Riyadh has chosen the supplier for a new traffic control system that will improve the flow of vehicles for the seven million people living in Saudi Arabia’s capital city. The Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) has selected TransCore to design and implement an advanced control system to manage traffic signal operations at 350 of Riyadh’s busiest intersections. TransCore’s approach to the US$100m transportation project will include the integration of its TransSuite Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), with an adaptive control system to reduce congestion in the Kingdom’s largest city. The TransSuite software system automatically adjusts traffic signal timing in response to real-time traffic conditions, representing a significant upgrade over the city’s existing fixed-time system. “Deploying an advanced traffic management system is a critical step in our plan to improve and manage the flow of traffic throughout Riyadh,” said Abdulaziz Alghannam, the manager of the ADA’s strategic studies department. “TransCore’s solution will enable us to quickly adjust to real-time traffic conditions, providing a safer more efficient roadway network.”
Developed as a set of scalable, integrated traffic management software modules, TransSuite provides graphical information with a dynamic map interface. Agencies can select the applications that best meet their needs and manage all system intersections from a central command and control center. By integrating traffic controllers and sensors with an area-wide communications network, traffic engineers can monitor and analyze current congestion, and take steps to alleviate congestion before it gets worse. The software-based system combines data, real-time communications and analytics to handle both routine and unexpected traffic conditions, and to facilitate immediate communications among agencies responding to an emergency or abnormality. The integrated ATMS has been effective in several large metropolitan traffic signal control systems, including TransCore’s award-winning project that was developed for New York City.
“We are honored by the ADA’s selection and look forward to working alongside them to deploy a solution that will result in improved traffic management throughout the city of Riyadh,” said TransCore’s president, Tracy Marks. “This project will be a benchmark for adaptive traffic management on a large scale, and we’re pleased to have the opportunity to be a part of such an innovative project. We’re also grateful for the opportunity to expand our operations in the Middle East.” The company first established an office in the Middle East in 2006, with the design and installation of the Salik Toll System for the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai. Since then, TransCore has continuously expanded and operated the Salik system, which was recently awarded the 2014 Toll Excellence Award in Technology by the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Authority (IBTTA).
