PlusBus turbo: Now they can move faster through the traffic

It’s invisible in the cityscape, but ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) helps ensure efficient traffic flow in the city and municipality, Aalborg Municipality writes in a press release.

This is technology that Aalborg uses to keep traffic moving as smoothly as possible.

A concrete example is the PlusBus, which is prioritized at traffic lights along its route from the racecourse in the west to the university hospital in the east, ensuring the bus can move efficiently through the city.

When one of the 14 PlusBuses approaches a signal-controlled intersection, a digital message is sent to the traffic light, which quickly responds with a green signal.

Turbo for the buses

“The traffic lights try to give a bit of turbo to the buses, so they get prioritized first,” says team leader Mikkel Færgemand from the Department of City and Land.

The PlusBuses already run in their own dedicated lanes on much of the route, but the green wave at intersections provides an extra boost, saving time for both passengers and the service itself.

“At every intersection, we can extend the green time. If the PlusBus is detected out on the horizon, it gets 10–20 extra seconds of green so it can make it through. We’re reaching a really good level now, where it creates great value,” says Mikkel Færgemand.

30 intersections

The data sent via the PlusBus fleet management system to about 30 intersections along the route is the same data passengers see on the real-time displays at PlusBus stops.

The philosophy behind Aalborg’s use of ITS is that good traffic management can increase capacity at intersections and, in some cases, delay the need for costly expansions.

“It’s about getting the most out of our existing infrastructure and the resources available,” says Mikkel Færgemand.

Helps during handball games and concerts

ITS can also help reduce congestion, where in recent years radar technology has increasingly been used.

“There is a considerable societal cost in delays and wasted time in traffic. In addition, there is also a strong focus on improving traffic safety and reducing CO2 emissions,” says Mikkel Færgemand.

Another example of ITS use in Aalborg is at Gigantium, where after handball games or concerts, a large number of cars need to leave the area. Here, the intersection automatically activates an event program, giving green lights to drivers leaving the nearby commuter parking lot managed by the Danish Road Directorate.

“When the sensors detect a continuous flow of traffic, the intersection knows that something is happening at Gigantium, and then it switches to this program,” says Mikkel Færgemand.

ITS also generally allows for prioritizing different groups of road users, such as schoolchildren, people with mobility challenges, and cyclists, the municipality writes.