Greater Manchester to roll out ‘smart’ junctions prioritising cyclists and pedestrians

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) says it is to roll out across the city-region its award-winning ‘smart’ junctions that prioritise cyclists and pedestrians over motor vehicles.

Developed by Vivacity Labs, the initiative first went live earlier this year and last week won the Innovative Use of Technology award at the 2020 Intelligent Transport Systems, ITS (UK) Awards.

Sensors with artificial intelligence (AI) built into them mean that different groups of road users to be anonymously identified, enabling TfGM to prioritise different modes of transport as needed.

As a result, with greater numbers of people travelling by foot or on bike to avoid public transport due to the coronavirus crisis, those using active modes of travel can be prioritised.

The technology can also be used to improve air quality through reducing emissions by being able to respond to congestion and traffic queues quicker than existing systems can.

Forming part of a three-year programme funded by Innovate UK, the technology was trialled in September at three neighbouring junctions in the Blackfriars area of Salford.

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Mark Nicholson, CEO of Vivacity Labs, said: “Since the pandemic, commuter trends and traffic hotspots have changed completely, and cities need AI to help protect people no matter what mode of transport they take,” said Mark Nicholson, CEO of Vivacity Labs.

“Our vision is to help cities implement critical policies addressing safety, air quality, sustainable travel, and congestion, at a hyper-local level.”

Forming part of a three-year programme funded by Innovate UK, the technology was trialled in September at three neighbouring junctions in the Blackfriars area of Salford.

It will now be rolled out to 20 junctions across Greater Manchester by the end of next year, supported by the 5g Create fund from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Matt Warman MP, digital infrastructure minister at DCMS, commented: “Smart traffic technology is just one of the many ground-breaking areas the government is funding to pioneer new ways for artificial intelligence and 5G to transform our lives for the better.

“We're backing this initiative in Greater Manchester to improve the city's transport, reduce journey times and cut pollution. I look forward to seeing its positive impact and sharing the lessons across the UK.”

Richard Dolphin, TfGM’s highways network performance manager, said: “Having already developed an innovative product in terms of their sensing technology, Vivacity has become well-versed in the relevant standards and have made impressive strides in the continuing development of their Smart Junctions system.

“We’ve been really impressed with how Vivacity has approached this, assessing current ways of working and addressing the complexities of managing a multi-modal transport network. Hopefully, this development will continue into something that will positively disrupt the industry and revolutionise active travel in urban areas.”