how to achieve fluid traffic

Kanton Basel-Stadt

How to achieve fluid trafficObjectives, instruments and limits of traffic management

Alain Groff, Office for Mobility, Canton of Basel-Stadt

Some figures about Basel

Tools for measuring traffic and informing drivers

Influencing factors: let’s get down to the roots

Situative traffic management: Benefits and tools

Improving traffic conditions: a strategic approach

Adaptive traffic lights: priority to high capacity modes

Conclusion

Moscow International Transport Expert Council Alain Groff, Basel | 2

Overview

Area: 37 km2 (city 24)

Population: 197’000 (city 175’000)

Persons employed: 190’000

Commuters inbound : 100’000 (35’500 cross-border)

Outbound commuters: 25’000

Private cars: 63’000

PT card owners: 73’000

Modal split (trips made by inhabitants of the city):

18 % private car, 27 % public transport, 16 % bicycle, 37 % walking

Some figures about canton Basel-Stadt


Permanent traffic counting devices (long-term monitoring)

Traffic flow modelling

regional simulation model for traffic quantities

local simulation tools for capacity evaluation

Vehicle capturing at traffic lights (also used for ex post analyses)

Privately generated and sold flow data (TomTom e.g.)

Tools used in Basel for counting / detecting


Counting sites on the Swiss motorway

23.09.2016 Alain Groff, Basel |

Inductive loops capturing and counting vehicles


Counting by capturing loops: detailed results


Integrated mobility planning also count pedestrians


Traffic flow modelling software output


Local flow modelling software output


Adaptive speed limits, dynamic warning signs and adaptive direction signs on the motorway for

exceptional situations

Real-time information displays for urban public transport

Real-time route planners on the internet

Routing and ticketing apps issued by PT companies

Tools used in Basel for information of drivers and riders


Adaptive speed limits and warning signs


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Adaptive direction signs


Dynamic information on PT


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Activities mostly need mobility

Mobility mostly needs (motorized) transport

Transport generates traffic

Too much road traffic generates traffic jams

My choice, my behaviour our mobility, our traffic (jam)

The most efficient way to manage traffic problems:

give people the freedom to reach their activities without using the car

Reducing traffic jams by traffic management is like using the elevator because your legs hurt:

The problem at the root is getting worse!

Influencing factors: Getting down to the root


Local mobility or motorized immobility?


http://www.saibro.ch/photo/objekte/2006-tellplatz-basel/2006_tellplatz_basel_gross.jpg

Traffic volume is a direct product of

spatial planning and density

land-use in the different areas (housing, working, leisure, shops)

urban design and quality of life, especially in residential quarters

Shorter distances for accessing activities and a safe and efficient walking / cycling network are

likely to raise the share of non motorized trips. Pedestrians and cyclists need very little space.

Attractive and reliable public transport is essential to reduce the need for using private cars.

PT is highly efficient in the use of road capacity, and doesn’t waste public space in dense

central areas for parking.

Getting down to the root


Integrated spatial planning


Intelligent allocation of scarce space


Reliable public transport


Information and redistribution of traffic flows in case of

Exceptional events (concert, sport, fair,…) and traffic disruptions (accidents, road works,…)

Exceptional, not daily peaks (holiday weekend, vacation, christmas …)

Tools: website/app, variable message sign or changeable direction sign

Limited benefits of re-routing during daily peak hours’ traffic jams

Drivers rely on apps or navigation device rather than on official signs

Many drivers cannot change travel time or route even if recommended

During peak hours, alternative routes tend to be congested as well

Secondary roads are no suitable overflow devices for congested main roads

Situative re-routing: yes, for exceptions


Dropper traffic lights at motorway or tunnel

Gatekeeper traffic lights on radials at the city entrance

Lane closure signalling on motorway ahead of entrance

Directing heavy trucks to parking zones ahead of tunnel / border when needed

Temporary opening of emergency lane for running traffic

Dynamic bus lane operated in both directions or in counterflow mode

Benefits

Keep traffic fluid

Give drivers the most relevant information, avoid misrouting

Give priority to PT where space for additional lane is not available

TM in Switzerland: further tools and their benefits


Dropper traffic light at the motorway entrance


Gatekeeper traffic lights on radials


Opening of emergency lane during peak hours


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Dynamic bus lanes


Transport strategy based on seven pillars

Developing public transport and intermodality

Dosing road traffic and directing it to performant main roads

Limiting public parking offer and managing on-street parking

Influencing traffic demand by mobility management (services, campaigns etc.)

Completing the walking and cycling networks to make them safe and comfortable

Upgrading public space and allowing for short trips

Making freight traffic more efficient and reducing its negative effects

Transport policy in Basel: an integrated approach


Less traffic jams than in smaller urban areas of Switzerland

Slow decrease of motorized traffic within the city, while employment and population figures are

rising

High quality of life in residential areas taking advantage of calming measures

Improved road safety based on the principle of mutual respect

Transport policy in Basel: the results


Transport policy in Basel: the graphs

Car traffic decreasing

Accidents decreasing

Motorization low

Air pollution stable


Kanton Basel-Stadt

Traffic evolution 2010-15 in Basel

9998 99 98 97

101100

101 101

101100

103

105

108

103

104105 106

109

103103

104

115

118

95

100

105

110

115

120

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

PT

Bicycle

Car traffic


Basel: not more traffic jams than in a province town


Kanton Basel-Stadt

More and more commuters

+20’000 jobs

+9’000 inhabitants

+200 private cars


Reduce risk of disturbances (accidents, double-parking,…)

Focus on intersections’ capacity, not on sections inbetween

Avoid left-turns with separate trafffic light phases

Short cycles mean short waiting times for everybody, good acceptance

No wasted seconds

detect waiting vehicles and vehicles queued up behind the intersection

Our key issue is not to improve travel times for car drivers,

but to provide optimum use of time and space

Traffic management: some pragmatic clues


Detecting traffic queues and avoiding gridlock


Wasted public space sufficient road capacity


Optimization focussing on the single intersection, not the network

«Green waves» for car traffic only on few sections, where it is really dominant

Smaller overseeable intersections mean less complex phase sequences

Short cycles, mostly of variable duration

Phase sequence and duration adapted to momentary detection of vehicles / pedestrians

High priority for tram and bus, green light only when asked for

«free green» whenever possible, maximum waiting times applying

Number of traffic lights at intersections and their operating times limited to the strictly

necessary places and hours (safety of tram operation e.g.)

Adaptive traffic lights: maximum local intelligence

Features of traffic light control in Basel


Call point sequence for public transport


Capturing car traffic at TL controlled intersections


Green light for PT when required


The most performant traffic lights: no traffic lights


Targets (level of service) defined for all traffic streams at the intersection, based on objective

criteria and general political strategy

Programming of control software is taking the targets into account

Technical waiting times captured and processed by an analysis software

Daily documentation of the difference between actual and targetted LOS

Target-oriented modification of programme possible

Technical failures easily spotted

Traffic lights control strategy for Basel



TLCS: quality assessment and daily monitoring

Dosing traffic proves to be an effective tool to reduce traffic volume within an area (reduction

goal established in cantonal law)

Politically delicate: city gate effect, congestion transferred to neighbouring areas

Beware risk of rat running and overload of secondary roads

Planners are currently working on coherent «packages» of dosing crossroads

Planned traffic management concept for Basel


Economical reasoning:

Car driver is paying for his personal contribution to time lost by others

PT rider’s is paying a price proportional to the incremental cost of use

Politically delicate, especially when applied to restricted areas

The payers may be those who cannot chose hour of travel or place of living and working place;

tricky social effects («commuters are punished»)

Complicated payment systems or complete electronic capture of movements (privacy issues)

Risk of undesired modal shift towards private car

thorough implementation required

Replacing flat rate season tickets in public transport could reduce number of trips, but also give

incentive for shorter commuting distance

Mobility pricing: a suitable tool to reduce peaks?


Less traffic peaks thanks to differentiated pricing?


A long-term policy aiming at a reduction of car traffic volume is more effective than trying to re-

route car drivers within an overloaded network

The most important traffic management tool is an intelligent and differentiated traffic lights’

control programming

Maximum efficiency at the single intersection and PT priority implies less network co-ordination

and «green waves» for cars

Programme quality should be monitored in order to spot technical failures or potential for

control optimization

The traffic jam is now and here.

The measures to sustainably reduce traffic jams are requiring long-term strategies and an

approach which is rather regional than local.

Conclusion


Thank you for your attention

how to achieve fluid traffic

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