176 / 188
174
Solutions for less congestion
1. Zipper
Another solution for the reduction of the traffic congestion could be the zipper
machine (see Figure 7.8) that is already in operation in several cities such as Auckland,
New York, San Francisco and in many others.
Figure 7.8 Zipper [18]
The zipper is a barrier transfer machine, which is used to ease traffic jams during
rush hours by relocating the concrete lane dividers over to the other side of a lane.
Reallocating traffic lanes provides an additional lane for the direction with the heaviest
traffic flow. This movable lane is made up of barriers, which are linked together with
metallic connecting elements to create a solid but flexible safety barrier. The vehicle
transfers the barriers using an S-shaped channel located in its undercarriage. The barrier
parts, which the machine lifts off the road surface, may weigh over 454 kg. [18]
In Wroclaw, this facility could be installed on Karkonoska Street, where the traffic
is usually heavy at certain hours.
Telematics solutions
Telematics encompasses telecommunications, vehicular technologies, road
transportation, road safety, electrical engineering and computer science. Practical
applications of vehicle telematics [21]:
• Vehicle tracking (monitoring the location, movements, status and behaviour
of vehicles).
• Fleet management (can include functions such as vehicle financing, vehicle
maintenance, tracking and diagnostics of vehicles, driver management, fuel
management, health& safety management and dynamic vehicle scheduling).
• Satellite navigation (using GPS technology and an electronic mapping tool).