Rusatom Smart Utilities and Vologda Complete Joint Project of Transport Infrastructure Digitalization
The Vologda City Administration and Rusatom Smart Utilities, JSC (is part of the State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM) have worked together on the implementation of the project of formation of the intelligent transport system (ITS) based on the municipal contract. This work included creation of the modern digital infrastructure for efficient management of the road complex. Currently, all the main elements of ITS have been mounted; they are being configured and tested now.
“ITS on the basis of modern technologies of data collection and processing solves a broad range of important tasks; one of the important tasks is provision of high quality and safety of the road and transport infrastructure. The system allows to automate the processes of management of road traffic in the online mode. Owing to the new equipment, we will be able to adjust traffic flows, make roads safer and ensure uninterrupted public transport traffic flow. For example, in the future, the participants of the road traffic may be warned of the expected icy condition of roads and snow flow in advance. Or bypass routes may be offered to them in case of an accident. This is how we will unload the road and let special and housing services drive by,” said Sergey Voropanov, mayor of Vologda.
The project is implemented within the framework of the federal program Common-system Measures of Development of Road Facilities of the national project Safe High-quality Roads. More than 76 km of optical communication lines were mounted; 105 video surveillance complexes were installed, which have video cameras with wide angle of vision and infrared searchlight; besides, more than 300 detectors of transport were installed. In real time mode they transmit information on the road situation to the established Center of Traffic Organization, which is the main element of the “road intelligence”.
The following ITS elements were launched: subsystem of video surveillance, road accidents and emergencies detection, module of ITS efficiency control, sub-system of road traffic detective management, sub-system of traffic flow parameters monitoring, module of public transport management, etc.
“Implementation of such projects may be successful only if there is robust comprehensive cooperation between the municipality and the company. That is why it is very important that the Vologda administration shows a pro-active approach – the city uses modern digital tools to manage road infrastructure and ensure comfortable conditions for residents. Creation of the functionally operative and advanced transport model of the region is impossible without the proper quality of collection of data and their intelligent processing. Based on the data accumulated, forecasts may be made, managerial decisions may be taken on all levels, tasks of road traffic organization and road works prioritization may be solved,” said Alexey Golubev, general director of Digital Platforms and Smart City Solutions, JSC (is part of Rusatom Smart Utilities).
Currently, 69 traffic light facilities of Vologda have been connected to the ITS system (90% of city traffic lights). A so-called coordinates feed has been launched, which means synchronization of traffic lights at some sections of roads: Oktyabrskaya Street and Leningradskaya Street in front of the entry into the bridge, Leningradskaya Street past the exit from the bridge, Gertsena Street, Poshekhonskoye Avenue. This allows to accelerate traffic flow.
Signal control is tested as well, both with a dispatcher’s help and automatically. Electronic traffic controllers are connected into the single network, they exchange data and align with the changing road situation adjusting the algorithm of transport passage. The dispatcher with manual control is connected in complicated situations. The results will be informative by May 2023.
Within the framework of the module of public transport management, connection of navigation data of all city forwarders is in process. Compliance with the bus and trolleybus route time table will be controlled by a particular dispatcher, which will allow to bring the forwarder liable in case of breach.
A wide range of engineering matters need follow-up revision and adjustment. Formation of the ITS system will continue in 2023 as well. In particular, video surveillance complexes will be installed at the traffic lights which were installed during the last two years and had not been included in the initial contract. Besides, an integration platform will be created, which allows to analyze operation of all modules and build forecast plans.
Completion of creation of ITS of the 1st level is planned in 2024.