Five companies shortlisted for Roads of the Future project

Five companies will present ideas ranging from smart traffic lights to segregated driverless zones in a competition to make UK roads fit or driverless cars. The candidates will receive £30,000 to test ideas, with £50,000 prize available to the winner this autumn. The National Infrastructure Commission shortlisted the companies from 81 entries submitted to The Roads for the Future initiative – led by Highways England and Innovate UK. Aecom is examining how smart signals could advise drivers and vehicles
May 29, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

Five companies will present ideas ranging from smart traffic lights to segregated driverless zones in a competition to make UK roads fit or driverless cars. The candidates will receive £30,000 to test ideas, with £50,000 prize available to the winner this autumn.

The National Infrastructure Commission shortlisted the companies from 81 entries submitted to The Roads for the Future initiative – led by Highways England and Innovate UK.

Aecom is examining how smart signals could advise drivers and vehicles the speed they should be driving at, so they can arrive at the next set of traffic lights as they turn green. The technology is intended to cut congestion and eliminate stop-go driving. This concept will be tested using a simulation model on the A59 in York.

Arup is looking at how kerbsides with fixed features such as double yellow lines, parking bays and bus stops could become more flexible and change according to the time of day and levels of demand. The team will select a high street in London to test their FlexKerbs model.

City Science is investigating how sections of existing roads could be dedicated to driverless cars and make it easier to manage risks and integrate connected and autonomous vehicles into the existing transport network.

Immense Solutions is examining how artificial intelligence could help sat-nav systems learn better routes to help driven and driverless cars change course to avoid congestion. The concept will be tested in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council using simulations on Abington Road, Thames Street, Oxpens Road and Botley Road.

Leeds City Council is investigating how data generated from digitally connected cars could be used to improve traffic light systems and allow highway authorities to manage traffic on their roads better and reduce tailbacks. The team will conduct its test using models of roads across the city.

Related Content

  • Swarco Navigates Future of Urban Mobility: Solutions for Smarter Cities
    April 28, 2025

     

    Urban mobility faces unprecedented challenges — rising congestion, environmental pressures, and the urgent need for efficient, inclusive transport systems. How can cities respond? During the Congress, industry leaders will explore actionable solutions, with Swarco at the forefront of these critical discussions.

    Read More
  • How intelligent video security supports smart mobility
    April 1, 2021
    The ease of getting from point A to point B, the effective movement of goods and services, and the flexibility and integration of various modes of transportation are key aspects of mobility today. Jayden Xu, senior manager, ITS Solutions, at Hikvision, details the role of intelligent video security technology for improved traffic management
    Read More
  • Traffex snapshot reveals enforcement advances
    July 24, 2017
    An indication of just how far beyond spot speed and red light the enforcement sector has progressed was evident in the range of new and improved equipment on display at the recent Traffex event in Birmingham. One of the key trends, particularly in the UK but also evident elsewhere, is the increase in average speed enforcement, according to RedSpeed’s managing director Robert Ryan, who predicts a big increase in installations this year. “The price point has reached a level authorities can afford,” he says, a
    Read More
  • Xerox takes youthful view of future transport
    August 23, 2016
    Xerox’s David Cummins talks to Colin Sowman about the lessons for city authorities from its survey of younger peoples’ attitude to transport. There can be no better way to get a handle on the future of transport demand than to ask the younger generation about how they view and consume today’s transport. Sociologists have called this group Generation Z – those born between 1995 and 2007 – which will make up 40% of all US consumers by 2020.
    Read More

Highlighted Content