In Vinnytsia, trams will spend less time at traffic lights: what is the solution

Vinnytsia has begun testing a system designed to reduce tram delays at traffic lights and make public transport more stable. The first phase of testing started at Kalichanskaya Square, where special equipment for interaction between trams and road infrastructure has already been installed. This was reported by the Vinnytsia City Council.

Priority for trams will help reduce travel time

Kalichanskaya Square has become the first transport hub in the city where a new tram priority system is being tested. Its main task is to decrease waiting time at traffic lights and improve adherence to schedules.

Special sensors have been installed about 100-120 meters before the intersection. They read the signal from a tag located on the tram, after which the system prepares the necessary traffic light phase in advance.

According to Andriy Sorokin, the director of the transport and urban mobility department of the Vinnytsia City Council, even a few seconds saved at one intersection provides a tangible result for thousands of passengers and helps make public transport operations more predictable.

How the new traffic light system works

Additional priority is activated only when a tram approaches the intersection. After it passes, the traffic light returns to its normal operating mode, so changes will not affect the flow of cars and pedestrians for the rest of the time.

As specialists explained, the equipment responds approximately 30 seconds faster than traditional GPS systems. This allows the traffic light to change phase in time and ensure unobstructed passage for the tram. Additionally, the system is not dependent on GPS signal quality and continues to operate even in the presence of obstacles.

Special holographic tags have already been installed on the trams that pass through Kalichanskaya Square. If testing results confirm the effectiveness of the solution, all trams in Vinnytsia plan to be equipped with such tags.

The transport modernization project is being implemented with the support of partners

The implementation of the new technology has become part of the international program NAKOPA «Sustainable municipal development through partnership projects», which Vinnytsia is implementing together with the city of Karlsruhe.

After the testing phase is completed, specialists will analyze how much the system has reduced delays at intersections and whether it has improved the regularity of tram routes. If the effect is confirmed, the technology may be scaled up to other areas of the city transport network.

As a reminder, in Vinnytsia, there are proposals to raise transport fares starting from August 1.