Pulling it all together - Swansea Traffic Management Plan! - Enviro Technology Services plc

In a ground-breaking Action Plan that brings together cutting-edge technology from a number of different fields, the City and County of Swansea is introducing a traffic management programme to both improve traffic flow and reduce pollution in the Lower Swansea Valley area of the city. This area was declared an Air Quality Management Area and the development of the Action Plan forms the basis of the authority’s obligations under the Environment Act 1995. It is hoped that this 3-year capital programme will be the forerunner of similar measures to be taken in critical areas across the city.

The primary routes through the Lower Swansea Valley road network are major commuter links to the city centre. Due to the topography of the area the lower valley has its own meteorological conditions particularly in winter when inversions cap layers of pollution at the bottom of the valley. It is planned that, when the programme is in place, drivers using these routes will be advised in advance not only of traffic congestion, but also of pollution levels along the route.

Available car parking space both in the inner city parking places as well as the authority’s Park and Ride sites will also be broadcast to Variable Message Signs strategically sited along the road network. This will allow drivers to make informed decisions on alternative routes and/or encourage commuters to use the authority’s Park & Ride services. Led by Environmental Health Divisional Officer, Huw Morgan and Environmental Management Systems Development Manager, Phil Govier, the scheme brings together the latest developments in air quality monitoring, near real-time traffic emissions forecasting, automatic radio service traffic counting, and variable message sign technology.