Column (2).indd 1 30/11/07 20:17:49

Intertraffic 2008, Hall 1, Stand 01.416
Xxxxx
Harald Klatt, Application Engineer
„With technical mobility,

we make flexible traffic
monitoring more effective.“
MultaRadar is the world’s most successful

mobile and stationary system to monitor traffic.
The technology is convincing with variable ROBOT Visual Systems GmbH
application options and precise readings, with Opladener Strasse 202
unquestionable identification and recording. 40789 Monheim, Germany
MultaRadar is ready for use extremely quickly Tel. +49 (0) 21 73 - 39 40 - 0
and is very easy to operate – our service team Fax +49 (0) 21 73 - 39 40 - 169
offers effective support here. export@robot.de
www.traffipax.com
Visit us at the Intertraffic 2008, 1st-4th April,
Hall 1, Stand 01.416.

Charles & Sayeg’s
Robert Kelly Australian
and Mark JohnsonUpdate
considered to be conditions, resulting in the streams depend on forecast

economically beneficial and NSW Government having demand at toll rates, different
able to be provided earlier limited policy control to for each concession, defined
than it may otherwise have manage network and in the concession agreements
been through normal funding community impacts. The NSW and predicating that the
arrangements. Government deem it concessions will be largely
necessary to establish a unchangeable except at high
Key co-ordinates devoted website at http:// financial cost to government.
An emerging challenge is the www.sydneymotorways.com Continued fragmentation of
uncoordinated development to help road users calculate future toll road concessions is
of toll roads with different toll the toll for trips around the undesirable. As a matter of
regimes and long concession entire network. urgency governments should
periods. The issue is more In South East Queensland, study options for, and then
pronounced as most toll roads the two current toll roads adopt, a more flexible model
are developed in and around (Gateway and Logan for future toll road
congested centres and there is Motorways) under the control concessions, rather than the
a tension between the of State-owned Queensland current “stand alone” model.
objectives of private Motorways are located on the The challenge for
operators seeking to edge of Brisbane. Recent long- governments is encouraging
maximise return on term toll road concessions optimal use of the road
investment and governments awarded by Brisbane City network, at the same time
aiming to maximise Council under the TransApex recognising the investment
community benefits. transport plan are for the level, risks assumed and
“Delays to non toll road traffic North-South Bypass Tunnel, desired rate of return needed
created by traffic management which passes under the CBD by private consortia bidding
measures needed to reinforce and the Hale Street Bridge on for toll road concessions.
the high speed function of the its western edge. In the near However, the inappropriate
toll roads can be significant as term the Airport Link and concessioning of “stand alone”
the volume of non toll road Northern Link are proposed as road projects is likely to
traffic across many roads can additional toll road continue despite their
easily exceed toll road usage. concessions over 30 to 50 potential to create more
Network effects are significant years. congestion than they are
in congested conditions and The current and proposed claimed to alleviate. TH
can be magnified across a TransApex concessions are
wide area diluting the benefits being developed as stand Prof Phil Charles is Director of
of toll roads especially if they alone projects, whose financial the Centre for Transport
are not well conceived. performance is dependent on Strategy at the University of
In Sydney for example, each the toll rates they apply and Queensland, Brisbane,
motorway operator sets tolls the usage they attract. By their Australia.
under their individual nature, these private p.charles@uq.edu.au
concession agreement. These concessions are very long
agreements have been term, involve high investment Philip Sayeg is Director of
developed from a tendering (ie billions of dollars) from Policy Appraisal Services,
and negotiation process, at demanding lenders who have based in Brisbane, Australia.
different times and economic borne high risks. Revenue p.sayeg@uq.net.au

Xxxxx
BEFORE AFTER
THE COUNTRY REMAINS UNSPOILT,

THANKS TO SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY.
INVEST IN THE FUTURE. INVEST IN TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FROM SATELLIC.

No diìerence. But a change nevertheless. Satellic Traïc Management shapes
tomorrow’s mobility today. With innovative traïc management. With satellite-
based toll systems. With people ready to take one step into the future every
single day. INTELLIGENT ROAD PRICING. BECAUSE MOBILITY MATTERS.
SEE MORE OF OUR VISION AT: WWW.SATELLIC.COM

Cover Feature
KEVIN BORRAS talks to MANFRED SWAROVSKI, CEO of SWARCO

and a member of the family that owns the world famous
Swarovski glass empire. In his first press interview of the 21st
Century, Swarovski talks of the company’s future plans, why
imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery and how SWARCO
owes its existence to the cousin of a singing cowboy
It’s 1969 and Manfred Swarovski is not a happy man. almost instantly boosted their performance, let alone
Having travelled from Austria looking for a US part- morale and share price.
ner to manufacture and market his retroreflective “Our ethical business conduct (as set out in our Code
glass beads for use in road markings, he has so far of Conduct) is an important principle for SWARCO,”
spent several weeks to-ing and fro-ing from a series says Swarovski. “However, lawful behaviour is not
of unsuccessful meetings with companies across enough for running a successful business. Our innova-
the States that either don’t want to work with anyone tive capacity, our competitive edge and the partnership
else or are unwilling to go into business with him or approach we cultivate with our customers/partners are
back his idea. On the verge of giving up he decides also key to our good reputation and the satisfaction of
to take a short break in Mexico. our clients. It took over 40 years to build up SWARCO
He wanders into a bar, sits down on a stool and orders step by step.”
a drink. Next to him is a man wearing a cowboy hat who Incidentally (or perhaps not), the D. Swarovski & Co.
nods in his direction. “What brings you here?” asks the Group had originally patented the idea of reflective
be-stetsoned figure. Swarovski tells him that he’s trying safety glass in the 1930s, basing the product on its crys-
to find a business partner in the US. tal and rhinestone production techniques, techniques
“What line of business are you in?” asks the man, who, that have not altered all that significantly.
Thinking Highways’ financial analyst
it turns out, is the cousin of the famous singing cowboy of “One thing MARGARET
I will say though,” interjects a mischie-
the 1930s and 40s, Gene Autry, hence the cowboy hat vously smiling Swarovski. “The technology we were
(andPETTIT
as it turns outlooks at the
he is also called GeneEuropean
Autry). Territorial
using when we started in 1969 is what the Chinese are
Cooperation
“Glass beads,” says SwarovskiProgramme and using
imagining that he’d finds that
to copy likeChina,
us today!” with you will come to learn if
then have to explain what they are and what they are you read this article, is rather obviously Swarovski’s bête
for.
any other major programme, it’s noire.
a matter of
“Mepriorities
too,” says Autry. And the rest is history. Having visited the company’s home town of Wattens,
just east of Innsbruck in the West of Austria, I wondered
Through the looking glass why they had headquartered in such a
Fast forward 38 years and, it’s not with- “China is rather small, but picturesque, town.
out foundation to say that the name “That’s simple,” explains Swarovski.
SWARCO is as synonymous with reflec-
obviously “I grew up here. I am from Wattens. The
tive glass beads as Swarovski’s great Swarovski’s bête company has moved around a bit actu-
grandfather Daniel’s is with crystal ally. Production was in Amstetten, about
decanters.
noire” three hours from here, near Vienna.
“I’m glad I didn’t give up, I have to say,” remarks Then we moved to Vienna, then Amstetten and then back
Swarovski, SWARCO’s chairman, a little unnecessarily. to Wattens about 20 years ago. There’s no production
For 2007 the Manfred Swarovski Group of Companies here, “ he says. “It’s just headquarters.” ‘Just’ headquar-
expects cumulated sales of about €320m with a total staff ters - Swarovski’s panoramic views of the Alps from his
of approximately 2000 employees. In a fluctuating mar- office window don’t really do ‘just’ justice. It certainly
ketplace, this is no mean feat and is partly due to the trumps our view of the H3B Media car park.
performances of SWARCO Futurit and Limburger Lack-
fabrik, two of the 64 companies that SWARCO now owns Reflecting on the future
around the world, an impressive portfolio which also In the recent past SWARCO was known as the company
includes the likes of Mizar Automazione, SWARCO Nor- who manufactured reflective glass beads that were used
dic, SWARCO America and M.Tech. in road markings and improved safety, but over the last
Other companies have embarked upon similarly few years the company has really stepped up its activi-
ambitious acquisition programmes in the past, but ties with the purchase of several well-known companies.
somehow the stories never quite turn out to have as Thinking Highways wondered what, if anything, had pro-
happy an ending as the accompanying press releases voked this change of attitude?
predicted. I wondered if the company’s reputation for “To be honest, SWARCO has been about more than
playing a fair game and never seemingly being intent just glass beads since the 1990s. Glass beads are really
on causing business havoc had anything to do with how an issue of the heart for me and remain one of the most
successfully they have bought other firms and then efficient contributors to road safety. However, SWARCO
Swarovski (5).indd 46 30/11/07 20:26:43

Climate Change
Cover Feature
A man walks
When DAVID SCHONBRUNN
read the April/May issue of
Thinking Highways he felt
compelled to write an article
into a bar...
offering his own views on
transportation’s impacts
onm and solutions for,
climate change
Photograph by Richard Neumann
Swarovski (5).indd 47 30/11/07 20:27:25

Cover Feature
has to ensure its future existence by diversifying its

products, services and solutions portfolio as our cus-
tomers are demanding more and more complete solu-
tions from a one-stop shop. Already our Materials and
Traffic Management divisions each account for about 50
per cent of SWARCO’s turnover. I see overproportional
growth potential in the ITS sector and system business.
Also in road marking the system character has become
predominant.
“It is not enough to just buy well-known companies.
They must be a good fit, they must add something, do
something that we don’t do and have something that we
don’t have they must. There must be a pragmatic and
coherent philosophy behind the way you organize your
business. We acquire companies but what we really do
is build teams - we integrate them but at the same time
allow them to keep their independence. Mizar and Futu-
rit are perfect examples of that philosophy,” Swarovski
points out.
Big fish, little fish

Some companies that have been acquired by so-called
bigger fish over the last decade have complained of
being “lost”, “forgotten about” and “sidelined.” This is
something that SWARCO are at pains to ensure never
happens when they are performing the bigger fish role.
“For us it means to keep pace with new developments
in the road sector. So, what are these main trends? Let’s
look at three. Glass beads are a component of road
marking which is part of road safety. Nowadays you can-
not increase infrastructural road safety without reach-
ing out to other equipment and to traffic management. A
holistic approach to road safety is needed to bring more
safety for road users. The technological revolution
brings more and more IT to our sector: ITS and traffic
management technologies create more interfaces
Photograph by Richard Neumann
between traditionally separate “jobs”.

“Secondly public-private partnerships: increasingly
roads are managed and financed by the private sector.
They are operated like a public utility, for example like
electricity or phone networks. One consequence is to
bundle more products and specialisations into one
process, than with the traditional approach. We are
keeping a very close eye on the prospects of engaging
in PPPs in Eastern Europe.
“And thirdly, even for publicly financed projects most
“The Chinese have governments’ tend to ask for overall solutions from one
become a provider. Therefore, it is not sufficient to be a special-
ised manufacturer of one product only. SWARCO has to
competitor with become a system integrator. This means, first, that we
their own, although are able to offer a complete range of products and solu-
tions in traffic safety and management. Secondly, we
often poorly have to be able to offer services for the project life-cycle
developed, bead of the road, which exploit the long term quality of our
products.”
production The process is not yet complete, but most of SWAR-
technology” CO’s acquisition projects will be finished by the end of
this year.
“The strong acquisition phase of the past two to three
years now demands a phase of integration and consoli-
dation.” says Swarovski earnestly.
58
14 Vol
Vol22No
No44 Thinking
Thinking Highways
Highways www.h3bmedia.com
Swarovski (5).indd 48 30/11/07 20:27:54

Cover Feature
No laurel-resting here the world, China can be quite fairly described as an arch
Not content with leading with glass bead market, copyist. Firstly though, Swarovski is adamant that no
Swarovski has his heart (which would appear to be Chinese company has ever offered to buy or buy into
index-linked to his mind) set on expanding not only his SWARCO and its glass bead technology. The rumour
company’s horizons, but those of the wider market and earlier this year that they had was indeed just a rumour.
how they perceive this global player nestled neatly into “No, I have never been approached by the Chinese
the beautiful Alpine foothills. with such an offer. They have become a competitor with
“SWARCO is developing into one of the major players their own, although often poorly developed bead pro-
in ITS, with the clear objective to become the leader in duction technology. They know that SWARCO is a qual-
traffic management. The various SWARCO companies ity producer of glass beads and they try to benefit from
with its industry-leading partners are able to offer high- this by copying our brochures, using our pictures in
est quality and complete turnkey solutions in urban, Powerpoint presentations and websites, imitating our
interurban, parking, public transport and infomobility.” logo and so on. The most striking evidence was when
Swarovski, like his great-grandfather, is a great one competitor was found to have a picture of me hang-
believer in the idea that you get nowhere by sitting still. ing on the wall behind his desk. I had never been in
The electronic toll collection market has been identified touch with that company before.
as “the next big thing” in many boardrooms around the “One of our guys out there asked him where he got the
world and it’s no different in Swarovski’s. technology from and he said ‘From a man in Europe
“We’re very interested in the revolution of electronic called Manfred. That’s my friend Mr Swarovski, we get
tolling. New charging systems and particularly satellite the know-how from him. The Chinese copy everything
based tolling are not only a more sophisticated means of and mostly they have no interest in whether or not the
collecting money. With the onboard unit (OBU) an inter- product they actually produce is actually reflective.They
face has been created which bundles a variety of serv- even copied me!” Swarovski shrugs, he is not laughing,
ices that did not exist before.Or they have been separate. despite the jovial comment.
Thus, the OBU provides real time traffic information to
administrations and a communication link to drivers. Poor imitation
Traffic information is also provided to When a company with SWARCO’s rep-
users at one glance on the screen,
together with several value added serv-
“One competitor utation for quality is faced with such
blatant plagiarism, and what appears
ices. This can even include accident had a picture of me on the face of it is endorsed plagiarism
warnings, route information, etc. Let’s
not forget vehicle to vehicle communi-
hanging on the wall (which it clearly isn’t), what can they
do?
cation and vehicle to infrastructure behind his desk. I “Not very much. It’s not good but it’s
communications, etc. We now observe
the generalisation of tolling:from motor-
had never been in too late once you get to that stage. We
had 70 per cent of shares in a Chinese
ways to national and ordinary roads. touch with that company but we pulled out. We can’t
There is also the rise of congestion pric-
ing in cities.
company before” compete with the cost over there. Some
35 per cent of our costs are materials
“Finally, all categories of roads will be “interfaced” by and energy. Even if we could get those down to zero we
one onboard unit, see the planned road pricing project would not be able to compete. However, they don’t usu-
in the Netherlands. The OBU has to be well coordinated ally use our name, just our technology. But we sell sys-
with all road side equipment.” (It’s worth noting here tems, guaranteed for 5 or 6 years which of course they
that SWARCO has shares in fellow Austrians Efkon AG.) can’t match. They use the cheapest materials and have
The avuncular Swarovski continues: “Vehicle to road- similar production values.”
side (and eventually vehicle to vehicle) communication Swarovski has protested to the Austrian Trade Com-
opens the door for new ways of operation.These include mission in Beijing and Shanghai about the copying. The
data collection (cars can provide data on journey times; Trade Commission acted immediately and got in touch
vehicle types etc.) tolling and congestion charging; and with the respective Chinese companies but it’s uncer-
improved driver information in the vehicle (speed lim- tain whether such a protest will remedy the problem in
its; information on road conditions and diversions) Vehi- the long run.
cles will become an integral part of the system rather “The only way to work there is to start a wholly
than something to be detected or signalled. foreign-owned enterprise or buy shares in a local com-
“We can see how Public Transport has already started pany already operating and profitable. In the traffic
to be integrated in this manner and private vehicles will management sector we bought a Chinese subsidiary
be next as they become more ‘intelligent’ with more and from German Signalbau Huber and got further insight
more on-board electronics.” into the opportunities and difficulties of doing business
in China.” Competition in the glass bead sector is also
The Chinese way getting tougher.
As I mentioned earlier, Swarovski is far from reticent “The glass bead market is quite small worldwide,
about airing his views on China.With the best will in the maybe 500,000 tons a year. Five years ago the Chinese
world, and with due respect to our readers in that part of produced absolutely nothing but in 2006 they produced
Swarovski (5).indd 49 30/11/07 20:28:12

Cover Feature
130,000 tons, sometimes of doubtful quality. Analyses of five cows across the street from SWARCO HQ, armed
Chinese beads exported to Europe partly identified with a camera and a container full of almost microscopic
significant heavy metal contaminations.” glass beads that it proved too windy to photograph. With
the spectacular Alps at the end of the street and the gen-
A family affair tle sound of tinkling cowbells at the other, it was very
Thinking Highways was intrigued to know if coming easy to forget that this was a business trip and we had a
from such a famous family (ask 10 people to name one three hour drive to accomplish in two hours and a plane
company that makes crystal animals, for example, and I to catch. Typically Swarovski was keen to get moving.
bet you seven would say Swarovski) had any advantages “OK, I’m ready for my close-up,” he said. “Where do
in the business world, or even on Swarovski’s approach you want me?” TH
to business himself Or disadvantages come to that? Thanks to SWARCO’s corporate communications
Thinking about it, that’s perhaps a rather difficult ques- manager Richard Neumann for co-ordinating
tion to answer, seeing as he has not come from any other the interview
family (I once saw a black police officer asked in a TV
interview if the colour of his skin made his job any more
difficult than a white police officer’s and he replied:
“I really don’t know, I’ve only ever been black.”)
“Being born into a family with a long entrepreneurial
tradition and professionality going back to Daniel
Swarovski, my great-grandfather, I started my career in
the family business. Ambition is a major drive for me so
I started to set up my own business in a different field of
activity 40 years ago, independently of D. Swarovski &
Co. Family traditions are one thing, autonomy and one’s
own achievements are another. It is a fact that the name
Swarovski has positive connotations, and SWARCO is
benefiting from this. The name is a door-opener. You
might also imagine that the name is particularly inter-
esting when it comes to business cooperation inquiries,
fundings and sponsorings.”
In closing
Finally, the question I ask everyone: What
do you consider to be the biggest techno-
logical breakthrough of the past 25 years?
“LEDs becoming a viable solution for
traffic signalling purposes as they are so
energy-saving, reliable, durable, versa-
tile in their application. The ability to net-
work traffic devices so that roadside
equipment can be connected together
(e.g. Urban Traffic Control and Motor-
way Systems) and even the ex-
change of data from different central
computer systems,” says Swarovski
instantly.
“We have moved from simple
devices applied to single problems
such as one intersection or a traffic
black spot to fully adaptive traffic
control systems covering complete
cities or motorway networks. We
expect this trend to continue with
larger networks collecting more
data and starting to integrate mobile
elements including private vehi-
cles.”
Swarovski, his corporate com-
munications manager Richard
Neumann and I then head for the
small patch of grass containing
Swarovski (5).indd 50 30/11/07 20:31:52

Swarovski (5).indd 51 30/11/07 20:28:54
The Thinker
Thinking Highways’ financial analyst MARGARET

PETTIT looks at the European Territorial
Cooperation Programme and finds that like with
any other major programme, it’s a matter of
priorities
Critical mass
productivity
Actions speak louder than words – productivity can improve
transportation agency effectiveness, says PHIL TARNOFF
Tarnoff (5).indd 46 30/11/07 20:38:25

Climate Change

climate change
Tarnoff (5).indd 47 30/11/07 20:39:21

The Thinker
In his thought-provoking book “The World is Flat” , agencies often respond with a reduction in services
Thomas Friedman describes the efforts of busi- (less frequent equipment and vehicle maintenance,
nesses such as Dell Computer, WalMart, and UPS to degraded pavement quality, outdated signal timing,
ensure that their operations are managed as etc.).
efficiently as possible. Many state legislatures impose personnel ceilings on
Obviously, their incentive for focusing on efficiency is their operating agencies. When faced with staff reduc-
improved profitability and improved service delivery in tions or hiring freezes, the typical response is to either
a highly competitive business environment. The suc- increase private sector outsourcing (if adequate budg-
cess of these companies is achieved by establishing a ets are available), or again, to reduce services. Rarely, if
supply-chain management process that minimizes costs ever does a transportation agency consider actions that
through a number of actions, one of which is maximizing might be taken to offset these resource reductions with
their employee’s productivity. The success of these improved efficiency. Since most of their activities are
companies is evidence of the effectiveness of their labor-intensive, improved efficiency can best be
strategies. achieved through increased staff productivity. Ironi-
Efficiency improvements are not limited to the manu- cally, many opportunities for improved staff productiv-
facturing or retail sectors of our economy. As described ity exist, but only the obvious ones are given serious
by Friedman, the Boeing Aircraft Corporation in its consideration.
“head-to-head competition with archrival Airbus Indus-
tries, has incorporated Russian engineers into their air- What is productivity?
craft design team. In addition to the fact that Russian In economics terms, productivity is the amount of output
salaries are about a third of their US counterparts, their created (in terms of goods produced or services
participation has permitted Boeing to operate on a 24- rendered) per unit input used. For instance, labor pro-
hour workday, using two shifts in Moscow and one shift ductivity is typically measured as output per worker or
in America. output per labor-hour. Opportunities for improved
The availability of fiber-optic communi- labor productivity include:
cations, modern data compression tech- “Opportunities • Increased use of automation includ-
nologies,sophisticated work flow software
and video conferencing has permitted
for improved ing technologies as computer aided
design and engineering, optimization of
the design teams to collaborate seam- staff productivity maintenance cycles, dispatch and rout-
lessly. In other words, Boeing has crea-
tively used modern technology to reduce
exist, but only the ing software, etc.
• Improved management techniques
the cost and time required for aircraft obvious ones are including the use of performance meas-
engineering and design.
Efficiency gains can be achieved with-
given serious ures for increasing the awareness of pro-
ductivity as an agency priority
out relying on foreign outsourcing. JetB- consideration” • Reorganization to make better use of
lueAirwaysCorporationhasdemonstrated existing staff such as a review of the rela-
the efficiency of creative staffing by allowing their res- tive efficiencies associated with centralized vs. decen-
ervation agents to work from their homes. (They call it tralized operations
homesourcing.) JetBlue President David Needleman • Training to ensure that all employees are using the
has found that reservation agents working from home most effective and efficient procedures in the execution
are 30 percent more productive – they take 30 per cent of their responsibilities
more bookings, just being happier” . • Outsourcing of agency functions that can be more
Each of these examples demonstrates that the effec- efficiently performed by the private sector
tiveness of an organization can be improved through a • Creative use of work schedules and locations (tele-
focus on its primary resource; people. The competitive commuting). For example in some states freeway serv-
environment has compelled these organizations, and ice patrol operators are allowed to take their state
many others, to continuously examine their business vehicles home. There are many instances of these driv-
practices and procedures in order to “squeeze” the last ers stopping to help motorists with disabled vehicles or
ounce of inefficiency from their operations. assist in clearing an incident while they are on their way
Obviously the public sector does not operate within to work.
the same competitive environment. Funding for public Perhaps the most effective technique is the use of a
sector services is based on legislative appropriations, process through which employees are encouraged to
which in turn are based on perceived public demand for identify potential productivity improvements, and
transportation services. receive awards for those ideas that are accepted. A
To a greater or lesser extent, public sector employees process of this nature increases the focus on productiv-
have greater job security than their private sector coun- ity, and provides incentives for employees to improve
terparts. There are few rewards for efficiency within this their effectiveness.
structure. As a result of these cultural differences, the When considering the productivity of an organization,
public sector rarely performs an introspective examina- there is a temptation to make a distinction between pro-
tion of its own efficiency. ductive and unproductive labor, in which the former is
When faced with budget decreases, transportation directly responsible for producing the needed goods
Tarnoff (5).indd 48 30/11/07 20:39:52

ON THE ROAD TO FLOURISH
Like an unfolding blossom, the Swarco Group

continues to expand its market presence and
products, services, and solutions portfolio.
Today, 40 companies in 16 countries account for
more than 200 MEUR in sales related to traffic
control materials and traffic management solu-
tions. The blossom grows and gets new petals,
for instance with transport telematics specialist
Mizar Automazione in Italy and paint factory
Swarco Vicas in Romania. The development of
the blossom involves its change, but, similar to
the solid roots of a plant, some things remain
unchanged: our commitment to road safety
with quality orientation, innovation spirit, and
the partnership approach with you.
SWARCO HOLDING AG, Blattenwaldweg 8, A-6112 Wattens • Tel.: +43-5224-5877-0, Fax: +43-5224-56070 • e-mail: office.holding@swarco.com, www.swarco.com
Tarnoff (5).indd 49 30/11/07 20:40:49

The Thinker
ated. The conclusions of this second assessment were

very instructive.
Not surprisingly, the national results showed only very
modest improvement in signal operations during this
relatively brief time period. However, a relatively small
group of jurisdictions responded proactively to their
initial results, by instituting an aggressive signal man-
agement and operations program. The productivity
impact reported by the City of Austin to this approach is
so compelling, that the relevant aspects of its experi-
ence are cited here in their entirety from the NTOC final
report.
“According to Ali Mozdbar, city traffic signal engineer
with the City of Austin,TX, USA,“We are constantly under
pressure from the public to improve our signals. Once
we got the self assessment tool, we concluded that the
most important items are managing and maintaining a
good system. When we received our grade, it was clear
what areas we needed to improve.” As a result, the City
began to put more emphasis on timing plans and updates
and became more proactive in its approach. Mozdbar
credits the self assessment with helping the City focus
staff on critical areas. “We sat down and brainstormed,”
says Mozdbar,“and decided to assign different zones to
each person. This allows engineers to feel a sense of
and services (design engineers, service patrol drivers, ownership for their signals. We provide incentives such
maintenance personnel, etc.) and the latter is consid- as time off for engineers who manage areas that are
ered a support function (building maintenance, trainers, doing well.”
cleaning personnel, etc.). This concept The City of Austin made its signal
was abandoned in the early 20th century
both because of the difficulty of allocat-
“While improvements with no additional fund-
ing, just a reallocation of dollars. Instead
ing activities to one of these two catego- productivity of of spending money on the back side by
ries (for example is the human resources
staff considered productive or unproduc-
transportation responding to signals that have prob-
lems or receive a lot of complaints, the
agency staff is
tive labor), as well as the fact that all posi- City spends money up front by proac-
tions within an organization contribute to
the productivity of the organization.
rarely considered, tively checking every signal for prevent-
ative maintenance. This has helped
However, these biases of the 18th and there are some reduce maintenance calls from 5,000 to
19th century remain today. This is exhib-
ited by the fact that, when required, reduc-
noteworthy 2,500 in one year.
From this description it is obvious that
tions in staff tend to have the greatest exceptions” Austin was able to significantly improve
impact on job classifications that may be staff productivity through organizational
considered unproductive labor. Obviously this can be a changes, employee incentives, and modifications to
counterproductive action since, for example, employ- maintenance procedures.
ees who are worrying about the status of their health This is a vivid example of the manner in which produc-
insurance due to cuts in the human resources staff, will tivity improvements lead to provision of improved
not operate effectively. agency performance.
Example 2, North Carolina Department of Trans-
Success stories and other possibilities portation (NCDOT): While a few State DOTs mention
While productivity of transportation agency staff is productivity in their promotional material, most of these
rarely considered, there are some noteworthy references are related to the productivity of the trans-
exceptions. portation system (vehicle miles of travel, tons of goods
Example 1, the City of Austin Texas: In 2007, the shipped, etc.) per mile of roadway. However, the NCDOT
National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC) is a significant exception. In recognition of the impor-
conducted its second assessment of the Nation’s traffic tance of employee productivity, NCDOT established an
signal systems. The initial assessment was conducted in internal management consulting unit whose mission is
2005. This self assessment was conducted to increase to bring “innovative approaches to process manage-
awareness of the impact of traffic signal operations on ment improvement, problem solving and positive
the transportation system, and to encourage agencies organizational change”. The Unit promotes continuous
and their elected officials to provide adequate resources improvement in the effectiveness of NCDOT by influ-
to ensure that these systems are being effectively oper- encing policy, processes and change. Two specific pro-
Tarnoff (5).indd 50 30/11/07 20:41:54

The Thinker
grams serve as representative examples of the Unit’s

activities:
1. An incentive pay pilot project has been authorized
by the General Assembly for the purpose of improving
staff productivity. This pilot project is currently being
applied to the State Road Maintenance Road Oil and the
Bridge Inspections Units. Financial incentives are well
known techniques for improving staff productivity that
are rarely applied by public agencies.
2. A continuous Process Improvement (CPI) program
has been established to promote ideas and opportuni-
ties for the application of new techniques for improving
the Department’s efficiency. This program includes CPI
Awards for inventive ideas that lead to more effective
performance.
Among the 2007 CPI Award winners was the acquisi-
tion of robotic total station survey equipment for stadia
surveys. A stadia survey is one that measures angle and
distance, using a traditional transit and rod. The DOT
had required the assignment of a spotter along with a
rodman during surveys at high speed locations. The
acquisition of the robotic total station survey equipment
eliminated the need for the spotter at these locations
and also led to an estimated 10 to 25 per cent reduction
in survey time.
This is an example of the application of technology to
improved employee productivity. It is also an example
of the manner in which employee participation in the
process can lead to creative and useful techniques. The
robotic survey equipment is just one of an entire range
of ideas receiving awards from the NCDOT Productivity
Unit, that include items such as enhanced database and
processing for the State’s Adopt-A Highway program,
and improved sign racks for the State’s sign trucks.
One of the most visible and effective productivity
improvements adopted by the transportation commu-
nity is the use of electronic toll collection systems (such
as EZPass) which have enabled significant toll collec-
tion productivity by reducing the need for toll collectors
and increasing the throughput at toll plazas.
So the list of ways in which productivity can be
improved is endless. All that is required is the will and
the focus to identify and implement these improvements
on a continuous basis. The key to an effective program
is continuous measurement, encouragement and incen-
“The list of ways tives. There is little doubt that improved productivity is
in which a more positive response to resource limitations than a
reactionary cut in services.
productivity can
be improved is Concluding thoughts
Productivity should not be considered the holy grail of
endless” the public transportation agency. It is possible to
improve productivity while reducing the quality of life
and morale of an agency’s employees. However, it is
also possible to improve productivity by enhancing the
work environment, and reorienting the priorities of the
staff. A balanced approach is obviously critical to suc-
cessful productivity enhancement. Based on the avail-
able evidence, the current public agency culture has a
long way to go before it needs to be concerned about
placing too much emphasis on productivity. TH
Tarnoff (5).indd 51 30/11/07 20:42:47

Road Pricing Special
The public
supports road
pricing if...
JOHANNA ZMUD tackles the issue of public acceptability and
examines just what, if anything, would make ‘the people’
embrace the idea of paying to use the roads

priorities
Zmud (4).indd 46 30/11/07 20:45:03

RoadClimate
Pricing Change
Special
The potential benefits of road pricing have been When

Why DAVID
have diverse SCHONBRUNN
attempts to introduce tolling and
advocated for some time and the technology to read the April/May
road pricing been successfully issue
implemented, ofoth-
while
implement pricing schemes has been operational ers have failed politically? The bottom line is that the
for years. Thinking
feasibility Highways
of these efforts depended nothe only felt
on public
Singapore introduced its first congestion-pricing compelled
support but also on to write
elected anperceptions
officials’ articleof
scheme in 1975. London has implemented public support. In many places, a gulf
offering his own
a major scheme, and San Francisco and
New York City may not be far behind.
“A gulf exists exists between elected officials’ per-
views
ceptions of what onthinks… and
the public
between elected
Public authorities in states across the US, whattransportation’s
the public actually thinks.
from California and Texas to Virginia, are
pushing forward with plans to implement
officials’ Be impacts
careful what onmyou say...and
high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. Pay-as- perceptions of The
solutions for,
power of surveys to climate
illuminate the
you-drive pricing programs have been
tested in Oregon,Washington, and Minne-
what the public are often used
attitudes of citizens
change means that results
as the foundation for
thinks… and policymaking. As aptly said by Earl
sota. But other public authorities in the U.S.
and elsewhere have found it difficult to
advance road pricing programs. If the
what the public Newsom, American Petroleum Institute,
nearly 50 years ago, “Today’s public
benefits are good and the technology can actually thinks” opinion, though it may appear light as
deliver, why are not more public authori- air, may become tomorrow’s legislation
ties around the world implementing road pricing as a – for better or worse.” Ipsos MORI, a survey research
source of infrastructure funding, a means to manage firm in the UK, recently found that public opinion tended
congestion and improve air quality, and as a way to to swing in support of road pricing when people were
expand traveler options? informed about how the revenues could be used to bring
Zmud (4).indd 47 30/11/07 20:45:26

Table 1: Public Opinion based on Type of Pricing

Survey Results Type of Pricing Project
HOT Lanes Traditional Tolling Express Toll Lanes Cordon / Private Ownership
Area Pricing
Majority Support 73% 71% 62% 32% 0%
Majority Opposition 15% 26% 23% 53% 60%
Neither Majority 12% 3% 15% 16% 40%
Total Percent 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%
Total Cases 26 35 13 19 10
benefits (1). A nonscientific web poll sponsored by the ing with a specific reference.
American Automobile Association (AAA) Mid-Atlantic • If potential users of the tolled facility were surveyed
in the latter part of this year found most respondents rather than the general public.
from six Mid-Atlantic States and the District of Columbia • If clarifying information or a description of benefits
favored paying higher tolls to maintain roads and were presented to respondents as part of the survey
bridges – not higher gas taxes. These are singular pub- question, such as “would you support tolls, if the reve-
lic opinion events, and it would be easy to find surveys nues were invested in improving public transport?”
or polls that have found opposite results. An important finding of the ”survey of surveys” was
Given the link between policymaking and public that support varied according to the type of project on
opinion, the quality of public opinion data is critical. But which public opinion was solicited. The notable stand-
who controls the quality of the measures of public opin- outs are cordon/ area pricing and private-ownership,
ion that are communicated to public officials and policy- both of which showed higher opposition than support.
makers? The quality of scientific research is typically Public opinion was supportive in the vast majority of
controlled through the process of publication and repli- surveys or polls asking about HOT lanes, traditional toll-
cation. The way in which surveys or public opinion polls ing, or express toll lanes. See `Table 1.
are reported often misses the checks and balances
developed as part of the scientific process. So how does So what does the public want?
one know what the public actually thinks? Our research identified eight ideas related to building
public acceptance.
What does the public actually think? • The public wants to see value. When a concrete ben-
NuStats recently conducted a systematic review of how efit to an acknowledged problem is linked to the idea of
the public feels about tolling and road pricing(2). Our tolling or road pricing, public support is higher.
synthesis provided a broad perspective on public opin- • The public prefers tangible and specific rationales.
ions across the U.S. and internationally. It was based on When public opinion is measured in the context of a
a thorough review of the published literature, a scan of specific project as opposed to as a general principle,
national and international media stories on the topic, the level of support is higher.
and contact with organizations with interest in or expe- • The public cares about the use of toll revenues. When
rience with tolling programs and road pricing. Among revenues are linked to specific uses (i.e., public transit
the 110 polls and surveys reviewed in this “survey of improvements or local infrastructure improvements)
surveys”, 56 per cent of them showed support for tolling and not to general pooled funds, support tends to be
and road pricing. Opposition was encountered in 31 per higher.
cent. Mixed results (i.e., no majority support or opposi- • The public learns from experience. When the oppor-
tion) occurred in 13 per cent. As a point of comparison, tunity to use a tolled facility already exists, public sup-
NuStats also reviewed public opinion on tax-related ini- port is higher than when it is simply a possibility for the
tiatives for infrastructure funding and found almost the future. Support from a majority of citizens cannot be
opposite pattern of support and opposition. The aggre- expected from the outset. Building support is a long-
gate level of support for tax-related initiatives was 27 term, continuous process that should not stop after
percent, with 60 per cent opposed. implementation.
In the aggregate, the public supports tolling and road • The public uses knowledge and information availa-
pricing. Popular discourse would have politicians and ble. When opinion is informed by objective explanation
their constituents believing that the public is categori- of the conditions and mechanics of tolling and its pros
cally opposed to tolling and road pricing. The reality is and cons, public support is higher than when there is no
that, in the case of road pricing, the nuances matter. context for how tolling works. This factor explains why
A lot. members of the public may express negative opinion
about tolling as a theoretical concept but will use a
The “If’s” priced facility when it opens.
Public opinion was more supportive: • The public believes in equity and fairness. When
• If a specific project was targeted or referenced in the there is perceived fairness in the application of tolling
poll versus general questioning on tolling or road pric- or road pricing schemes, public support is higher. This
Zmud (4).indd 48 30/11/07 20:46:05

is why having an alternative cost-free route is so impor- in policies that possess superficial majority appeal but
tant to the public or why support is generally higher for fail to address the real issues of how to deal with infra-
tolling new facilities than for tolling existing facilities. In structure financing, congestion management, or global
terms of equity, there is general agreement that deci- warming.
sions to use or not use a priced facility is a matter of indi- An early pioneer in the science of public opinion
vidual choice – revolving around motorist’s situational measurement, George Gallup, suggested that, with the
needs and preferences. measurement of public opinion, politicians “will be bet-
• The public wants simplicity. When the mechanics of ter able to represent… the general public by avoiding
tolling or other user fee programs are simple, and there- the kind of distorted picture sent to them…by overzeal-
fore, easy to understand, public support is higher than ous pressure groups who claim to speak for all the peo-
in situations where there is a high level of complexity in ple, but actually speak for themselves” (3).
how the pricing scheme will work. The public may have little daily contact with many
• The public favors tolls if the alternative is taxes. When issues on the public agenda, yet their opinions greatly
given a binary choice, most people prefer tolling to influence policymakers. What can we do about it? We
taxes. With toll revenues, the public is more assured of need an informed public. The public needs to say, “We
“getting a fair share,” since revenues are generally gen- consent.” But, the public still lacks credible, available,
erated and applied locally. objective information on the benefits and challenges in
tolling and road pricing.
Delivering the Goods The public needs to understand the problems so they
The political nature of a community and its interest can accept a solution. We also need to track public opin-
groups can often shape the public debate on tolling and ion over time, particularly in the context of regional or
road pricing and tend to obscure the majority opinion local initiatives – from the idea stages to implementation
on the issue. A very vocal minority can often transform and ultimate usage by the public. It is important to track
the complex subject of road pricing into an object of the nature of support and opposition across variations in
politicking. project type and to document how public opinion can
Rather than stimulate discussion, the transformation of shift with changing values, new knowledge, or a new
pricing into a political issue has in some places resulted state of the world. TH
“When the
mechanics of
tolling or other
user fee programs
are simple to
understand,
public support is
higher”
References
1 Ipsos MORI. http://www.ipsos-mori.com/polls/
2007.
2 Report to be released by the Transportation Research
Board in early 2008.
3 Gallup, G., and S. Rae. “The Pulse of Democracy: The
Public Opinion Poll and How it Works.” New York: Simon
and Schuster, 1940.
Dr. Johanna Zmud, Ph.d, is president of NuStats – A PTV
Company, based in Austin, Texas. She can be reached at
jzmud@nustats.com
Zmud (4).indd 49 30/11/07 20:46:35

You don’t have

to queue if you
don’t want to
priorities
Following my rant in the last issue of ETC, etc on the

hidden tolls imposed by modern-day trolls on both
urban congestion pricing and on motorway tolls my
thoughts have been several times drawn back to
traffic congestion in general. Not the least of those
‘drawbacks’ was welcome feedback from Wiebren
de Jonge from the Netherlands.
In a nice ‘turn’ of phrase in his email he suggested that
I had“missed the right exit” from my motorway story. He
explained that metaphor by correctly pointing out that
my traffic safety argument against motorway tolls (more
fatalities overall because the toll diverts traffic to the
less safe infrastructure of secondary roads) was too sim-
plistic. It can only be strictly applied to situations in
which motorways are more expensive than other road-
ways and thus is not an argument against congestion
pricing in general.
Following that idea led me to the thought that, sooner
or later, someone with a limited understanding of eco-
Traffic congestion, suggests nomics (but much practical experience in politics) was
AL GULLON, is not the tragedy going to declare traffic congestion a ‘tragedy of the com-
mons’ (TOC) and thus amenable to ‘fixing’ through the
of the commons that some ‘price mechanism’. That led me back to a presentation I
make it out to be made in RECYCLE ‘94 in Davos, Switzerland in which I
Gullon (3).indd 46 30/11/07 20:49:58

RoadClimate
Pricing Change
Special
feit When DAVID SCHONBRUNN

is better) transportation and communication (T&C)
read the April/Maydevelopment.
infrastructure to facilitate economic issue ofThe
welfare, economic and otherwise, of every citizen is so
Thinking
intimately bound up in Highways
efficient T&C that he feltless
anything
compelled
than perfection (which toiswrite
of coursean article
unattainable but
could be more closely approached with wiser govern-
ments) detracts measureably from that welfare. The
sign,transportation’s
“Je roule pour vous.”, on the back impacts
of some trucks in
Franceonm and solutions for,
is absolutely true.
The governmental responsibility for T&C thus imposed
includes a duty climate
to recognize change
that, in an expanding econ-
omy/population, traffic is only going to increase and
therefore roadway infrastructure must be built with an
eye for future demand, including using that infrastruc-
ture to ‘suggest’ directions for urban expansion. Thus
any restriction of access to the present infrastructure,
including ramp metering and congestion charging, is
an attempt to cover up an error of omission with an error
of commission.
Before suggesting some alternates to access restric-
tions it is perhaps useful to review briefly the economic
concepts of the ‘price mechanism’ and monopoly.
To economists the price mechanism achieves an opti-
mum allocation of resources through, in a free market,
balancing supply and demand. An increase in demand
raises the price and the price increase encourages new
producers to enter the market … and the increased sup-
ply lowers the price.
In stark contrast a monopoly is, like a TOC, a “market
failure” in that the price mechanism is inoperative and
thus most governments have laws against monopolies,
e.g. the just-concluded EU case against Microsoft.
Although the provision of roadways is a ‘natural monop-
oly’ any government operating a congestion charging
scheme is doing exactly the same thing as the much-
decried monopolist who takes the position that his prof-
its are maximized if he limits production and charges an
discussed the origins of the concept of TOCs. In the extortionate price.
intervening years I have revisited the subject in various
presentations and the text box below now includes Alternatives to access restriction exist!
‘acronymical’ advice to governments on the careful The first is to recognize the huge impact that busses
extirpation of environmental TOCs (those acronyms have on traffic congestion. As an illustration I take you
allude to the ticking of the Doomsday Clock so often back to Toronto in the late 1970s when I was head of
invoked by activists to encourage faster action on the mobile sources emission control for Environment Can-
environmental front). ada. When a bus driver strike was announced I phoned
Having read that text box (admittedly it’s at the end of my Ontario counterpart to see if, rather than waiting for
the article, so I’ll forgive you if you haven’t yet) you can the monthly report, he could get immediate access to
now see that traffic congestion is not a TOC. The road- the air pollution monitoring data so we could see how
way infrastructure is not “overused to the point of extinc- much of an increase in automotive-related emissions
tion”. It will still be there for tomorrow’s commute. would result from the increased automobile traffic. To
Indeed having disappeared beneath a sea of vehicles it our surprise automobile pollution went dramatically
will reappear in only a few hours. Moreover it is neither down!
a natural resource nor in limited supply since more lane It turns out that each slow-moving, multi-stopping bus
length could be added whether longitudinally or hori- has a congestion impact, and thus a pollution impact,
zontally … or vertically! equal to 30 or 40 cars! Thus considerable congestion
relief can be had by re-arranging the allocation of exist-
Neither tragic nor common ing laneways. In suburbia ‘bus only’ lanes can be desig-
The above shows that congestion is not a TOC but nei- nated for the two ‘rush hours’ each day. As the commuting
ther is it a case for “user pay”. In the lead-in to the previ- traffic approaches the urban core, buses can (usually)
ous rant I pointed out that it is a fundamental function of be switched to alternate routes designated as “Local
government to provide adequate (actually a small sur- Traffic Only”.
Gullon (3).indd 47 30/11/07 20:50:41

No truck with India To mitigate congestion during the two rush hours each
Further to urban congestion I suggest something which day, I would suggest that city authorities abandon ‘extor-
was used to good effect in both ancient Rome and mod- tionate pricing’ in favour of helping the private sector
ern-day New Delhi (my childrens’ suspicions aside I optimize ‘staggered hours’. City officials would try to
have personal experience only with the latter): ban all balance commuter traffic between suggested start
trucks from 07.00 to 19.00. During the visit to New Delhi times of, say, 08.00 and 10.00, by maintaining a register
in 2000 (for an evening lecture/discus- of start-of-day times for the larger corpo-
sion on my research with SAE’s Northern “Each slow- rations. Office efficiency might even get a
India Section) I didn’t notice the absence moving, multi- boost with two hours of internal ‘file main-
of trucks until I saw, and asked about, tenance and face time’, either before or
large numbers in, mostly informal, park- stopping bus has after ‘core hours’, which would be rela-
ing areas outside the city during the day. a congestion and tively uninterrupted by client meetings.
Trucks are not a large percentage of total In closing I should mention that the
traffic but, like buses, each has a HUGE pollution impact latter two suggestions, alone or com-
congestion impact. equal to 30 to 40 bined, will bring an environmental bonus.
Although some extra pay for the night Both the total daily emissions and maxi-
shift may be necessary I expect that driv- cars” mum daily pollutant concentrations will
er’s time would be cut by a third and fuel be greatly reduced. TH
consumption by half for the same tonnage delivered…
and there would certainly be a longer term benefit to Al Gullon can be contacted via email at al@alsaces.ca.
maintenance costs. Visit his website, www.alsaces.ca
Governments, the “Tragedy of the Commons” and a Ticking Clock

“The tragedy of the commons” (TOC) is one of a small number of market failures recognized by economists. In a TOC at least one of the
factors of production costs nothing or very little and thus will be overused to the point of extinction. In the dry, dispassionate (dismal?) language
of economists,“ the price mechanism is partially or completely inoperative and thus the actions of economic agents result in an allocation of
resources which is sub-optimal.”
The classic example is one of cows on the commons.The herdsmen in the local village all have free access to a common grazing land. Milk
production per cow remains steady over the years, yielding a profit of 10 per cent over the costs of production, as the herd grows to the
maximum carrying capacity of the commons. Beyond that capacity however the addition of a half-dozen extra cows causes both a reduction of
available feed and extra effort by each cow so that milk production falls by 2 per cent (but, since costs remain the same, profit falls by 20%!).
With no better place to invest, the individual herdsman can still make a sound investment in additional cows but his additional income is now
coming out of the pockets of his fellow herdsmen. Moreover, the natural human reaction to a reduction in income is to work harder, i.e. to
increase his herd size!
By now the nature of the “tragedy” should be clear to the reader but not necessarily to the individual herdsman.Without such a neatly
measured overview he is much more likely to attribute the loss to the vagaries of weather or the age of the herd. In order that this concept can
serve as a guide to proper government action one must examine the semantics more closely. In spite of both the lovely pastoral image called to
mind by the classic example and the fact that it sometimes results in damage to the environment, the TOC is not an environmental tragedy. It
was recognized and named at a point in history when humans had not yet harnessed sufficient energy to do irreparable damage to nature and,
more important to our understanding, when the word ‘tragedy’ had not yet been banalized to mean any very sad or disastrous event.At the
time the word alluded to ‘Greek tragedy’, a theatre play in which the central personage is inexorably impelled to destruction by a fatal flaw in
his/her character.
It is thus easy to see that the phrase might jump quickly and naturally to the mind of an early, classically educated, economist who suddenly
understood that any factor of production which cost nothing would be over-used until it was destroyed ... and with it the truth and beauty of
Adam Smith’s ‘invisible hand’.The ‘tragedy of the commons’ was, and remains, an economic ‘Greek tragedy’ ... but one which often leaves
environmental tragedies (current meaning) in its wake.
Governments and TOCs Since resource-related TOCs are caused by the actions of a group on what to them is ‘common’ property they can
only be solved by group action. In a democracy this can only mean government action. BUT, just because government must be there doesn’t
mean that they will do the right thing when they (finally) arrive at the scene of the ‘tragedy’ nor, and perhaps of more importance, that they will
exit the scene on cue, i.e. immediately after the TOC has been fixed. [Most often, as in the offshore fishery, they arrive too late and then hang
around meddling with this’n’that until their contribution is ‘net negative’ – pun intended.]
The problems posed by pollution can also be fruitfully viewed as TOCs Although human activity impacts the environment most obviously at
the two ends of the chain of production, i.e. resource extraction and waste disposal, it is the latter which most often carries no price tag and
thus generates the most TOCs. Now the particular atoms, in various combinations, which we call ‘pollution’ in our air, waters and lands got
there by a very complex route. It is only by detailed study of that route that the most efficient means of dealing with that pollution can be found.
Therefore, as we move into the new millennium, the correct government action with respect to the environment, whether resource
depletion or pollution, can be summed up as the ticking of a clock: TLC, TOC, TLC – Tender Loving Care of this planet requires correcting
Tragedies Of the Commons by means of Total Life Cycle analysis … and then exiting on cue!
Gullon (3).indd 48 30/11/07 20:51:03

On January 1, 2007 the Czech Republic’s electronic toll collection system for heavy vehicles started
commercial operation. Just 70 days and 14 hours later, toll revenue reached 1 billion Czech Koruna.
Electronic toll collection systems from Kapsch TrafficCom can work for you too | www.kapsch.net
Czechmate!
Nataraj (3).indd 49 16/3/07 12:27:21

How it was
and how it will
Stunted
never be
growth
RUTH BRIDGER looks back at road pricing’s often rocky
relationship with the press
“There is more
energy available
than Iceland can
possibly use”
Bridger (3).indd 46 30/11/07 20:56:39

RoadClimate
Pricing Change
Special
The media has always had much to say about road When
The DAVID
Times, Sunday TimesSCHONBRUNN
Financial Times and The
pricing in the UK. Take these examples, following read the April/May
Economist were in favour of road issue
pricing and The of
Guard-
the publication of a major report on advocating road ian concluded “the use of the price mechanism is not
pricing as a solution to the congestion problem: Thinking
necessarily unfair.” Highways he felt
The Daily Mail said:“We have no faith that road pricing compelled to write an article
would benefit the motorists”. (Their main reason is the Waitoffering
for it, wait for
hisit...own views on
fear that road pricing would be used to extract more Two years later, in 1966, Barbara Castle MP (the-then
money from motorists.) transportation’s
Minister for Transport) gave a pressimpacts
conference after a
Or how about this from The Daily Telegraph: “The visit to onm
the USA. and solutions for,
She said “we are studying methods of
report is dealing with an imminent crisis demanding road pricing…. Now we are studying the technical feasi-
radical measures at the earliest possible date.” bility of theseclimate
schemes and wechange
have not yet got the final
And, not to be outdone by the nationals, The Liverpool report on them. But I think there is no doubt……we shall
Post wrote:“Provided that the principle is honoured that have to restrain the use of the private car in congested
the revenue raised would not be an additional burden areas at certain times of the day. But I am not prepared
on motorists but would be offset by reduction in other to do that until I am ready with big improvements in the
forms of taxation of them, there is a good deal to be said public transport system.”
for making the man whose car spends most time in an In 1968 J M Thompson from the London School of Eco-
area where space is at a premium pay substantially more nomics, delivered a paper at a conference in Tilburg,
for his motoring than the man whose car is mostly used Germany on 10 September of that year entitled “The
in less congested areas.” development of Road Pricing in England” (and from
These quotes could have been made following any where the newspaper comments post the Smeed Report
number of reports or government announcements on were sourced). In his section on “Political Aspects” he
road pricing over the past few years, but they appeared says, “Perhaps the greatest difficulty with road pricing
on 11 June 1964, the day after the Smeed Report (or Road is the political problem of introducing it. There is no
Pricing: The Economic and Technical Possibilities to give doubt that politicians are afraid of the idea because they
it its full title) was published. The history of the road suspect that the public will not like it.”
pricing debate in the UK has been a long Thompson also stated in his paper that
one. “By 1961, after “considerable literature on the subject
A congested history
many now exists”, “a large number of papers
and articles have been produced” and
In 1909 Lloyd George introduced petrol impracticable “in England several conferences have
tax (now called fuel duty) to pay for a
major programme of road improvement.
proposals for road been devoted largely to this question.”
His conclusion stated: “It was highly
By the time the Second World War broke pricing were probable that prototype meters were
out in 1939, congestion began to occur in
most towns and cities, plus some rural
considered” going to be tested at the Road Research
Laboratory and that a trial scheme would
roads. be introduced, either in Central London
In the late 1950s/early 1960s people starting investi- or in some other town, within a few years. Most transport
gating ways in which congestion could be reduced, and professionals at the time thought that road pricing could
road pricing was discussed. It was considered techni- be adopted in major cities in five years time”.
cally possible to charge people directly for the use of
the roads instead of petrol tax and without resorting to On the cards
physical toll gates. The following year, 1969, the RRL had developed two
By 1961, after many impracticable proposals for road systems of electronic road pricing technology (an off-
pricing were considered, it was thought that some sort vehicle and an on-vehicle system). The Ministry of
of electronically-controlled meter could be used. A Transport prepared an internal briefing paper on road
group of economists applied to the Ministry of Trans- pricing and stated “the Ministry is studying the prob-
port to look seriously into the feasibility of road pricing, lems of devising and introducing such a system both for
so a working panel was set up under Dr (later Prof.) a limited area, e.g. a badly congested city centre, and on
Smeed. a national basis.”
The panel commenced their study in 1962 and the Ministry officials wanted a public trial of RRL’s tech-
report was completed in 1964. nology to see how the equipment worked and also how
Media coverage was extensive. In addition to The Daily the public would react to being billed for the amount
Mail, the Yorkshire Post, New Daily and Punch were also they drove. They identified the second Mersey Tunnel
hostile. Several papers were non-committal. The Daily for the trial. The tunnel would be tolled anyway, but the
Express had a headline that said “Buy-a-drive” and fol- road pricing equipment trials would act as an alterna-
lowed by a straightforward account of the proposal. The tive pricing system for up to 10,000 volunteers. The cost
Daily Herald’s was “Pay-as-you-drive. Is this the answer of the trial was £1m (€1.6m).
to Britain’s Traffic Problems?” The Daily Mirror, Evening Treasury officials told Ministry of Transport officials in
News and Evening Standard just printed a short account 1970 that the system would be the ideal congestion tax
without comment. and as well as helping to relieve congestion, Britain
Bridger (3).indd 47 30/11/07 20:58:08

A quiet quarter of a century

Over the next 26 years, the road pricing debate never
went away, but nothing significant happened that would
move road pricing any further forward towards imple-
mentation.
After a generation, the first transport White Paper was
published in 1998 “A new deal for transport: better for
everyone”. It stated that legislation would be intro-
duced to allow “road users to be charged so as to reduce
congestion.”
They would also “continue technical trials of elec-
tronic systems and how they may best be implemented.
These trials will examine such issues as personal pri-
vacy, impact on different parts of society and diversion
onto untolled roads.”
On the 22 July, 2002 Alistair Darling (Secretary of State
for Transport) considers “spy-in-the-sky” plans for road
charging and said that “we are a long way down the road
to looking at the technology.” He said the scheme could
be feasible “within a decade.” Almost exactly three
years later, in July 2005, he announced that a national
road-user charging scheme would be implemented
“within 10 years”.
Scrap value
On 1 December 2006 the Eddington Transport Study
was published. Although dealing with all aspects of
transport, his call for road pricing was the headline in
the media. An on-line petition was started on 10 Down-
ing Street’s new e-petition website “We the undersigned
petition the Prime Minister to scrap the planned vehicle
tracking and road pricing policy”.
By mid-December, signatures had reached 50,000
and attracted the attention of the media which contin-
ued until the petition closed on 20 February 2007 with
1,811,396 signatures. Even other petitions on suppos-
edly hot issues like scrapping inheritance tax only
attracted 128,000 signatures. On 21 February, the Prime
Minister sent a response to the petition signatories
which included “ we have not made any decision about
could be at the forefront of urban traffic policy and have national road pricing. Indeed we are simply not yet in a
great export potential. The Mersey Tunnel trial propos- position to do so.” and “That is why I believe we need to
als were presented to the Environment explore the contribution road pricing
Secretary (Peter Walker) in March 1970. “In less than two can make to tackling congestion. It
(Environment now included Transport
following restructuring in 1970). He
years time, it will would not be in anyone’s interests, espe-
cially those of motorists, to slam the door
asked for further studies to be done, be 100 years since shut on road pricing without exploring it
comparing road pricing with other the introduction
methods of traffic restraint. If he felt that
further.”
On 20 September, Ruth Kelly (Secre-
road pricing gave greater benefits then of fuel duty” tary of State for Transport) said in a web
the tunnel trial could proceed. Treasury chat :“We have no current commitment
and Department of Environment officials worked on the to introduce national road pricing but we are actively
comparisons. thinking about how to deal with congestion problems in
After more than two years since the Mersey Tunnel the future.” She went on to say that they were looking for
trials proposal was made, the Treasury finally received local authorities to take up funding for local road pric-
Walker’s reply in June 1972 which said “… was not con- ing intitiatives.
vinced that a technical experiment of the equipment In less than two years time, it will be 100 years since
developed for road pricing would be helpful at the the introduction of fuel duty. Whether we will be any
present time.” He suggested further desk studies on the further forward with replacing it with road pricing
implications of different restraint techniques in a revenues is still up for debate. TH
selected town.” ruth.bridger@virgin.net
Bridger (3).indd 48 30/11/07 20:58:44

Freedom is key,
how about safety?
.#('+%0.$7!.1)#/'/!&,'!# 100&#.#/1)0/!+ #2#.5

"#2/00'+%+2#/0*#+0'+/$#05+##"/0, #/*.0+"
!&,,/'+%0&#.'%&00.$7!#+$,.!#*#+0/5/0#*3'))&#)-
5,1/$#)'2#/
0/,*#0#.0&#3,.)"6/$,.#*,/0/1--)'#.,$)#"'+%#"%#0.$7!
0/,*#0#. #+$,.!#*#+00#!&+,),%5'/5,1. #/0-.0+#.$,.0&#/$#+"
,4

.)#* .#)' )#/,)10',+/
&##0&#.)+"/
#)

4

/)#/%0/,!,*
333%0/,*#0#.!,* ATSO METER
Gsatso1.indd 1 3/12/07 11:10:20


priorities
If not tolls,
then what?
As MIKE SENA explains, road tolling is hardly a new idea, but
what better alternatives have been invented over the last 2000
years?
Sena (6).indd 46 30/11/07 21:03:24

RoadClimate
Pricing Change
Special
The word “toll” has many meaning and most of them

having negative connotations. As a noun it is a “fixed
charge or tax for a privilege, especially for passage
across a bridge or along a road”. It is also a charge for a
service, such as a long distance telephone call. Toll as a
noun can also mean “an amount or extent of loss or
destruction”, as in ‘The storm took a heavy toll on life
and property’. As a verb, it means “to sound a bell slowly
at regular intervals”, or, “to announce an arrival with
such sounds”. Toll, as in “Ask not for whom the bell
tolls…” derives from the Middle English tollen, which
means “to ring an alarm” derived from the Old English
word tyllan in fortyllan, which means “to attract or
allure”.
The word toll as a “tax” comes from the Greek telos,
tax, through to Old English, toln. Tax collector in Greek
is telones. The Greek for toll booth is teloneion, in Latin
it is teloneum, and in Medieval Latin it is tolonium. Toll
as “tax” is translated into French and German as tribut,
into Italian as tributo. Since there are Latin and Greek
words for tolls and toll booths, one might naturally
assume that tolls were collected back in ancient times.
Rodolfo Lanciani, in his book Ancient Rome in the Light of
Recent Discoveries wrote: “Travelling on the great con-
sular roads of Italy was always made disagreeable by
publicans, or toll and octroi collectors.”
User pays (early version)

In earlier times, kings and local lords taxed their sub-
jects to travel on their roads and across their bridges.
Later, it was a building society or corporation that
incurred the debt to pay for the road or bridge. Today, it
is governments who take for themselves the privilege of
imposing economic restrictions on movement to achieve
a variety of goals, such as to channel that movement into
collective forms of transportation.
There are also tolls that are charged for entrance into
a city, region or state. From ancient times and well into
the 19th century, walls surrounding cities were built to
ensure that trade routes passed through the cities’ gates.
Tolls or customs were levied by the ruler of the city
region on people and the goods they carried into the
city. The records of customs for the City of London in
1260 are recorded in a volume called Liber Albus, which
list the customs to be paid for goods passing into or
through London. In 1856, there were 117 toll gates within
a six-mile radius of Charing Cross, the official “centre”
of London.
Approximately 150 years later, in February 2003, Lon-
don re-instituted a tolling system. Instead of bars and
turnpikes, it consisted of cameras that photograph the
license plates of vehicles entering the so-called Con-
gestion Zone.
Initial results during the first few months of the con-
gestion charging scheme in London were all positive.
Traffic was supposedly down by 30 per cent, with 65,000
fewer vehicles entering the charging zone. Transport
for London was claiming that the large majority of these
people had simply switched over to public transport.
But 18 months later, The London Chamber of Commerce
and Industry published their Third Survey of the effect
Sena (6).indd 47 30/11/07 21:04:01

on the retail sector painting a very different picture, one

that showed a severe effect on business in the charging
zone. It seems that instead of switching to public trans-
port, many people just did not travel into London. The
“non-essential trips” made by shoppers, tourists and
some business people, were the reason the numbers
had fallen, and it appears that these had the greatest
effects on the businesses in the charging zone.
And so to Sweden...
A similar system to London’s was put into place in Stock-
holm on 3 January 2006 on a trial basis. The Environ-
mental Charge (the opponents called it a Congestion
Tax) would be tested for close to seven months and then
put to a vote in the City of Stockholm to decide whether
it would be scrapped or continued. The cost of this test
was approximately €400m. As opposed to a single flat
charge for entering the zone, as in London, there were
variable charges based on time of day, and charges
were incurred both when entering and exiting the zone.
The system read the license plates of cars, as in London,
and kept track of each car’s total toll for the day.
After three months, the group responsible for the
scheme reported that total road usage inside and around
the charging zone dropped by 25 per cent. It seems that
15 per cent of the people who had been using up space
on the city’s streets were there with no real purpose
because they simply disappeared after the congestion
charge was instituted. A total of 100,000 “vehicle pas-
sages” left the roads, but only 40,000 new riders showed
up on the collective transport system. According to
reports by the city authorities, they “have not detected
any traffic diversion”.
The 25 per cent traffic reduction in traffic is similar to
the London reduction, and, as in London, it appears to be
to the maximum number of cars that can be taken out of
the pool of cars before the economic viability of the
scheme becomes questionable. In other words, if the
price is so high that more than 25 per cent of the drivers
avoid the congestion area, the costs of managing the
collection of tolls is much larger than the income gener-
ated by it, and the costs to businesses and individuals
exceeds any benefits from traffic congestion reduction.
A battle of the sexes

Shortly after the trial closed at the end of July 2006, a
report on the local economic effects of the charging
scheme that had been commissioned by the authorities
was released. Rich men paid the most congestion tax. It
Photo by Robert Bain (www.robertbainphotography.co.uk)
was reported that approximately 4 per cent of the pri-

vate car drivers paid one-third of the total fees. These
car drivers were men, high income wage earners, and
residents of the inner city. Men in general paid twice as
much as women; medium income wage earners were
those who reduced their automobile usage the most. In
other words, those who continued to drive were those
who could afford to do so. They, along with commercial
drivers and service vehicles, were the principal benefi-
ciaries of the reduced traffic.
Removed from rush hour traffic during the first days
are all those who cannot afford to pay the tolls, or those,
Sena (6).indd 48 30/11/07 21:04:30

who out of principle, refuse to do so. This has generally

been around 15 per cent of travelers. They travel out of
the rush hour times; they switch to bus, train, foot, cycle
or pool car; or they take an alternate route that is not
within the toll area.
Another group who have been shown to remove them-
selves permanently from the tolled roads are those who
make incidental trips into the toll zone. They represent
between 10 and 15 per cent of the travelers. This group
stop using the services inside the congestion charging
zone, and they do not take public transport into the zone,
so they are not recorded in the ranks. However, they do
not just disappear. They do their shopping or conduct
their business outside the zone, in part helping to fill the
parking lots of suburban malls.
Left, right
It may seem remarkable that many of the strongest pro-
ponents of inner city road charging are politicians of the
left, who should be, in theory, supporters of egalitarian-
ism. Closing a street for all drivers is fair; leaving it open
for all drivers is fair; but closing it for drivers who cannot
afford to pay for the privilege discriminates against
people with lower incomes. As a concept, “congestion
charging” implies that people who can afford to pay the
toll have a greater need to use the road, and therefore a
greater right than people who cannot. One highway
manager put it bluntly: “Not everyone can travel at the
same time. Pricing is the means of rationing.”
The fallacy of congestion charging it that it is a final
solution to congestion. The reality is that in time, a new
equilibrium is established. From the baseline estab-
lished in the wake of congestion charging, traffic vol-
umes increase along with population growth if, and only
if, commerce and industry in the area increase as well;
or, traffic volumes decrease if the population shrinks
and/or if businesses move beyond the tolling zone. If
traffic volumes increase over time, rates have to be made
substantially higher to create a new shock to the travel-
lers’ pocketbooks. If traffic volumes decrease to levels
that either do not sustain the costs of collecting the tolls
(if the scheme should be self-financing), or if reduced
car usage has such a negative effect on the businesses
in the tolled areas that they are forced to close, rates will
have to be significantly reduced or eliminated
altogether.
If governments of any colour on the political spectrum
insist on using road charging as a tax revenue option,
then it should be a fair tax. Rather than basing the sizes
of a toll on the time of day, or, worse, having a flat toll as
in London, why not base it on ability to pay and the need
to drive? Shouldn’t a low income, two-job wage earner
who needs to get across town between her third and first
shift, have priority to use the roads over a high-income
executive? She should pay a lower fee, one that is com-
mensurate with her income and circumstances. Does it
really make sense to charge an executive earning a six
or seven figure income the same amount to use the roads
as a person making the minimum hourly wage?
How could this differentiation on the basis of fairness
be accomplished? Governments have no problems
Sena (6).indd 49 30/11/07 21:04:59

using income tests to gauge what its citizens should pay prohibitively expensive.
for certain services, including their state and federal tax • Reduce the number of private vehicles to increase
burden and how much they are able to pay for their chil- the average speeds and on-time arrival of buses or sur-
dren’s higher education. Why not apply the same tests face rail systems.
to road usage? If the toll payment technology can match • Reduce the overall number of vehicles in order to
license plates to people who have paid and people who reduce CO2 or other emissions, accidents involving
have not, and to track the toll evaders down to their pedestrians or cyclists, space allocated to parking,
doorsteps in order to deliver a fine, that technology can noise related to heavy traffic.
surely keep tabs on a database that says what fee an “Reducing traffic congestion” is not a valid reason on
individual should pay, and whether the fee has been its own because it is a euphemism for getting the eco-
paid. nomically challenged drivers off the road in order to
make more room for the economically advantaged.
Some alternatives
Are there alternatives to tolls? There are, and those cit- Bolognese source
ies that use them instead of tolls do so for sound reasons. There are other ways to reduce the overall number of
In order to really compare these alternatives to paying vehicles without instituting regressive taxes on all driv-
directly for driving on a road, over a bridge or through a ers. In 1972 one Italian city, Bologna, began to introduce
tunnel, or driving into a district, it is essential to be clear restrictions in its historic centre. Areas were made
on the fundamental reasons for instituting any form of pedestrian-only and bus lanes were added to streets,
driving restriction. A list of possible reasons would limiting space for private cars and trucks. In 1984, the
include the following: people of Bologna voted in a local referendum to imple-
• Provide a source of revenue to pay for the constructed ment even further restrictions on private automobiles in
infrastructure. the centre.
• Provide a source of revenue for maintenance of the Access to the centre became totally restricted between
infrastructure. the hours of 07.00 and 20.00, except for certain vehicles,
• Provide for economic transfer payments to subsidize such as hotel guests, taxis, buses, residents and shop
collective transport. owners. Speed limits were reduced to 30 km/h on all
• Provide an economic advantage for the collective roads and parking spaces were reduced. One of the
transport alternative by making private automobile use main objectives achieved was the reduction of carbon
“There are
alternatives to
tolls and cities
that use them do
so for sound
Photo by Robert Bain (www.robertbainphotography.co.uk)
reasons”
Sena (6).indd 50 30/11/07 21:05:23

Roads Scholar
Highways are getting smarter. They look the same, With IRD technology, our roads can monitor, record and
black asphalt and white lines but look a little closer. communicate thousands of pieces of data every second
Small weigh and speed detectors right in the asphalt, over wired and wireless networks. Data that you can use
overhead cameras and sensors to to make roads stronger, faster, and safer.
record every move. Other more obvious
Talk to the smart people at IRD,
additions are there too, like message
they’ve been leading the way in ITS
signs that change for every vehicle!
for over 25 years.
INTERNATIONAL
ROAD DYNAMICS INC.
ir dinc.com
Sena (6).indd 53 30/11/07 21:06:04

Sena (6).indd 52 30/11/07 21:06:23
monoxide levels by more than 75 per cent. Congestion to use public transit, and they have done it without insti-
reduction also improved the efficiency of businesses in tuting congestion charging schemes. Park-and-ride is
the district and increased safety for pedestrians. the key. Almost 40 per cent of Boston workers use public
transit to commute, either from their communities on the
Another way of doing it south shore, north shore or western suburbs, or from the
The City of Gothenburg, Sweden has attempted to make park-and-ride facilities. Massachusetts Bay Transporta-
driving within the old city compound a nightmare with- tion Authority ridership has increased by 30 per cent
out actually closing streets, instituting tolls or charging since 1970. Around 15 per cent of residents of Boston
excessive prices for parking. Gothenburg is Sweden’s walk to work.
second largest city with approximately half a million
residents. It is also home to two of Sweden’s vehicle Keeping the city alive
manufacturers, Volvo Cars and Volvo Trucks. It has an Cities and city regions are sensitive organisms. They
old centre that has a design reminiscent of Amsterdam, are born, they grow and prosper. Sometimes they stag-
with circumferential canals and radial streets. While nate, decline, fall into decay and die. They have good
traffic congestion in Gothenburg was never as severe as periods and poor periods, depending on countless fac-
in the country’s capital, Stockholm, the city’s planners tors, including those that can be affected by humans and
decided that they wanted to maintain the quiet, pedes- those that are completely out of human control. When
trian-oriented environment that had existed before the city governments attempt to modify the movement
advance of car and truck traffic. behaviour of the people who live in, work in or other-
In the early 1960s, Gothenburg’s central district was wise use the city, they must be aware that their actions
divided into five traffic zones. Cars and trucks could can have unforeseen effects. While the short-term
drive into each of the zones, but driving between zones results of instituting congestion charging schemes may
was highly restricted. To move between zones, it is nec- be easy to measure in reduced traffic on the streets and
essary to drive out to a low-speed parkway that circles reduced emissions in the air, the long-term effects may
the district and then to drive into the next not be evident until after a long period
zone. Traffic was reduced inside the dis- “Cities are has passed, after the mayor who pushed
trict by almost 50 per cent when the
restrictions were introduced, pedestrian
sensitive for them has gone on to another place.
Before rushing into congestion charg-
and bicycle accidents were reduced by organisms. They ing, governing bodies should consider
45 per cent, and buses and trolleys sig-
nificantly improved on-time perform-
are born, they all the potential consequences, both
positive and negative, and seriously test
ance. The system is still in force. grow and prosper” all of the other available options.
Restrictions on the number of parking In my book Beating Traffic: Time to Get
places, sky-high parking fees for workers and free park- Unstuck, four specific recommendations are made to
ing for shoppers have been the most common alterna- help you and your family get unstuck from traffic. They
tives to congestion charging in the large northeastern relate to the daily school run, using the car for recrea-
US cities. This approach actually reversed the pre-1980s tional trips, shopping, and trips to work. Practical steps
city planning recommendations for new tower offices in are presented on how you can change your behavioral
downtown areas to provide a maximum number of park- patterns to avoid getting into traffic jams in the first
ing spaces for employees, usually beneath the building. place. The final chapter provides a description of tools
One example of this is Boston, Massachusetts, one of the you can use when you are on the road to see potential
oldest cities in the US with a tortuous street pattern in its congestion dangers well before you are in the middle of
business and financial district. The city has had bridge them, and to assist you in planning your journeys so that
and turnpike tolls since cows were grazing on the Bos- you reach your destination when you had hoped to get
ton Common. It has also had one of the most extensive there.
public transportation networks in the country compris- My goal with this book is to help you develop a plan
ing underground, trolley, bus and commuter rail. that will accentuate the positive experiences of daily
Still, by the 1980s, following a construction boom in travel for you in the future, and, if not eliminate, at least
the city, congestion on the clogged arteries threading minimize the negative effects of traffic congestion.
through the city of Boston seemed to be an intractable Knowing the enemy, especially the one within, the one
problem. Gradually, the parking rates in the central who gets in the car when it would be just as easy to walk,
business district were raised from a few dollars per day and turning the enemy’s weaknesses into your own
to over ten times that amount by the mid-1980s. At the strengths is the key to overcoming our over depend-
same time, large park-and-ride facilities were con- ence on our vehicles and minimizing our risks of land-
structed at the fringes of the city where commuters ing in a traffic jam. You can change how you get to all the
could park for the entire day for free.They were patrolled A and B points during a normal day, and you can even
and safe. Office building continued. change where those points are on your travel map. TH
The number of jobs in the city actually is higher than
the number of residents, 671,000 versus 600,000, with Mike Sena is principal of Michael L Sena Consulting AB,
services accounting for half of the total. Boston has suc- based in Asa, Sweden. He can be contacted via email at
ceeded better than other cities with getting commuters ml.sena@mlscab.se
Sena (6).indd 51 30/11/07 21:06:46

Stunted
growth
priorities
Are India’s almost uncontrollable

Photos by Krithika Srinath
traffic levels having an adverse

effect on the country’s growth
effort? MALAVIKA NATARAJ reports
Nataraj (3).indd 46 30/11/07 21:11:12

RoadClimate
Pricing Change
Special
Often slated to be the next world superpower, India When

congested DAVID
areas and planSCHONBRUNN
their journeys better. The
is now at the edge of a spectacular boom. schemeread the April/Mayten
initially aimed at installing issue
camerasof at key
However, in recent years, economic growth has been intersections, increasing the number to a hundred cam-
accompanied by a threatening rise in traffic levels. In erasThinking Highways
by 2007. With detection he felt
cameras already in place,
the urban areas alone, traffic has more than doubled compelled
Delhi to city
is a good candidate write
for thean articleof
implementation
since the 1990s. With increased foreign investment and a more sophisticated road pricing system.
offshore outsourcing opportunities, India has also seen
The success of the London Congestion Charging sys-
the expansion of an emerging middle class with an tem transportation’s
has been largely attributed to theimpacts
fact that over 80
immense propensity to consume. per cent onm and solutions for,
of commuters were already using public trans-
Consequently, over 30 per cent of owned motorized port prior to the implementation of the system. In the
vehicles in the country are in the urban areas. Walking Western Indian climate
city Mumbaichange
(formely Bombay), the
on Indian roads has become hazardous and nearly intra-city rail system is the mainstay of a majority of
impossible, with vehicles choking roads, crippling commuters. But despite its strong public transport net-
movement and increasing overall pollution levels.With- work, over a hundred thousand vehicles are added to its
out the capacity to accommodate the growing number roads each year. A journey from North Mumbai to South
of vehicles on the roads, India’s urban traffic situation Mumbai can take from anywhere up to three hours. Aver-
can easily become a threat to the country’s growth age vehicular speed on the roads has dropped from 38
potential. Despite Government efforts to introduce km/h in the 1960s to 15 km/h today.
road-tolling initiatives on national highways, the urban If Mumbai were to implement a road charging system,
roads have gone largely untouched. So has the time it would rely heavily on the support of its public trans-
come for India to concentrate its development efforts on port. With a strong, fully functional rail system in opera-
implementing a long-term strategy to combat traffic tion, Mumbai could potentially focus efforts on easing
congestion within its cities? road congestion. Despite appearances, however, it is
uncertain as to whether a system like the one in London
Following the lead – the best way forward? could actually work on Indian roads.
Possibly the best example of a successful urban conges-
tion charging system is the one currently implemented Yes, but would it work here?
in London. Initially run in central London, vehicles were Following the launch of the London congestion charging
charged for entering the charging zone, thereby dis- system in 2003, The RAC Foundation in the UK cautioned
couraging motorists from using congested roads dur- other cities within the island to consider the potential
ing peak hours. Although the scheme is now rapidly costs and improvements that they would have to make to
expanding its scope, raising protest amongst the city’s their transport systems before congestion charging
residents, the results have been promising so far - traffic could be successfully implemented. In a country like
in central London alone has reduced by 15 -20 per cent. India, where even basic infrastructural development is
With the success of this system, other cities in the U.K as lopsided, can a system that requires a high level of infra-
well as on the continent are likely to follow suit. For structural development actually be implemented?
instance, after a trial run in 2006, Stockholm has now Technologically, the answer is yes. With India’s soft-
been operating its own congestion charging system for ware and services exports growing by 30 per cent year
a few months. on year, technological resources are far from scarce. In
The concept of charging for road usage in urban areas fact, several European and American transport projects
originally found its way into Asia over 30 years ago. Sin- have outsourced the development of IT systems to Indian
gapore’s Electronic Road Pricing system, similar to companies. A case in point is of Capita - a specialist in
inter-urban road tolling systems in Europe, started in business process outsourcing - which was contracted to
1975. Gantries positioned on main streets and all vehi- manage the processes, databases and back offices of
cles are all equipped with tags, held inside the wind- the London scheme (but whose contract will not be
screen. As the motorist passes under the gantry, the renewed, incidentally). Indian company Mastek, was
charge is automatically deducted. Aside from emer- further sub-contracted by Capita to develop solutions
gency vehicles, all others are charged depending on for customer interfaces to be incorporated into the over-
their size. The Singapore system has seen immense suc- all system. Clearly, India does not lack the technologi-
cesses. Much lower traffic levels in the business districts cal capability to create and implement a functional
have improved overall congestion levels in the city. congestion charging system, but creating networks and
Although India has not yet attempted to run conges- the infrastructure is only part of the solution.
tion charging within the urban areas, evidence indicates There are other challenges the country needs to over-
that some of its cities already possess a very basic infra- come before such a program can run successfully.
structure through which such a system can potentially
be implemented. In 2005, the Commissioner of Traffic Hurdles to finding a solution
Police of capital city Delhi revealed plans to install There are several factors - in addition to the growing
detection cameras at several road intersections across number of vehicles - that cause traffic congestion within
the city to monitor the movement of vehicles. The cap- the country. Added to the 59m motor vehicles on its
tured, real-time images were available for public view- roads, India has to contend with 20 other varieties of
ing on the Internet, enabling people to avoid the vehicles. Many of these cannot even be classified.
Nataraj (3).indd 47 30/11/07 21:11:42

Bicycles, tri-cycles, horse- and cow- carts are some

examples. Often, these vehicles have no licence plates
or registration numbers and are almost completely uni-
dentifiable. Wandering cows, road works delayed by
bureaucratic red tape and inefficiency can also often
cause hour-long traffic jams on the narrower roads. Con-
sequently, establishing congestion-charging zones is
far from being straightforward. Local councils will first
need to assess which roads are the most congested, and
most importantly, why.
The transport sector already accounts for over 10 per
cent of the country’s total infrastructure expenditure
and the annual road budget of nearly US$3,614 billion is
far from adequate. If India were to implement a pricing
system such as the one in Singapore, infrastructure con-
struction alone would require huge investments. Such
large amounts of capital can only be brought in by the
private sector.
But the Indian transport industry is heavily political
and dominated by government parties, which severely
limit the involvement of the private sector. Transport
services also operate within a fairly corrupt govern-
ment network. In fact, corruption can account for as
much as 20 per cent of transaction costs in transport
projects. Additionally, a congestion charging system
that records personal details such as home addresses,
vehicle and bank details, is highly vulnerable to
breaches in security. In a country where everything has
a price, personal information in the wrong hands could
prove to be fatal. But if a system is indeed implemented,
transport authorities will need to create a strict enforce-
ment procedure. For example, the London system has
detection cameras that record vehicle number plates in
order to identify the vehicles to be charged.
Driving across the poverty line

With several types of unregistered vehicles running on
Indian roads, this is a virtual impossibility. Units installed
within vehicles that enable overhead gantries to moni-
tor vehicle movement are also impractical for the same
reason. Moreover, the majority of road users are already
living below the poverty line. Further taxation is likely to
drive many into deeper debt, defeating the purpose of
the entire system. Driven by poverty, those that can
evade payment will make all efforts to do so. An obvious
benefit of a road charging system – other than a reduc-
tion in traffic levels – is that the revenue generated from
the scheme can be re-invested to develop betterpublic
transport systems and infrastructure. But if this results in
widening the gap between the rich and the poor, will
this system be sustainable in the long run?
Although it is evident that there is a strong require-
ment for a congestion charging system to control the
flow of traffic through India’s urban roads, authorities
face the challenge of identifying the best possible solu-
tion despite existing hurdles. A system that has worked
in more developed countries might not be the best way
forward. In the future, the task may fall to European play-
ers entering the Indian transport market to work jointly
with the government and find an optimal, holistic solu-
tion that meets all the objectives. TH
Nataraj (3).indd 48 30/11/07 21:12:10

CARE, COMPASSION
AND CONCERN ON
THE FREEWAY
Some of the differences between Samaritania Incorporated’s service patrol programs and others:
01 Our patrol vehicle operators have state and 07 Provide the widest variety of quick 14 All program service costs included in
national public safety certifications. clearance, motorist, and public safety single patrol hourly billing rate.
02 We provide a complete turnkey program at assistance. 15 Operators adhere to detailed conduct
not cost to motorists. 08 Provide a variety of different custom service policies
03 Provide Internet based Fleet Management patrol vehicles with and without tow 16 Standard Operation Procedure
Systems. capabilities. Development
04 Provide public safety grade AVL/GPS incident 09 Endorsed by Departments of Transportation 17 Local office and project management
recording/reporting systems. and State Governments. 18 Provide Complete Indemnification and
05 Personnel, vehicles, equipment, AVL/GPS, 10 Endorsed by State Police, Fire/Rescue, hold harmless agreements.
patrol dispatch centers, and public relation and other public safety agencies. 19 Provide audited financial resources.
programs. 11 National award winning programs. 20 Operators have perfect no-fault safety
06 The most experienced provider. Over 12 Consistent media recognition. records. Zero fatalities.
27 years providing service patrol 13 Rural, remote area, and urban program 21 Private Sector funding available to
programs throughout the U.S. applications. offset costs.
Samaritania Incorporated,
10 Riverside Drive, Lakeville, MA 02347, USA
Tel: +1-508-947-3700
Fax: +1-508-947-5544
www.freewayservicepatrol.com
info@freewayservicepatrol.com
Nataraj (3).indd 49 30/11/07 21:12:40

A Deutsche
vignette
Stunted
growth
ANDREAS KOSSAK presents
the background, history and
perspectives of road pricing
in Germany
Kossak (5).indd 46 30/11/07 21:15:46

RoadClimate
Pricing Change
Special

climate change
All levels of the German road network were financed financing-problems, in October 1999 the government
and operated exclusively based on the general budg- appointed a High Commission on “Financing the
ets until recently. Federal Transport Infrastructure” (the so called Paell-
The actual length of the interurban classified roads in mann Commission, named after its chairman).
Germany is 232,000 km. About 53,000 km Federal High-
ways (12,000 km Expressways/”Autobahns”, 41,000 The Paellmann Commission
km “Bundesstraßen”, the second level of Federal High- The high ranking Commission was fully independent
ways) , 87,000 km State Highways, and 92,000 km County regarding its approach to the subject as well as the type
Roads. The length of the Community Roads is about and scope of its recommendations. On 2 February 2000
500,000 km. it submitted an “Intermediate Report” to the Minister of
The first official considerations regarding tolling of Transport. The report included statements regarding
heavy trucks started in the late 1980s. In 1994 a site for the already-started procedure to introduce the dis-
testing tolling technologies was established near the tance-related tolling. The commission recommended
city of Bonn (A555). In 1995 the time-related “Euro- changing the existing schedule to allow for a consider-
Vignette” for heavy trucks using Autobahns was intro- ably longer period for the establishment of the tolling-
duced. Early in 1999 the German Government decided system. It was convinced that at least 24 months (or even
upon distance related tolling of heavy trucks using better, 36 months) would be needed.
Autobahns, starting 1 January 2003. The schedule aimed The Final Report of the Commission was submitted on
at awarding the contract mid-year 2001; in other words, 5 September 2000. It started with basic findings - includ-
the period of time for establishing the system was deter- ing the following regarding the road sector:
mined to be 18 months. The main political goals in this (1) Germany faces a latent maintenance crisis and
context have been stated to be: numerous bottlenecks. The longer it is delayed, the
(1) Additional money for financing the Federal Trans- more costly the settlement will be.
port Infrastructure; (2) On the basis of the valid budget and long-term
(2) Shifting freight transport from road to rail and budget plans there is a financing gap of at least
inland waterways; DM4 billion (equal to €2 billion now) per year compared
(3) Improving the competitiveness of the German to the needs of qualified maintenance, reconstruction
Logistics Industry. and development of the Federal Road Network.
Recognizing that tolling heavy trucks on Autobahns (3) The existing legislation comprises no safe source
alone will not solve the transport infrastructure for financing the Federal Highways. In Germany the fuel
Kossak (5).indd 47 30/11/07 21:16:40

and vehicle taxes are principally common taxes; there is (2) The system for charging the distance-based toll on
no obligation to use even parts of them for the transport Autobahns should ensure upward-compatibility and
infrastructure. interoperability. The commission explicitly recom-
(4) An essential relief of the Federal Highways by the mended GPS/GSM and the integration of the on-board
Railways is impossible. tolling components into a platform for all electronic in-
(5) The traditional tax financing has proven not to be car services. Main reasons for the respective recom-
suitable to achieve qualified maintenance and develop- mendation:
ment of the Federal Transport Infrastructure. • Option to expand tolling to all types of vehicles and
These findings were the background for the following all kinds of roads.
(selected) recommendations: • Option to take full advantage of the traffic manage-
(1) The financing of the Federal Transport Infrastruc- ment potential of tolling.
ture should gradually be converted from financing on • Interoperability of interurban and urban road
the basis of the Federal Budget to financing by the user, pricing.
profiteer and/or causer as much as possible under the (3) Heavy trucks (with a maximum laden weight of
boundary conditions of the single transport sectors. 12 tons and more) should be charged an average toll of
Regarding the Federal Highways the commission was Pfg25 (€0.126) per vehicle-kilometre on Autobahns.
convinced, that a full conversion is possible! It primarily This was the result of Pfg30 per vehicle-km based on
saw the following advantages: calculations in compliance with the EU-Tolling-
• Direct link between use of the road, payment of the Directive minus 5 Pfg as starting signal for a compensa-
charge and deployment of the revenue; tion on the tax side.
• No dependency of the changing impacts on the (4) At the same time that the distance-based toll col-
Federal Budget; lection for heavy trucks using Autobahns starts, time-
• Efficient instrument of traffic based tolls for small trucks and
management;
• Foreign users pay the same as Ger-
“Once the passenger cars should be introduced -
if the transaction costs are acceptable.
man users. recommendations (5) Charging of distance-based tolls
(2) The revenue from the user-charges
is to be used exclusively for the sector
were published the should be introduced on all Federal
Highways and for all types of cars, as
of the infrastructure from which it whole transport soon as the technical means are availa-
derived. Exceptions are to be made
only in clearly defined cases (for exam-
and logistics ble at acceptable costs.
(6) The charging should gradually
ple, multimode high priority corridors community fully consider additional components with
or facilities for combined transport).
(3) The amount of the charges is to be
agreed with it” regard to traffic management (conges-
tion pricing) and environment.
oriented at the “internal” costs of the infrastructure; (7) Beginning at the time, at which the net-toll-revenue
“external” costs should also be covered by other exceeds the financing gap on the basis of the actual fed-
means. eral budget and budget plans, traffic related-taxes
(4) The whole Federal Transport Infrastructure and all should be reduced; the compensation should be 1:1.
tasks associated with it are to be given into the hands of (8) Private financing of Federal Highways should be
private management. The responsibility for the infra- allowed in all areas of highway-construction and main-
structure and the control of its development remain with tenance.
the Federal Government. Once the recommendations were published, the
(5) The existing (extensive) restrictions regarding the whole transport and logistics community fully agreed.
involvement of private financing are to be removed. The Even the ‘yellow’ press applauded and the Automobile
conditions for PPP are to be improved substantially. Lobby urged the government to implement the recom-
(6) The limits of responsibility between the Federal mendations “scale 1:1” as soon as possible. However,
Government, the Federal States, Counties and Commu- the political handling of the subject in the subsequent
nities are to be redefined. years caused a rapid change in this position.
Selected details regarding the road sector Status and political handling
(1) A special “Highway Financing Agency” should be More than six years later we have the following
established immediately. Beginning in 2001 the Agency situation:
should be provided with all user charges (starting with (1) No official plans for a systematic conversion from
the revenue from the Euro-Vignette) for exclusive tax financing to user financing on government level.
employment in the construction, maintenance and Part of the agreement of the reigning black-red coali-
operation of the Federal Highways. The Financing tion is not to implement road pricing for passenger
Agency may be converted to one or more Management/ cars.
Operator Agencies later on. The construction of the (2) Tolling heavy trucks on Autobahns started on
Agency should allow acquiring money on the private 1 January 2005. In terms of the technical solution the
money market in order to be able to take advantage of decision was made according to the recommendations
the so-called “leverage potential”. of the Commission.
Kossak (5).indd 48 30/11/07 21:17:25

The circumstances of the establishment of the Toll- Toll Collect

Collect System have been denounced to be a disaster The decision for the operator was first made in late 2001
for the German Industry as well as from a technical point in favour of the “Toll Collect Consortium”. The runner-
of view. At the end of the first year of operation the sys- up-consortium appealed against the decision; the
tem was celebrated as the “highlight of the year for appeal was accepted by the court. After about a one
made in Germany”. Immediately after it proved to work year delay the contract was finally awarded on 20 Sep-
properly, the political discussion revived regarding an tember 2002 - again in favour of the “Toll Collect Con-
expansion of the tolling. sortium”. Charging was now aimed at starting at the end
However, that was not discussed as next steps of a of August 2003. The Euro-Vignette was cancelled effec-
gradual conversion to user financing, but exclusively as tive that date.
an instrument for getting additional money for the gen- The new schedule was driven by the upcoming elec-
eral budget – meaning: additional burden for the road tions and by severe budget problems; the expected rev-
user, no improvements of the road network. That caused enue had already been included in the Federal Budget.
immediate reactions by the lobby; it started a campaign In comparison: In Austria the operator was given 18
against an expansion of the tolling and called for a road- months to establish a conventional, proven technology
related purpose-dedication of a certain amount of the on a network of 2,000 km of Motorways. In Germany, the
fuel taxes. operator was now given 11 months to establish a com-
However, that has already proven not to work. In Ger- plex, innovative technology on a network of 12,000 km.
many tolls or charges are fees, not taxes; by law there As expected, the schedule did not work.
has to be a direct relationship between fees and their After complicated discussions early in 2004 it was
employment. The barriers for misusing decided to change neither the opera-
fees are much higher than those for can-
celling a purpose-dedication of taxes.
“After complicated tor nor the tolling technology. The new
schedule aimed at starting the toll col-
Since 35 years a traffic financing law is discussions early in lection on 1 January 2005. This time the
in force, which mandates 50 per cent of
the fuel-tax to be used for the Federal
2004 it was decided schedule worked. The system has per-
formed without any problems since it
Highways; however the respective pas- to change neither was launched. Its main principles are:
sage has been cancelled every single
year by budget law. Another important
the operator nor • No impact on the traffic flow, no spe-
cial toll plazas, no compulsory toll-
argument is the potential of tolls in the tolling lanes, no speed-limit caused by toll
regard to traffic management.
(3) The average toll was decided to be
technology” collection, non-discriminatory access
for foreign vehicles.
€0.124 per vehicle-kilometre, differentiated with regard • Dual tolling system (Automatic, manual), dual
to the number of axles and environmental standards. enforcement system (Stationary, mobile).
The calculation according to the relevant EU-directive • A private operator runs the tolling system; a govern-
resulted in an average of €0.15 per vehicle-kilometre mental agency is responsible for the enforcement.
(exactly the same as was recommended by the “Paell-
mann-Commission”). The reduction to €0.124 has been Key figures:
the result of negotiations with the logistics-industry and • Length of tolled Autobahns: 11,500 km (out of a total
is declared to be a compensation for disadvantages of of 12,174 km);
German logistics companies compared to operators • Number of intersections (with the secondary road
from other European countries. network): 2,213;
(4) The net toll revenue was finally decided to be used • Number of internal junctions: 251;
exclusively for the “transport sector”, not for the road • 3,500 payment points for manual booking;
sector; only 50 per cent is allocated to the Federal High- • 300 gantries for automatic monitoring (stationary
ways, the other 50 per cent to the Federal Railways and enforcement);
the Inland Waterways. The cross-financing was claimed • 150 checkpoints (the second element of stationary
to be evidence for an “integrative transport” policy. enforcement);
However, the revenue is not used for filling the undis- • 280 vehicles for automatic monitoring (mobile
puted financing gaps but to compensate for a further enforcement);
reduction of the budget. This undermines the approach • 650 persons control personnel (Federal Freight-
of a gradual conversion towards user-financing and thus Transport Authority);
diminishes the acceptance of the pricing policy by the • 150 beacons for additional determination of truck
public. positions (in areas where toll-free alternate routes run
(5) In 2004 a “Transport Infrastructure Financing close to tolled Autobahns).
Company” was established to distribute the net toll
revenue and to control its use. However, the structure of Selected facts and figures (31 December 2006)
the company does not (yet) allow for the acquisition of • About 120,000 companies and about 840,000 trucks
money on the private money market. are registered for the system;
(6) The restrictions in the “Private Financing Law” • About 550,000 trucks are equipped with onboard
remained untouched. units (more than 35 per cent foreign);
Kossak (5).indd 49 30/11/07 21:18:03

• The share of automatic booking accounts for more different project-types and project-sizes, different toll-
than 90 per cent of the transactions – compared to only ing schemes, etc.
72 per cent, when it was first introduced; A comparison should include the options, perspec-
• Gross-revenue in the first year of operation: €2.86 tives and potentials of the alternatives. Not at least the
billion. The result for 2006 was €3.08 billion; first results fast decrease of the prices for electronic equipment
for 2007 show another reasonable increase; should be taken into consideration; one does not need
• About 200,000 heavy trucks use the Autobahns every much imagination to anticipate that this will be similar
single day; in regard to the technical components of innovative
• About 25 billion tolled vehicle-km per year (2006); approaches like GPS/ GSM.
• System reliability in 2006: 99.75 per cent; Regarding the German TollCollect System over and
• Toll-violator-rate: < 2 per cent; above, the special requirements of the German govern-
• More than 2m bills dispatched; rate of complaints: ment should not be neglected; it had to be designed and
0.003 per cent. operated as a dual system including a comparably lav-
ish and thus expensive enforcement system. The man-
Selected impacts/non-impacts ual booking system had to be designed for full operation
• No traceable increase of the freight charges. in case that the (military) GPS is not available.
• No traceable impact on the consumer prices.
• No significant impact on the structure of the logistic- Outlook and obstacles
industry. Taking this background into account it is not overly bold
• No traceable shift from road to rail or inland water- to make the following predictions:
ways (caused by the tolls). 1. Tolling heavy trucks using Autobahns is only a first
• Only a limited amount of trucks use alternate toll- step; a gradual expansion to all types of vehicles and all
free routes .(After some roads had been closed for heavy kinds of roads will take place in Germany within the next
through traffic) decade.
• Significant tendency to buy trucks with higher envi- 2. City-pricing or congestion-pricing in metropolitan
ronmental standards. areas will be introduced within the next decade in
• No significant shift from heavy trucks to light trucks. numerous major German cities.
But significantly more trucks in the 10-12 ton range. The main problems and obstacles are:
• Significant tendency to a higher average load- 1. Next election/ideology/lobby-driven actions/non-
factor. actions of politicians.
• Significantly less truck-kilometre without cargo on 2. Lack of harmonization regarding traffic/logistic
Autobahns. related taxes and regulations in Europe.
Starting 1 January 2007, tolling was expanded to three 3. Misuse of the revenue (the user must experience
secondary federal highways, which have been used to benefits in terms of reduced taxes and/or improved
avoid tolled Autobahns to a considerable extent. traffic conditions).
A consistent, fair and long term-oriented road pricing
DSRC or GPS /GSM or …? policy has a viable chance to be accepted by the public
One of the most crucial issues of road pricing is the (even by the lobby).
question of the appropriate tolling technology and toll- A prerequisite for the success is a consistent, convinc-
ing scheme. In discussions and studies related to the ing and reliable transport policy. TH
respective subject very often apples and oranges are
compared - by mixing up different goals, objectives, Dr Andreas Kossak is principal of Dr Kossak Consulting
and purposes, different requirements to be satisfied, based in Hamburg, Germany and can be contacted via
different legal, regulatory or environmental conditions, email at drkossak@aol.com
Kossak (5).indd 50 30/11/07 21:19:46

How Europe Works
31 March to 4 April 2008
H3B Media & Intertraffic Amsterdam present four
Think Tanks over five days at Amsterdam RAI
Cooperative Vehicle
Infrastructure Systems
31 March-1 April
in association with
• How Cooperative Systems can create a unified technical solution

allowing all vehicles and infrastructure elements to communicate with
each other in a continuous and transparent way using a variety of
media and with enhanced localisation;
• How Cooperative Systems will enable a wide range of potential

cooperative applications and services to run on an open application
framework in the vehicle and roadside equipment;
• How Cooperative Systems is to define and validate an open

architecture and system concept for a number of cooperative
system applications, and develop common core components to
support cooperation models in real-life applications and services for
drivers, operators, industry and other key stakeholders; and finally
• How Cooperative Systems will address issues such as user

acceptance, data privacy and security, system openness and
interoperability, risk and liability, public policy needs, cost/benefit
and business models, and roll-out plans for implementation.
For sponsorship details please

contact Luis Hill on +44 208 254 9406
or luis@h3bmedia.com
H 3 B Media thinking
highways
www.h3bmedia.com
How Europe Works
European Road Pricing:

Public Acceptability Forum
1-2 April
in association with
SESSIONS:
• Policy & Politics
• Finance & Funding
• Problem Solving
• Innovation & The Future
• Public Acceptance & Positive Spin.
SPEAKERS & DELEGATES:

As with H3B Media’s UK Think Tank, the speakers will not largely
correspond to the list of sponsors - members of European Parliament,
national parliaments across Europe, council and authority officials,
senior European Commission figures and representatives of ASECAP
members will rub shoulders with national and international tolling
authorities, groups who are against the idea of road pricing, spin doctors,
public affairs specialists, market analysts and industry experts.
highways
www.h3bmedia.com
How Europe Works
GNSS Technology in the

Road Transport Sector
2-3 April
in association with
This Think Tank will look at how Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System, and in
particular the much-vaunted Galileo project, will affect and effect the road transport sector.
Most of the news relayed by the media revolves around the political dimension of the project
so it is important to recall that Europe’s satellite navigation programme constitutes an
enabler of European transport policy and will provide significant business opportunities for
all road sector stakeholders.
GIROADS is a project commissioned by the European GNSS Supervisory Authority to

aggregate the road community’s proposals facilitating the take-up of Europe’s satellite
navigation programme by the road sector and the Speaker Programme, which will be put
together by ERF and H3B Media, will draw heavily but not exclusively from the GIROADS
partners. These partners recognise the reality of data privacy concerns but believe these can
be overcome through harmonised European initiatives that protect the individual position
data collected for use while enabling services providers to compute and charge the users for
the services provided.

highways
www.h3bmedia.com
How Europe Works
Climate Change: Transport’s

Impacts & Solutions
3-4 April
in association with
Experts estimate that all forms of transport are contributing
roughly 28 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions that are
creating climate change, more popularly called global warming.
On the positive side, many types of traffic technologies can assist
in reducing emissions. There are technologies designed to mitigate
highway, road and toll congestion that lead to idling – a well-known
cause of emissions. Real-time traffic warning systems are evolv-
ing, as are many new approaches to merging lanes to avoid traffic
backup, supported by ever-evolving uses of electronic mapping and
global positioning systems.
The auto industry is spearheading development of networked vehi-

cles that will not only improve fuel efficiency but, contain a variety
of built-in wireless communication devices that will allow for pass-
through at tolls and other bottlenecks, along with guiding drivers
away from congested zones.
This Climate Change Think Tank, looking at Transportation’s

Impacts and Solutions and jointly hosted and organised by H3B
Media and POLIS, will involve academic, industry and government
leaders in a far-ranging discussion of the impact that transporta-
tion has on climate change. The second portion of the programme
will explore the solutions that a variety of technologies provide for
mitigating emissions.

highways
www.h3bmedia.com
Congestion Pricing
Think Tank
McLean, VA
20 May 2008
OBJECTIVES
• Examining diverging viewpoints and questioning basic principles of Congestion
Pricing will constitute one of the objectives of this Think Tank, jointly organised by
H3B Media and Booz Allen Hamilton.
• Reviewing the ways the US administration can tackle this subject at the national,
state and local levels as well as analysing any political impacts that such a transport
policy approach may incur will mark a second step of the discussion.
• Speakers will then question the existence of any prevailing factor (political, financial
and environmental) before assessing the potential contribution of side-activity
sectors to finding solutions.
• Real-life success stories will demonstrate how multi-faceted the debate can be and
how it may modify significantly the consumers’ habits for the next decades.
• This first class event, held at Booz Allen Hamilton’s McLean, Virginia conference
facilities, will gather knowledgeable stakeholders acting in the industrial, economic or
political arena, all aware of what Congestion Pricing embraces and poses as
challenges.

highways
www.h3bmedia.com
VII Deployment
Workshop
McLean, VA
21 May 2008
in association with
“Completing the picture...”

highways
www.h3bmedia.com
Green ITS
Everything’s
going
green
Green seems to be the new black, as every vehicle and the protection of natural resources has continued to
manufacturer rushes to develop new technologies grow in importance, reflecting the concerns of many
to reduce CO2 and pollutant emissions and improve European citizens.
fuel economy. A range of measures have been made available to
Thinking Highways’ financial analyst
Toyota offers their Prius and Lexus hybrids, SAAB has Member MARGARET
States ranging from legislation to financial
‘BioPower’, BMW features new models with ‘Efficient instruments, while Member States are facing new
PETTIT
Dynamics’, and islooks at the
co-developing European
a hybrid engine Territorial
requirements to meet stringent limits regarding CO2
Cooperation
vehicle together with General Programme
Motors, Daimler and
and finds that
emissions likepollutants
and airborne with within their cities.
Chrysler.The list of manufacturers lining up to announce Indeed, Member States are obliged to respond when
any other major programme, it’s
new systems and technologies to reduce the environ-
a matter of
emissions exceed defined limits, and must draw up
priorities
mental impact of their products seems endless. action plans indicating the measures to be taken to
The voting public’s increasing awareness of environ- reduce that risk and to limit the duration of such an
mental matters is already starting to change the political occurrence.
atmosphere. Despite growing consensus, that ‘some-
thing needs to be done’, authorities still need figures to Less is more
justify deployment of potentially energy-saving meas- Reducing CO2 emissions from new cars has emerged as
ures. How much CO2 could be reduced in a key priority of European climate
emissions? What will be the environmen-
tal impacts of smoother traffic flow man-
“Authorities have change policy. The aim is to limit and pro-
gressively reduce average CO2 emis-
agement? What would be the economic already sions from new passenger cars sold in
impact of restraining mobility in favour of
environment.
implemented the EU, and the European car makers
have agreed voluntary CO2 targets as
Not only is the commercial sector tak- measures their contribution to an “integrated
ing initiative, European and national gov-
ernments are increasingly targeting the
rewarding green approach”. As part of the European Cli-
mate Change Programme, the European
environmental impact of transport, and behaviour and Commission carried out a review in 2006
are bringing both financial, fiscal and
legislative tools to bear in the fight for
penalising of the strategy and progress to date. The
review concluded that the voluntary
sustainability. polluters” approach has delivered a solid CO2
In its Green Paper “Towards a new cul- reduction but that the target for 2012
ture for urban mobility” issued on 25 September 2007 , would not be met without additional measures. These
the European Commission sets a new European agenda complementary measures include efficiency improve-
and strategy to ensure greener towns and cities. The text ments for car components with the highest impact on
states that: fuel consumption, such as tyres and air conditioning
“…the main environmental issues in towns and cities systems.
are related to the predominance of oil as a transport fuel, Some government authorities have already imple-
which generates CO2, air pollutant emissions and noise.” mented measures that reward “green” behaviour and
European policy towards the environment and climate penalise polluters. The best known European scheme is
Bridgeman (4).indd 46 30/11/07 21:24:01

Climate Change
ERTICO’s GARY BRIDGEMAN and When DAVID SCHONBRUNN

JAMES BURGESS examine how read the April/May issue of
ITS is playing a significant role Thinking Highways he felt
in improving the environmental compelled to write an article
impact of transport offering his own views on
climate change
Bridgeman (4).indd 47 30/11/07 21:24:35

Green ITS
probably the London congestion charging zone. This lers and eco-guidance for journey planning and naviga-
was introduced to improve mobility in the central area tion. The goal is to validate a number of new “green”
of London, but is now widely presented as an eco- tools for the use of travellers, fleet managers and road
measure to promote the use of “clean” energy. Under operators.
the scheme, drivers of alternative fuelled and electric
powered vehicles can claim a discount of up to 100 per The outlook for “Green Mobility”
cent of the charge if the vehicle meets required condi- In recent years significant advances have been made in
tions - the motivation is clearly environmental rather increasing vehicle efficiency and reducing emissions,
than mobility-driven, as even an efficient vehicle would and it appears that vehicle-based technologies still hold
contribute to congestion. major potential for improvement. Further contributions
towards sustainable mobility are also expected from
Hybrid theory and practice future technologies such as alternative fuels (biofuel,
This ‘hybrid’ approach can lead to certain anomalies – hydrogen) or electric drive systems.
for example, a large SUV with a hybrid three-litre engine However, there is clearly enormous potential for envi-
could have stated CO2 emissions of over 190g/km ronmental gain in improving the “green” behaviour of
whereas a small efficient (but not hybrid-powered) die- drivers and traffic systems - typically today neither of
sel car equipped with a start-stop system can produce these is optimised according to environmental criteria
less than 100g/km. The driver of the SUV could save (except where this happens to coincide with minimum-
over £1700 (€2500) in congestion charges during a delay optimisation). The “eco-management” field is less
year’s commuting compared to the driver of the more developed than vehicle-based technologies, and could
efficient vehicle! offer greater incremental benefits beyond the status
This year the Mayor of London released a proposal to quo.With appropriate planning and taking advantage of
re-shape the charging scheme based on CO2 emissions, existing and near-future communications and telemat-
leading to vehicles producing up to 120g/ ics capabilities, these benefits could
km of CO2 emissions qualifying for a dis- “Achieving the also be realised without expensive
count of up to 100 per cent.
This follows the EC ‘Polluter Pays’ prin-
holy grail of changes to vehicles themselves, and
could therefore be deployed much
ciple for air quality management - the sustainable sooner.
potential polluter should in general bear
the costs of pollution prevention and con-
mobility is the We list here some of the technological
advances possible in the areas of coop-
trol measures as well as remediation. The focus of much erative systems, advanced sensors,
European citizen must have confidence in
the systems implemented to effect this
new research” sophisticated data fusion and improved
vehicle performance which could help
principle - charging users by distance or on predicted reduce the environmental impact of mobility:
emissions based on ideal test conditions does not truly • Standards for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-
reflect the way the average citizen uses the transport infrastructure communication needed for a truly ‘always
infrastructure today. connected car’;
To meet these challenges we need to adopt a holistic • Traffic management centres with real-time traffic
approach to a transport user’s impact on the environ- and environment data monitoring, analysis and model-
ment, not one based on isolated applications and single ling, as a background for tactical traffic systems con-
journeys. The time is right for a new approach to mitigat- trol;
ing the impact of mobility on the environment, without • Vehicle applications which can use mobile commu-
limiting mobility itself. nications to affect journey and operating parameters
Co-operative systems have a role to play by enabling (e.g. eco-adaptive cruise control, eco-engine manage-
the collection and sharing of relevant vehicle-based ment or eco-routing optimised for emissions reduction
data to support a host of new applications that: across the whole road network);
• allow road network managers to understand the • New possibilities for cross-modal journey and oper-
impact of vehicle emissions in near real time ational support - bringing together private car and pub-
• offer fairer means of emission charging lic transport, such as gateways for supplying
• empower the user to control his or her own CO2 emis- environmental charging, public transport data for multi-
sions, by monitoring and adjusting travel behaviour to modal trip planning etc. Standardisation of this data
reduce environmental impact. interchange still has some way to go but toolkits such as
To promote this “green” aspect of ITS, ERTICO – ITS TPEG offer a suitable framework.
Europe Partners have proposed a new European col- These technological advances have the potential to
laborative R&D initiative to bring cooperative ITS tools support policy actions such as preferential access,
to the aid of environmentally sustainable mobility. If suc- “green” incentives or travel pricing - but governments
cessful, this proposal would move substantially beyond and road operators don’t necessarily know what tools
existing approaches by defining a number of innovative are available and how to deploy them most effectively.
applications such as integrated traffic and environmen- Hence the need has become urgent for a “Green ITS”
tal monitoring, eco-optimised traffic management and toolkit of proven technologies and measures. To illus-
control, web-based eco-information services for travel- trate how this could all work in the future we might imag-
Bridgeman (4).indd 48 30/11/07 21:25:02

Green ITS
ine an “eco-journey” exploiting these possibilities: the traffic management centre with real-time data on its
• Pre-trip eco information is the start of your eco-jour- own and ambient emissions, pollution and other param-
ney. By checking the current on-line pollution bulletin eters. Your car’s levels are recorded, allowing you to
you know the hot spots to avoid and find out the eco- manage your complete emissions for journeys and
charges in force today. checking your personal “carbon balance”.
• You get a message suggesting the most efficient
alternative routes to your destination, with the lowest Green wave
congestion charge costs and avoiding possible access While such comprehensive ‘eco-management systems’
restrictions along the way. are still something of the future, the tools required to
• You are told the expected cost of your journey based enable them are already in development, and in some
on actual emissions and CO2 footprint, and can receive cases starting to become available. Achieving the holy
rewards if you car-share or use public transport for part grail of “sustainable mobility” is the focus of much new
of your journey, in the form of carbon credits or permis- research - watch out for “Green ITS” special sessions at
sion to use your low-emission car on another occasion. the 7th European ITS Congress and Exhibition in Geneva
• Cooperative communications provide you with a next June, as a key element of the Congress theme, ‘ITS
continuous stream of eco-data from the traffic centre as for Sustainable Mobility’. With our increasing aware-
well as from nearby vehicles, providing you with on-trip ness of global warming and interest in all aspects of the
guidance concerning emission hot spots and access environment, sustainable mobility could take over from
limitations. As these change, your on-board multimodal safety as the key focus for research and development.
journey planner can suggest different and more effi- To misquote Henry Ford, you can have your new car in
cient routes, or even to park the car and take a bus or any colour you like, as long as it’s green. TH
tram. The city traffic managers can at the same time bet-
ter manage total emissions across the transport network, Gary Bridgeman and James Burgess are project
and allow travellers to reduce the environmental and managers at ERTICO-ITS Europe and can be contacted
monetary costs of their journeys. via email at g.bridgeman@mail.ertico.com and
• Your vehicle also acts as an ‘eco-probe’, providing j.burgess@mail.ertico.com
Bridgeman (4).indd 50 30/11/07 21:25:24

South Africa
Human nature, being what drives us, will see the

desire of people to own private cars continue with-
out any let-up. This will see a growth in the number
of drivers and as a consequence traffic safety will
become an even bigger issue. Intelligent Transport
Systems have a major role to play in using technol-
ogy to safe lives.
South Africa can – in transport terms – be described as
a “New World Economy”. The essential characteristics
include a mixed economy (where first and third world
economies co-exist), rapid urbanization, a growing
population, insufficient public transport and over-
reliance on private cars.
There are many reasons why South Africa can expect
to see private car ownership growing very fast. Two
sides of this coin are the current absence of public trans-
port as a mode of choice and the freedom and mobility
it provides. In addition, owning a car is also seen as ele-
vating the status of its owner.
The older, not the better

The very nature of a mixed economy with its large poor
segments means that older vehicles are often not
scrapped and components and materials recycled, but
sold on to a person desperate to own a vehicle, irrespec-
tive of its condition. This results in a disproportionately
old vehicle park with many vehicles of questionable
Thinking
roadworthy status. Highways’ financial analyst MARGARET
This is one of the driving forces between the South
PETTIT
African looks
Government’s at the
€1 billion European Territorial
Taxi Recapitalisation
Cooperation
programme to have old, Programme
15-seater minibus taxisand finds that like with
scrapped and replaced with modern, custom-designed
vehicles.
priorities
South Africa shares with other new world economies a
bad road safety record, but is taking some great strides
in addressing this. One such step has been the estab-
lishment of the Road Traffic Management Corporation,
commonly referred to as the RTMC.
PAUL VORSTER, CEO of ITS
In addition to elements of the road safety challenge South Africa, looks at the
such as road and environmental conditions, educational country’s impending
campaigns and training and driver attitude, law enforce-
ment has an important part to play – and law enforce- “Demerit” points system
ment is an area in which the ITS industry can make a (the exact opposite to the
significant contribution.
ITS South Africa believes that the RMTC must be sup- French scheme) to promote
ported in proposing a demerit system as part of its pro- road safety
gramme of action.
The proposed ‘demerit’ points system is due to be
introduced in Pretoria from February 2008, with a full The good, the bad and the... demerited
national roll-out expected to follow 18 months later. In developing the business case for the demerit systems
The system has been on the cards since 1998, when and recruiting the support of the insurance industry it is
the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences said that the demerit system will allow insurers to distin-
(AARTO) Act was passed.The Act provides for a demerit guish between good and bad drivers, which will in turn
system, encompassing the demerit points system enable it to charge more appropriate premiums to indi-
whereby a driver accrues points on his or her licence vidual clients.
for any traffic offences committed. Insurers say that customers also stand to gain as those
It has been delayed for several years pending a feasi- drivers who obey the rules of the road should find that
bility study and other requirements, including an assess- their insurance premiums become more affordable.
ment of technological requirements, law enforcement Accident rates should decline as people become
criteria and an analysis of human resources needed to more cautious in their driving habits in a bid to keep
get the system up and running. their premiums low. Reduced accident rates should lead
Vorster (3).indd 46 30/11/07 21:26:56

Climate
SouthChange
Africa
An African
meritocracy
climate change
to more affordable insurance premiums. Delays in by insurers, which the authorities would be entitled to
implementing the system have made the insurance have access to. Databases require constant mainte-
industry skeptical. nance and accurate updating and this alone will prove
Stakeholders such as the Automobile Association of to be a major challenge. eNaTIS refers to the newly
South Africa (AASA) are concerned about how the launched National Traffic Information Systems that suf-
system will be implemented and Ayanda Vilakazi, the fered some hiccups when it went live in the second
AASA director of public affairs argues that a demerit quarter of this year.
point system will penalise law-abiding citizens further, In countries where the demerit system has been intro-
while increasing the problem of unlicensed and unin- duced, such as the United Kingdom, and the underlying
sured drivers. The demerit system is heavily dependent database of information is being used, insurers are
upon the maintenance of databases of information. beginning to increase premiums for delinquent drivers.
In South Africa such systems would include the ITS South Africa strongly supports the call for improved
eNaTIS system, as well as a database to be developed and consistent law enforcement, part of the mandate of
Vorster (3).indd 47 30/11/07 21:27:25

South Africa
the RTMC. Efficient law enforcement requires a good

balance between visible hands-on policing on the roads
by properly trained law-enforcement officials and the
appropriate use of technology to support the overall
process.
How it works
The AASA estimates as many as 50 per cent of motorists
are either unlicensed or driving with fraudulent licences.
More focus should be applied to correcting and pre-
venting such illegal practices. Without using ITS tech-
nologies, within an overall policy and guiding strategy,
success will be limited. The ITS industry has an excel-
lent opportunity to contribute through processes such
as that of the RTMC.
How will the demerit points work:
• Each driver will start with no points.
• Points are allocated according to infringements or
offences committed. There are different values for dif-
ferent infringements and offences and the number of
demerits will be recorded on the National Traffic Infor-
mation System (eNaTIS).
• Points are allotted on the date a fine is paid or when
the person is convicted of the offence in court, as in the
case of traffic offences, such as drunk driving.
• When a person exceeds 12 points, his or her licence
is suspended.
• The suspension period is calculated in months equal
to the number of points exceeding 12, multiplied by
three.
• A driver who is disqualified must hand over his or her
licence to the issuing authority for the duration of the
disqualification.
• Anyone caught driving while under suspension faces
a fine and/or imprisonment for up to one year.
• The driver may apply for the return of the licence at
the end of the disqualification period.
• A driver disqualified for the third time will lose his or
her licence permanently and will have to apply for re-
testing and issue at the end of the disqualification
period.
• Demerit points will be reduced at a flat rate of one
point for every three months that pass without any more
traffic infringements.
Nature of demerits
• The number of demerits depends on the severity of
the offence.
• Failure to license a motor vehicle: €50 fine and one
demerit point.
• Excessive speeding in an urban area (travelling 86 to
90km/h): €125 fine and four demerit points.
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs: six
demerit points and a court appearance.
• Learner drivers driving unaccompanied by a
licensed driver: €125 fine and four demerit points.
• Overloading a vehicle by more than 12 per cent to
13 per cent of SABS specification: €150 fine and five
demerit points. TH
Paul Vorster can be contacted via
email at paul@itssa.org
Vorster (3).indd 48 30/11/07 21:27:49

International trade fair for infrastructure,
traffic management, safety and parking
Amsterdam RAI
The Netherlands
1.2.3.4 APRIL
2008
Intertraffic com
®
Vorster (3).indd 49 30/11/07 21:28:06

Human Factors
Stunted
growth
Max factor
DR TARA KAZI explores why it is vital to integrate human
factors within
Thinking ITS
Highways’ financial analyst MARGARET
priorities
Kazi (4).indd 46 30/11/07 21:31:50

Climate Change
Human Factors
In today’s hectic society we face increasing trans- When DAVID SCHONBRUNN

portation challenges. read the April/May
Engineers issue of
More people, cars and trucks competing for limited
space and a growing awareness about the environment, Thinking Highways he felt
financial and time value of travel, as well as our own compelled to write an article
comfort, safety and security. Using public transport is
also challenging with different information systems,
interchange facilities and charging and payment transportation’s impacts
Computer Human
systems. onm and solutions for,
Scientists Factors
Intelligent Transport Systems are helping to address
some of these issues by harnessing technology to make climate change
our transportation safer, more efficient, easier to use
and more environmentally acceptable. ITS services pro-
vide greater returns when end users have confidence in
the information and acceptance and compliance levels Designers
are increased. Understanding the adverse effects of
placing users in a position where they feel uncomforta-
ble confused or isolated which severely limit the level of Figure 2: The make-up of a typical ITS mutlidisciplinary team
use and acceptance is an important part of system spec-
ification and design. Introducing ITS often impacts on
the organisation and institutional responsibilities and
creates new challenges for management. Human factors integration into ITS
Good design can help reduce the problems associ- ITS interfaces with humans at all levels, whether this be
ated with introducing such systems and can accelerate in the form of human-machine interaction or in the form
returns due to improved acceptance and efficiency. of road user behaviour. When designing and introduc-
ing new ITS services, Human Factors Practitioners sug-
Pay attention gest that such systems are assessed on three dimensions;
Whether it be an urban jungle of traffic systems, or a safety, comfort, and usability. This is also reiterated by
traffic control room or some in-car system, specialists the European quality standard for the design and
argue that users can experience an attention deficit if approval of the Human–Vehicle Interface (HVI) for
traffic solutions do not factor in the human element. motor vehicles and International Standards (ISO
Often users experience visual and cognitive distrac- standards).
tions, mental overload and a reduction in awareness of Human Factors draws roots from Psychology, Ergo-
their surroundings. This of course can have negative nomics and Computer–Science. The main goal of a
connotations for safety. Human Factors Specialist is to produce functional and
Travellers are faced with competing demands for usable systems that support people to carry out activi-
their attention and understanding the make up of human ties productively and safely. Human Factors provides an
behaviour and the way that we interact with our environ- understanding of human capability and applies this
ment calls for the application of Human Factors tech- understanding to the design, development, evaluation
niques which have now moved from academia to become and implementation process within a project, service or
prerequisites for good design. system. For effective Human Factors contributions a
specialist requires a holistic view of the project. It is
standard practice to involve Human Factors through out
Product the project or service life-cycle, integrating within each
Concept
developmental stage. Figure 1 demonstrates a concep-
tual model of a standard product development life-cycle
Requirements where Human Factors is used for each individual stage
definition/ user of the life-cycle to ensure it is integrated throughout.
needs
This process reflects Human Factors involvement from
Design and the very beginning which is at the concept stage all the
development (Proto- way through to evaluation and implementation stage: as
type)
reflected in International Standards ISO 13407 and ISO
Evaluations
13407. A user-centred approach is at the heart of this
process and it seeks to involve the users throughout the
design and evaluation process.
Human Factors contributions tend to be within a multi-
Implementation
and compliance disciplinary team and are unlikely to be successful with-
out parallel input from Engineers and Designers (Figure
2). Human Factors is not meant to replace these other
Figure 1: A typical model of human factors integration skill sets but to compliment them so the end design for
within ITS the user is deemed usable, safe and efficient.
Kazi (4).indd 47 30/11/07 21:32:56

Human Factors
The right time and the right place process can be facilitated by asking the battery of ques-
A potential hindrance to effective Human Factors contri- tions at the start of every project:
butions lies in the improper involvement of Human Fac-
tors in projects. It is paramount that Human Factors is What’s the objective?
applied at all these stages since these stages are not How will this be achieved?
interdependent. What time and cost constraints apply?
Not applying Human Factors from the outset for a What are the potential solutions?
project and all the way through each development stage Which standards apply?
of the life-cycle can reduce the overall effectiveness of What are the consequences of each solution?
the contribution, impact the final delivery of the system How will we judge success?
and not only influence the user’s acceptance but poten- How predictable are the outcomes?
tially effect their safety. What if it goes wrong?
Sometimes due to budget restraints, lack of under- How do we evaluate and understand the results?
standing of each others disciplines, or not being able to How do we best achieve understanding, acceptance,
convey to the client the importance of integrating Human and compliance?
Factors and ITS together can result in the displacement What organisational and institutional impacts are
of Human Factors from some of the key stages of the there?
project.
What needs to be understood is that it can be poten- As specialists we should not only consider that we will
tially too costly not to involve Human Factors at the right be offering the client an enhanced service by synergis-
time and these key stages of the project. Especially ing Human Factors and ITS together but also consider
since it is argued by practitioners that this is likely to that we could potentially be saving lives by producing
produce systems that are not effective, efficient, safe or effective, safe and usable transport systems. The cur-
derive the appropriate response from the user. Ulti- rent generation of technology can be evaluated not with
mately this can lead to a dissatisfied user and at worst just a view to modify if need be but to promote new
this can cost a human life. design ideas. This in turn facilitates next generations of
Either way, it is the end user of any ITS solution that is technology that can further enhance the safety of ‘end’
likely to lose out. users. Understanding our make-up is the foundation for
good design.
The right questions to ask
It is estimated that human error is the sole cause of 57 The right answer
per cent of traffic accidents. Questions can be asked as So to get the most out of ITS implementation incorporate
to whether such incidents can be improved by ITS solu- Human Factors to help make sure that benefits are max-
tions? Researchers in the past have argued that ITS solu- imised, and the outcomes are predictable, reliable, and
tions could increase the comfort and convenience of the comfortable to use. It’s people we address, not systems
modern driver. of machines. TH
The make-up of what is defined by an ITS solution is Dr Tara Kazi is a human factors engineer with WSP.
changing and it has become important to understand She can be contacted via email at
when and how to integrate Human Factors into ITS. This tarakazi@wspgroup.com
Kazi (4).indd 48 30/11/07 21:33:22

THIN KING
HIG HW AYS
IS PROUD TO BE THE
WORLD ITS
DIRECTORYʼS
STRATEGIC MEDIA
PARTNER FOR
NORTH AMERICA
AND EUROPE
WHEREVER YOU ARE,

DON’T MISS OUT!
To ensure that this is not the
last FREE issue of
THIN KING
HIG HW AYS
you receive, register online

THIN KING
THIN KING now! It’ll only take you a
HIG HWAYS
HIG HW AYS
EUROPE/REST ofthe
EUROPE/REST of theWORLD
WORLD EDITION
EDITION
Volume 2 • Issue 3 • Q3/2007
Volume 2 • Issue 4 • Q4/2007 minute and you won’t have to
do it again for another
THROUGH
LINKING THE
HIGHWAYS
LOOKING
CVIS reachesGLASS
the parts other
projects
Manfredcannot reach
Swarovski
reflects on a life
12 months.
spent saving lives
WATCHING THE DETECTORS
CCTV for ITS comes under the scrutiny
of Bruce Abernethy and Vibeke Ulmann
WIRED EARTH
Jack Opiola and Tony Ioannidis
LOUDER THAN WORDS
on the digital transport Gaia
Phil Tarnoff’s call for
increased productivity ADVANCING SLOWLY
PAY AS YOU DON’T GO

Phil Tarnoff’s dismay at the publc
sector’s technology take-up
Six different views of urban
Go to
congestion
PLUS: CVHS •pricing
www.h3bmedia.com/register.cfm
Weigh in Motion • Tolling & Customer
Management • EU Finance & Funding • Brazil • Australia •
South Africa • China • POLIS • EUROCITIES • David Pearson •
PLUS: Green ITS
Joaquin Cosmen • DARPA Urban Challenge • Human
Schortmann
Factors • Active Traffic Management • EU Finance & Funding •
the
INTELLIGENT
Advanced transportation management
Australia • South Africa • POLIS • EUROCITIES • Chris
policy • strategy Skinner
• technology
the choice
INTELLIGENT
integration
Advanced • interoperability
transportation management
policy • strategy • technology
COVER TH EUSep.indd 1
choice integration • interoperability
19/9/07 13:42:22
Kazi (4).indd 49 30/11/07 22:01:46

Active Traffic Management
A shoulder
Allowing drivers to use the hard shoulder was

never going to be welcomed with open arms,
but following success elsewhere in Europe, the
UK Government decided to try out the idea as
Thinking
part Highways’
of a concept called financial analyst
‘Active Traffic
MARGARET PETTIT
Management’. Twelve looks at the
months European
after the start
of Territorial Cooperation
a high profile Programme
trial it’s been and
so successful
finds
that that like
transport with anyhave
ministers other major
announced that the scheme is to
beprogramme, it’s a matter
rolled out elsewhere ofUK.
in the priorities
PETER PLISNER reports
It’s probably been one of the most highly controver- way to hell”, while another maintained that opening up
sial projects to happen on the UK motorway network the hard shoulder was “gambling with people’s lives’’.
in many years. But twelve months after the trial began, the doomsday
It was a scheme that would let drivers use the hard scenario, that so many were predicting, just hasn’t hap-
shoulder on the M42 in the English Midlands at peak pened. In fact that motorway is now carrying more traf-
periods. The motorway was probably one of the most fic with less congestion. What’s more the Government
congested highways in the country and, as such, it was appears to be so pleased with it that motorway widen-
seen as an ideal test bed for what the Highways Agency, ing schemes around the UK could now be scaled back in
the organisation that manages the UK road network, favour of ATM solutions.
called ‘Active Traffic Management’ or ATM. The concept The M42 trial has been taking place between junc-
is a more advanced version of a concept already used in tions 3A and 7 of the M42 east of Birmingham.The project
places like Holland and Germany. ATM brought together includes use of variable mandatory speed limits,
a whole variety of technologies, all designed to help dynamic use of the hard shoulder during peak periods,
reduce congestion But inevitably it was the hard shoul- the provision of dedicated ‘Emergency Refuge Areas’
der running that got people talking! where drivers can go if they break down and the instal-
lation of gantries with signals and variable message
Confusion reigns signs.
Some members of the emergency services were con- In addition, the slip roads now have ramp metering,
cerned that they wouldn’t be able to get to an accident. where sets of traffic signals regulate the number of vehi-
Motoring organisations were worried that drivers would cles entering the motorway at the busiest junctions.
have nowhere to go if their vehicles broke down. There Also, variable speed limits are set to be enforced by new
were also concerns that confusion, about when the hard digital cameras mounted above all lanes of the motor-
shoulder was and wasn’t in use, would lead to serious way. Construction of the ATM scheme started in March
accidents. The British media had a field day. One news- 2003. Following completion of the work there was a
paper said the scheme would turn the M42 into a “high- phased introduction of the system starting with the set-
Plisner (4).indd 46 30/11/07 21:36:39

Climate Change
to drive on
climate change
Plisner (4).indd 47 30/11/07 21:37:21

ting of non-mandatory variable speed limits when the October 2006 and April 2007 with 3L-VMSL operation
level of traffic levels passed preset limits. between January and April 2006 and the case of no vari-
In November 2005 the speed limits became enforce- able speed limits prior to construction of ATM.
able with the introduction of what became known as The authors of the report maintain that the compari-
‘Variable Mandatory Speed Limits’ (VMSL). The con- son between 3L-VMSL and 4L-VMSL offered a short time
cept, previously tried in the UK on the M25 south-west of frame between the two operational regimes, which ena-
London, meant reductions in the speed drivers were bles data to be analysed that is less affected by the time
allowed to travel. The theory was that if all drivers were lag and traffic growth between the ‘Before and ‘After’
going at the same rate there would be less need to periods. However, the report focuses mainly on the com-
change lanes and therefore improvements in the flow of parison between no variable speed limits and 4L-VMSL,
traffic in all lanes. After less than a year of what highway as this appears to provide the best direct estimate of the
engineers have termed ‘3 Lane Variable Mandatory benefits from the installation of ATM.
Speed Limits or 3L-VMSL’, in September 2006, ministers According to the report, observed capacity increased
finally decided to unleash their trump card and the more on the motorway under 4L-VMSL operation by an aver-
controversial part of the project, the hard age of 7-10 per cent and it also reduced
shoulder running or ‘4 Lane Variable Man- “Observed average journey times in severe recur-
datory Speed Limits (4L-VMSL)’. rent congestion. Drivers were able to
capacity better predict their journey times on the
A passing phase? increased on the M42-ATM section with a 27 per cent
Some have posed the question, why did reduction of journey times observed.
the Highways Agency opt for a phased motorway under Says Grant: “We had a feeling it could
implementation, rather than introducing 4L-VMSL by an be quite high, but that has exceeded my
everything at once? expectations.” The reliability improve-
David Grant, the HA’s Head of Active average of ments have provided a welcome boost to
Traffic Management Project says; “We 7-10%” business and industry. Groups like the
wanted to bring the benefits for each Freight Transport Association and the
regime to the public as quickly as possible. By introduc- Road Haulage Association, which represent UK haulage
ing variable advisory speed limits to start with it got companies, have applauded the project. In effect ATM
drivers used to that form of operation. We then made has prevented the occurrence of severe congestion that
them mandatory in the same way as the M25 controlled costs the economy of any country a great deal of lost
motorway environment. This got drivers used to the time and ultimately money. The report also suggests that
smoothing of the traffic and speed harmonisation. Fol- the motorway has become safer with fewer accidents.
lowing that we introduced the use of the hard shoulder, Compliance rates were also surprising with, on aver-
having gained confidence in how drivers were using the age, more than 90 per cent of drivers observing the
scheme.” mandatory speed limits.
Traffic Consultants Mott MacDonald were appointed
to analyse the results of the trial after six months of oper- Nothing serious
ation and its report was published in October 2007. It Although much more data is required to reach definitive
compared data from operations of 4L-VMSL between conclusions about safety, (industry standard requires
Plisner (4).indd 48 30/11/07 21:37:50

Plisner (4).indd 49 30/11/07 21:38:19

three years worth of data), the analysis of the initial six

months shows that the ‘Severity Index’ for 3L-VMSL and
4L-VMSL is below the national motorway average for the
UK at 0.12. Crucially there were no serious accidents.
The evidence runs directly against the scenario many
had been predicting following the opening up of the
hard shoulder.
Noise and pollution levels also fell during the trial.
Most emissions, according to the report, fell by between
4 per cent and 10 per cent, meaning the fuel consump-
tion improved by 4 per cent. Cars were burning fuel
much more efficiently. Carbon-dioxide levels were
down 4 per cent, similar to that obtained from two stud-
ies on the impact of variable speed limits on the M25. In
line with the safety results, authors added a caveat that
there were also a number of other factors which influ-
enced the changes in ambient air quality. Although ATM
was one of the influencing factors, it was not possible to
isolate its impact on air quality.
As if the impressive data from the project weren’t
enough, when compared with the way things were on
the motorway in 2003, prior to the installation of ATM,
the feedback from drivers was also better. Thirty
per cent of long distance users classed the M42 as
‘better’ or ‘much better’ than other motorways. Twenty
seven per cent of users also perceived that it was easier Location of the M42 ATM scheme in the UK’s West Midlands
to join, change lanes and exit the motorway, when com- (images courtesy of the Highways Agency)
pared to 2003. The understanding of the way the motor- feasibility study into extending motorway signalling
way operated was also high with 95 per cent and traffic management systems on a wider scale. Stud-
understanding the purpose of the ‘Emergency Refuge ies will concentrate on whether new systems can offer
Areas’. additional lanes and traffic flow capacity within the land
corridors of existing motorways.
Keep it simple... There will also be analysis of ideas for lane reserva-
The Highways Agency’s Grant isn’t surprised that driv- tion, such as high occupancy vehicle lanes, heavy vehi-
ers have taken to the new concept so quickly and easily. cle lanes and through traffic lanes. Concepts for better
He says: “ATM was designed with safety being the most separation of slower and faster moving traffic and the
important factor. When we did the analysis of safety we provision of better and more timely information to driv-
identified over 2000 hazards, both already existing ers will also be considered.
motorway hazards and possible ones resulting from the Trial of ATM in the English Midlands clearly shows
ATM.” The key for the project team was to find mitigation that 4 Lane Variable Mandatory Speed Limits can go a
techniques for each hazard, while at the same time not long way to alleviating the daily grid of congestion and
making it any more complicated for the driver to under- make predicting journey times much easier. Head of the
stand.” project, David Grant is delighted with its success. It
The team designed mitigations that were as intuitive could also now be exported to other countries. Grant
to the driver as they could be. Grant adds “Drivers don’t says “It’s something that has huge international interest.
need to be educated about ATM in order to know what to I have just recently been approached by the Americans
do, the signs and signals tell them.” who are looking to introduce ATM in the States.We have
Despite the short period of operation the analysis of interest from Japan and Scandinavia and we’re present-
the results contained in the report appears to have been ing in Paris. It has become a global solution to a global
enough for ministers to make the decision to roll out the problem.”
concept on other motorways. In a statement, the UK Putting in an ATM system is certainly cheaper than
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said: “The M42 trial widening a motorway, although some have suggested
shows that using innovative thinking to help drivers beat that while it might reduce congestion it does nothing to
motorway jams really works. New traffic management help reduce the level of traffic on the roads or encour-
techniques, like hard shoulder running and varying age public transport use. Unfortunately, that’s another
speed limits, offer practical and cost-effective solutions global problem for which, at the moment, there is no
to cutting congestion and I now want to explore whether apparent solution. People just love to use their cars! TH
other motorways could benefit from similarly creative
measures.” Peter Plisner is the BBC’s Midlands Transport
In addition to announcing the location for the next Correspondent and can be contacted via email at
ATM schemes, the Department for Transport launched a peter.plisner@bbc.co.uk
Plisner (4).indd 50 3/12/07 14:05:23

Laser Computer Recognition Systems
sensors
for traffic control
Noptel's CM30 distance sensor
family has been developed
for OEM use with eyes of a HAWK

products for traffic,
industrial or portable
applications that
require high-speed
measurements of
poorly reflecting targets.
These devices represent a perfect
choice for intelligent traffic camera triggering,
vehicle profiling or speed measurement.
The units are small in size, of low weight and power con-
sumption, and are suitable for outdoor use in harsh envi-
"!
ronments. They are available in different packagings, and
!!!"!
customised operation is possible even with smaller volumes. !! !!
#! !
!!! !
!!!!!!
!!!!
!!!

Hawk kindly supplied by The Hawk Conservancy Trust
Applications • Traffic light control

• LPR camera triggering • Signal violation control

• Vehicle profile measurement • Criminal vehicle interception

• Vehicle classification • Vehicle detection
• Speed measurement • Tunnel entrance control

NOPTEL – AT THE FOREFRONT
OF OPTICAL MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY
www.crs-vision.com
For further information, please contact: " #'&$)"!&"!)(%& %
%#"!%)"%)*)"! )*) $%)*))
Noptel
& )) )

)) $$$ $
%#
USA: Davin Optronics Inc
334 Ebenezer Road * Knoxville * TN 37923
t: +1 (865) 769 8010 $
$
$
Noptel Oy, Teknologiantie 2, 90570 Oulu, Finland #! %!
Tel. +358 8 551 4351, fax +358 8 556 4101, info@noptel.fi, www.noptel.fi
Plisner (4).indd 51 3/12/07 14:06:28

The Thought Process
Chris
Skinner
ITS consultant, adjunct lecturer at the University of Sydney’s
Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies and member of ITS
standards committees and working groups in Australia and
the International Organization for Standardization {ISO)
ITS architecture does matter a lot and furthermore, However that is not the biggest problem with stand-
as I tell my students, it delivers a positive return on ards, which is harmonisation.There is a great deal talked
investment in a business case. ITS architecture is about the need to harmonise standards from different
really a special case of business architecture, a subject sources but when the process is attempted the result has
that has been recognised recently as critical to develop been pathetic – either people give up or only get the
and then to maintain complex information and commu- simplest and most straightforward issues resolved. The
nication technology (ICT) systems for business applica- ITS data registry is a prime example; the concept was
tions of all kinds. hailed as a means to achieve harmonisation and years of
The critical issue about ICT architecture is that while it effort went into writing standards but there has been
does require a modest extra investment, this is paid minimal progress in achieving effective harmonisation.
back many times over by the reduction in issues as the The IEEE tried to harmonise the data concepts from all
system evolves and changes are made internally and in 14 or so standards development organisations (SDO) in
the integration of the systems with other systems that the USA but gave it up as unachievable. We made a pre-
are themselves also evolving. The benefits become very liminary attempt in Australia but then nobody wanted to
clear when the cost of ownership is considered. In par- be the guinea pig.The best effort I know of is the registry
ticular the sustainment of the system architecture will operated for the UK Highways Agency. There has been
postpone the time when the system becomes unmain- some talk of registries in East Asia but I haven’t seen any
tainable and must therefore be replaced. results as yet.
Another key line of potential solutions for harmonisa-
ITS standards are critical and are being developed tion is the use of semantic technologies that have arisen
across most of the areas of need, but too slowly. The from further development of the semantic web. Basically
standards development activity is not universally rec- this technology looks at the meaning of concepts in a
ognised as vital so in some countries and in some indus- logical way rather than a strict physical specification.
try sectors there is not the necessary financial and However, the development of semi-automatic harmoni-
intellectual support. I have always said that standards sation using this approach is still a research subject.
will only ever happen in a timely manner if either gov- Furthermore the researchers in semantic technolo-
ernment or industry wants that to happen. If neither of gies have been attracted by greater funding available
them then the development will be undertaken by a for health research compared with transport and logis-
small bunch of enthusiasts and never deliver on time. tics. Consequently ITS is not getting the attention that it
The need for standards is to minimise the need for deserves, with some notable exceptions, for example
reinvention of the wheel as still happens far too fre- the work by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilita-
quently in ICT systems. Of course we don’t want to stifle tion and Electronic Business (CEFACT).
innovation but that should be about creating new stand-
ards, not making every proprietary solution unique. The To me, the technology with most to offer is wireless
first developer to a new standard always has a competi- communications but not the familiar cellular or
tive advantage so there is no real point in attempting to trunked radio systems. I am most impressed by the
keep solutions proprietary. rapid progress being made in direct communications
Skinner TP (3).indd 14 30/11/07 21:40:53

“ITS is not
“What ITSgetting
can do the
is
attention that it
support policy deserves,
objectives
andwith someknowledge,
improve notable
exceptions, for example
information and
the work by the United
management”
Nations CEFACT”
Skinner TP (3).indd 15 30/11/07 21:41:23

The Thought Process
between vehicles and between vehicles and roadside cle fleet in Japan has steadily adopted VICS is appropri-
infrastructure, as well as networking between nodes. In ate for DSRC worldwide.
the wireless communications area, the WAVE approach It will be important for the business model to address
for 5.9 GHz DSRC is maturing rapidly. However, neither the enormous investment in roadside infrastructure and
Japan nor EU are getting fully behind it and so the there may be benefit in a public-private partnership
progress is being hindered by lack of international model. The private sector would be able to use the net-
standardisation. The WAVE approach is being devel- work for non-priority subscription services that would
oped in the USA by the IEEE with SAE under the aegis of be instantly overridden by any priority traffic manage-
ASTM and the approach is being very well supported ment or safety information messages.
by a number of field operational tests and evaluations. As I understand it the improvements in safety for road
Where the EU has taken a very impressive lead is vehicles have diminished and it therefore needs some
defining the architectural framework for this wireless radical new approach to make further improvements –
communications in the form of CALM. This can embody DSRC is such an approach.
WAVE so there will be compatibility if harmonisation
occurs. Unfortunately what sometimes happens is the ITS is still not widely known in the community, let
EU decides to do something different because it is bet- alone understood. I often joke that if a technology
ter rather than adopting a compromise that can become needs to describe itself as intelligent then there must be
the world standard. some doubt about that attribute, but really this is a seri-
However there is a further area of wireless communi- ous problem. And I don’t think the general population
cations still to be developed and that is satellite-based understands the term ‘Telematics’ either so we are los-
communications. Now the delays in transmission to and ing both ways. What might work a lot better is to start
from satellites will never equal the low latency for line of again and call them travel information services, vehicle
sight direct transmission by DSRC but for many of the safety systems and traffic management services, all of
use cases developed for DSRC that doesn’t matter.What which are terms that people can relate to.
does matter is the geographical coverage. For a country
like Australia the cost of roadside infrastructure in the The ITS body-of-knowledge should be formulated as
manner that VICS has in Japan would be quite prohibi- the basis for ITS professional competence in the
tive. So we need to work on satellite based WAVE sys- same way that the software engineering body of
tems as well. knowledge (SWEBOK) and project management
body of knowledge (PMBOK) has been formulated.
The other aspect of DSRC is networking. The road- Then there should be further articulation of core cur-
side infrastructure can be networked in a traditional riculum topics that are required for practitioners in
manner for high data rates and low latency. It is now also these fields.
possible to network via mobile wireless nodes using an At the same time there needs to be a greater accept-
approach called ad hoc networking that is maturing ance of the multi-disciplinary nature of the professional
rapidly. The most critical capability is for any node to practice domain. This can best be done by the ITS com-
network with any other node without the need for pre- munity facilitating the collaboration of such bodies as
assigned addressing or controls. This can be done IEEE, SAE, ITE, ISO, ETSI to develop the ITSBOK. Then
quickly enough by direct communication, for example, there will be further efforts needed in academia and
high-speed vehicles approaching each other can estab- professional organisations to provide the necessary
lish a link and complete a data communication session professional development programs.
before they reach their closest point of approach. Finally technology is only the start of ITS. There also
This can be extended by a process of each receiving needs to be a multidisciplinary. team-based approach
vehicle becoming a relay point to other further vehicles to design, development and deployment - the classical
out of range for the first vehicle. So the message – such systems engineering approach is essential to apply the
as the warning of an obstruction on a roadway – can be technology effectively. This has been recognised in
rapidly transmitted upstream from vehicle to vehicle some places but this should become much more widely
without any prior arrangements or controls. The other understood. TH
advantage of this is that the spreading of the information
does not rely on roadside infrastructure. Christopher J Skinner BSc(Eng) MEngSc MIET MIEAust
MACS CPEng is also Principal, DISplay Pty Ltd and can
The need for many roadside nodes and all the con- be contacted via email at cjskinner@acslink.net.au
necting network amounts to a sizeable investment.
The pay-off for DSRC is enhanced road safety - every Chris Skinner’s suggested further reading
other benefit (traffic management and traveller infor- Bishop, Richard (2005) Intelligent Vehicle Technology and
mation) is icing on the cake, but the major pay-off will be Trends. Artech House. ISBN: 1-58053-911-4
significant improvements in road safety statistics. That Miles, John C. & Chen, Ken (Eds) (2004) The Intelligent
alone should encourage governments to make neces- Transport Systems Handbook (2nd Ed) PIARC ISBN:
sary investments in the infrastructure. However nothing 2-84060-174-5
will be achieved without the vehicle fleet being suitably Sussman, Joseph M. (2005) Perspectives on Intelligent
fitted too. Here I think the object lesson of how the vehi- Transportation Systems. Springer ISBN: 0-387-23257-5
Skinner TP (3).indd 16 30/11/07 21:41:42

www.truvelo.co.za

info@truvelo.co.za

tel +27113141405

Skinner TP (3).indd 17 3/12/07 14:10:24

priorities
Informed
Traveller
Satisfaction
POLIS (3).indd 46 30/11/07 21:44:20

POLIS Network

HANNAH BUDNITZ of POLIS readmember Reading
the April/May issue of
Borough Council looks Thinking HighwaysITS
at the authority’s he felt
programme and plans compelled to write an article
Reading is a concentrated urban community of over
200,000 people in the southeast of the UK, some climate change
60km west of London.
As a major employment and retail centre, with an
extensive travel to work area, Reading is a regional
transport hub, attracting daily trips from a wide hinter-
land. Reading also boasts the second busiest railway
station in the UK outside of London and offers key public
transport links to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, mak-
ing it a major transport interchange.
Effective traffic and transport management and effi-
cient use of transport infrastructure is essential to Read-
ing’s ability to accommodate the volume of trips which
come into and through Reading on a daily basis. Read-
ing has therefore long embraced the use of Intelligent
Transport Systems (ITS) in various forms to help man-
age traffic and reduce congestion, to keep travellers
well-informed, to improve road safety and to encourage Reading is perfectly situated in the UK with excellent transport
change in travel behaviour. links to the North, South, East and West ... and to Europe
UTMC Demonstrator Project These ITS elements are linked back to a control cen-
Reading Borough Council introduced an Urban Traffic tre, where the database is programmed to feed informa-
Management and Control (UTMC) system in the early tion from one system to another. For example, if SCOOT
1990s and was one of four demonstrator projects funded detects that a car park exceeds a certain occupancy
by the Department for Transport (DfT) between 1997 level, the VMS on the relevant routes to that car park will
and 2003. This has enabled Reading to use UTMC to automatically be triggered to display a message indi-
integrate different aspects of ITS in a common database, cating that the car park is full and motorists should divert
providing real-time, multi-modal information to pro- to an alternative car park.
mote network management and Read- Trained members of staff are also on
ing’s transport information strategy. ITS “These ITS hand to monitor the system and put out
elements of Reading’s UTMC system relevant information when it is needed
include: elements are linked by travellers, transport operators and
• Traffic Signal Control; back to a control event managers. A workstation of the
• SCOOT congestion and car park UTMC database is set up at Reading
occupancy monitoring and signal opti- centre, where the Football Club’s Madejski Stadium,
misation; database is where fans can quickly be diverted
• CCTV for network monitoring and between car parks as queues increase
road safety; programmed to and fans arriving by public transport
• Travel/Traffic Information (provided feed information are guided onto dedicated buses to
through shuttle them between the stadium and
www.reading-travelinfo.co.uk and via between systems” Reading
mobile phones and email to registered station.
users);
• Variable Message Signs (VMS) along key radial Travel/traffic information
routes; While ITS can offer obvious benefits for traffic manage-
• Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) at bus stops, ment and road safety in terms of camera enforcement,
on buses, at Reading Station and available through the traffic signal control and bus priority through traffic
travel traffic information system; lights, Reading Borough Council believes that the best
• SmartCard products for all bus services; way to manage the network is to give travellers the infor-
• Bus Priority through traffic signals; mation to manage their own behaviour.
• Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) for bus If motorists know that there is an accident or conges-
lane enforcement. tion in time, they can take an alternative route. If they
POLIS (3).indd 47 30/11/07 21:44:40

POLIS Network
have information before they begin their journey, they enabled mobile phone handset (WAP being an applica-
may even switch to an alternative mode. If they can tion allowing internet access from a mobile phone).
access information in any location before or during their Registering with the website allows travellers to request
journey, then they can make travel choices on the move. travel alerts sent to their mobile phone or email
Reading’s travel information website is extensive and address.
comprehensive, including real time information on all
modes, such as: SEEDA WiMax Project
• Live information about bus depar- Reading is now participating in the
tures from stops across Reading; “The system will development of the Reading Area
• Live ‘departure board’ information allow wireless Transport Information Network. This
on trains from Reading station; project is being led by Reading’s term
• Up-to-date information on the transfer of more consultants, Peter Brett Associates and
number of car parking spaces available detailed and is funded through a grant from the South
in central Reading car parks; East England Development Agency
• Traffic flow and journey time infor- personalised travel (SEEDA). At the core of the project is an
mation on routes to and from Reading; information to enhanced communications network
• Links to the South East regional jour- which will use emerging WiMAX wire-
ney planner; mobile phones and less communications technology in
• TrafficCam images providing snap- PDAs” combination with Wi-Fi and the use of
shots of current traffic conditions at the latest mobile phone 3G communi-
junctions in Reading and the M4; cations services.
• Warnings of incidents, accidents or roadworks cur- This technology will further integrate Reading’s ITS,
rently underway. creating a metropolitan network which will communi-
The website also includes more typical travel infor- cate with traffic signal controllers,VMS, CCTV, bus loca-
mation, such as bus timetables and car park charges. tion Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and RTPI. Another
Travel information can be accessed for free from a WAP- part of the system will allow for web-based (and mobile
POLIS (3).indd 48 30/11/07 21:44:55

POLIS Network
ners to extend the project beyond the pilot stage. Future

applications of the technology may include use in
enforcement, as the system is expanded to work with
ANPR, vehicle location detection and secure payments.
Conclusion
Reading Borough Council’s ongoing innovation in the
use of ITS and UTMC is one of the key reasons why we
are recognised as a Centre for Excellence in Transport
Planning by the UK government. Reading was one of the
first authorities outside London to manage its own bus
lane enforcement using bus lane cameras and ANPR.
Reading was one of the four UTMC demonstrator
projects in the UK, resulting in more inter-connected ITS
elements, a better UTMC system and a high standard of
travel information. Now Reading is involved in a unique
Reading was one of four UK UTMC demonstrator projects
project to further improve UTMC and travel information
provision through the use of cutting edge technology.
phone-based) payment for SmartCard top-up and car Therefore, Reading is the home of the Intelligent
park payments. Traveller. TH
Again, however, travel information is a key objective
of the project, and the system will allow wireless transfer Hannah Budnitz is a Senior Transport Planner at
of more detailed and personalised travel information to Reading Borough Council in the UK. She can be
mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), com- contacted via email at hannah.budnitz@reading.gov.uk
puters and GPS systems, giving real time network per-
formance and location/navigation directions. This will Simon Beasley, Network Manager can also be con-
allow even pedestrians to receive advice on the opti- tacted at simon.beasley@reading.gov.uk
mum route between locations, no matter where they are
in Reading. Installation and trials are underway, and For more information about POLIS and its activities
Reading will be looking to work with its business part- go to www.polis-online.org
VITRONIC product range

Intelligent Solutions for
Traffic Surveillance • PoliScansurveillance
Acquisition and identification of vehicles
for crime prevention
• PoliScanspeed
Digital speed measurement - mobile and stationary
• PoliScandigital
Evaluation of speed and digitally recorded
red-light offences
• TollChecker
Free-flow and multi-lane toll enforcement
VITRONIC Dr.-Ing. Stein

Bildverarbeitungssysteme GmbH
Hasengartenstr. 14
D-65189 Wiesbaden
Fon + 49 [0] 611-7152-0
Fax + 49 [0] 611-7152-133
Meet the digital future www.vitronic.com
sales@vitronic.com
POLIS (3).indd 49 30/11/07 21:45:19

Funding and Finance
Opportunity
knocks

priorities
Thinking Highways’ funding analyst MARGARET PETTIT turns

her attention to Poland. Land of plenty or land of plenty to do?
Pettitt (3).indd 46 30/11/07 21:46:04

Climate
Funding Change
and Finance
Poland can boast a number of ‘greats’ in its transport When

The new EU DAVID
package of SCHONBRUNN
the Convergence Objective
sector, which should offer opportunities for ITS. for read
Poland isthe April/May
to start at the beginningissue ofwill
of 2008 and
It is the largest recipient of EU aid, has the largest EU- include €295m for intelligent transport systems; €200m
funded transport budget over 2007-2013 in the EU, for Thinking
information and Highways he felt for
communication technologies
including the largest budget for its numerous borders, compelled
the to write
Trans-European Networks an article
(Transport); €672m for
and has the highest percentage of road accidents with information and telecommunications technologies;
fatalities in the entire EU.
€1,600m for infrastructure connected to the R&D tech-
Car transport still remains the leading means of transportation’s
nologies, €1,871.3m for motorways;impacts
and €7,614.7m for
municipal transport in Poland, which is unable to cope onm and solutions
motorways (TEN-T networks). Specific for,are cur-
projects
with neglected and insufficient investments made in rently in the process of final approval by the European
road infrastructure. The introduction of integrated road Commission.climate change
traffic management systems and ITS to improve road Contact point: Ministry of Regional Development,
safety is deemed essential by the government. 2/4 Wspolna Street, 00-926 Warsaw, Poland. Tel:(+48 22)
The country has a dense, outdated transport network 461 30 00, website: www.mrr.gov.pl.
of motorways and expressways of low standard, consid- In addition to the above EU package, the European
ered to be the main barrier to economic growth. It lacks Investment Fund (mainly owned by the European Invest-
a coherent network of highways and fast traffic roads ment Bank) is involved in investments in large-scale
and has a disastrous road traffic safety situation. It also transport networks, particularly in financially risky
has insufficient links on the main transport corridors areas vital for economic growth.
(TEN-T networks).
Poland’s National Strategic Reference Framework RUC for the MOT
(NSRF) includes a significant commitment to the Lisbon Turning now to road pricing, in June 2007 a Road User
strategy for jobs and economic growth. The NSRF (the Charging Systems Workshop was held in Warsaw jointly
basis of the new EU package) aims to provide missing organized by the Polish Ministry of Transport (MOT) and
infrastructure to boost economic development by link- the World Bank. The World Bank has been lending in the
ing major cities by road, especially on the TEN-T transport sector involving road user charging for prob-
networks. ably over 30 years, so it will be interesting to see what
their lending plans are for this region. The workshop’s
The missing link main objective was to share experience in the design
One of the targets in the development strategy includes and implementation of modern road charging systems
tripling the length of motorways from 554 to 1,754 km. and make this experience available to Poland, as well as
The NSRF is focussed on having all the major Polish other countries that are considering introducing new
urban centres linked by 2013 through a system of motor- road user charging systems.
ways and expressways, with the construction of by- The World Bank reports that during the workshop
passes, as well as the modernisation of other national agreement was reached between MOT and representa-
roads, which join minor economic centres into the basic tives from Hungary and Slovenia on a visit by MOT staff
national system. to these two countries for Poland to learn more, in the
Also, there will be provision for transport links within field, about the results of their experience in implement-
the TEN system connecting Poland to the European ing charging systems. The speakers were asked to
transport system. This should assure links between present the existing road charging system in the coun-
Western Europe and the Baltic States, as well as Ukraine, try they represented, as well as the development plans
Belarus and Russia and also between the Scandinavian regarding the prospective European interoperability of
and Baltic region countries and countries of Central and electronic fee collection systems. Private sector repre-
Eastern Europe. sentatives discussed the state-of-the-art in technology
The NSRF will be implemented in five national and possible future improvements. There were several
programmes and 16 regional programmes for each UK companies represented at this workshop.
voivodship under the Convergence Objective (the Con- On the subject of the World Bank, their only current
vergence Objective supports inter alia transport, project in Poland is (Revised) Transport Infrastructure
research and innovation interventions). The largest pro- Rehabilitation. The objectives are to (a) improve the
gramme is the national Operational Programme for main national road and rail infrastructure and (b) build
Infrastructure and Environment, which will include institutional capacity of rail and road sector institutions
investments of nearly €28 billion - €5.7 billion from the to manage network assets efficiently and effectively.
European Regional Development Fund and €22 billion Negotiations took place at the end of October 2007. Pro-
from the Cohesion Fund, of which around 50 per cent posed loan of US$180m (IBRD). Consultants will be
will be spent on transport infrastructure. required. Exec. Agency: Ministry of Transport,
In addition, there will be investments under the Euro- 4/6 Chalubinskiego Street, 00-928 Warsaw, Poland,
pean Territorial Cooperation Objective (providing for Tel: (48 22) 630-1359, Fax: (48 22) 630-1188. Contact
cross-border networks, trans-national transport and tel- Tomasz Bochenski, Deputy Director, e-mail:
ecommunications services and advanced information tbochenski@mi.gov.pl, . TH
and communication technologies) but a financial break- Margaret Pettit is principal of Clematis Consulting.
down for infrastructure is not currently available. margaret.pettit@btinternet.com
Pettitt (3).indd 47 30/11/07 21:46:19

Do you need help
lining up your
ducks?
www.whitewillow.biz
Advertisers Index
Aselsan ..............................................................................................75 Q-Free ASA .......................................................... inside front cover

Computer Recognition Systems ..................................................77 ROBOT Visual Systems GmbH ....................................... 07 and 09
Gatsometer ......................................................................................35 Samaritania .......................................................................................47
GMV...................................................................................................17 Satellic Traffic Management ...........................................................11
H3B Media/Intertraffic 2008 Think Tanks ................ 53. 57, 65, 63 Siemens AG München...................................................... 02 and 03
H3B Media Transportal ..................................................................88 Swarco ...............................................................................................21
Image Sensing Systems ...................................................................05 Telegra .................................................................outside back cover
International Road Dynamics .......................................................41 TranspoQuip 2008 ..........................................................................81
Jupiter Systems ................................................................................42 Truvelo ..............................................................................................81
Intertraffic Amsterdam 2008 ........................................................67 Vitronic .............................................................................................85
Kapsch TrafficCom ..........................................................................31 White Willow Transport Intelligence ..........................................88
Noptel ...............................................................................................77 World ITS Directory ......................................................................71
PTV AG..............................................................................................75 WSP ........................................................................inside back cover
Thinking Highways
For more information on the advertisers in this
issue please go to www.h3bmedia.com and click on
READER ENQUIRIES
88 Ad Index copy 1.indd 78 30/11/07 21:47:35

#*()" +'*( " ).
$' " ).%')"((".)%
%&')%'($)'+""'(" !
(*&&%')() (.
( $*#$)%'()% $) .(#')'
(%"*) %$(
$)') $, ), ')'$(&%')&%" .
$'()$ $)$(%%*'*()%#'(
$" $)(
- # ( $)+"*%&'+ %*( $+()#$) ,,,,(&'%*&%#
( $"%"()&')
%'*')' $%'#) %$%$))

''' (
"
' ''' ( ,(&'%*&%#
WSP.indd 1 30/11/07 21:48:23

Telegra.indd 1 30/11/07 21:49:15

Thinking Highways Europe/RoW November 2007

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Thinking Highways Europe/RoW November 2007

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

THIN KING

LOUDER THAN WORDS

PAY AS YOU DON’T GO

PLUS: Green ITS • DARPA Urban Challenge • Human

TH EU Dec Cover.indd 1 30/11/07 21:52:11

       ! !

      !

Ad Q-FREE.indd 1 27/6/07 09:49:39

www.h3bmedia.com Thinking Highways Vol 2 No 4 1

01 Foreword copy 2.indd 1 30/11/07 19:58:59

COLUMNS 36 Mike Sena, on the other hand, wonders if

THE THINKER DARPA URBAN CHALLENGE

ROAD PRICING GREEN ITS

02 Contents copy 2.indd 2 30/11/07 20:34:24

THE THOUGHT PROCESS

FINANCE AND FUNDING

02 Contents copy 2.indd 3 30/11/07 20:35:04

4 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com

Eurocities Column(2) copy.indd 1 30/11/07 20:07:29

simplyADVANCED ADVANCED TECHNOL OGY THAT M ERGES

Introducing Autoscope Terra Technology > High-performance

© 2007 Image Sensing Systems, Inc.

Eurocities Column(2) copy.indd 2 30/11/07 20:08:04

finance public transport,

Warming to the idea

6 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com

Eurocities Column(2) copy.indd 3 30/11/07 20:09:04

Ralf Schmitz, Area Sales Manager, Australasia

Eurocities Column(2) copy.indd 4 30/11/07 20:09:50

PROF PHIL CHARLES is joined by fellow contributor

8 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com

Charles Column (2).indd 1 30/11/07 20:17:49

Harald Klatt, Application Engineer

„With technical mobility,

MultaRadar is the world’s most successful

Charles Column (2).indd 2 30/11/07 20:19:00

considered to be conditions, resulting in the streams depend on forecast

10 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com

Charles Column (2).indd 3 30/11/07 20:20:47

THE COUNTRY REMAINS UNSPOILT,

INVEST IN THE FUTURE. INVEST IN TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FROM SATELLIC.

SEE MORE OF OUR VISION AT: WWW.SATELLIC.COM

Charles Column (2).indd 4 30/11/07 20:21:26

KEVIN BORRAS talks to MANFRED SWAROVSKI, CEO of SWARCO

12 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com

Swarovski (5).indd 46 30/11/07 20:26:43

www.h3bmedia.com Thinking Highways Vol 2 No 4 13

Swarovski (5).indd 47 30/11/07 20:27:25

has to ensure its future existence by diversifying its

Big fish, little fish

between traditionally separate “jobs”.

Swarovski (5).indd 48 30/11/07 20:27:54

www.h3bmedia.com Thinking Highways Vol 2 No 4 15

Swarovski (5).indd 49 30/11/07 20:28:12

16 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com

Swarovski (5).indd 50 30/11/07 20:31:52

Thinking Highways’ financial analyst MARGARET

18 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com

Tarnoff (5).indd 46 30/11/07 20:38:25

When DAVID SCHONBRUNN

www.h3bmedia.com Thinking Highways Vol 2 No 4 19

Tarnoff (5).indd 47 30/11/07 20:39:21

20 Vol 2 No 4 Thinking Highways www.h3bmedia.com

Tarnoff (5).indd 48 30/11/07 20:39:52

! !

!

.#('+%0.$7!.1)#/'/!&,'!# 100&#.#/1)0/!+ #2#.5