Málaga, Spain, is to become the first city in Europe to test the latest dynamic signaling system and real-time traffic optimizer from Kapsch, for the improvement of urban mobility.
The main objective of the demand management project is to provide vehicle users with alternative routes, thereby reducing traffic saturation during peak periods or in the case of unforeseen events. Through a dynamic signaling system with variable message signs (VMS) and a new ’virtual VMS’ mobile application (developed by Kapsch), the most appropriate route advice will be displayed and indicated via audio in real-time to the driver of the vehicle when he arrives near a decision point.
The system uses the information from the traffic light system for calculation and decision making to dynamically select the most recommended route in every situation. The development of the capacity management allows for the use of a real-time traffic optimizer, which dynamically modifies the duration of green areas on the route depending on the traffic conditions detected by the installed sensor system.
“It is very satisfying for Málaga to be the first city in Europe to realise a project of this magnitude. The technology will optimise the city’s traffic for the benefit of our citizens’ quality of life, resulting in less time in the car throughout their journey,” says José Del Río, Málaga’s councillor for mobility. “This project also reinforces Málaga’s position as an urban laboratory for testing technological initiatives.”
“Public-private partnerships allow faster progress in the evaluation of innovative solutions for new mobility. The agreement we have signed enables the city of Málaga to be a showcase project for the use of demand and capacity management systems, which we will develop, implement and evaluate as part of a ground-breaking proof of concept in Europe”, says Juan Marín, city director Spain & Portugal Kapsch TrafficCom.
With a duration of two years and the possibility of two annual extensions, the pioneering projects will complement tests carried out in other European cities.
