A new, intelligent traffic control system is helping citizens of Gliwice, in southern Poland, move around the city more easily. With the help of EU funds, the system has improved traffic flow on the busiest roads while reducing air pollution, making life more pleasant for the city’s residents.
- 30 October 2020
“A growing number of cars and traffic jams make the lives of drivers difficult in almost every Polish city. In Gliwice, the existing intelligent traffic control system has recently been expanded by Poland’s one-of-a-kind innovative solution. One of the novelties consists in giving priority green light to buses and rescue services.”
The Gliwice ITS is a mobile application that allows its users to keep track of traffic, public transport and roadworks. The application provides information on travel times, the fastest route to get from A to B and available parking spots. The app is currently only available for Android devices, but will be available for iOS devices in future. It can also be accessed through computers.
One app for everything
The application relies on large amounts of data it obtains from sensors, devices and cameras installed on the city’s main commuting routes, popular parking areas and at every intersection with traffic lights.
Users have access to a host of traffic-related information. For instance, the camera tab lets users see several key intersections in Gliwice. The images are constantly updated to present a clear picture of how busy these intersections are.
The traffic tab indicates the average number of vehicles passing by specific measurement points every hour. A green, yellow or red line indicates whether traffic is light, medium or heavy.
In addition, users can find information about available parking spots, the weather, the condition of the roads and receive warnings about accidents and planned or unscheduled roadworks.
Prioritising public transport
Around 160 buses and 100 emergency service vehicles have been equipped with special transmitters. These allow commuters, via the application, to locate their bus in real time, making it easier to determine their waiting time.
The transmitters grant buses and emergency service vehicles prioritised passage through intersections with traffic lights. By determining the vehicle’s position, the system calculates when, where, and for how long, lights along the route should be switched to green. This reduces response times and the risk of collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Extension of the detection system in the city of Gliwice along with modernization of the selected traffic lights, stage II” is EUR 6 466 198, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 5 495 208 through the “Śląskie Voivodeship” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period.