Fully funded by the Department for Transport’s Green Light Fund (£567,000), Blackpool’s Smart Traffic Corridor scheme uses innovative technology to improve the flow of traffic in high congestion areas across the town.

The project has transformed five of Blackpool’s most important transport corridors into digitally enabled, data-driven routes. These include The Promenade, Preston New Road, East Park Drive, Plymouth Road, and Central Drive, all of which are key routes in the town and experience high levels of traffic.

Across the five routes, traffic signals at 32 locations have been upgraded with smart cameras and sensors to optimise traffic flow, creating smoother journeys for road users.

Traditional approaches to traffic management struggle to cope with the high volumes of traffic that Blackpool often encounters, especially during peak holiday season and major events.

Using smart technology to create a near-fully adaptive traffic management system will make the traffic lights work better, by enabling traffic light sequences to adjust their frequency based on traffic demand.

The new radar detection technology will act as data collection hubs to provide the council with a variety of real time data including types of traffic and volume. Using this data we can create intelligent strategies which will automatically select pre-configured plans based on traffic levels.

The technology will also help to improve overall traffic flow and journey reliability across the network, reducing congestion and supporting smoother, more efficient travel for all road users. It will also enable better coordination for pedestrians and cyclists, promoting safer and more sustainable ways to move around the town.

Providing less congested journeys for the millions of residents, businesses and visitors that travel across Blackpool’s roads ever year, the scheme also benefits the local community by keeping the air cleaner.

Improving the efficiency of this roads means reduced emissions, enhanced air quality and decreased carbon emissions.

Judges at the awards, which celebrate the best of the transport technology sector, said of the scheme:

Cllr Paula Burdess, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Street Scene and Neighbourhoods, said:

Shane Collins, Smart Cities Sector Lead, 4way Consulting, commented:

Testing of the improved traffic signals are currently taking place, with all five Smart Traffic Corridors expected to be fully operational in the town later this month.