Traffic management nerve centre part of congestion-busting focus
Published Friday, 12 September, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Minister for Main Roads and Local Government
The Honourable Warren Pitt
Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt has outlined some of the inner workings of the Brisbane Metropolitan Transport Management Centre – the nerve centre that minimises the impact of more than 32,000 incidents on Brisbane roads each year.
"Not many people would realise that in Brisbane Square, in the heart of the city, the BMTMC has more than 20 specially trained staff who operate the centre 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Mr Pitt said during a tour of the centre today.
"It's these operators, using advanced computer software to manage Brisbane's traffic and transport needs, who are on the frontline of congestion management in Brisbane.
"I'm sure many people have witnessed a car accident and wondered how emergency services and towing companies get to the scene so quickly.
"It's because qualified operators watch the road carefully via 500 strategically placed closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs), respond to public reports over the 13 19 40 report link via roadside help phones, and work closely with Queensland Police and emergency services, all from the operations floor of the traffic management centre.
"Within moments of locating an incident, operators can contact police and emergency services to ensure help is on the way, and return the roadway back to normal conditions as soon as possible.
"The CCTVs are located across the 6500 kilometres of roads in the Greater Brisbane area, including city streets, busways, arterial roads such as Gympie Road and major motorways like the Pacific Motorway and Port of Brisbane."
"Operators also use the CCTVs to identify congestion-causing incidents such as broken down vehicles, debris and spills.
“Last financial year, the BMTMC managed about 35,200 incidents in the greater Brisbane area. Through the centre’s involvement, the clearance times on many of these incidents are reduced, some times up to 20 per cent.
“This means that frustrating delays in getting to or from work are reduced as quickly as possible.”
Mr Pitt said operators deployed a number of traffic management devices to ease congestion, including the new-look Traffic Response Units (TRUs), re-launched with an expanded service in August.
"The Main Roads and RACQ Motorway Breakdown Response Service tows immobilised cars off the road to a safe location, potentially saving motorists hours of delays,” he said.
“To ease the impact of congestion, operators can also adjust traffic signal timing through advanced software that monitors conditions across the network," Mr Pitt said.
The centre provides real-time traffic information via the 13 19 40 traffic hotline and website, and the 80 variable message signs (VMS) located along some of Brisbane's busiest roads, warning motorists of upcoming roadworks, major events or incidents.
"It's valuable travel time information like this that spares motorists from hours of frustrating delays and helps to gets them to their destination on time.
“Main Roads is also working with the Brisbane City Council on a project to control all traffic signals across the city using the one management platform, making it easer to synchronise the signals and improve traffic flows.”
Mr Pitt thanked the operators for their hard work and said the coordinated effort of the alliance members was the key to the centre’s success.
“The BMTMC is an example of state and council traffic and transport agencies working together to benefit motorists,” Mr Pitt said.
The BMTMC has been established through an agreement between Main Roads, Brisbane City Council, TransLink Transit Authority, Queensland Transport and Brisbane Transport.
"Joint facilities and systems, operational information sharing and coordinated incident management actions ensure the centre is an effective tool in managing congestion so that we get the best use out of our current road network," Mr Pitt said.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819
"Not many people would realise that in Brisbane Square, in the heart of the city, the BMTMC has more than 20 specially trained staff who operate the centre 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Mr Pitt said during a tour of the centre today.
"It's these operators, using advanced computer software to manage Brisbane's traffic and transport needs, who are on the frontline of congestion management in Brisbane.
"I'm sure many people have witnessed a car accident and wondered how emergency services and towing companies get to the scene so quickly.
"It's because qualified operators watch the road carefully via 500 strategically placed closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs), respond to public reports over the 13 19 40 report link via roadside help phones, and work closely with Queensland Police and emergency services, all from the operations floor of the traffic management centre.
"Within moments of locating an incident, operators can contact police and emergency services to ensure help is on the way, and return the roadway back to normal conditions as soon as possible.
"The CCTVs are located across the 6500 kilometres of roads in the Greater Brisbane area, including city streets, busways, arterial roads such as Gympie Road and major motorways like the Pacific Motorway and Port of Brisbane."
"Operators also use the CCTVs to identify congestion-causing incidents such as broken down vehicles, debris and spills.
“Last financial year, the BMTMC managed about 35,200 incidents in the greater Brisbane area. Through the centre’s involvement, the clearance times on many of these incidents are reduced, some times up to 20 per cent.
“This means that frustrating delays in getting to or from work are reduced as quickly as possible.”
Mr Pitt said operators deployed a number of traffic management devices to ease congestion, including the new-look Traffic Response Units (TRUs), re-launched with an expanded service in August.
"The Main Roads and RACQ Motorway Breakdown Response Service tows immobilised cars off the road to a safe location, potentially saving motorists hours of delays,” he said.
“To ease the impact of congestion, operators can also adjust traffic signal timing through advanced software that monitors conditions across the network," Mr Pitt said.
The centre provides real-time traffic information via the 13 19 40 traffic hotline and website, and the 80 variable message signs (VMS) located along some of Brisbane's busiest roads, warning motorists of upcoming roadworks, major events or incidents.
"It's valuable travel time information like this that spares motorists from hours of frustrating delays and helps to gets them to their destination on time.
“Main Roads is also working with the Brisbane City Council on a project to control all traffic signals across the city using the one management platform, making it easer to synchronise the signals and improve traffic flows.”
Mr Pitt thanked the operators for their hard work and said the coordinated effort of the alliance members was the key to the centre’s success.
“The BMTMC is an example of state and council traffic and transport agencies working together to benefit motorists,” Mr Pitt said.
The BMTMC has been established through an agreement between Main Roads, Brisbane City Council, TransLink Transit Authority, Queensland Transport and Brisbane Transport.
"Joint facilities and systems, operational information sharing and coordinated incident management actions ensure the centre is an effective tool in managing congestion so that we get the best use out of our current road network," Mr Pitt said.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s Office 3227 8819