Transport and Covid-19: responses and resources

Smart Use of Roads

Smart Use of Roads

This report considers the innovative use of existing infrastructure and the adoption of emerging digital technologies to optimise the use of road capacity. It focuses on using big data to identify the traffic bottlenecks in real-time and manage peak demand with innovative measures at the local and network levels. The report examines the effectiveness and efficiency of a range of instruments for active traffic demand management and also considers application issues. It includes a review of the latest road pricing technologies used in several Asian cities.

Policy Insights

  • Make use of smart technologies part of the response to congestion.
  • Invest in improving junctions where these create bottlenecks.
  • Use hard-shoulder running and ramp metering to get the most out of trunk road capacity.
  • Use congestion pricing for active traffic management as part of integrated urban policies.
  • Adopt barrier-free electronic tolling to remove bottlenecks.

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