The Moscow Traffic Control Center introduces smart intersections

Moscow is a highly motorized city. The number of cars is growing, as in many other cities of the world. To solve transport challenges, we constantly analyze the worlds best practices. An intelligent transport system (ITS) is being developed and implemented in the city. Today, a set of all measures related to the development of urban transport, parking space and the introduction of ITS allows maintaining a stable road situation in the city.

Road safety is one of the top priorities. Moscow has been working to reduce accidents since 2010 and in 8 years has become the safest city in Russia. The share of fatalities in road accidents in the capital is now in line with those of Germany and Sweden. The number of people injured in road accidents since 2010 has decreased by 42%.

Today the Moscow Traffic Control Center (MTCC) is the most powerful computing center. Thanks to it is possible to predict the traffic situation, regulate traffic flows, and monitor particularly important road infrastructure facilities. Now we operate a system that monitors 40 000 traffic lights, about 3 000 ordinary surveillance cameras, more than 2,9 thousand cameras for photo and video recording of traffic violations, 180 road infoscreens in online mode. The operability of all these systems is maintained every day at 99%.

The duty shift of the MTCC monitors traffic flows around the clock and determines the places of atypical traffic congestion, helps to improve vehicle circulation of the city as a whole and reacts to any emergency situations.

Several years ago, such results and international experts’ recognition seemed impossible to reach. Today Moscow sets itself new goals related to improving safety for road users and increasing road capacity. It studies foreign experience, looks for innovative solutions, constantly develops ITS and select new personnel who can bring the organization of safe and comfortable road traffic to a new level for all its participants by introducing innovative technologies and new management solutions.

Moscow Transport actively follows the development of new IT solutions, introducing them into the transport life of the city.

Today these are «smart intersections». Public and private vehicles pass intersections faster. Pedestrians wait less at crossings. But how is this effect achieved? At the approaches to the «smart intersection», sensors — inductive loop detectors — are mounted in the asphalt road and interact with traffic lights. A sensor is installed at a depth of 15 cm, which prevents damage to equipment when changing asphalt. For example, a sensor detects the approach of a tram, turns on the green light for pedestrians, counting the set time for exit and entry and then switches the green light for a tram.

The system is designed to give priority to buses, trams, and electric buses. However, it is not only public transport passengers who benefit. When sensors and traffic lights work together, the traffic capacity of the intersection as a whole increases, so motorists and pedestrians also save time.

In Moscow, «smart intersections» first appeared a year ago. Today on average, public and private transport passes intersections 20-26% faster, and the waiting time for pedestrians is reduced by 16-20%.

By the end of the year, Moscow will have almost 500 smart intersections.