The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is strengthening its partnership with design and engineering consultancy for natural and built assets, Arcadis, which will see the continuation of two major programs to improve state-wide traffic congestion.
Following two decades of population growth, Georgia continues to face major challenges when it comes to accommodating more and more drivers on the state’s roads. To work through these challenges and keep Georgia’s roads safe and efficient, the USA division of Netherlands-based Arcadis has announced that it is continuing its partnership with GDOT on two critical programs: the Regional Traffic Operations Program (RTOP), which has a contract value of US$45m and will run through until the end of 2024; and the Maintenance, Engineering and Inspection (MEI) program, which is part of a US$15m extension. Both of these projects are intended to help GDOT reduce traffic congestion, cut commute times, and improve traveller safety across the state.
Since 2010, Arcadis has helped GDOT deliver unique Active Arterial Management (AAM) services, coordinating with local agencies to support operation, management and maintenance and developing innovative operational strategies. RTOP now manages over 1,900 traffic signals across 12 counties, using advanced detection technologies, control strategies and communication architecture to optimise traffic flow. The program supports regionwide goals and provides transparent, accessible reporting to all stakeholders.
Over the last 10 years, the RTOP program’s milestones have included:
- GDOT’s Transportation Management Centre (TMC) can now monitor and control traffic signal timings;
- A regional communication network cuts across various agencies’ networks to deliver a unified traffic control network;
- Video sharing architecture across all RTOP agencies;
- Real-time performance measure reporting dashboard;
- Intuitive displays and system features that help teams share insights on network problems and potential remedies.
- Improved traffic signal control that is improving operations and reliability, eliminating more than 10 million motorist hours and saving more than five million gallons of fuel.
The resounding success of the RTOP project has led to a 400% program expansion of the original scope to manage congestion using AAM in the Atlanta Metro area and beyond.
Through the MEI program, Arcadis has also helped with maintenance, engineering and inspection of all state and federal highways. Through the contract extension, Arcadis helps with state-wide long line striping, guardrail strike collection, and overall maintenance innovation through digital solutions.
“It’s no secret that Georgia’s growing population has made for unique challenges related to congestion,” said Wassim Selman, president of Arcadis’ US infrastructure business. “Our people live here and work here. That’s why we’re so committed to improving quality of life for all Georgians, in support of the leaders at GDOT. We will continue to work closely with GDOT to build a collaborative culture with local agencies and other partners. As these programs continue, and with a future that will include advances in connected and autonomous vehicles, Atlanta’s traffic congestion woes might someday become a thing of the past.”
Arcadis CEO, Peter Oosterveer, commented, “As urbanization increases, it brings unique challenges on how to manage traffic congestion. We are committed to helping cities solve these problems and improve quality of life for citizens.”
