Managed motorways in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Managed motorways are motorways with technology to allow variable speed limit
s to be applied and hard shoulder running.
79 million as opposed to implementing ATM
at a cost of around £5-£15 million. It was estimated that widening this stretch of motorway would cost £500 million, whereas implementing ATM would cost £100 million. It is estimated that it takes 10 years to implement a widening scheme as opposed to 2 years for ATM. Traffic has increased by 80% between 1980 and 2005 whilst road capacity has increased by 10%.
and junction 7 for the M6 motorway
, a distance of 12 miles (19 km). This part of the motorway carries 120,000 vehicles each day made up of long distance traffic, local traffic, customers of Birmingham International Airport and visitors to the National Exhibition Centre
(NEC) as well as higher number of accidents than the national average.
The M42 scheme was initially run as an experiment and a Highways Agency report into the first six months of the scheme scheme showed a reduction in journey times of up to 25% The journey time statistics can be broken down to show that northbound journey times were reduced by 26%, equating to an average reduction of 4 minutes as compared to the period when the variable speed limits were on but the hard shoulder was not being used and 9% southbound (equating to 1 minute) during the afternoon rush hour
. The report also indicated a fall in the number of accidents from over 5 a month to 1.5 per month on average. The Agency did state that normally accident statistics should be compared over a 3 year period, so the initial results should be treated with caution. They also stated that no accidents had been caused by hard shoulder use as a normal lane. The report also stated that there had been a 10% fall in pollution and 4% fall in fuel consumption. The report also indicated a compliance rate of 98% to the indicated speed limits when using the hard shoulder. For comparison before the introduction of mandatory speed limits at road works, the compliance rate was 10% as opposed to 89% afterwards, showing a similar effect.
The Highways Agency surveyed drivers, stating that 84% felt confident using the hard shoulder, 68% felt better informed about traffic conditions and that around 66% wanted the scheme expanding to other roads.
In 2008 and as part of the pilot a section of the southbound carriage way between junctions 4 and 3A began operating using the hard shoulder with a speed limit of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), a 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) increase on the previous maximum permissible speed.
has announced that the government is to introduce the scheme onto two sections of the M6 by 2011 for £150 million. The emergency refuges will be extended to every 800 metre (0.497098189319845 mi) on the roll out. A further study into the use of ATM on the M1
, M4
, M20
and M25 motorway
s was also announced, however the Department for Transport
has confirmed that the scheme will not be used on the M25 where the motorway is planned to be widened.
also argued that the scheme would not reduce the environmental impact
of motoring
. The government was also criticised for introducing the scheme as a cheaper alternative to proper widening.
The Campaign for Better Transport argued that whilst it would reduce the need for widening schemes, it did nothing to reduce traffic and CO2 emissions. Friends of the Earth
criticised the scheme as "widening on the cheap" and also pointed to a possible increase in vehicle emissions. The Highways Agency argue that ATM reduces the environmental impact in regards to widening as it is carried out within the existing boundaries of the motorway as well as a possible improvement in local air quality due to smoother traffic flow.
The RAC
cited a study in the Netherlands that showed drivers using the hard shoulder when they were not permitted, increasing the risk of a collision for vehicles stopped. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
also expressed concern that emergency services would take longer to reach an incident. The Highways Agency rejected this concern based on the 5,000 miles of dual carriageway
which doesn't have a hard shoulder. Disability
groups were concerned that some drivers would not be able to access the emergency phones or even exit their vehicles, leaving them at increased risk.
Ruth Kelly
, Secretary of State for Transport
stated in an interview that this would not necessarily replace motorway widening in all circumstances, but would be another option and that the government were not using it simply a cheaper method of widening roads.
Road speed limits in the United Kingdom
Road speed limits in the United Kingdom are used to define the maximum legal speed limit for road vehicles using public roads in the UK, and are one of the measures available to attempt to control traffic speeds. The speed limit in each location is indicated on a nearby traffic sign or by the...
s to be applied and hard shoulder running.
Background
The first section of motorway in the UK to use this technique was the M42 in the West Midlands. The Highways Agency's road building budget was £3 billion over budget and widening a motorway in the UK costs around £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
79 million as opposed to implementing ATM
Active Traffic Management
Active traffic management , also known as managed lanes or smart lanes, is a scheme for improving traffic flow and reducing congestion on motorways. It has been implemented in several countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States...
at a cost of around £5-£15 million. It was estimated that widening this stretch of motorway would cost £500 million, whereas implementing ATM would cost £100 million. It is estimated that it takes 10 years to implement a widening scheme as opposed to 2 years for ATM. Traffic has increased by 80% between 1980 and 2005 whilst road capacity has increased by 10%.
In use
Installation of the first scheme began in November 2004. The first phase, the variable speed limit, came into use on the 29 November 2005. The final stage of ATM began operation on the M42 on 12 September 2006 between junction 3A for the M40 motorwayM40 motorway
The M40 motorway is a motorway in the British transport network that forms a major part of the connection between London and Birmingham. Part of this road forms a section of the unsigned European route E05...
and junction 7 for the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
, a distance of 12 miles (19 km). This part of the motorway carries 120,000 vehicles each day made up of long distance traffic, local traffic, customers of Birmingham International Airport and visitors to the National Exhibition Centre
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
(NEC) as well as higher number of accidents than the national average.
The M42 scheme was initially run as an experiment and a Highways Agency report into the first six months of the scheme scheme showed a reduction in journey times of up to 25% The journey time statistics can be broken down to show that northbound journey times were reduced by 26%, equating to an average reduction of 4 minutes as compared to the period when the variable speed limits were on but the hard shoulder was not being used and 9% southbound (equating to 1 minute) during the afternoon rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
. The report also indicated a fall in the number of accidents from over 5 a month to 1.5 per month on average. The Agency did state that normally accident statistics should be compared over a 3 year period, so the initial results should be treated with caution. They also stated that no accidents had been caused by hard shoulder use as a normal lane. The report also stated that there had been a 10% fall in pollution and 4% fall in fuel consumption. The report also indicated a compliance rate of 98% to the indicated speed limits when using the hard shoulder. For comparison before the introduction of mandatory speed limits at road works, the compliance rate was 10% as opposed to 89% afterwards, showing a similar effect.
The Highways Agency surveyed drivers, stating that 84% felt confident using the hard shoulder, 68% felt better informed about traffic conditions and that around 66% wanted the scheme expanding to other roads.
In 2008 and as part of the pilot a section of the southbound carriage way between junctions 4 and 3A began operating using the hard shoulder with a speed limit of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), a 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) increase on the previous maximum permissible speed.
Expansion
The Secretary of State for TransportSecretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
has announced that the government is to introduce the scheme onto two sections of the M6 by 2011 for £150 million. The emergency refuges will be extended to every 800 metre (0.497098189319845 mi) on the roll out. A further study into the use of ATM on the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
, M4
M4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
, M20
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
and M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
s was also announced, however the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
has confirmed that the scheme will not be used on the M25 where the motorway is planned to be widened.
Techniques
Managed Motorways is a ‘tool-box’ which facilitates the dynamic control of traffic for congestion and incident management which includes:- Hard Shoulder Running: Controlled use of the Hard Shoulder during times of heavy congestion or during incident management
- Controlled Motorways: The dynamic management of traffic in the designated running lanes using Variable Mandatory Speed LimitsRoad speed limits in the United KingdomRoad speed limits in the United Kingdom are used to define the maximum legal speed limit for road vehicles using public roads in the UK, and are one of the measures available to attempt to control traffic speeds. The speed limit in each location is indicated on a nearby traffic sign or by the...
(VMSL) - Queue Protection: Automatic protection of incidents and queues
- Lane Specific Signalling: Protection of incidents and on-road resources
- Ramp MeteringRamp meterA ramp meter, ramp signal or metering light is a device, usually a basic traffic light or a two-section signal light together with a signal controller, that regulates the flow of traffic entering freeways according to current traffic conditions...
: Controlling traffic entering the main carriageway from slip-roads or connector roads to maintain the flow on the main carriageway - Integrated Traffic Management: Management of traffic on the motorway and local road network
Current schemes
The following schemes are in operation:- M6 motorwayM6 motorwayThe M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
4-5 - M6 motorwayM6 motorwayThe M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
8-10a - M25 motorwayM25 motorwayThe M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
9-16 (variable speed limits) - M42 motorwayM42 motorwayThe M42 motorway is a major road in England. The motorway runs north east from Bromsgrove in Worcestershire to just south west of Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, passing Redditch, Solihull, the National Exhibition Centre and Tamworth on the way. The section between the M40 and M6 road forms...
3A-7
Proposed schemes
The following schemes have been proposed:- M1 motorwayM1 motorwayThe M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
28-31, 32-35a and 39-42 - M4 motorwayM4 motorwayThe M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
: 19-20 - M5 motorwayM5 motorwayThe M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
: 15-17 - M6 motorwayM6 motorwayThe M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
: 5-8 - M25 motorwayM25 motorwayThe M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
: 5-7 and 23-27 - M60 motorwayM60 motorwayThe M60 motorway, or Manchester Orbital, is an orbital motorway circling Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It passes through all Greater Manchester's metropolitan boroughs except for Wigan and Bolton...
: 8-12 and 12-15 - M62 motorwayM62 motorwayThe M62 motorway is a west–east trans-Pennine motorway in Northern England, connecting the cities of Liverpool and Hull via Manchester and Leeds. The road also forms part of the unsigned Euroroutes E20 and E22...
: 18-20 and 25-30
Criticisms
The scheme was initially criticised for exposing people to potentially higher risks in the event of a breakdown or emergency. Environmental campaignersEnvironmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
also argued that the scheme would not reduce the environmental impact
Environmental degradation
Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife...
of motoring
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
. The government was also criticised for introducing the scheme as a cheaper alternative to proper widening.
The Campaign for Better Transport argued that whilst it would reduce the need for widening schemes, it did nothing to reduce traffic and CO2 emissions. Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth (EWNI)
Friends of the Earth is one of 70 national groups around the world which make up the Friends of the Earth network of environmental organizations...
criticised the scheme as "widening on the cheap" and also pointed to a possible increase in vehicle emissions. The Highways Agency argue that ATM reduces the environmental impact in regards to widening as it is carried out within the existing boundaries of the motorway as well as a possible improvement in local air quality due to smoother traffic flow.
The RAC
RAC Foundation
The RAC Foundation is a motoring advocacy group that 'explores the economic, environmental, mobility and safety issues relating to roads and motor vehicles and campaigns to secure a fair deal for responsible road users'...
cited a study in the Netherlands that showed drivers using the hard shoulder when they were not permitted, increasing the risk of a collision for vehicles stopped. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is a British charity which aims to promote safety. It is particularly known for its vocal campaigns on issues of road safety, including Tufty the road crossing squirrel, the Cycling Proficiency Test and the Green Cross Code, as well as on issues of...
also expressed concern that emergency services would take longer to reach an incident. The Highways Agency rejected this concern based on the 5,000 miles of dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
which doesn't have a hard shoulder. Disability
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
groups were concerned that some drivers would not be able to access the emergency phones or even exit their vehicles, leaving them at increased risk.
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
, Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
stated in an interview that this would not necessarily replace motorway widening in all circumstances, but would be another option and that the government were not using it simply a cheaper method of widening roads.