A high-tech integrated transport scheme to ease congestion has been secured by Warrington Borough Council after winning a £300,000 grant from the government.
The fund from the Department for Transport is used to encourage highway authorities to make road transport increasingly smart through the use of data, connectivity and internet to improve safety, efficiency and emissions.
Warrington Borough Council’s bid was successful and was the joint highest in the country.
The scheme will use Bluetooth technology to provide a real time communication link between drivers and Warrington’s Urban Traffic Management and Control system. This will allow more effective control of the key junctions.
Cllr Hans Mundry, lead member for transport, said: “We’re delighted to have secured this money for another one of our innovative and forward-thinking schemes. We hope this will help make journey times more efficient and more predictable, and address some of the current problems of traffic emissions caused by queuing.
We also hope the scheme will boost the borough’s economy, benefiting local businesses with fuel and travel time savings.”
The project will also provide real-time information to businesses and the public via on-street information displays, interactive web pages, social media and an innovative local mobile phone app for drivers and bus travellers. The app would provide information on the causes of any delays and also give likely journey times, therefore allowing them to make an informed decision on their journey plans.
Work is now in hand to bring the project by March 2018.
