THE first phase of a £1.5 million congestion-busting system to help motorists beat traffic jams in York began today.
The high-tech Traffic Congestion Management System (TCMS) was unveiled to co-ordinate information about traffic levels and help direct motorists to less congested routes.
The system, the first of its kind in Europe, uses 'variable message signs' to relay up-to-the-minute information to drivers.
They provide information on the capacity of the city's car parks, giving details of how many spaces are remaining and suggesting alternative places and routes during busy periods.
The signs are linked to car park counters in city centre facilities, with the signs displaying the actual number of spaces in each car park at any given time.
The final two stages of the scheme will see additional counters placed at York's Park&Ride sites and a number of extra large signs on the A64, each costing £200,000, to guide motorists into the least congested areas of the city.
Peter Evely, City of York Council's head of network management, said: "The Traffic Management Control System is a totally new concept which will provide real-time management and control of traffic on a city-wide basis.
"By bringing together existing technology in an integrated way, we hope that it will be possible to maximise York's existing road capacity, reducing congestion and minimising air pollution.
"We are very limited in York with what we can actually do to create new roads or widen existing ones because of the city's architectural heritage, but TCMS works to cut congestion by identifying where the road network is at full capacity and directing users to less congested routes."
The TCMS system is part of the council's wider Urban Traffic Management and Control solution (UTMC) which aims to cut down traffic levels and overcome some of York's highway limitations.
It is one of many transport "solutions" being pioneered by City of York Council, which was recently awarded Local Transport Authority of the Year.
Updated: 10:53 Monday, July 28, 2003
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