Vienna adopts Traffic Management 2.0 policy

  • November 30, 2021
  • William Payne

Austrian capital Vienna has implemented the first stage of an advanced traffic management system. The city has begun the progressive implementation of its Traffic Management 2.0 programme, with technical assistance from Kapsch TrafficCom. The city believes its programme will help it achieve more climate-friendly urban mobility.

Measures for a future-oriented transportation system include networked traffic lights that prevent congestion and switch to green for approaching streetcars, to an intelligent navigation system that anticipates critical traffic situations in real time. Such measures can help circumvent traffic jams and protect sensitive areas such as schools, ensuring greater safety on school routes.

The Grüne Welle Wien app is the first step of the Traffic Management 2.0 project. It will enable cyclists and car drivers to make their way through city traffic with less effort and stress, as well as in a more fuel-efficient and comfortable way. The smartphone app shows which speed – within the permitted speed limit – the next traffic light can be reached at green or how many seconds it will still be on red. If a traffic light is on red, road users may coast and thus still be moving when the light turns green again. This means fewer start-ups and a much better flow of traffic. In the case of cars, this saves up to 15 percent fuel and emissions. When cycling, the app enables riders to adjust their physical effort to the green phases and to travel more smoothly through the city.

“Vienna is becoming one of the leading cities in Europe when it comes to mobility. With Grüne Welle Wien, traffic signals in the city will communicate intelligently with road users. In order to avoid congestion, the next step will be to flexibly control the green phases at the traffic lights depending on the actual traffic volume. Stress and environmental pollution can thus be drastically reduced,” said Steve Parsons, Sales Director at Kapsch TrafficCom.

Long term, the aim is for Traffic Management 2.0 functions to be available directly in vehicles, allowing the city to be prepared for innovations such as autonomous driving. “What sounds a bit like science fiction today could be quite commonplace in the foreseeable future when all of this is made possible by the networked and intelligent traffic systems that we are now bringing to live in Vienna,” said Parsons.

Intelligent, networked systems enable smooth transportation and thus reduce emissions. The City of Vienna has a lighthouse project jointly pursued with Kapsch TrafficCom. “We are working on further climate protection measures in road traffic. Smart transportation management helps to improve the traffic conditions and thus the CO2 balance. We are now launching a pioneer project with its first application, the Grüne Welle Wien app. It can already save up to 15% of emissions, as well as make the lives of the Vienna bicyclists a lot easier” said Ulli Sima, City Councilor for Mobility and Digitalisation.