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City Summaries

MADRID, SPAIN

Madrid is one of 17 regions in Spain. The city of Madrid has a population of 3 million. The metropolitan ring includes 50 towns and has a population of approximately 5 million. The regional ring includes 179 towns. From the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, transit use declined because of an increase in cars and decrease in transit quality.

The technical portion of the visit to Madrid included:

Municipality of Madrid

The Madrid Traffic Control Center (TCC) controls the traffic control system as well as the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. The system makes extensive use of multicolor dynamic message signs (DMS). Internationally accepted symbols are used.

Figure 2. Madrid municipal traffic control centerFigure 2. Madrid municipal traffic control center.

The signal system includes 1,800 intersections in the city. The center controls 1,000 of those intersections with a hierarchical control system using three levels. At the lowest level, each subcenter controls 20 to 24 intersections.

The first centralized control system was installed in Madrid in 1968. Currently, the city collaborates with British Transportation Road Research Laboratory in signal system research. Three control strategies can be used at any time:

Another benefit of the system is that it includes a maintenance management system. Quality and quantity of detector data are perhaps the most important factors for successful system operations. Quality control measures include continual system monitoring for quality, increased quantity through more detectors to reduce the impact of failed detectors, and the confirmation of conditions with visuals from cameras.

Closed-circuit TVs (CCTVs) are used at 40 critical intersections. The operators at the control center can take over the signals and manually control them at those intersections. The control center also has incident management functions. The center can change control strategies, inform the public, share information with commercial radio stations, connect to TV stations that have connections, and control DMS and the Internet, which is often used by fleet operators. The next step would be applying other means, e.g., wireless application protocol (WAP) and personalized information.

Madrid typically experiences three different traffic peaks: AM, PM, and mini-peaks before and after lunch because many people go home for an extended lunch. Generally, radio is considered the most effective communications medium.

Travel times are provided on the M-30 (inner beltway). The M-30 is operated by the city, but the infrastructure was installed by DGT. Loop spacings on the M-30 are 500 m apart; data are collected every minute, and the 3-minute average is used to calculate average speeds for the link travel time. On the DMS, travel time is typically reported to the next three major exits. International symbols are used for congestion on DMS, because they provide compact representations and can be interpreted by non-Spanish-speaking persons. Eighty CCTVs are deployed on the M-30.

Figure 3. Dynamic message sign on the M-30.Figure 3. Dynamic message sign on the M-30.

The website can be visited at: www.cities.munimadrid.es/mapatraficovi.asp. The website was developed as part of a European Union (EU) cities project and presents volume data on arterials and parking lot status. The center has an operator dedicated to quality control of the Internet site. Information is gathered through detectors at entrances and exits combined with manual reports from the lots. Speed maps and incident reporting also are part of the reporting. Video images will be on the website within 6 months. TV stations have access to all the video. On a normal day, the website attracts 2,000 users, but that number varies. In August, for example, the site had 200,000 hits because it was a vacation month, and there are generally more hits on Fridays.

Consortium Transport Madrid

Consortium Transport Madrid was formed in 1985 as the regional transportation authority and oversees the subways (Metro), buses (public and private), and regional rail. The Consortium focus is on administrative, fare, and modal integration. In 1986, it created a monthly/annual ticket called a Travelpass, which is now used on 60 percent of all trips. The transit properties still operate independently, but the Consortium determines the level of quality, measures the demand patterns, and establishes routes, schedules, and fares.

Figure 4. Next train arrival sign in MadridFigure 4. Next train arrival sign in Madrid.

The Consortium oversees four modes: city subway and bus and intercity commuter rail and bus. Metro has 12 routes, 201 stations, and 1,338 vehicles. The plan is to grow from 120 km to 240 km. The current system is at 171 km. City buses have 184 routes, 8,564 stops and 1,824 vehicles. Metropolitan buses have 284 routes, 12,050 stops, and 1,100 vehicles. Commuter rail has 9 lines, 85 stops, and 667 trains.

Madrid has a public transport split of 54 percent. It increased from 29 percent in 1988. There is a 60 percent fare coverage of operating costs across all modes. Transit information relies heavily on printed information, and a computerized information system is connected to 50 kiosks and booths. The kiosks are handicap-accessible and are basically a web page with a touch screen. The information is not integrated with traffic information. The Consortium partnered with banks for the operation and maintenance of the kiosks and for the right to co-locate automated teller machines (Savings Bank of Madrid). The banks provide the hardware and communications. There are 50,000 inquiries per month, mainly for itinerary planning. The kiosks provide origins and destinations, best routes, walking directions, fares and timetables, hotel and restaurant databases, major transit disruptions, but no real-time arrival information. Multiple language options are offered, including English, French, and Spanish. The information can be viewed at: www.ctm-madrid.es. The size of the text can be adjusted for the visually impaired. The website has received 178,000 hits since March 2001. Extensive quality control is done on the itinerary planning systems, which are updated monthly for transit, but hotels and streets are not updated as frequently.

The telephone system has a very low usage of about 9,000 requests a month on average. It is not well advertised, and can be accessed through the "012" general information number, which is not just a transportation number.

Next arrival information is being implemented systemwide on the platforms and stops of the subway. The first system indicated how long since the last train departed, whereas the new system shows when the next train arrives. Some buses are equipped with automatic vehicle location (AVL) and next bus arrival systems. The high frequency of service reduces the need and the benefits of real-time arrival information.

The website is advertised on printed information, and a media campaign was conducted for the launch of the kiosks.

General Traffic Authority-DGT

The Direcion General de Traffic (DGT) is part of the Ministry of Interior, which is the public authority for road safety in Spain. DGT also has the authority for licenses and permits, registrations, and is the interurban traffic operator. The DGT budget is independent of the government general fund and is about $600 million annually. About 70 percent is based on fees, and the remainder is from traffic fines. DGT has 7,800 traffic police officers who cover 325,000 km of roads and 7,400 km of freeways. The DGT duties include traffic control and signalization, traveler information distribution, and road safety research and development. Data collection includes weather, incidents, and emergencies, and data are shared with other agencies.

Figure 5. Call volumes for DGT serviceFigure 5. Call volumes for DGT service.

A multichannel delivery system is used, which includes Internet, interactive voice response (IVR), radio, TV, DMS, and the radio data system-traffic message channel (RDS-TMC). (The dissemination of RDS-TMC/digital audio broadcast (DAB) traffic information by the DGT confronts a problem of a scarce number of end receivers. For example, at the end of 2001, only 800 people were deemed to be potential DAB receivers; hence, the relevance of traffic information delivered to road users through this channel is minimal. WAP information services also face a similar problem. Yearly access through WAP is 15,000. In comparison, access to the signal management system (SMS) is 2.5 million per year. The phone service is nationally available, and 1,600 people can simultaneously request information at a given time. The challenge is to have enough capacity to answer (i.e. the number of lines is the constraint). "900123505" is a free number that began operating in 1988.

Recent growth is attributable to implementation of an automated IVR and the increased use of cell phones. Budget limitations also constrain the number of calls that can be answered. There is likely a latent demand. The telephone company, Telefonica, can handle 400,000 calls in 24 hours, which is about 2,000 calls maximum per minute and 1,600 calls simultaneously. The DGT's IVR can handle 15,000 to 20,000 calls daily with its 32 lines. The average cost per call is 1 Euro. Total costs amount to about 3 million Euros annually, without including data collection costs. For every call, 25 pesetas go to the telephone company and 85 pesetas go to administrative and staff costs.

The call distribution is as follows: 67 percent of the callers call to request information on a situation on a particular road; 22 percent call about administrative issues; 9 percent are journalist/media calls, inquiries, and pranks; and 2 percent are people calling in incident reports. DGT uses the concept of a "transparent operator" in which the caller states the desired request and the operator listens to the request and navigates the IVR on behalf of the caller to yield the desired information. This process has a 90-second average call duration in comparison to 180 seconds for the fully automated system, which increases the system's capacity. Voice recognition has difficulty understanding all different Spanish accents.

The DGT has launched a public offer to outsource its customized information service, which will be created as a "Contact Center, with a maximum cost of 5 million Euros during 2 years. Two levels of information service are intended: the first will be served on an external platform run by a private company, while the second level will be serviced by DGT officers, who will handle only customized requests for information including personal or private data. As a component of this service, information on road conditions in Spain and its border countries (France and Portugal) will be translated into English, French, and Portuguese. The service also will incorporate voice information through the phone (both fixed and cellular) as well as Internet protocol (IP) voice and IP video conference. Other components include on-line assistance for customized navigation of the DGT website and information for handicapped persons. The essential purpose is to increase the current number of 32 phone lines up to 256.

The DGT cooperates in different European projects co-financed by the European Commission that facilitate the exchange of real-time information on traffic conditions in Spain and France via the standard DATES, which is fully operative. Interconnection between Spain and Portugal was planned for 2002. It is envisioned that road condition information will be disseminated not only throughout Spain, but also in France and Portugal.

In parallel, the totally free phone number "900," whose call expenses are entirely paid by the DGT, will be made into a "902" phone number, whose calling expenses are entirely paid by the user. The fee for the "902" telephone call is equivalent to a national call. The change will be accompanied by the creation of a three-digit number exclusively reserved for traffic information. The DGT supports the "115" (similar to "511" in the U.S.) or the "505" (which stands for "SOS"), but the last say on the final allocation of the three-digit number belongs to the Spanish national authority on telecommunications regulation, which has not yet pronounced itself on the subject.

Spain's emergency number is "112," which is the equivalent of "911" in the United States. In 1992, Spain realized it needed more than a phone system and started to expand to the Internet, TV, etc. Journalists were hired to provide information to radio and TV. They are contractors to DGT and are not broadcast station employees. TV and radio stations do have free access to the information, and virtually every TV station has a direct feed from the control room.

The website, which can be viewed at www.dgt.es, had 7.3 million user sessions in 2000. More than 10 million user sessions were expected in 2001. For the global system for mobile communications-signal management system (GSM-SMS) service, the user provides the code of the province and the code of the region, and the system will display only messages in those areas. During 2000, 1.76 million SMS messages were sent out, and 2.5 million were estimated for 2001. The GSM-SMS service is offered through a public-private partnership. The DGT provides traffic information, while mobile phone operators offer the service. In particular, Telefonica MoviSatr delivers traffic information through the number "505." Information is free, but the company charges 0.15 Euros to the user for access to the network. In the course of 2001, 2,434,023 messages were delivered through this channel.

Figure 6. DGT traffic management center in Madrid Figure 6. DGT traffic management center in Madrid Figure 6. DGT traffic management center in Madrid

Figure 6. DGT traffic management center in Madrid.

DGT has planned/established eight traffic management centers (TMCs) in Spain (six are existing). The regional government manages Barcelona's TMC, but all the others are managed by DGT. Every TMC of the DGT is linked to the local TCC of the cities where they are located, allowing free access to the images provided by television cameras and to the traffic management systems prevailing for urban and long distance traffic in each of them. Operation of these systems and cameras, however, is reserved for each individual TMC. The TMCs are responsible for managing the main trunk roads. Helicopters are widely used for traffic management. DGT currently flies 18 helicopters in all of Spain. Two are used in Madrid during peak times. Four more are on order. The helicopters have a direct video feed to the TMC that provides an extremely high-quality, real-time surveillance tool. DGT owns and staffs the helicopters, and they are used exclusively for traffic information and surveillance.

DGT has 400 CCTV cameras in the Madrid region and 800 CCTV cameras throughout Spain. In total, 250 CCTVs can be controlled by the Madrid TCC. DGT also manages the toll motorways. Automated data collection consists mostly of inductive loops, 400 video image detectors (VIDs), and 16 automated incident detection stations. Figure 6 shows helicopter video in the TMC.

In peak periods, the TCC has 32 staff. The DGT and the Dutch Rijkswaterstaat jointly developed the speed control color-coding representation for the website: white for free flow, green for 75 to 95 percent of free flow, yellow for 25 to 75 percent of free flow, and red for less than 25 percent of free-flow speed. Incidents are entered manually by the local traffic police. The use of the system is part of standard police training. Of about 80,000 DGT police, 8,000 are dedicated to traffic duties. These traffic officers are trained by DGT, which promotes consistent reporting of incidents and accidents.

In addition, DGT operates 5,000 emergency callboxes along a motorway network of nearly 3,000 miles (4,800 km). Callboxes are installed every 2 km, cameras are installed where needed, and detector stations are located wherever possible on the rural roadways.

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Page last modified on November 7, 2014
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