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UTOPIA/SPOT, Italy
Context

UTOPIA (Urban Traffic Optimisation by Integrated Automation) / SPOT (System for Priority and
Optimisation of Traffic) is designed and developed by FIAT Research Centre, ITAL TEL and
MIZAR Automazione in Turin, Italy. The objective of the system is to improve both private and
public transport efficiency. The system has been fully operational since 1985 on a network of
about forty signalised junctions in the central area of Turin. The area also contains a tram line
and control of the trams is integrated within UTOPIA/SPOT (Wood, 1993). UTOPIA/SPOT is
now used in several cities in Italy and also in the Netherlands, USA, Norway, Finland and
Denmark.

The system uses a hierarchical-decentralised control strategy, involving intelligent local

controllers to communicate with other signal controllers as well as with a central computer.
Central to the philosophy of the UTOPIA/SPOT system is the provision of priority to selected
public transport vehicles at signalised junctions and improvements in mobility for private
vehicles, subject to any delays necessary to accommodate priority vehicles (Wood, 1993). The
French PRODYN system and the German MOTION system have some similarities to SPOT, but
have not been used outside their counties (Kronborg and Davidsson, 2000).

Impacts on demand

The improvements attributed to UTOPIA in Turin have been calculated a previous traffic
responsive control strategy rather than against a fixed time system. Benefits of implementing
UTOPIA were shown to give an increase in private traffic speed of 9.5% in 1985 and 15.9% in
1986, following system tuning. In peak times the speed increases were 35%. Public transport
vehicles, which were given absolute priority, showed a speed increase of 19.9% in 1985
(Wood, 1993).

SPOT was introduced in Scandinavia in the early 1990s (Kronborg and Davidsson, 2000). In
Oslo, Norway, SPOT started to be operated in four intersections with high priority to public
transport in 1996. Only traffic parallel with the tram routes was evaluated and had good
results (15% reduction in travel time).

Impacts on supply

UTOPIA/SPOT has been explicitly designed with public transport vehicle priority in mind
(Wood, 1993). Buses and LRT vehicles are given absolutely priority at junctions, subject to the
accuracy in forecasting their arrival time. In Turin LRT are given higher priority than buses
because they have more passengers but extra priority can be assigned on a vehicle by vehicle
basis if required.

Contribution to objectives

Objectives Comment

The speed of both private and public transport was increased.

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No analysis has been conducted.

No estimation has been made, but reduction in delay and stops

decreases fuel consumption and emission of pollutants.

Public transport vehicle priority has made the transport environment

more equitable.

No specific safety features of UTOPIA are known.

No analysis has been conducted.

No evidence regarding costs, but installation and maintenance would

have been significant.

Gaps and weaknesses

Many papers or reports on UTC systems evaluated only the impact on efficiency such as
reduction in journey time, delay and stops compared with previous types of system. However,
reducing travel times can increase road capacity, and increasing capacity over a significant
area may cause a shift in demand towards car use and increase car traffic volume. The
potential for the benefits of UTC systems to be eroded by induced traffic needs to be borne in
mind. Relatively little information is available on environmental or safety benefits.