Wokingham Borough Council is using smart traffic light technology to ensure, as more housing is built in the region, traffic is kept moving and it can meet its 2030 net zero carbon emissions target.
The intelligent transport systems enables control over signal timings based on how busy it gets at different times of day. The new lights include video cameras and electronic sensors which feed data back to the council about the flow of traffic.
The council said this helps it tackle congestion as it can vary how often the lights change from a virtual control room, allowing for the management of heavy traffic flows as efficiently as possible.
A live feed is also available, this means operators can intervene at times when the pressure is greatest for example the return to school after holidays.
Additionally, footage from those cameras will give the council evidence for initiatives such as the change of a speed limit, the layout of a junction and parking arrangements.
The £250,000 funding for the solution was provided by the Department for Transport.
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, executive member for highways and transport, said: “We’re committed to reducing congestion and reducing journey times by making it easier and faster for people to get where they need to be.
“Our new smart systems will ensure residents spend less time idling in traffic or circling for a parking place, bringing the added benefit of cutting emissions significantly.”
Additionally, the council is also building a network of greenways (traffic-free multi-user routes), replacing push-button pedestrian crossing with sensor triggered lights and installing electronic messaging signs to alert residents to upcoming delays.
Cllr John Halsall, leader of Wokingham Borough Council, added: “Although we’re expanding our road network to serve new housing, we still have to make the best use of existing capacity.
“We realise congestion is a nuisance for residents and businesses alike and has an adverse impact, both through the delays it causes and subsequent loss of footfall as well as the health effects of air pollution.
“We’re determined to address this by making residents’ journeys smarter through technology and warning road users about anything which might affect them. By keeping people informed, it will reduce frustration.
“These investments, along with improvements to active and sustainable forms of transport, are major steps in keeping our borough moving and making it a cleaner, greener place to live.”
