THE City of Surrey announced on Tuesday the launch of its Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS), which will help motorists make more informed decisions to improve their commute, reduce the environmental impact of driving, and lessen driver frustration.
“As we activate our Dynamic Messaging Signs, the City of Surrey is opening up even greater possibilities to make traffic safer, improve flow, and reduce environmental impact,” said Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. “Surrey has been recognized for being at the forefront of leading-edge, innovative communications technologies. The Advanced Traveller Information System that is being launched today is the latest example of how we are continuously improving our traffic information network in Surrey.”
Three overhead, full colour LED, Dynamic Messaging Signs are situated to provide alternate adjacent route choices for City Centre-bound drivers arriving from Highway 1 in the north and Highway 99 in the south.
The first is located westbound on 104th Avenue at 154A Street and provides route options via 100th Avenue, 104th Avenue and 108th Avenue.
The second sign, at the 5500-block of King George Boulevard, displays options via 132nd Street, 140th Street and King George Boulevard.
The third, situated eastbound on the 152nd Street off ramp from Highway 1, shares real-time travel to Surrey’s downtown via 100th Avenue, 104th Avenue and 108th Avenue.
The signs display travel times derived from data collected and analyzed from 50 Bluetooth sensors installed last year at selected traffic signals throughout the city’s northwest. The ATIS detects anonymized Bluetooth-enabled devices on the roads, encrypts the data and routes it to the Traffic Management Centre (TMC), where a computer tracks the speed and travel time of the detected devices as they move through the city. A comparison of real-time speeds to historical speeds alerts staff when road links are travelling slower than normal, and traffic signals are then adjusted and the public is alerted to changing traffic conditions.
This new system is supported by TMC traffic engineers and technologists who actively manage more than 2,500 traffic devices across approximately 316 square kilometres of city space. ATIS will fully integrate with the City’s other systems, including the exclusive wireless radio communications system, nearly 500 traffic cameras, and over 410 networked traffic signals to improve safety and travel times.
For more information about how Surrey is moving forward with safer, smarter mobility, visit: www.surrey.ca/TMC
