The UK’s ITS estate is getting old – and fast.
15,000 traffic signals in England alone are already obsolete, and without action, the number looks set to climb to 18,000 in the next two years.
That’s a sobering 61% of all signals.
Why this matters
An ageing ITS infrastructure is a big issue for the people in charge of our road networks. It affects everything from safety and congestion to sustainability and cyber resilience. Not to mention the ability of the transport system to prepare for new technologies like AI and connected and automated vehicles.
And then there’s the cost. Older products more expensive to maintain, harder to find replacement parts for and less energy-efficient.
It all comes back to investment
To get on top of the ITS backlog, we must invest to:
- Seize control of operational costs
- Cut congestion
- Improve road safety
- Reduce energy use
- Strengthen cyber resilience
- Optimise evolving technologies
And investment is the key word here. Yes, ITS upgrades come with a price tag, but modern systems can generate a positive return through lower operational costs.
Building ITS systems fit for the future
ITS(UK) has recently launched a campaign to highlight the urgent need to renew our infrastructure of traffic signals and related technologies. Stuck on Red is calling for the government to create a rolling fund so highways authorities can bring their ITS systems up to date.
SRL cares passionately about ensuring that the UK and Ireland’s ITS infrastructures are safe, efficient, sustainable, resilient and future proof.
Since we launched in 1997, we have worked in partnership with local authorities and traffic management organisations to keep their temporary and portable ITS solutions up to date, effective and cost-efficient.
What this looks like
More and more local authorities are investing in Urban64:
- Our most advanced, intelligent semi-permanent temporary signal solution
- Co-ordinates safe and efficient multi-directional flows of traffic and pedestrians
- Replicates permanent signals in function and scalability
We also recently delivered our first long-term contract for the flexible REMOS package, allowing Go Traffic Management to provide customers operating short-term schemes with swift and extensive ad-hoc access to the UK’s first scalable remotely operated mobile signal solution.
And demand for our temporary and portable VMS remains strong – they are the only ones in the UK and Ireland to have achieved TOPAS 2516D registration.
Don’t wait – act now
SRL stands right behind ITS(UK)’s Stuck on Red campaign. But we also urge our customers not to wait to see if the campaign bears fruit before upgrading their systems.
As our forward-thinking customers would tell you: investing in the right ITS is always worth it.
To learn more about how SRL can help you to keep your systems up to date, please get in touch with our team today or call us on 0808 2818 775.
Find out more about ITS(UK)’s Stuck on Red campaign: Stuck on Red – ITS UK
