Webcams to "bust" Queensland traffic congestion

 

Police and Department of Main Roads switch on 60 webcams.

Sixty traffic webcams were switched on in south east Queensland this month to give police and motorists greater visibility of busy intersections and roads.

The deployment cost $980,000 and gave the state a total of 137 traffic webcams streaming live vision to its Traffic and Travel Information website.

It was the combination of two projects -- the 50-camera Congestion Management Program in Queensland's south-east region, and a separate 10-camera project in the Metropolitan Region.

Other webcams operated on the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, in the Darling Downs, Townsville, Cairns, Roma and in the Wide Bay region.

Announcing the deployment on Friday, Queensland's Minister for Main Roads Craig Wallace said it was "money well spent".

"Sixty new webcams have now been activated in the south east," he said. "They're the latest reinforcements in our fight to tackle traffic congestion.

"We now have 137 traffic webcams ... alerting motorists to potential hazards, traffic snarls, accidents and delays on busy roads.

"The web cams will save time for people who lead busy lives. They will be able to plan their journey before heading out in the car."

Wallace said the Department of Main Roads had also signed a "congestion busting agreement" with the Queensland Police.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a police officer would be on duty in the Brisbane Metropolitan Transport Management Centre's control room during peak times to activate emergency services when necessary.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said the Government took a "progressive approach to rolling out the cameras as one of many tools to assist the travelling public in making informed travel choices".

"At this point in time, no further cameras are scheduled to be rolled-out," the spokesman said.

"However, the assessments for locations of new cameras is undertaken on an as needed basis and considers such things as high traffic volume, landmarks and places of interest to the travelling public."

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Webcams to "bust" Queensland traffic congestion
"Actually I just noticed another error ..I'll email them Fri. Jp"
By johnpro2
 
 
 
Comments: 6
shanep
Sep 27, 2010 8:26 AM
They could have had a fixed HDTV/MEGAPIXEL camera system(instead of using anolog cameras) for the Costing a lot less and used Solar Power to run the cameras providing green energy solution.

They could have had 60 Full traffic HDTV PTZ cameras doing both web cam shots in more directing (120 webcams) and being able to be used in the control rooms to monitor traffic for a little more 1.2million and be Solor Powered. Green energy solution.

As usual the bosses of main roads will not get there heads out of the sand and talk.
RandomUser
Sep 27, 2010 10:22 AM
The new cameras are all digital/IP cameras. The majority of cameras were located at intersections, that need power for the traffic lights, why spend money on initial outlay and then maintance for solar?

And if they were megapixel, then the public would have privacy concerns. The current situation is cost effective and privacy sensitive.
shanep
Sep 27, 2010 11:10 AM
The cameras being used are an anolog camera with an IP chip/board so yes they are IP/digital but still only give anolog quality pictures (D1).

As to using traffic lights power the project should have been a lot cheapper. I throught going solar would have supported green solutions but looks like main roads don't support solar solutions. Maintainance is very minimal if designed right.

Then why spend money on one solution webcam which when you could have spent the same money on a the latest technology which could have had multipul solutions webcam - live traffic monitoring and more including PTZ.

There are no privacy concerns they are public areas and there is no restiction take a look at google.



FLashy
Sep 27, 2010 1:53 PM
An eye in the sky is simply wonderful, but do they have a direct control over all traffic lights?
Telstra has an enormous amount of copper pairs in the ground, just perfect for controlling traffic lights.
Maybe a wireless solution is required, where each set of lights has an address.
If you could control the lights, this would give the webcams something to do.
johnpro2
Sep 27, 2010 7:13 PM
yep..I am well covered here in Morayfield ..well done. We check out the Bruce Hwy before setting off to Brisbane or the airport ...
I actually emailed an error in camera tags this morning, received a personal reply within 2 hours and the issue has since been rectified ..nice.
Jp
johnpro2
Sep 30, 2010 7:08 PM
Actually I just noticed another error ..I'll email them Fri.

Jp
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