Switzerland expands flexible speed limits

The Swiss department for roads, Astra, is to expand its flexible speed limit systems. It already runs flexible speed limits on the approach to the Baregg tunnel and on the Zurich western bypass, but it is planning to expand this to include whole routes, such as the motorway between Zurich and Bern or Geneva and Lausanne.
June 19, 2013 Read time: 1 min

The Swiss department for roads, Astra, is to expand its flexible speed limit systems. It already runs flexible speed limits on the approach to the Baregg tunnel and on the Zurich western bypass, but it is planning to expand this to include whole routes, such as the motorway between Zurich and Bern or Geneva and Lausanne.

The system uses sensors which measure the volume of traffic, and if the number of cars reaches a certain level, the system can either lower the speed limit itself automatically or alert a traffic control centre.

Astra emphasised that it was important that this took place before the volume of traffic leads to a traffic jam. The capacity of the roads is the greatest when cars travel at a constant speed of 85 km/h. Astra is also using other congestion reduction measures, such as using the hard shoulder as an additional lane, and banning lorries from overtaking in certain areas.

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • Keeping a close watch on ‘too-dangerous-to-drive’ highway
    June 21, 2016
    Like many others, the authorities in Argentina implemented ITS to improve road safety – but this case was a little different to most as Mauro Nogarin explains. The 70km of highway that separate Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires from the city of La Plata had long been considered too dangerous for anyone to make the trip with a private car. Figures on criminal attacks and vandalism with stones, nails, logs, spark plugs or any other element that can damage a car’s tyres and cause them to stop in order rob th
    Read More
  • Mexico expands free-flow tolling’s boundaries
    June 14, 2017
    Mexico is implementing one of the world’s largest remote tolling systems backed by Indra’s technology. By Andrew Bardin Williams. Mexico recently implemented one of the largest remote toll systems in the world, covering 4,000km of the country’s public highways. Deployed and maintained by Spanish consulting and technology company Indra, in cooperation with the public utility Caminos y Puentes Federales (CAPUFE), the system allows drivers to pay tolls without stopping by using a TAG electronic device installe
    Read More
  • Tech giants could herald loss of MaaS policy control
    March 25, 2020
    With tech giants targeting the transport sector, could local authorities lose control of their means of delivering policy?
    Read More
  • After two decades of research, ITS is getting into its stride
    June 4, 2015
    Colin Sowman gets the global view on how ITS has shaped the way we travel today and what will shape the way we travel tomorrow. Over the past two decades the scope and spread of intelligent transport systems has grown and diversified to encompass all modes of travel while at the same time integrating and consolidating. Two decades ago the idea of detecting cyclists or pedestrians may have been considered impossible and why would you want to do that anyway? Today cyclists can account for a significant propor
    Read More

Highlighted Content