Skip to main content

ITS Moscow selects SmartSensor HD to help combat congestion

Radar traffic detection and monitoring specialist Wavetronix has announced the selection of SmartSensor HD for an ambitious ITS project in Moscow, Russia. The project seeks to address some of the heaviest traffic congestion in the world, and is one of the largest projects to deploy SmartSensor HD in Wavetronix' 10-year history.To date, 1,241 SmartSensor HD units have been purchased and are being installed along Moscow roads as part of the ITS Moscow project. SmartSensor HD uses true high definition radar to
May 1, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
Radar traffic detection and monitoring specialist Wavetronix has announced the selection of SmartSensor HD for an ambitious 3278 ITS project in Moscow, Russia.  The project seeks to address some of the heaviest traffic congestion in the world, and is one of the largest projects to deploy SmartSensor HD in Wavetronix’ 10-year history.

To date, 1,241 SmartSensor HD units have been purchased and are being installed along Moscow roads as part of the ITS Moscow project. SmartSensor HD uses true high definition radar to track vehicles in multiple lanes and provides accurate volume, occupancy and speed data. Wavetronix says that currently, it offers the greatest resolution and range for radar vehicle detections, and it is the only device of its kind capable of detecting individual vehicle speeds.

Moscow’s traffic problems are legendary. The city is surrounded by a series of ring roads that carry an average of 700,000 vehicles into the capital each day.  Congestion peaks between 9:00 and 11:00am and between 5:00 and 7:00pm, but delays can last much longer.

“One day it took me more than four hours to drive three miles through the center of Moscow,” says Sergey Strizhenov of the purchase and logistics department at Stroy Invest, an equipment supplier that was instrumental in selecting SmartSensor HD for this project.  “The number of cars in Moscow greatly exceeds the traffic capacity of our roads, and we have huge traffic jams every day as a result.”

Improving traffic conditions is a priority for Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, but the scope of the problem has reached the national level.  n 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mandated the creation of ITS Moscow, a joint project between the federal government and city officials aimed at fighting Moscow traffic jams.  Approximately $860 million USD is planned for investment in ITS as part of the project, which is expected to last through 2015.

The installation of SmartSensor HD marks an important first step in bringing Russia’s ITS program to life.  “The sensors are installing right now, and all of them should be installed by the time we announce this project at 254 ITS World Congress in Orlando,” says Strizhenov.  “The sensors are scheduled to be fully operational by December.”

The data collected from SmartSensor HD will be used to monitor traffic, identify problems and inform the public of problems that may affect their commute.  SmartSensor HD was tested extensively prior to being selected as the traffic detection device for ITS Moscow.  “It proved to be the best sensor for this project,” says Strizhenov.  “The accuracy and reliability of SmartSensor HD best fit the needs of Stroy Invest and ITS Moscow.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Russia’s US$28 billion road and bridge works
    November 29, 2013
    A series of major transport projects worth a combined value of over US$28 billion are set to significantly enhance connectivity between various parts of Russia. These include the Moscow-St Petersburg highway, work to the transport system in the Rostov region and two new bridges: one over the Belaya river in Ufa, the other over the Kama river in Izhevsk. The tender process for the $4.46 billion contract to build, maintain, repair, and operate a section of the Moscow- St Petersburg highway has been announc
  • Workzone safety protects workforce and drivers
    May 3, 2012
    Highway construction work zones are dangerous places, and anything that can improve safety is welcomed as Patrick Smith reports. The safe and efficient flow of traffic through work zones is a major concern to transportation officials, industry, the public, businesses, and commercial motor carriers. This is the view of the US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which has developed the Highway Work Zone Safety Program to reduce the fatalities and injurious crashes in work zones, and to enhance traffic oper
  • Developments in bridge monitoring technology
    July 9, 2012
    Advances in bridge monitoring technology should help ensure structural safety Highly productive, Fugro Aperio's ground penetrating radar system offers accurate scanning of bridge condition Bridge engineers can now benefit from a new technology designed to pinpoint shallow targets, such as masonry fixings, reinforcement bars or delamination between thin layers. This uses the latest high resolution ground penetrating radar (GPR) antenna and has been developed by Cambridge-based Fugro Aperio in the UK. Operati
  • Houston TranStar wins award for travel monitoring
    April 30, 2012
    Houston TranStar has received the "2011 Digital Government Achievement Award" from the Center for Digital Government (government-to-government category). The award is for TranStar's cutting-edge Anonymous Wireless Address Matching travel time information system.