Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

Domain Operations

Brian Harbord, Bristol, 26 January 2006

Domain Operations PG CSRU, Bristol meeting, January 2006 2

Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• Not a ‘first priority’ Task, but…

• Start mid ’06, initial thoughts today

• Background – including lessons learnt

• Proposed way forward

• Discussion

all in 15 mins….

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• Background….• 1960s - VMS (graphics) on strategic

routes – safety• 1980s – Text/graphics VMS – congestion

- traffic management• Different countries, different approach,

different language.

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• Late ’80s, research on visibility, legibility

• Early ’90s, EC research - VAMOS, TROPIC, etc

• Start of harmonisation of standards

• EN 12966 – optical performance- visibility, legibility, etc. but not common usage

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• 2000 - WERDS/DERD - ‘FIVE’ Framework for Implementation of VMS in Europe

• 3 basic ‘rules’– Use Pictograms– Follow Vienna Convention– If text, use common format

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• 2000-2004 ‘VMS Platform’

• UK lead – £150k (€200k) per annum

• Lots of work – few results

• Why?– No clear objective/outcome, just deliverables– No programme/No end date!!– No control!!!

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• VMS Platform..– Library of documents– Website – but few ‘hits’– Several meetings – networking– No (very little) agreement/acceptance– Expanding ‘FIVE’ document

– too much for Directors

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• 2004: CEDR-EB asked SGT to investigate what was hampering implementation of FIVE– Claude Caubet – 3 meetings

- VMS action plan

• No deliberate avoidance, but…

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• Task O9 – ‘Harmonise VMS’

• Take account of ….– Mare Nostrum (M-VMS Working Group)

embraces FIVE and (may) fill in gaps

– UN-ECE WP1 small working group of 4 countries revision of VC on road signs and signals

– SOMS IN-SAFETY 6th FP develop new pictograms and structured rules

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• Task O9 – ‘Harmonise VMS’– Work with national VMS implementations– Develop an updated FIVE, with simple, clear

advice, including a handbook with good practice examples

– Disseminate and promote results

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

• Proposed way Forward

• PRINCE 2 – PID

• Project Initiation Document– Outcomes– Responsibilities– Programme

• Draft for next PG (end March in Copenhagen)for mid year start.

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Task O9 – Harmonise VMS

Discussion

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Gaps identified via VMS-action

• New needed pictograms for dynamic situations (see FIVE list such as "bad visibility", COST 30 and symbols for new traffic management situations such as "temporary use of hard shoulder"),

• Use of speed limits, and use of lane-control signs in terms of successive gantries,

• Language independent symbols (+, =, ->, …) in text messages,

• Some more clear rules specifying the text structure, • A focus on a clear distinction between immediate

danger warning messages (close to the event) and informative ones (upstream).