Skip to main content

Greater Manchester gets enhanced signage

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Swarco Traffic are working together on a scheme funded by the Department for Transport under the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) to provide enhanced driver information on roads around Greater Manchester. The scheme is part of the wider LSTF initiative being undertaken by TfGM to enhance network management and provide accurate real time traveller information to the public through a wide variety of media. Full colour matrix variable message signs (VM
April 15, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
817 Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and 129 Swarco Traffic are working together on a scheme funded by the 1837 Department for Transport under the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) to provide enhanced driver information on roads around Greater Manchester.

The scheme is part of the wider LSTF initiative being undertaken by TfGM to enhance network management and provide accurate real time traveller information to the public through a wide variety of media.

Full colour matrix variable message signs (VMS) are to be installed at around 40 key sites. The signs will primarily be used to display journey time, traffic incident information, alternative routing, and network congestion information using either text or graphics (or a mixture of both) to maximise the impact of the message. The signs will be networked back to TfGM’s UTMC system, enabling messages to be set either automatically by timetable and strategy plan, or manually by the traffic centre operators.

Swarco will deploy their latest generation full colour sign which uses a patented lens system to maximise colour contrast, legibility, and uniformity, whilst minimising power consumption, and providing optimal performance in all operating conditions.

According to Swarco, the flexibility of this technology can accommodate a variety of other applications in the future, such as providing parking guidance and displaying full colour images to promote events and provide tourist information.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Bus lane enforcement reduces costs, journey times
    May 4, 2012
    The Southcote Lane site in the UK town of Reading is a notorious shortcut for motorists travelling into the town centre. The resultant congestion at the end of the bus lane, when motorists tried to re-enter the main traffic flow, caused congestion and disruption to bus timetables. Reading Borough Council wanted a cost-efficient, effective solution to accurately capture bus lane violations and improve bus travel times. Reading became the first local authority in the UK to deploy Siemens's LaneHawk fully auto
  • Vehicle probe data aids emergency rescue vehicle routing
    June 20, 2012
    A new vehicle routeing initiative has arisen to help improve emergency response and relief following natural disasters in Japan. David Crawford reports Japan’s national ITS group ITS Japan and the country’s leading automotives have agreed on a new combined approach to the organisation of traffic management and emergency response in the wake of major natural disasters. A new, robust traffic information platform using probe data obtained from vehicles to support traffic flow will build on the shared experienc
  • Personal Rapid Transit, clear benefits for European cities
    July 26, 2012
    David Crawford watches the race to get the world's first PRT system up and running. To paraphrase the old joke about buses bunching, you seem to have to wait several decades for a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, and then half a dozen come along together. Currently, in fact, there are well over that number of schemes for driverless electric passenger-carrying 'pod' networks at various stages of planning, design and implementation around the world. Locations range from a straight-off-the-drawing board ne
  • Developments in urban traffic management and control
    February 1, 2012
    Mark Cartwright, Centaur Consulting, discusses developments in urban traffic management and control. Despite the concept of UTMC (Urban Traffic Management and Control) having been around for some years now, there remains a significant rump of confusion as to its relationship with its similar-sounding cousin UTC (Urban Traffic Control). To many people, the two are one and the same. However, this is not the case.