| Technology Profile
existing infrastructure,
furthermore it can be accessed
via any smart device.
Importantly, operators of the
new system also have freedom
to access and use any data as
they wish. It is this feature that
is particularly creating a stir in
the industry.
“If you’ve got a town or city
with lots of traffic data coming
out of the UTC then all sorts of
people can make use of it”, says
TRL professional services
consultant, Mark Crabtree.
“It might be a researcher
trying to work out what effects
certain actions would have on
the network and whether one
scenario is better than another.
They will be able to do that and
confidently work out how to
improve the network
without having
physically affected it
beforehand. That is
extremely useful but
the system is also really
usef ul in real time as t here
mig ht be ways of using the
data to get bet ter predic t ive
capabilit ies based on what is
happening right now for more
accurate journey times.
“There is also scope for
combining the data coming
from it with ot her dat a, for
instance you might have data
on pollution levels and c hange
the way t he network operates
to improve a ir quality.
“Making the data ava ilable
makes these thi ngs possible.”
Being cloud-hosted also
means the opportu nity for
Software-as-a-Service benefits
with upgrades to the software
immediately available to
existing customers.
A third distinguishing
feature of TRL’s UTC is its
usability. Every effort has been
made to develop a robust and
resilient system, but designers
of the new solution have also
not ignored the importance of it
being intuitive and easy to use.
Integral to achieving this
usability, the firm brought in
a UX (user experience) agency
to advise on how best to display
the information in a clear and
easily understandable format.
All around the world
With TRL’s UTC being
showcased at Intertraffic
Amsterdam this year, horizons
for the new control system are
expanding further than ever.
Kettell adds, “We know the
UK market best, but because
it is applicable in the UK doesn’t
make it any less applicable
further afield.
“The US is a very interesting
market for traffic control, for
instance, and we are actively
pursuing interest that is coming
from there.”
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March/April 2020 Traffic Technology International 077
www.TrafficTechnologyToday.com
Below: TRL’s new UTC has
intuitive maps and graphs
to enable traffic managers
to visualise live situations
and plan for the future
There is scope for
combining data…
you might have data
on pollution levels and change
the way the network operates
to improve air quality
Mark Crabtree, professional services consultant, TRL Software
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/www.TrafficTechnologyToday.com