TRL Scoots into Milton Keynes

Milton Keynes City Council has appointed TRL Software to deploy its urban traffic control system, which uses Scoot signal optimisation.

It enables real-time signal control across junctions in the UK city by dynamically adjusting traffic light timings in response to traffic flow, minimising delays and optimising journey times for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists, as well as drivers, TRL says.

The unified system is expected to deliver benefits including reduction of stop-start traffic, thereby lowering vehicle emissions and better accommodating the needs of mass transit and vulnerable road users, while also preparing the city to integrate connected and autonomous vehicle technology.

Milton Keynes, which is around 50 miles north-east of London and has a grid system of roads - unusual in the UK - has laid out a vision for a better transport system in three documents: MK Futures 2050, the new City Plan, and the developing Local Transport Plan 5.

These plans are based around a signficant projected growth in population, with greater transport demand over the coming decades.

Christopher Kettell, chief technologist for TRL Software, says the UTC system is "a proven technology, designed to make urban traffic networks more efficient, more resilient, and more environmentally responsible".

Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member for Public Realm at Milton Keynes Council, adds: “As Milton Keynes grows and evolves, we must ensure our transport systems grow with it, not only in scale, but in intelligence and adaptability."

The new traffic management platform "aligns with our wider objectives around clean growth, digital infrastructure, and city-wide innovation".