VMS: intelligent transport system (ITS) solution for cycling crisis?

A proliferation of horrific media reports of cyclist deaths in UK cities is ensuring that the issue of cyclist safety is one of the highest profile issues currently facing the country’s transport bosses.

Keen to help highways managers promote the safety of cyclists and indeed all road users, intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions provider Mobile Visual Information Systems (MVIS), is championing the potential of temporary variable message signs (VMS).

Temporary VMS can be rapidly deployed to highlight the location of accident hot-spots, warning cyclists and motorists of the need to navigate these areas with extra vigilance. Safety messages can be intermittently featured on temporary VMS, whatever their position and prime function, ensuring that road users everywhere are reminded to cycle and drive with caution. As the country’s network of cycling lanes expands, the temporary signs can also be used to help safely manage traffic around the subsequent roadworks.

MVIS believes that the VMS signs of greatest safety potential are five colour matrix signs, which feature red, green, blue and white in addition to standard amber, as the resulting displays are of particularly high impact and so facilitate rapid road user response.

The intelligent transport system (ITS) company is also an advocate of Chapter 8/MS4 style pictograms, as its experience suggests that conspicuous coloured images are interpreted with particular speed, including foreign road users who are not always able to understand text.

Said the operations director of MVIS, Steve Young, whose intelligent transport system (ITS) company rapidly deploys its five colour matrix signs via a nationwide network of 14 depots:  “Cycling is an increasingly popular mode of transport so  the issue of cyclist safety as well as that of motorists will not go away.

“As MPs and transport bosses across the country consider ways to fund and develop a safer road network, MVIS is promoting to the sector the immediate, flexible and cost-effective potential of the best temporary VMS.

“Not only can they be quickly deployed, but their high impact visuals are spotted by cyclists and motorists and responded to with speed.

“Yes it’s going to take a long time and a lot of money, not to mention a great deal of political will and high-level discussion, before the UK’s road network is as safe as those of some of its European counterparts, but temporary VMS can be used to great effect now to help improve safety in the short term.”

MVIS recently installed 10 VMS-Cs during A-One+’s northbound refurbishment of the A1 western bypass between Newcastle and Gateshead.  Featuring a display that was remotely switched from speed roundels to three colour pictograms in the event of standing traffic, A-one+ credits the VMS with ensuring zero standing-traffic related incidents during their six week installation. When the company undertook an identical project on the southbound carriageway in 2009, using fixed frame signs, there were several such incidents.

MVIS’ product portfolio includes a wide range of intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions in addition to VMS, including ANPR, CCTV and radar and clients include Transport for London, Balfour Beatty, the Metropolitan Police and numerous events organisations.

 

 

 


VMS from intelligent transport system provider (ITS) MVIS

As a market leading supplier of intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions, MVIS has a range of products which are effective for traffic management, events management and advertising purposes. This range includes variable message signs (VMS) which provide high-impact coloured displays.

VMS from MVIS feature a five colour matrix and give the user the choice of using red, green,  blue and white in addition to the standard amber. This makes them a highly conspicuous piece of signage which stands out and attracts attention, even in crowd situations.

The versatility of the VMS makes them a high valuable asset in a variety of situations, including for traffic management purposes.  As the signs can present Chapter 8/ MS4 style pictograms as well as text, they become a fantastic intelligent transport system (ITS) solution. MVIS has seen that often coloured images, such as the pictograms, are very quickly interpreted by motorists and the information displayed is rapidly acted upon – even by foreign drivers who are not always able to understand text. MVIS recently supplied VMS to A-One+ for using during their refurbishment of the A1 and they recorded a zero shunt rate during the works, compared with the several incidents that took place when they used static signs for a similar project.

The ability of the VMS to display pictograms alongside text also makes them an excellent events management tool. With the five colour matrix display making the signs conspicuous and visible, the VMS are an effective way to provide information to large crowds of people.  Using the displays, events organisers can direct crowds effectively around event sites – and the changeable display means information can be updated regularly. Recently, MVIS’ VMS were used by Wembley Stadium to control crowds for the England football internationals against Germany and Chile.

VMS are also an adept tool for advertising purposes. As they can be remotely updated, by SMS or via the internet, they reduce the need for a full team being dedicated to their use as as an advertising tool. This reduction in man power makes them a more cost-effective advertising solution than other methods. For advertising, the ability of the VMS to display the Chapter 8/ MS4 style pictograms is crucial as the high impact display facilitates high customer response and the pictograms will draw in foreign customers unable to read text advertising. VMS have previously been supplied to the Bakewell Show who used them to great advertising effect, boosting significantly the amount of visitors who used the onsite park and ride.

To discuss VMS or any other intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions with market leading supplier MVIS, contact us on 01629 580 570.

 

 


MVIS’ VMS to be used for England crowd control and ticket sales

As a market leading distributor of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) solutions, MVIS is delighted by the news that variable message signs (VMS), provided by MVIS, are to be used during the upcoming England football international friendlies at Wembley Stadium.

MVIS is supplying two VMS-C solutions for use as part of crowd control and ticket sales efforts taking place for the England versus Chile fixture on Friday 15th November and the England versus Germany fixture on Tuesday 19th November.

The VMS-C that MVIS supply are stationed at depots nationwide so that they can be rapidly deployed to wherever they are required. VMS-C is an intelligent transport system (ITS) solution which is designed to be versatile, easy to setup and operate and is reliable under all conditions.

The messages can be controlled by SMS and the VMS-C is ideal for giving crowds information as it offers a variety of onscreen colour options.  The choice  of using red, green, blue and white as well as the standard amber, ensures that the VMS-C is visible and conspicious even in large crowds – making it a perfect intelligent transport system (ITS) solution for events such as the one at Wembley.

The VMS-C is also to be used in a ticket sales advertising role before the two England internationals at Wembley. The portable nature of this intelligent transport system (ITS) solution, means that it can be located in prime spots where crowds will be gathered – maximising the chance of extra ticket sales. With an array of colours, the VMS-C always attracts attention and can be used to display ticket sales information in a simple, clean manner and as the display is changeable, information can be altered as the ticket sales situation develops.

As a market leader in intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions, MVIS is well placed to provide crowd control, ticket sales and other event management products – including CCTV and ANPR. Contact MVIS on 01629 580 570.

 


Zero “shunt rate” for A-one+ thanks to MVIS’ VMS

As a leading temporary intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions provider, MVIS was delighted by the recent news that thanks to the use of a variable message sign (VMS) system, provided by MVIS, during the recent A1 refurbishment there was zero standing traffic related incidents.

The northbound refurbishment on the A1 between Newcastle and Gateshead was carried out by A-one+ and the company firmly believes that the result of no standing traffic related incidents was achieved thanks to the VMS package provided by intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions provider MVIS.

From July through to August, 10 VMS-C variable message signs were operational. The VMS-C is an innovative intelligent transport system (ITS) solution that features a changeable display, like all MVIS’ VMS they are now available through a nationwide network of depots – meaning they can be rapidly deployed to where they are required. In this instance the signs switched between showing speed roundels and three colour Chapter 8/MS4 style pictograms in the event of standing traffic caused by lane closures. The highly conspicuous display on the MVIS supplied VMS was easily spotted by motorists who reacted accordingly.

A-One+ had high praise for the VMS and the highly visible pictograms they display, especially as when they carried out an identical project on the southbound carriage in 2009, using fixed frame signs, there were several standing traffic related incidents. These were avoided thanks to the visibility of the intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions provided by MVIS.

Speaking about the VMS supplied by MVIS, A-one+ incident manager of operations, Ian Lee said:

“Not only did MVIS’ VMS facilitate a rapid message change in response to the quickly changing traffic situation, but the high visibility of the three colour pictograms engendered an instant motorist reaction, promoting the safety of road workers, police and motorists alike.

“Without a doubt, the zero shunt rate during this year’s refurbishment works was the result of the deployment of MVIS’ VMS signs, with their market-leading software technology.”

MVIS managing director, Pat Musgrave added: “MVIS has long-championed the health and safety benefits of its VMS, and is pleased to have been able to demonstrate these to the advantage of the A-one+ project.”

MVIS has a wide range of intelligent transport system (ITS) solutions which includes ANPR, CCTV and radar. To discuss ITS Solutions, you can contact MVIS on 01629 580 570.