AGD Systems’ 318 Traffic Control Radar can provide the councils with a smart solution which aims to help eradicate in-ground detection from road networks. As councils seek to reduce costs when it comes to installation, repair and ongoing maintenance of detection at junctions – this is where a new breed of above-ground radar provides a smart solution to wear-prone loops and magnetometers.
AGD System’s AGD 318 is developed from enforcement-grade technology. It provides accurate virtual loop detection with speed discrimination. Likewise, it can be used to emulate two inductive loops to a range of 150m or provide lane-specific detection up to 40m, which is useful for a range of applications.
The AGD is pole- mounted, which means that is does not require ducting or any intrusive works to install. Therefore, there is no disruption for road users and no need for any associated traffic management. “The AGD 318 detects vehicle type based on range, size, speed and direction of travel, enabling green wave strategies in which bikes and buses can be prioritised over cars,” explains Ian Hind, commercial director at AGD Systems. “It is ideal in a huge range of applications, including MOVA, speed discrimination and single left or right turn. Using this technology can save councils many thousands of pounds while helping ensure optimal performance of roads, junctions and crossings.”
Hind provides an example: “Staffordshire County Council recently used the AGD 318 Traffic Control Radar to replace speed detection loops at a busy junction, and the success of the solution has resulted in their decision to avoid in-ground detection wherever possible in the future. We believe it’s only a matter of time before others follow suit.”
Martin Fenlon, principal signals engineer at Staffordshire County Council, supports this, noting that because “the road surface was in such poor condition where the loops would have been installed, the AGD 318 radar gave us an ideal, non-intrusive solution for detection. This option saves us a great deal of time and money because it is pole-mounted, easy to configure and maintenance-free.
“Road surfaces are not being maintained as well as they once were, due to budget constraints, which can result in problems for intrusive detection solutions. And of course, traffic management costs when you cut loops into the road are huge. Loop-free technology is the only way to go as far as we’re concerned,” concludes Fenlon.
