Traffic Signals

How we monitor traffic signals in the city and how you can report a problem.

Traffic signals and signal controlled pedestrian crossings are provided to improve the safety and progression of all road users including pedestrians, cyclists, buses and other vehicles.

There are approximately 81 traffic signal junctions and 89 signal controlled pedestrian crossing facilities that are managed and maintained in the Brighton & Hove area. The council monitors and controls the operation of these signals and most faults are automatically recognised and reported to our maintenance contractors as soon as possible.

The traffic signals team monitors and/or controls the operation of these signal installations using the Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system, SCOOT or the Remote Monitoring System (RMS). This ensures, as far as possible, that the traffic signals are operating correctly and that most faults are automatically recognised and reported to our maintenance contractors as soon as possible.

How do I report a fault?

You can  report all faults at traffic signals and signal controlled pedestrian crossings in Brighton & Hove by:

Please report the location of the signals (by road name) and describe, as far as possible, the nature of the fault or problem.

Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system

At present, 76 road junctions and 75 pedestrian crossing facilities are connected to the UTC system. This system allows the operation of signal equipment to be monitored (checking signal timings and reporting equipment faults) and controlled. The UTC system is able to make the signal equipment operate in accordance with predefined fixed time plans. This makes it possible to link adjacent sets of traffic signals in order to 'platoon' vehicles through a whole area. An additional benefit of this system is the ability to provide "Green Wave Routes" for emergency vehicles wishing to travel quickly to a particular place.

SCOOT

Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique (SCOOT). This is a variation of the Urban Traffic Control (UTC) system. The SCOOT system collects information from vehicle detectors about the actual vehicle flows within the system, and then recalculates plans for each signal installation based on the current traffic situation. The stage lengths, the linking between adjacent installations and the cycle time can all change every few minutes, in response to traffic needs. This ensures that pedestrian and vehicle delays are kept to a minimum at all times.

Remote Monitoring System (RMS)

This system is used for the monitoring of non-Urban Traffic Control (UTC) traffic signal installations. By installing a small computer on site, the operations of the equipment are carefully monitored. Any equipment faults are recognised by the site computer and, via a modem and normal telephone line, are reported to a central computer in the maintenance office.