In an effort to better handle traffic disruptions, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) in England invested £22 million into a project to open the Regional Transport Coordination Centre (RTCC) in 2020. In a press release about the new center, the West Midlands Combined Authority stated, “Managed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the RTCC is the first of its kind to bring together real time information across all modes of transport in one place working with existing control centres around the West Midlands to provide up to the minute journey information for residents, businesses and visitors.”

The new RTCC has all the tools it needs to observe traffic conditions and make adjustments when needed to minimize congestion. “The RTCC uses technology to understand the transportation network’s performance,” the website says. “This helps us respond better when things go wrong.” One of the first steps in building out the command center was to include a state-of-the-art video monitoring system, which was contracted out to Ultimate Visual Solutions (UVS) based in Burnley, Lancashire, UK. UVS installed complete walls of LCD video monitors with coordinating integrated touch tables that are fully secure at both the primary Birmingham command center and a secondary disaster recovery center about 15 miles away.

Relaying real-time data 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to these monitors is a network of stationary and drone cameras. RTCC installed thousands of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras along roadways. However, they found that there were often still gaps in coverage when relying solely on CCTV cameras. To address this, they established the West Midland Drone Network to close these gaps. “What we’re finding is drones allow us that flexibility to deploy an eye in the sky where we don’t have fixed camera coverage on the ground,” said Mr. Kerry Blakeman of the West Midland Drone Network. “And it’s given us really good depth of view, allowing us to make better decisions in terms of minimizing traffic congestion.”

If a significant disruption occurs, an alert is automatically sent to the monitoring system. A team in the RTCC command center can then determine if a drone needs to be sent for further investigation of the cause of the issue. This allows the team to quickly initiate a plan of action, which could involve sending out emergency crews or simply adjusting intersection light patterns. Justas Vasiliauskas, a coordinator for the West Midland Drone Network, explained that using the drones makes all the difference in getting traffic flowing as it should.

He went on to describe how, not long ago, the RTCC received an alert that Island Junction 1 on the M5 had become completely blocked. The CCTV cameras showed the congestion but did not reveal the cause. So, the drone team deployed a drone to get a complete view of the situation. This provided the RTCC with the data needed to install a new set of signals. “Since then,” Mr. Vasiliauskas said, “the island has flowed like it should.” Meanwhile, Birmingham City Council leader Cllr Ian Ward stated that using drones is not just beneficial for improving traffic conditions, but is also helping the county become more eco-friendly. “This drone team is already proving its value in improving the quality of information being received by the RTCC and therefore improving the quality of advice given to travellers across our region,” he said. “Reducing traffic congestion and queues on our streets not only saves people time, but reduces carbon emissions and pollution and helps in tackling the climate emergency.”

The work being done at the RTCC is going a long way to make one of the most crowded regions of England run smoothly and safely. The drone team, in particular, has been a huge asset. The success of the RTCC’s West Midland Drone Network was recently recognized by winning the Digital and Technology Award at the prestigious annual UK National Transportation Awards event. The organization won several other awards as well. “These awards show how our teams here at TfWM are always looking to innovate and go further to improve journeys for everyone, saving our residents time and keeping them safe while traveling,” said TfWM Executive Director Anne Shaw. “The honours are well deserved.” With continued innovation and collaboration, the West Midlands is setting a powerful example of how smart solutions can address the challenges of urban mobility and create a more efficient, eco-friendly future for all.

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