1. As announced by Mr Raymond Lim, the Minister for Transport, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will be making changes to the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system to enhance its effectiveness in managing traffic congestion on the roads. With the changes, a total of 16 new ERP gantries will be activated this year, and this includes the 5 gantries which were announced in August 2007 last year but have not been activated.
2. The ERP changes will be phased in gradually, starting with the Central Business District (CBD) and Orchard Cordons in July 2008. This is to give time for motorists to adjust their travel plans and allow for the impact of the changes in the CBD and Orchard Cordon to work its way through the rest of the road network.
3. The
enhancements to the ERP system, the implementation of new ERP gantries and how
the new ERP criteria will take effect are outlined below.
Enhancements
to the ERP System
4. The ERP system has essentially remained unchanged since its introduction in 1998. As traffic volumes today are far different from a decade ago, enhancements are necessary to ensure the ERP system’s effectiveness. As part of the Land Transport Review, the LTA has studied and reviewed the matter carefully, and will be implementing the following changes to enhance the ERP system from July 2008:
a. Use the 85th Percentile Speed Measurement Method
The currentntnt threshold speeds (45 km/h on expressways and 20 km/h on arterial roads) were set 10 years ago. Today, the threshold speeds are close to the point where traffic flow can deteriorate rapidly into the unstable zone where ‘stop-start’ conditions become common. In order to create a buffer, LTA will use a more representative method of measuring actual traffic conditions for ERP rate reviews, with speeds determined using the 85th percentile speed measurement method, instead of using average speeds as is done currently. The 85th percentile speed measurement method is also an international traffic engineering practice for assessing traffic conditions. With the revised speed measurement method, motorists will be assured of smooth travel on ERP-priced roads at least 85% of the time;
b. Increase the Initial ERP Charge and Rate Increment
Motorists today are less sensitive to the rate structure which has remained unchanged since 1998. For ERP charges to remain effective in influencing motorists’ behaviour, LTur, LTur, LTA will raise the incremental ERP charge from $0.50 to $1. In addition, the ERP base charge, which is the starting charge for a new ERP gantry point, will be increased from the current $1 to $2. These changes will improve the effectiveness of the ERP system, so that each time ERP rates are adjusted, motorists who still choose to drive on these roads would see a visible improvement in traffic flows.
c. Manage Congestion in the City Area
To address the congestion in the city area, LTA will introduce the Singapore River Line, comprising 5 new ERP gantries that run roughly along the Singapore River to discourage through traffic from using the city for outbound trips, and Saturday traffic.
New ERP Gantries
5. LTA has been monitoring traffic conditions closely on the roads, and has assessed that 16 new ERP gantries are necessary to help manage congestion at the identified locations. The LTA will phase in the implementation of the 16 gantries as shown below.
April 2008 – Operation of 5 gantries that were announced in Aug 2007
6. In August 2007, LTA had announced that ERP gantries would be installed at 5 locations, namely (i) Upper Bukit Timah Road ; (ii) Toa Payoh Lorong 6; (iii) Upper Boon Keng Road; (iv) Geylang Bahru Road ; and (v) Kallang Bahru Road . These gantries would be activated only when traffic speeds fall below the optimal speed range. LTA has been monitoring the traffic conditions at these 5 locations closely, and has established that traffic speeds on all 5 roads have falallenen below the optimal speed threshold based on the current speed criteria[1].
7. Therefore, LTA will be activating these gantries from 7 April 2008. The operating hours of these 5 gantries will be from 7.30am to 9.30am. Please refer to Annex A for the location and ERP rates of these gantries.
July 2008 – Operation of 5 new gantries along the Singapore River in the CBD
8. The five gantries on the Singapore River Line will run roughly along the Singapore River from Clemenceau Ave to Fullerton Road , separating the commercial and shopping areas such as the Suntec area from the office-based areas such as Shenton Way/Robinson Road . These 5 gantries serve to reduce through traffic from using the city area for outbound trips in the evening, similar in concept to the Orchard Cordon where ERP was implemented to reduce through-traffic which would otherwise use Orchard Road to get to other areas. Traffic speeds on these roads are below the optimal speed range, based on the revised criteria.
9. To better manage the speeds within the Orchard and CBD cordons, the ERP operation hours for the CBD will start from 7am to 8pm on weekdays. The ERP for Orchard Cordon will start from 10am to 8pm on weekdays.
10. The 5 gantries on the Singapore River Line will come into operation on 7 July 2008 , and will operate from 5pm to 8pm on weekdays. Two of the new gantries – namely Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerton Road (towards Esplanade Drive ) – will operate on Saturday from 10am to 8pm . The rate increase of $1 will be applied if the traffic conditions closer to July warrant it for each of the half-hour time slots.11. Please refer to Annex B for the locations of these gantries.
12. On Saturdays, the gantries at Eu Tong Sen Street and Fullerllerton Road (towards Suntec City), together with th the exisexisting CBD gantries north of the Singapore River Line, will help to demarcate the Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon as traffic conditions within this cordon have deteriorated below the optimal speed threshold. The Bugis-Marina Centre Cordon and the existing Orchard Cordon will operate during the same hours on Saturdays and will help in in managing g traffic in the City area on Saturdays. [Please refer to Annex C for the location of the different cordons.]
November 2008 – Operation of 6 new gantries on arterial roads and expressways
13. Based on the new ERP criteria (i.e. 85th percentile speed measurement method), traffic speeds at 6 locations on arterial roads and expressways have fallen below the optimal speed range, and ERP is needed to manage the congestion that is building up at these areas. The new gantries will operate from 3 November 2008 onwards, and they are as shown below. Please refer to Annex D for the location of the 6 new gantries.
a. 3 new gantries on roads along the Outer Cordon in the morning. LTA will be installing new gantries at the following 3 locations along the Outer Cordon to address the congestion on these roads, namely (i) Commonwealth Avenue; (ii) Jalan Bukit Merah; and (iii) Alexandra Road.
b. 2 new gantries on expressways in the morning. One gantry is along AYE (westbound), near Alexandra Road , and the other is along PIE (westbound), near Eunos.
c. New gantry on Serangoon Road in the evening. To address the congestion on Serangoon Road during the evening peak hours, LTA will be installing a gantry there.
14. The operation hours and ERP rates at each of the 6 gantries above will be determined and announced closer to their implementation in November 2008. [Please refer to Annex E for a map showing the location of the Outer Cordon.]
Implementation of New ERP Criteria and Rates on Existing ERP Gantries
15. LTA will be phasing in the implementation of the new ERP criteria and new ERP rates on existing ERP gantries to allow time for motorists to adjust their travel plans. The new criteria will first be applied to the CBD and Orchard Cordon in July 2008 before being extended to other roads progressively. This will also allow for the impact of changes in the city area to work its way through the rest of the road network. If the new ERP rates in the CBD and Orchard Cordon result in fewer motorists driving on the roads leading to the city, ERP rates need not be adjusted if speeds do not fall below the threshold speed.
16. The following is the schedule for the application of the new ERP criteria (i.e. 85th percentile speed measurement method and ERP rate increment of $1) on existing ERP gantries:
· July 2008 – to be implemented on gantries in CBD and Orchard Cordon (on weekdays) and Orchard and Marina Centre Cordon (on Saturdays).
· November 2008 – to be implemented on gantries on roads within and up to the Outer Cordon. Map showing the location of the Outer Cordo Cordon n
is given in Annex E.
· February 2009 – to be implemented on all gantries islandwide
17. Before the new ERP criteria is applied to the respective areas, LTA will continue with using the existing ERP criteria in the quarterly ERP rate reviews.
Conclusion
18. The main aim of the ERP changes is to keep our roads smooth flowing and ensure a high quality urban environment. We are putting a lot of effort into making public transport a viable alternative to driving and we hope that more motorists will give it a try.” said Mr Yam Ah Mee, LTA Chief Executive.
Longer you stay on busy roads, the more you pay
LTA has tested out such a scheme and may implement it as early as 2010
Straits Times, The (Singapore)
Prime News
February 7, 2008
Author: Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent
A SATELLITE-TRACKED electronic road-pricing system that could charge drivers for using congested roads anywhere in Singapore may be ready as early as 2010.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has just completed a series of field tests spanning over a year to determine the reliability of such infrastructure, which operates without gantries and is based on the Global Positioning System (GPS).
While many details, including pricing, have yet to be worked out, the LTA indicated that Singapore is poised to be one of the first cities in the world to use such a system.
It will rely on GPS-enabled in-vehicle units (IUs) to track where drivers go, as well as the distance they clock.
Drivers are likely to be charged based on how long they stay on the road, to better reflect their actual contribution to congestion.
It is understood that one advantage of the new system is that it can determine quickly when and where congestion is occurring, and levy charges accordingly. Motorists will also benefit: The IU can notify them that they are approaching a priced road.
Dr Chin Kian Keong, the LTA's transportation chief engineer, called the satellite-tracking system 'a sharper tool' for controlling congestion than the current fixed gantry system.
He told The Straits Times on Monday that system trials were completed last December, and participants were from 10 companies, five of which were local. Each fielded between four and 10 vehicles equipped with GPS hardware and software.
Using such a system, which The Straits Times learns could be ready by 2010 or 2011, could mean that ERP rates would be more commensurate with a road user's actual contribution to congestion.
The current gantry system does not differentiate between, say, a vehicle that enters the CBD and is parked in an office building all day, and one that stays on the road for hours - a taxi or delivery truck, for example - and increases congestion.
One of the main aims of the recent field tests was to determine if a gantry-less system could be as reliable as the current decade-old scheme.
LTA chief engineer Leong Kwok Weng said results showed that accuracy was 'well over' 90 per cent in open areas such as expressways, and 30 per cent in the city.
The reason for the low accuracy rate in the city is what engineers call the 'urban canyon effect', where satellite signals are reflected off high-rises, causing distorted readings.
But Dr Chin said that there are ways of working around this, including setting up signal beacons on curbs or buildings.
Using such a system will also benefit motorists, he added.
For instance, it could help drivers navigate in unfamiliar areas and alert them to congested roads and suggest alternatives.
Dr Chin said that Singapore hopes to be the first in the world to use the new system, adding that the LTA 'hopes to proceed without having to have another trial'.
London is another city which has been looking at implementing a similar scheme.
Although Germany uses a GPS-based toll system, it is only for billing heavy trucks on the autobahn.
[email protected]
Doing away with gantries?
UNDER the satellite-based system, which may be ready as early as 2010:
Drivers can be tracked through GPS-enabled in-vehicle units.
They are likely to be charged based on how long they stay on the road.
One advantage is that the system can determine when and where congestion is occurring, and levy charges accordingly.
Copyright, 2008, Singapore Press Holdings Limited